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Lando Norris wins his first F1 drivers’ championship

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Lando Norris on Sunday won his first F1 drivers’ championship after finishing third in Abu Dhabi.

Despite closing the gap over the last several races and even winning the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Max Verstappen was two points shy of securing his fifth title. Finishing behind Verstappen in the standings was Oscar Piastri. His season could be described as somewhat of a disappointment as he led the drivers’ championship for most of the season before having a major drop-off in the last 10 races. That drop-off saw him lose the drivers’ championship to Norris and fall to third in the standings behind Verstappen.

On the constructors’ side, Red Bull was unable to unseat Mercedes for second place and wound up third. This was more or less expected as Red Bull was a one-driver dominant team, with Yuki Tsunoda unable to secure a significant amount of points this season.

Red Bull and McLaren may have dominated the current set of technical regulations, but there will be a new set technical regulations next season. The cars will be required to be smaller and lighter, ditching DRS for active aerodynamics. All constructors will be starting their design from scratch, and everyone will be on a level playing field. Additionally, 2026 will see the introduction of both Audi and Cadillac to the paddock.

Aaron Rodgers had a defiant message for the media after win over Ravens

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The Pittsburgh Steelers notched their biggest win of the season on Sunday, and Aaron Rodgers had a very blunt message for the media afterward.

Rodgers went 23/34 for 284 yards, a touchdown and no interceptions in the Steelers’ 27-22 Week 14 win over the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Md. He also rushed for a score and made some vintage Rodgers throws after keeping plays alive.

The Steelers improved to 7-6 with the win, while the Ravens fell to 6-7. Pittsburgh is now in first place in the AFC North, despite a lot of negative talk surrounding the team and head coach Mike Tomlin.

After Sunday’s game, a reporter asked Rodgers how the win over Baltimore might impact some of those unflattering narratives. The 42-year-old responded with a blunt message for the media.

“It means maybe you guys will shut the hell up for a week,” Rodgers said.

There were a few chuckles in the room, but Rodgers seemed serious. He probably feels that a lot of the criticism of the team and Tomlin has been unfair, especially considering that Rodgers has been playing through a significant injury.

Tomlin is the longest-tenured head coach in the NFL, having been with the Steelers since 2007. He has never had a losing season. Pittsburgh also has not won a playoff game in nearly a full decade, so many fans are growing impatient with Tomlin. Some of them have been very vocal in showing that.

The Steelers still have plenty to clean up if they want to become a legitimate contender in the AFC, but Rodgers had every right to beat his chest after Sunday’s huge win.

Browns get roasted for their horrible 2-point conversion try

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The Cleveland Browns were roasted on Sunday for a horrible two-point conversion attempt that saw them take quarterback Shedeur Sanders off the field.

The Browns scored a touchdown with 1:03 left to pull to within 31-29 of the Tennessee Titans during Sunday’s game at Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland, Oh. Obviously, they lined up to go for two, but did not have Sanders on the field for the crucial attempt.

Instead, the Browns ran a trick play that started with a direct snap to running back Quinshon Judkins. Judkins was evidently supposed to pitch the ball to Gage Larvadain, but missed the opportunity, and the play broke down completely.

Keep in mind Sanders had thrown for 364 yards with three touchdowns and was a big reason the Browns were in the game to begin with. The decision to try and tie it up with him on the sideline was baffling.

Coach Kevin Stefanski was further criticized for going for two on the Browns’ previous score and failing, which left the score at 31-23. Had the Browns simply kicked the extra point at that stage, they would have been down 31-24, and could have at least tied the game up or gone for the win after the next score.

There has been a narrative floating around that Stefanski has sabotaged Sanders at times this season. Sanders has, of course, denied that there’s anything to it, but those who believe the Browns have no faith in the rookie quarterback can certainly point to this as evidence to back up their assertion. Given the stat line he had put up, it is hard to believe the Browns did not have a better option for this play.

Ravens have go-ahead TD taken away on controversial call

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The Baltimore Ravens had a crucial touchdown taken away on a controversial call late in their Week 14 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.

