jo777

The Cavaliers are sitting pretty atop the NBA standings, yet somehow, Donovan Mitchell can’t seem to escape the noise. Scroll through social media, and you’ll see words like “struggling” or “slumping” tossed around about Mitchell. Really? The Cavs have the league’s best record (21-4), but some fans still want more. Here’s the big question: Does Mitchell need to drop 40 every night for people to believe he’s playing elite basketball? Let’s look at the facts, as relayed by Corey Walsh of Fear The Sword , on which this article is based. Mitchell’s counting stats are down — sure. But that’s not the whole story. Minutes Watch: Mitchell is averaging 31.9 minutes per game, his lowest mark ever. Less time on the floor equals fewer opportunities to rack up gaudy numbers. Team Ball: This season’s Cavs are a well-oiled machine. They’re not reliant on Mitchell carrying the load nightly. Need proof? Last year, the Cavs were 11-11 when Mitchell scored fewer than 25 points. This season? 11-2 in the same scenario. That’s balance, folks. Efficiency Machine: Mitchell is tied for the highest assisted rate of his career at 38%. Translation: He’s thriving off the team’s ball movement and doesn’t have to force the issue. This is a Cavs team with the most efficient offense in the league, humming along whether or not Mitchell dons his Superman cape. And when they have needed him? He’s delivered. The bottom line: Mitchell is in the middle of another All-NBA season, leading a juggernaut in the East. Nitpicking his box score feels like grasping at straws. So, to the Cavs faithful: Maybe take a moment to appreciate Mitchell’s evolution as a player and what it’s doing for the team, as Walsh wrote . After all, winning at this level doesn’t happen by accident. This article first appeared on Hoops Wire and was syndicated with permission.STONY BROOK, N.Y. (AP) — Joseph Octave scored 24 points as Stony Brook beat Maine 74-72 on Saturday. Octave also added five rebounds for the Seawolves (4-8). Ben Wight shot 4 of 7 from the field and 3 for 3 from the line to add 11 points. CJ Luster II shot 3 for 8 (2 for 5 from 3-point range) and 3 of 3 from the free-throw line to finish with 11 points. Kellen Tynes led the way for the Black Bears (8-6) with 15 points, four assists, four steals and two blocks. Jaden Clayton added 15 points, four assists and three steals for Maine. AJ Lopez finished with 13 points and four assists. Stony Brook went into halftime leading Maine 34-30. Octave put up 10 points in the half. Octave led Stony Brook with 14 points in the second half as his team was outscored by two points over the final half but held on for the victory. Both teams next play Sunday. Stony Brook visits Albany (NY) and Maine plays Boston University at home. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .

Arsenal: Mikel Arteta reveals Gabriel injury concern as late substitution switch explainedThe STEM Parrot Foundation has made a significant contribution to education in the Ashanti Region, donating 50 volume-type computers, 300 sketchbooks, and other essential educational materials to five junior high schools. This initiative, supported by local organizations and the UK-based Ledyen Education Consultancy, aims to improve students’ skills and equip them for future success. Nana Agyemang Prempeh, the Executive Director of the STEM Parrot Foundation, officially presented the donation to Mr. Michael Lawson of Trans 360 Logistics in Kumasi, with logistics managed by Mr. Emmanuel Omarie. The donated volume-type computers, specifically designed for educational use, will play a crucial role in enhancing students’ digital literacy. The accompanying sketchbooks are expected to foster creativity and deepen learning in subjects such as science and the arts. Nana Prempeh also announced the launch of the “Girls in STEM” initiative, set to roll out in 2025. The program will encourage young girls to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Additionally, the Foundation plans to introduce community-based STEM clubs in junior high schools to further promote STEM education and career paths. The schools benefiting from the donation include Bredi JHS, Mentumi D/A JHS, P3 Wo De3 D/A JHS, Enkaakyi D/A JHS, and Kwantia D/A JHS. Mr. Emmanuel Omarie received the items on behalf of the five schools. The total value of the donation is estimated at approximately USD 22,000 (GHS 266,000), which includes the cost of the 50 volume-type computers, the 300 sketchbooks, and associated logistics expenses. This initiative was made possible through the support of Ledyen Education Consultancy, UK.SMU has plenty to play for when it closes the regular season against California on Saturday afternoon in Dallas. The Mustangs (10-1, 7-0 Atlantic Coast Conference), who checked in at No. 9 in the latest College Football Playoff rankings on Tuesday, would like to send their seniors off the right way. They would also like to complete a perfect regular season before appearing in the ACC title game in their first year in the conference. Most importantly, they want to continue to strengthen their playoff case. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. The Markup presents a guide to keeping someone's plans private through every step of an abortion in any state, including Florida and South Dakota. Click for more. How do I protect my privacy if I'm seeking an abortion?

