Michigan first in AP and College Football Playoff Rankings – Monday Morning Sports Update

NFL – National Football League – Week 13
Yesterday
Detroit Lions 33, New Orleans Saints 28
Indianapolis Colts 31, Tennessee Titans 28 – OT

Lions 33, Saints 28 – Sam LaPorta has career day for Lions, Saints QB Derek Carr hurt as Detroit wins 33-28
Sam LaPorta had career highs of nine catches for 140 yards, including an early touchdown and a crucial first-down snag in the final minutes, and the Detroit Lions beat the reeling New Orleans Saints 33-28. Detroit improved to 9-3, its best record through 12 games since it was 10-2 in 1962. The Saints lost quarterback Derek Carr in the fourth quarter to back, shoulder and head injuries. Carr was hurt on a penalized hit by Bruce Irvin, who drove the weight of his body into the quarterback. Jared Goff passed for 213 yards and two TDs for the NFC North-leading Lions (9-3), who raced to a three-touchdown lead and then held off New Orleans’ comeback bid that featured Chris Olave’s five catches for 119 yards. Detroit improves to 9-3, and have a three game lead over Green Bay, who beat Kansas City on Sunday night and idle Minnesota who are each 6-6. Only six rookie tight ends have had 140 yards receiving and a TD in a game — none since Jacksonville’s Pete Mitchell in 1995.  Detroit is at Chicago on Sunday.

Colts 31, Titans 28 – OT – Minshew throws for TD in OT as the Colts win 4th straight, down Titans 31-28
Gardner Minshew threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to Michael Pittman with 2:31 left in overtime and the Indianapolis Colts beat the Tennessee Titans 31-28 Sunday for their fourth straight victory. The Colts had to score a touchdown after Nick Folk made a 46-yard field goal with 4:19 left in overtime to put Tennessee up. Tennessee lost its first true home game this season and has yet to win consecutive games. The Titans blew a 17-7 lead. Nick Folk missed his first extra point this season with 5:26 left in regulation that could have put Tennessee up 26-25.

Other Week 13 Scores
Dallas 41, Seattle 35
Arizona 24, Pittsburgh 10
Atlanta 13, N.Y. Jets 8
Houston 22, Denver 17
L.A. Chargers 6, New England 0
Miami 45, Washington 15
Tampa Bay 21, Carolina 18
L.A. Rams 36, Cleveland 19
San Francisco 42, Philadelphia 19
Green Bay 27, Kansas City 19
Bye: Baltimore, Buffalo, Las Vegas,
Chicago, Minnesota, N.Y. Giants

Tonight
Cincinnati Bengals at Jacksonville Jaguars, 8:15 p.m.

NFL – Chain crew member dislocated his knee during Lions-Saints game
A member of the chain crew at a game between Detroit and New Orleans was taken to a hospital with a dislocated knee that occurred when Saints running back Alvin Kamara was tackled into him. Saints spokesman Doug Miller said Nick Piazza was in stable condition at University Hospital. The game was delayed in the first half so physicians from both teams could treat Piazza as he lay on the turf along the Detroit sideline. Piazza’s legs were taken out from under him after Lions linebacker Derrick Barnes pushed Kamara hard over the sideline, causing the running back to lose his footing at the New Orleans 18-yard line.

NHL – National Hockey League
Last Night
Minnesota Wild 4, Chicago Blackhawks 1

Wild 4, Blackhawks 1 – Marco Rossi scores twice in Wild’s 4-1 victory over Blackhawks
Marco Rossi scored twice and Mats Zuccarello had a goal and two assists for the Minnesota Wild in a 4-1 win against the Chicago Blackhawks. Matt Boldy also scored for Minnesota, which has won three in a row after firing coach Dean Evason and replacing him with John Hynes. The Wild had scored only 13 goals in losing seven straight games, leading to Evason’s dismissal. In the three games since, Minnesota has outscored opponents 13-3. Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 27 shots for the Wild. Taylor Raddysh scored for the Blackhawks and Petr Mrazek made 30 saves.