The Ravens were trailing 27-22 and had the ball deep in Pittsburgh territory late in the fourth quarter at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Md. Lamar Jackson completed a 13-yard pass to tight end Isaiah Likely in the end zone on first down that was initially called a touchdown, but the play was overturned on review.

Likely caught the ball and took two steps before the ball was punched out by Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. just as Likely was about to take his third step. The replay official ruled that Likely did not complete the process of the catch, which resulted in an incomplete pass.

CBS rules analyst Gene Steratore believed the correct call was made. Steratore explained that although Likely caught the ball in the end zone, he still needed to make a football more or have possession long enough to have made a football move. It was determined that Likely did not satisfy those criteria.

The Ravens had a few more shots to score, but they ended up turning the ball over on downs. They went from having a go-ahead and potential game-winning touchdown to not scoring at all. Baltimore head coach John Harbaugh was irate that the call was overturned, and many believe he had a right to be.

The Steelers went on to win 27-22. They improved to 7-6 and moved into first place in the AFC North, while the Ravens fell to 6-7.

Notre Dame AD goes off on College Football Playoff ‘farce’

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Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua called for significant change to the College Football Playoff selection process after his school was excluded from the field in bizarre circumstances.

The Miami Hurricanes jumped ahead of Notre Dame in Sunday’s final rankings, even though the Fighting Irish had consistently ranked higher in the weekly rankings released up until then. That led Bevacqua to accuse the selection committee of putting Notre Dame players through “false emotions” by making them believe they had more of a chance to make the field than they evidently did.

“There is no explanation that could possibly be given to explain the outcome,” Bevacqua told Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports. “As I said to Marcus (Freeman), one thing is for sure: Any rankings or show prior to this last one is an absolute joke and a waste of time. Why put these young student-athletes through these false emotions just to pull the rug out from underneath them having not played a game in two weeks and then a group of people in a room shatter their dreams without explanation?”

Bevacqua said he felt the playoff had been “stolen” from the team, and questioned the purpose of previous ranking shows when they seemed to have been meaningless.

“If the rankings shows are legitimate, there is no logical explanation of what happened to us,” Bevacqua said. “Have one ranking show at the end, like Sunday. What’s the point of doing anything prior to that?”

That is a question many will be asking, since Notre Dame came into the weekend ranked 10th with Miami ranked 12th. Neither team played over the weekend, so the Hurricanes leapfrogged Notre Dame for no apparent reason. Selection committee chairman Hunter Yurachek offered a fairly ridiculous explanation for why that happened.

Notre Dame lost head-to-head to Miami 27-24 in their season opener, a result that weighed heavily on the final ranking. The Fighting Irish would likely be a little bit less upset if the committee had not spent the last several weeks implying that result did not matter that much.

Zach Ertz was crying after he suffered a gruesome injury

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Washington Commanders tight end Zach Ertz suffered a gruesome leg injury on Sunday, and he was extremely emotional as he was carted to the locker room.

Ertz had his right leg taken out by Minnesota Vikings safety Jay Ward as he tried to make a leaping catch during the fourth quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minn. He immediately signaled for the training staff to come onto the field.

Ertz’s leg bent in the opposite direction and appeared to be badly hyperextended.

The injury looked significant, especially judging by Ertz’s reaction. He was seen crying with a towel over his head as he was taken to the locker room.

Depending on the severity of the injury, Ertz may not play in the NFL again. He is 35 and will likely face a long road to recovery.

Ertz was having a productive second season with the Commanders. The three-time Pro Bowl selection entered Week 14 with 49 catches for 493 yards and 4 touchdowns. He had 1 catch for 11 yards before exiting on Sunday.

Dylan Raiola’s uncle gets fired by Nebraska

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The Nebraska Cornhuskers made a notable change to their coaching staff on Saturday, and it raises questions about the future of quarterback Dylan Raiola.

The Cornhuskers fired offensive line coach Donovan Raiola on Saturday, according to multiple reports. Donovan Raiola is Dylan’s uncle, and had been the team’s offensive line coach since 2022.