Manchester City’s crisis deepened as they surrendered a three-goal lead late in the game to draw 3-3 against Feyenoord in the Champions League . Pep Guardiola’s side avoided the indignity of a sixth successive defeat in all competitions and looked on course for a welcome victory thanks to a double from Erling Haaland – the first from the penalty spot – and a deflected effort from Ilkay Gundogan. Yet Guardiola was left with his head in hands as Feyenoord roared back in the last 15 minutes with goals from Anis Hadj Moussa, Sergio Gimenez and David Hancko, two of them after Josko Gvardiol errors. Arsenal delivered the statement Champions League win Mikel Arteta had demanded as they swept aside Sporting Lisbon 5-1. Arteta wanted his team to prove their European credentials, and goals from Gabriel Martinelli, Kai Havertz, Gabriel, Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard got their continental campaign back on track in style following the 1-0 defeat at Inter Milan last time out. A memorable victory also ended Sporting’s unbeaten start to the season, a streak of 17 wins and one draw, the vast majority of which prompted Manchester United to prise away head coach Ruben Amorim. Paris St Germain were left in serious of danger of failing to progress in the Champions League as they fell to a 1-0 defeat to Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena. Kim Min-jae’s header late in the first half was enough to send PSG to a third defeat in the competition this season, leaving them six points off the automatic qualification places for the last 16 with three games to play. Luis Enrique’s side, who had Ousmane Dembele sent off, were deservedly beaten by Bayern who dominated chances and possession. Elsewhere, Atletico Madrid were 6-0 winners away to Sparta Prague, Julian Alvarez and Angel Correa each scoring twice whilst there were also goals from Marcos Llorente and Antoine Griezmann. Barcelona ended tournament debutants Brest’s unbeaten start with a 3-0 victory courtesy of two goals from Robert Lewandowski – one a penalty – and Dani Olmo. Lewandowski’s first was his 100th Champions League goal, only the third man to reach the mark after Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. A Castello Lukeba own goal saw Inter Milan go top of the standings with a narrow 1-0 win over RB Leipzig at San Siro, whilst Bayer Leverkusen were emphatic victors against Red Bull Salzburg, Florian Wirtz scoring twice to move Xabi Alonso’s side into the automatic qualification places. Atalanta continued their strong start, albeit whilst conceding a first goal in Europe this season in a 6-1 win away to Young Boys, whilst Tammy Abraham scored the decisive goal as AC Milan beat Slovan Bratislava 3-2.

