Monday's Report: Mercer 🏈 ; Falcons, UGA/FSU/SEC followups, Tech bowl, GSU/GSU bowls, Braves; CFB Playoffs, College 🏈/ W&M 🏀/📰, NFL, NBA, MLB
Coming Monday: Monday Morning Quarterback
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College
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W-Georgia 85, Furman 55
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Around/About Central Georgia
Mercer loses DC to top job at West Georgia
Wins can lead to losses, and Mercer is finding that out.
Apparently before the end of the day Saturday and the conclusion of Mercer’s season after its 41-0 loss at No. 1 South Dakota State in the FCS playoffs, Mercer defensive coordinator Joel Taylor had changed titles, and became West Georgia’s 12th head coach.
The school’s release indicated athletics director Jason Carmichael made the announcement Saturday.
The Brooklyn, N.Y. native played at South Carolina State, and came to Mercer from Lenoir-Rhyne with head coach Drew Cronic after stints at South Carolina State and The Citadel.
Mercer rode the defense this year to another solid Southern Conference season and plenty of top-25 rankings as well as its first FCS playoff berth. The Bears’ D keyed the 17-7 opening-round win over Gardner-Webb.
Taylor has quite a task, taking over as West Georgia starts its progression from Division II to Division I.
The Wolves will compete in the young United Athletic Conference, an FCS football conference that includes schools in the Atlantic Sun and Western Athletic Conference. It will compete in the Atlantic Sun in all other sports.
The school has released an eight-game conference schedule, with a trip to Abilene Christian as the lone non-conference game scheduled so far.
He succeeds David Dean, who resigned three weeks ago. Dean went 121-43 as head coach at Valdosta State and West Georgia. He was on the staff of Maconite Chris Hatcher at Valdosta State, and took over after Hatcher left, winning the program’s second national championship.
He later was an assistant at Georgia Southern, and took over at West Georgia in 2017.
Around/About Georgia/Southeast
Defense finds recipe for success in over Jets
Smart, Norvell share respect, empathy after ‘snub’
Smart promises Dogs will be up for Orange
UCF to face Georgia Tech in Gasparilla Bowl. Knights will make 6th appearance under different titles
Georgia State, Utah State look to post winning season when they meet at the Potato Bowl
Ohio seeking 2nd straight 10-win season when it faces Georgia Southern in Myrtle Beach Bowl
Braves acquire OF Kelenic, P Gonzales as Mariners dump salary
College Football Playoff
Michigan vs. Alabama, Washington vs. Texas in College Football Playoff; unbeaten Florida St left out
Florida State’s Norvell, AD shred committee for snub
Top-seeded Michigan returns to Rose Bowl to face Alabama in College Football Playoff semifinal
Washington to play Texas in semifinal at Sugar Bowl. Huskies beat the Longhorns in 2022 bowl meeting
The Orange Bowl is for the snubbed. Florida State and Georgia will square off Dec. 30 ahead of CFP
Column-College football delivers the perfect fiasco to cap the four-team playoff era
Column-SEC bias at its worst! Leaving unbeaten FSU out of CFP semifinals is un-American
Sports world reacts to 13-0 FSU being excluded from CFP: 'Devastated'
Column-CFP committee makes safe call in choosing Alabama over FSU. And it's the right call
Column-Committee snubbing unbeaten Florida State makes a mockery of College Football Playoff
Column-Happy for Alabama, but FSU was robbed
Column-Florida State was screwed. It was a move a decade in the making
SEC Championship: Alabama 27, Georgia 24
Alabama football coach Saban only had one word for his team after Georgia win
Alabama’a win powered by the ‘get back’
Former Georgia players Burton, Marshall help Alabama
Beck: "We have the mentality to never give up"
Column-No one to blame but themselves
Look: Danielson, Nessler give tearful signoff on final 'SEC on CBS' broadcast
College Football
Oregon’s Nix dejected after loss in Pac-12 championship, mum on status for bowl game
USC will take on Louisville in the Holiday Bowl, but will Williams play?
Harbaugh passes on encounter with Big Ten commissioner at trophy presentation
Houston snags ex-Georgia Southern HC Fritz from Tulane
Boise State removes interim tag and names Spencer Danielson head coach
Northern Arizona tabs Wright as next coach
Another Colorado assistant bolts
Former ODU HC Wilder takes over at Tennessee Tech
Football/NFL/USFL/CFL/XFL
Winners, losers from 49ers' blowout win against Eagles: Cowboys, Lions get big boost
Love throws 3 TD passes, Packers beat Chiefs
With pair of FGs, Chargers beat Patriots and latest hapless QB, 6-0
Purdy throws 4 TD passes as 49ers thump injured Hurts, Eagles
LaPorta has career day for Lions, Carr hurt as Detroit wins
Jaguars hope to shine against Bengals on ‘Monday Night Football’ after 12-year drought in TV spot
College Sports
Former Olympic swimmer sentenced in U.S. Capital/Jan. 6 riot case
Female athletes sue the University of Oregon alleging Title IX violations by the school
NBA/WNBA/Basketball
The NBA’s in-season tournament quarterfinals are here. Next stop: Las Vegas
College Basketball/Women
No. 16 Ohio State women roll past No. 20 Tennessee
Gonzaga ends perfect start for No. 3 Stanford with romp
College Basketball/Men
Southern closes with 12-0 run to stun No. 21 Mississippi State
Leonard buries 7 3-pointers and Samford earns 128-82 win against LaGrange
Thornton, Battle lead Ohio State over Minnesota
UNC Wilmington shocked Kentucky in first game on new Rupp Arena court
Golf
Scheffler wins Hero World Challenge, Niemann wins Australia Open
MLB/Baseball
Jim Leyland elected to baseball’s Hall of Fame, becomes 23rd manager in Cooperstown
Scoreboards