The decision to fire Raiola may have nothing to do with the quarterback’s future, but it will inevitably spark more speculation. Reports surfaced recently that Dylan Raiola might enter the transfer portal and see what opportunities he has elsewhere. Even if that is something the Cornhuskers are worried about, it did not preclude them from making this change.

Dylan Raiola’s brother also decommitted from Nebraska recently, setting up something of a Raiola family exodus from the program.

Donovan Raiola had been Nebraska’s offensive line coach since 2022. He was an assistant offensive line coach for the Chicago Bears prior to that from 2018 to 2021.

Daniel Jones had a heartbreaking reaction to his Achilles injury

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Daniel Jones suffered what appeared to be a significant injury during the Indianapolis Colts’ Week 14 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, and the veteran quarterback seemed to know he was in trouble as soon as he went down.

Jones suffered a non-contact injury on a third-down play where he completed a pass in the first half at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. His right leg buckled awkwardly as he stepped into the throw, and he appeared to be in immediate pain.

As Jones was being evaluated by the Colts’ training staff, he slammed his helmet on the grass in frustration.

The Colts quickly ruled Jones out with an Achilles injury. He was replaced by Riley Leonard.

Jones likely knew that he had torn his Achilles. Athletes have often said they felt an unmistakable pop when they suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon, and that is probably what happened to Jones.

Jones had already been playing through a significant injury in his left leg, which may have added to the frustration for him. The former first-round pick was enjoying a career revival in his first season with the Colts and had the team looking like a legitimate AFC contender.

Jones entered Sunday’s game with 3,041 passing yards, 19 touchdown passes and 7 interceptions. He also had 160 rushing yards and 5 scores on the ground. If the injury was as bad as it looked, that will be a terrible way for a great season to end for Jones.

CFP committee chair offers bogus explanation for Miami-Notre Dame decision

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The College Football Playoff selection committee made a baffling change in the rankings before unveiling the final 12-team bracket on Sunday, and Hunter Yurachek made the situation worse with the explanation he gave for what transpired.

The final regular-season College Football Playoff rankings were released on Tuesday night. Notre Dame was ranked 10th and Miami was ranked 12th. Notre Dame does not have a conference affiliation and Miami did not reach the ACC Championship Game, so neither team played a game between the final CFP rankings and the unveiling of the playoff bracket.

Even with nothing changing for Miami and Notre Dame since Tuesday’s rankings, the Hurricanes jumped ahead of the Fighting Irish in the final rankings. Miami made the playoff as the 10 seed, while Notre Dame was the first team left out.

Ultimately, the committee decided that Miami deserved to be ranked ahead of Notre Dame because the two teams played earlier this season, and Miami won 27-24. But that means Miami should have been ranked ahead of Notre Dame when Tuesday’s rankings were released as well.

So what changed? Yurachek, the chair of the CFP selection committee, was asked that question by ESPN’s Rece Davis, and he offered a completely bogus rationale. Yurachek said that once BYU lost to Texas Tech in the Big 12 Championship Game, that allowed the CFP selection committee to see Notre Dame and Miami side-by-side in the rankings and compare the two teams directly.

“The first move in that was we felt the way BYU performed in their championship game, a second loss to Texas Tech in a similar fashion, was worthy of Miami moving ahead of them in the rankings. And once we moved Miami moved ahead of BYU, then we had that side-by-side comparison that everybody had been hungering for with Notre Dame and Miami,” Yurachek said. “You look at those two teams on paper and they’re almost equal in their schedule strength, their common opponents, the results against their common opponents, but the one metric we had to fall back on, again, was the head-to-head.”

That’s right, Yurachek is claiming the selection committee could not properly evaluate Miami and Notre Dame against one another until the two teams were physically side-by-side in the rankings.

Yurachek would have been better off owning it and saying committee members changed their minds and came to their senses. Most people agree that Miami deserved to make the CFP over Notre Dame because of the head-to-head game. The committee got it right, but they embarrassed themselves by creating a situation where they had to flip Notre Dame and Miami in the rankings despite neither team playing a game.