NBA – National Basketball Association
Tonight
Boston Celtics at Indiana Pacers, 7:30 p.m.

NCAAWBB – Women’s College Basketball
Last Night
Michigan State 89, Miami-OH 44
North Dakota 64, Eastern Michigan 56

NCAAFB – Michigan is #1 for first time in 26 seasons, Georgia’s streak ends at 24 weeks
Michigan is No. 1 in The Associated Press college football poll for the first time since its won its last the national championship in 1997, and Georgia slipped to No. 6 after its 29-game winning streak was snapped by Alabama. Michigan received 51 first-place votes. No. 2 Washington had 11 first-place votes. Texas was No. 3 and Florida State No. 4. Alabama moved up three spots to No. 5. The Bulldogs had their string of 24 straight weeks at No. 1 snapped. It is the second longest in AP poll history behind USC’s 33 straight from 2003-05.

NCAAFB – Michigan vs. Alabama, Washington vs. Texas in CFP;
Michigan, Washington, Texas and Alabama are in the College Football Playoff. Florida State is not and is the first unbeaten Power Five conference champion to be excluded from the four-team field in its 10-year history. The Seminoles lost star quarterback Jordan Travis to a season-ending injury two weeks ago. They continued to win but the committee passed them over. Michigan will face Alabama in the Rose Bowl and Washington will play Texas in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1. The winners will play for the national championship Jan. 8 in Houston.

NCAAFB – Michigan to make 21st appearance in Rose Bowl Game
Top-seeded Michigan will face Alabama in the College Football Playoff semifinal to be played as the 110th edition of the Rose Bowl Game. The college football powerhouses haven’t faced each other since the season opener of 2012. The Crimson Tide routed the Wolverines in Arlington, Texas, in that matchup. Michigan is in the Rose Bowl Game for the 21st time, while Alabama is making its seventh appearance in the New Year’s Day classic. Michigan is the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff after going 13-0. Alabama earned the final spot in the playoff by knocking off Georgia in the SEC title game.

NCAAFB – Texas bound: No. 15 Notre Dame to face No. 21 Oregon State in Sun Bowl
No. 15 Notre Dame will face No. 21 Oregon State in the Sun Bowl on Dec. 29. Sam Hartman has had a strong season at quarterback for Notre Dame after transferring from Wake Forest. He gets support from Audric Estime, who has rushed for 1,341 yards and 18 touchdowns this season. Notre Dame’s best win this season was a blowout of USC and 2022 Heisman winner Caleb Williams. Oregon State features running back Damien Martinez. He has rushed for 1,185 yards and nine touchdowns this season. They have played twice, both in bowl games. Oregon State won both.

MLB – Jim Leyland elected to baseball’s Hall of Fame, becomes 23rd manager enshrined
Jim Leyland, who led the Florida Marlins to a World Series title in 1997 and won 1,769 regular-season games over 22 seasons as an entertaining and at-times crusty big league manager, was elected to baseball’s Hall of Fame. Now 78, Leyland received 15 of 16 votes by the contemporary era committee for managers, executives and umpires. He becomes the 23rd manager in the hall. Former player and manager Lou Piniella fell one vote short and former player, broadcaster and executive Bill White was two shy. Leyland managed Pittsburgh, Florida, Colorado and Detroit from 1986 to 2013.

MHSAA – High School Sports
Tonight
Boys Basketball
River Valley at Dowagiac, 7:15 p.m.
Hartford at Howardsville Christian, 7:30 p.m.
Marcellus at Lawton, 7:00 p.m.
Delton-Kellogg at Bellevue, 7:00 p.m.

Girls Basketball
Bangor at St. Joseph, 7:00 p.m.
River Valley at Dowagiac, 5:45 p.m.
Brandywine at Sturgis, 7:00 p.m.
Hastings at Kalamazoo Loy Norrix, 7:00 p.m.
Bloomingdale at Lawton, 5:30 p.m.