AP Sports SummaryBrief at 3:01 a.m. EST

Colorado hires Deion Sanders to turn around program

BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — Deion Sanders is taking over as head coach at Colorado, bringing his charisma and larger-than-life persona to a beleaguered Pac-12 program that’s plunged to the bottom of college football. The deal was announced by CU athletic director Rick George. The Pro Football Hall of Famer has been at Jackson State, a historically Black college that plays in the NCAA’s second tier of Division I, since 2020 — guiding the Tigers to consecutive Southwestern Athletic Conference titles. The Tigers beat Southern in the SWAC championship game Saturday in Jackson, Mississippi, and a few hours later Colorado announced he was coming to Boulder. The Tigers went 27-5 in the Sanders era.

TCU’s loss gets Tide one last look, but Frogs should be in

Alabama is going to get one last look from the College Football Playoff selection committee. Whether the Crimson Tide deserves it is debatable, at best, but after both TCU and Southern California lost on championship weekend the committee has to at least talk about making Alabama the first team with two losses to make the playoff. The field of four will be set Sunday. TCU coach Sonny Dykes said he was concerned about the Frogs’ playoff status, but that he also had faith in the committee.

No. 3 TCU loses 31-28 in OT to K-State in Big 12 title game

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Ty Zentner kicked a 31-yard field goal in overtime as 13th-ranked Kansas State beat No. 3 and previously undefeated TCU 31-28 in the Big 12 championship game. That leaves the 12-1 Horned Frogs to wait until Sunday to find out if they had already done enough to get into the four-team College Football Playoff. TCU could still get in the playoff. Its case was helped when fourth-ranked Southern California lost to Utah in the Pac-12 championship game. Deuce Vaughn ran for 130 yards and a touchdown and Will Howard threw two TDs for the 10-3 Wildcats.

No. 1 Georgia romps into playoff with 50-30 SEC win vs LSU

ATLANTA (AP) — With all sorts of turmoil behind them, No. 1 Georgia left no doubt about the top team heading into the College Football Playoff. The Bulldogs dismantled No. 11 LSU 50-30 in the Southeastern Conference championship game, earning a return trip to Atlanta on New Year’s Eve for the Peach Bowl. Stetson Bennett’s threw a season-high four touchdown passes. Christopher Smith gave Georgia an early spark with a heads-up play that turned a seemingly harmless blocked field goal into a 96-yard TD. Georgia also turned a deflected pass off an LSU receiver’s helmet into an interception that set up a TD.

No. 2 Michigan beats Purdue 43-22 for Big Ten crown

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Donovan Edwards ran for 185 yards and a score, J.J. McCarthy threw three touchdown passes and No. 2 Michigan beat Purdue 43-22 on Saturday night for its second straight Big Ten title and a likely No. 2 playoff seed. College football’s winningest program has the first 13-win season in school history. Two more victories would give the Wolverines (13-0, No. 2 CFP) their first national championship since 1997. And with injured star Blake Corum sidelined by a season-ending left knee injury, Edwards stole the show for the second straight week. Purdue dropped to 8-5.

US knocked out of World Cup, loses to the Netherlands 3-1

AL RAYYAN, Qatar (AP) — Memphis Depay and Daley Blind scored in the first half and Denzel Dumfries added a late goal as the Netherlands eliminated the United States from the World Cup with a 3-1 victory that advanced the Dutch to the quarterfinals. Second-half substitute Haji Wright cut the U.S. deficit to 2-1 in the 76th minute when Christian Pulisic’s cross hit his trailing foot and popped over goalkeeper Andries Noppert and into the net. Dumfries assisted on the first two goals and scored on a volley in the 81st. The Oranje extended their unbeaten streak to 19 games and face Argentina next.

Pelé responding well to treatment for respiratory infection

SAO PAULO (AP) — The Albert Einstein hospital says Brazilian soccer great Pelé is responding well to treatment for a respiratory infection and his health condition has not worsened over the latest 24 hours. The 82-year-old Pelé has been at the hospital since Tuesday. Get well messages have poured in from around the world for the three-time World Cup winner as he also undergoes cancer treatment. Pelé’s daughter posted several pictures on Instagram from Brazil fans in Qatar wishing her father well with flags and banners. Pelé says the messages keep him “full of energy.” Buildings in the Middle Eastern nation also displayed messages in support of the former soccer great.

McIlroy says Norman rift began with his ‘brainwash’ comment

Rory McIlroy is detailing how his relationship soured with Greg Norman in a lengthy interview with the Sunday Independent in Ireland. He says he thought they had patched up their differences in April. McIlroy says that changed when Norman accused him of being “brainwashed” by golf’s ruling class. McIlroy says at that point he wanted to make it his business to be a royal pain to Norman. McIlroy has been taking digs at Norman and his LIV Golf venture ever since. McIlroy also says his close friendship with Sergio Garcia ended over a testy text exchange at the U.S. Open.

LA Rams place QB Matthew Stafford on injured reserve

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Quarterback Matthew Stafford has been placed on injured reserve by the Los Angeles Rams one day after he cleared the NFL’s concussion protocol for the second time this season. Stafford already had been ruled out for the Rams’ home game against Seattle on Sunday. The Super Bowl winner will now be sidelined for at least four games. Stafford has missed two of the three previous games for the Rams, whose title defense season has fallen apart with a five-game losing streak.

SEC halftime contest booed, both students awarded $100,000

ATLANTA (AP) — Two college students have won $100,000 in tuition after a confusing finish in the SEC championship game’s halftime competition. Boos rained down from the fans in attendance for the game between No. 1 Georgia and No. 11 LSU when one of the two students appeared to win the Dr Pepper ball toss competition in overtime on a technicality. The winner was due to get $100,000 and the runner-up $20,000. Baylor student Reagan Whitaker and St. Augustine student Kayla Gibson exchanged leads multiple times in regulation. In overtime, they tied again, but Whitaker was declared the winner. It was announced on the broadcast in the fourth quarter of the game that Dr Pepper would gift both Whitaker and Gibson with $100,000 in tuition.