Everyone had the same question about the College Football Playoff bracket

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The 2025 College Football Playoff field has officially been set, and there was one significant change in the final rankings that left everyone scratching their heads.

With Alabama having lost to Georgia in the SEC Championship Game on Saturday, the biggest decision that the College Football Playoff selection committee faced was needing to exclude one of Alabama, Notre Dame or Miami from the 12-team tournament. Alabama, who had three losses but beat Georgia during the regular season, did not drop at all in the rankings after losing 28-7 to the Bulldogs on Saturday.

Alabama’s No. 9 ranking was not all that surprising, as most would agree the Crimson Tide should not be penalized for reaching their conference championship game and losing to a top-three team, especially after they already beat that same team earlier this season. What was more puzzling was the way the committee handled Miami and Notre Dame, who both finished the regular season 10-2.

Miami made the playoff and Notre Dame was the first team out. Here is the final bracket:

The final regular-season College Football Playoff rankings were released on Tuesday night. Notre Dame was ranked 10th and Miami was ranked 12th. Notre Dame does not have a conference affiliation and Miami did not reach the ACC Championship Game, so neither team played a game between the final CFP rankings and the unveiling of the playoff bracket.

Ultimately, the committee decided that Miami deserved to be ranked ahead of Notre Dame because the two teams played earlier this season, and Miami won 27-24. What everyone wanted to know was why the committee ranked the Fighting Irish ahead of the Hurricanes earlier in the week.

One of the main criteria the CFP selection committee uses is head-to-head competition. With Miami and Notre Dame both finishing 10-2, it seemed like the obvious choice to go with the team that won the regular-season matchup. Most people agreed with that decision.

The embarrassing part for the committee is that they essentially changed their mind and admitted a mistake. If Miami deserved to be in the playoff over Notre Dame, they should not have been ranked behind Notre Dame in the final regular-season CFP rankings. Even if the committee got it right, the way the situation was handled raised credibility questions.

Baker Mayfield fined for ‘violent gestures’ celebration

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield was fined by the NFL this week for a celebration that appeared harmless to most, but it is one that the league has cracked down on this season.

The NFL announced on Saturday that Mayfield and Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving have been fined for a celebration they did during Tampa Bay’s 20-17 Week 13 win over the Arizona Cardinals. Mayfield has been fined $14,491 and Irving $6,349 for a handshake that the NFL says included “violent gestures.”

The issue was the nose wipe gesture that both Mayfield and Irving did at the end of the pre-planned handshake, which came after Irving scored his first touchdown of the season.

The NFL added the nose wipe to its list of banned gestures ahead of this season due to its “gang connotations.” The celebration was mostly made famous by Dallas Cowboys star CeeDee Lamb, who was openly annoyed after the gesture was banned.

While most fans will chalk the fines up to another example of the NFL’s “No Fun League” antics, that particularly gesture was explicitly banned in April. Mayfield and Irving were either unaware of that or felt the fines were worth it.

Report: Steelers have ruled out 1 outcome with Mike Tomlin

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Mike Tomlin has faced increased pressure this season as the Pittsburgh Steelers fight to remain in the playoff race, but all indications are that he is not going to be shown the door anytime soon. He may choose to walk through it, however.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reported on Sunday that the Steelers are not going to fire Tomlin at the end of the 2025 season. Though, there is a scenario where Tomlin may not return as the coach of the team next season.

“Mike Tomlin is not going to get fired by the Pittsburgh Steelers. It is not going to happen, based on his success, based on his relationship with Art Rooney and the organization,” Rapoport said. “If Tomlin is not the coach of the Steelers in 2026, my understanding is it will be because that is what he wants.

“Here’s one scenario of how this might happen: Let’s just say that Tomlin wants to take a step back from the Steelers and coaching in 2026. He would remove himself as Steelers coach. He would probably go and do some media or something like that. They would hire a new coach. Then he would go into the marketplace in 2027, become the coach of some other team and then the Steelers would get compensation for that.”

The scenario that Rapoport described is essentially what happened with Sean Payton when he stepped down as head coach of the New Orleans Saints following the 2021 season. Payton took the 2022 season off and did some work as an analyst for FOX, and he then returned to coach the Denver Broncos in 2023. Since the Saints still held Payton’s rights, the Broncos traded a first-round draft pick and a second-round pick to New Orleans in exchange for Payton and a third-round pick.

Tomlin remains under contract with the Steelers next season, but the team has a big decision to make with the 53-year-old’s contract. It is possible Tomlin could make that decision for them if he were to opt for a fresh start elsewhere.

The Steelers are 6-6 and tied for first in the AFC North with the Baltimore Ravens, whom they will face on the road in Week 14. Pittsburgh has never had a losing season under Tomlin. Some fans have started to turn on the coach, but that does not mean the franchise feels the same way.

Johnny Manziel throws shade at Fernando Mendoza

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Fernando Mendoza made some huge plays on Saturday night to lead Indiana to its first Big Ten championship in more than 50 years, but Johnny Manziel was not quite as impressed with the quarterback’s performance as many people were.

Mendoza went 15/23 for 222 yards, a touchdown and an interception in Indiana’s 13-10 win over Ohio State at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind. While the game was largely a defensive struggle, Mendoza made a few clutch throws that wound up being the difference for the Hoosiers.

Manziel felt the praise of Mendoza went a bit too far, however. After the game, the former Texas A&M star quarterback threw some shade at Mendoza via social media.

“We got basic fade routes being called Heisman moments now … I’ve really seen it all. Congrats to Indiana though that’s a hell of a win,” Manziel wrote on X.

The play that Mendoza referred to was likely the touchdown pass that Mendoza threw to Elijah Sarratt in the third quarter to give Indiana the lead. Mendoza put the ball right where it needed to be, though you could argue that the catch was even better than the throw.

Mendoza also made a perfect throw to ice the game on third down late in the fourth quarter.

Not surprisingly, Mendoza was named the MVP of the Big Ten Championship Game.

Manziel may have a point, but his opinion is also biased. The former Heisman Trophy winner is good friends with Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia, who is expected to be a Heisman finalist this year. Mendoza has the best odds to win the award and got a big boost with Saturday’s performance against Ohio State’s elite defense.

Manziel showed how much of a Pavia fan he is when he flipped the double-bird to some fans at a game earlier this year. It makes sense that he is campaigning for his guy.

Montana State RB Julius Davis goes crazy on his coach after game

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Montana State running back Julius Davis went ballistic on head coach Brent Vigen following Saturday’s FCS playoff game against Yale, and the senior later tried to explain his side of what happened.

Montana State, the No. 2-ranked FCS team in the country, beat Yale 21-13 on Saturday at Bobcat Stadium in Bozeman, Mont. After the game, Davis was seen having what appeared to be a friendly exchange with a Yale player. Vigen came over to pull Davis away and bring the running back toward the Montana State side of the field, at which point Davis lost his cool.

Bobcats defensive back Takhari Carr came over to try to diffuse the situation, and Davis shoved his teammate away. Davis and Vigen went back and forth at one another for more than a full minute before everyone finally seemed to calm down.

Davis later shared a statement via social media apologizing for his actions. He said ESPN “misconstrued a moment” where he was trying to shake hands with a former teammate who now plays for Yale.

“I want to sincerely apologize to my teammates and my coach for my actions. In the heat of the moment, I let my emotions get the best of me and reacted in a way that was unacceptable,” Davis wrote. “Arguing the way I did was wrong, and I take full responsibility for it. Coach Vigen and I already talked, no one outside of this team understands our relationship and how much respect I have for him.”

“I also understand that my reaction was seen by many, and I’m truly sorry for the example it set. I hold myself, my team, my coaches, and the game itself to a high standard, and I didn’t reflect that in my behavior. I’m committed to learning from this moment, handling my emotions better, and showing the respect and professionalism that my teammate, my coach, and everyone watching deserves. Thank you for holding me accountable, I will be better moving forward.”

Davis transferred to Montana State from Wisconsin following the 2022 season. He is the Bobcats’ leading rusher this year with 948 yards, 8 rushing touchdowns and an impressive 7.1 yards per carry. Davis also has one receiving touchdown.

It is unclear why Vigen was so adamant about getting Davis away from the Yale player. Some speculated that Davis may have been gloating, but the video suggested he was having a friendly conversation. Davis obviously took exception to the way his head coach handled the situation.

Montana State will now host Stephen F. Austin in the quarterfinals of the FCS playoffs on Saturday.

Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza had amazing quote after beating Ohio State

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Nobody was happier about Indiana’s stunning Big 10 championship run than starting quarterback Fernando Mendoza.

Mendoza was euphoric once the result of Saturday’s game against Ohio State was made final: the No. 2 Hoosiers beat the No. 1 Buckeyes 13-10 to be named Big 10 champions.

The Indiana QB could not contain his emotions as he gave a postgame interview in front of thousands of screaming fans inside Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind. He ended up giving an iconic quote worthy of his achievements.

“It sounds so beautiful,” Mendoza told FOX’s Jenny Taft while in his manic state. “I wanna give all the glory to God. We were never supposed to be in this position, but by the glory of God, great coaches, and great teammates, everyone we had around us, we were able to pull this off. Whoever thought the Hoosiers would be here? But now the Hoosiers are flippin’ champs!”

Mendoza made several big plays throughout Saturday’s game, including a 33-yard bomb to wide receiver Charlie Becker in the closing minutes that essentially put the game away.

Mendoza finished with a 15/22 passing clip for 222 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. He was unsurprisingly named the Big 10 Championship Game MVP.

Mendoza outperformed Ohio State counterpart Julian Sayin on the championship stage, which may have clinched the Heisman Trophy odds in Fernando’s favor.

Mendoza has Ohio State kicker Jayden Fielding to thank for potentially sealing both the Big 10 title and the Heisman battle his way. Fielding missed a potential game-tying field goal that would have knotted the game in the closing minutes. Instead, the Ohio State kicker became the butt of every joke.

Internet memes about Ohio State kicker Jayden Fielding were so ruthless

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Jayden Fielding may want to stay off the Internet for the next several days (or weeks for that matter).

The Ohio State kicker Fielding became the laughingstock of the college football world during Saturday’s Big Ten championship game against No. 2-ranked Indiana. With just under three minutes left in the fourth quarter at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind., Fielding was called on to kick a 27-yard field goal with No. 1-ranked Ohio State trailing 13-10.

But what should have been an easy chip shot to tie the game instead turned into a calamity. Fielding hooked the field goal wide left (see the video here), and the Hoosiers took over from there.

After Indiana burned some clock and pinned Ohio State deep into their own territory with an ensuing punt, time ran out on the Buckeyes. As a result, Indiana walked away with the 13-10 victory to claim the Big Ten title, and Ohio State was left licking their wounds after suffering their first loss of the college football season.

Social media showed absolutely no mercy to the senior kicker Fielding. Take a look at some of the cruelest memes that resulted.

Fielding, though he has been Ohio State’s full-time kicker since 2023 and led all Big Ten kickers in points scored last season as the Buckeyes went on to win the national title, is notoriously poor in clutch situations. During last year’s rivalry game against Michigan, Fielding also made a fool of himself with multiple missed kicks.

Ohio State did get a raw deal from the refs on one particular sequence in the second half. But if not for Fielding’s botched chip shot, the Buckeyes would have had an excellent chance of at least trying to win the game in overtime.

Ohio State kicker muffs game-tying field goal late vs. Indiana

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Ohio State saw its Big 10 Championship hopes veer wide left of the goalposts Saturday against Indiana at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind.

The No. 1 Buckeyes trailed the No. 2 Hoosiers 13-10 and had 4th-and-1 at Indiana’s 9 with under three minutes left in the game. Instead of going for a high-risk fourth-down conversion, Ohio State opted to play it safe with a field goal. The decision did not turn out to be as safe as head coach Ryan Day had hoped.

The field goal attempt was supposed to be a gimme for Ohio State kicker Jayden Fielding, who just needed to convert on a 27-yard kick to tie the game. Instead, Fielding went a few feet to the left of the goalposts, all but sealing an Indiana win in the title game.

Fielding entered the game 15/17 (88.2%) on field goals this season and a perfect 53/53 on extra point tries. The short kick he missed was not far off from the usual PAT distance.

The missed kick wasn’t the only play that doomed Ohio State. The Buckeyes similarly had the ball within 10 yards of the end zone during their previous possession, but turned it over on downs on a play that was overturned in favor of the Hoosiers.

It’s not the first time Fielding has succumbed to the pressure of the moment. The Ohio State kicker suffered an even worse meltdown last season against Michigan.

Indiana held on for the 13-10 win, securing its first Big 10 championship in 58 years. The victory was also the Hoosiers’ first over the Buckeyes in nearly four decades.

Ohio State burned by crucial overturned call against Indiana

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Ohio State had a critical play overturned late in Saturday’s Big 10 Championship Game against Indiana.

No. 1 Ohio State trailed No. 2 Indiana 13-10 with a minute to go in the third quarter at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind. With 4th-and-1 at the Hoosiers’ 5-yard line, the Buckeyes were on the verge of scoring a go-ahead touchdown.

Ohio State offensive coordinator Brian Hartline called for Julian Sayin to execute a quarterback sneak for a first down. The play appeared to be successful, as referees gave the Buckeyes the first down. But upon review, officials overturned the call and deemed the play a turnover on downs.

The replay clearly showed that Sayin had his knee down well shy of the 4.

Had the original call stood, Ohio State would have had four downs to retake the lead with a touchdown. Instead, the turnover on downs gave Indiana the ball back with the lead entering the fourth quarter of the championship bout between the nation’s top-ranked college football teams.

Bobby Portis caught on a hot mic getting profane with heckler

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Bobby Portis had some rather colorful vocabulary words for a heckler sitting courtside during Saturday’s game.

Portis and the Milwaukee Bucks played on the road against the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Mich. During the first quarter, Pistons guard Ron Holland II was shooting a free throw when Portis, who was standing in the lane, got heckled by a Detroit fan.

Seemingly in response to the fan calling him scared, Portis went off. “Your mama scared, b—h a– n—a,” Portis replied. “B—h a– n—a. Your mama scared, b—h a– n—a.”

Portis’ loud profanity was caught on a nearby hot mic and picked up by the television broadcast on FanDuel Sports Network. Here is the video (but obviously beware of the significant cursing).

The former NBA champion big man Portis was just involved in an incident earlier this week during a previous game against the Pistons. He got into it with Detroit’s Isaiah Stewart, who was ejected as a result of the dust-up.

While Milwaukee won that game, it was Detroit who won Saturday’s contest by a final score of 124-112. But obviously the fireworks continued during the rematch as Stewart also threw some shade at the Bucks during an interview at halftime on Saturday.

Isaiah Stewart takes a shot at Bucks during interview

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Isaiah Stewart had another bone to pick over the weekend.

The Detroit Pistons played Saturday against the Milwaukee Bucks at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Mich. With Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf strain) and others out of the lineup, the Bucks had to get creative in an effort to stop the Eastern Conference-best Pistons and thus threw out a zone defense against them during the contest.

At halftime of the game, the Pistons big man Stewart was interviewed by FanDuel Sports Network. During his interview, Stewart fired some shade at the Bucks over their zone tactics.

“Just break it,” said Stewart of the strategy against the Bucks’ zone. “It ain’t really a hard zone. We just gotta move them around. It’s a grown man game. They out here playing zone. They don’t wanna match up against us.”

Stewart is correct that zone defenses are more common in college than in the NBA. In the pros, the zone is rarely used outside of gimmick and/or desperation situations (the latter of which the Bucks appeared to be in on Saturday).

In the end, the Pistons won by a final score of 124-112 with Stewart scoring 19 points on 6/8 shooting from the field. But fresh off an ejection during Detroit’s game against the Bucks earlier in the week, Stewart was happy to keep the hostilities during the rematch against the same opponent.

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