Biden administration advancing $680 million arms sale to IsraelPurdy not throwing during 49ers practice, limited to handoffsLISBON, -- Just when were starting to wobble, Martin Odegaard produced a match-defining moment of quality. Manager Mikel Arteta will hope that can apply to their season as a whole after a difficult run of results in which the absence of their captain was keenly felt. Managers bemoaning injuries is nothing new -- and it can often serve as a useful distraction from other issues -- but Odegaard's return from an ankle injury has coincided with a dramatic upturn in their performances, continuing with Tuesday's impressive 5-1 demolition of Sporting Lisbon in the . "He is an unbelievable player and the day he returned, there was a big smile on my face," said of Odegaard. "You can see the chemistry we have, how much I enjoy playing with him. So I am happy he is back and I hope he stays fit for the rest of the season." Sporting went into this game unbeaten across 19 matches this season and fresh off beating here at Estadio Jose Alvalade just three weeks ago, with 's hat-trick confirming his status as one of Europe's hottest properties. Manager Ruben Amorim has since departed for and Gyokeres was a peripheral figure on Tuesday night, with Arsenal's opening 45 minutes ranking as their finest half of football of the season. It was a quintessential European away performance: clinical in attack, disciplined and dogged in defence. Their 3-0 half-time lead -- coming through goals from , and -- was thoroughly deserved, the first two emanating from a right-wing combination Sporting simply could not cope with. Odegaard's tendency to drift to the right flank to link up with Saka is a familiar pattern of play, but one so many teams struggle to combat: found that out to their cost last weekend when being soundly beaten at Emirates Stadium. With showing promising signs of being a more-than-able deputy for regular right-back (he'll be out until the New Year following knee surgery), Arsenal's potency down that wing was such that 65% of their attacks came via that channel in the first half. Timber set up Martinelli for the opener, while Saka found Havertz for the second on 22 minutes. Gabriel's third was a header from a corner, extending their impressive set-piece record, but after put a dent in their defensive record with a near post finish two minutes into the second half, Sporting sensed an improbable comeback. Arsenal began to exhibit nerves. Passes were misplaced, the pressure began to build, goalkeeper was booked for timewasting. And then suddenly, Odegaard burst forward, cruising past Inacio and somehow, off balance but still purposeful, he worked his way into the box, where could only foul him and concede a penalty. Saka drilled home the spot-kick before substitute added a late fifth, but Odegaard was the chief architect. He has more touches of the ball (82) than any other Arsenal player aside from Timber (84) and he didn't even play the final 12 minutes, rested with Saturday's tricky trip to West Ham in mind. There is skepticism about the overall quality of the Portuguese league, but Arsenal made the gulf in class look massive here, which is to their considerable credit. For a start, Tuesday marked the first time Arsenal have scored five goals away from home in the Champions League since October, 2008. After coming into this game facing legitimate questions about their durability on the road in Europe -- Arsenal hadn't scored an away goal in this competition since December, during a run of one win in eight matches -- this was an emphatic response. Asked if this was the best European away performance of his five-year tenure, Arteta was clear. "For sure, especially against the opponent that we played in their home," he said post-match. "I don't think they've lost here in 18 months. They've been in top form, they've been better than everyone they've played here. To play to that level, with the fluidity that we've done today ... I'm very pleased." Arteta raised eyebrows when he described their 1-0 defeat at Inter Milan as the best they had played in a big European game for years, but that faith was thoroughly vindicated here. "It's true that the result is very different," he said. "But with the performance and identity of what I saw against Inter I was very pleased. I knew that in that pathway good things were going to happen in Europe. Today we've been able to do that and replicate it and be more efficient in the opposition half. Very pleased because the team has played with so much courage. They are so good and watching them live I realise how good they are." Arteta also believes the return of several players from injury has increased the competitiveness in training, which in turn raises the level of performance. That said, Odegaard's return feels most transformative when he plays like this. The learned it last weekend and on Tuesday, the Champions League got the same message.

BREAKING: Impeachment Vote For South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol Fails

Cousins Properties Announces Pricing of Senior Notes OfferingCardinals' Kyler Murray faces Patriots for 1st time since his ACL injury against them 2 years ago

Octave scores 24 as Stony Brook takes down Maine 74-72

Iconic footballer Lionel Messi is finally making his way to Fortnite, and according to leakers, he's coming with a pretty impressive bundle. Fortnite 's cosmetic game has been consistently the best in the industry, steering into its absurd approach and delivering on perhaps the biggest and most sprawling pop culture crossovers we've ever seen in gaming. It sounds like high praise, but few games can squeeze an Edward Scissorhands skin and a Disney 's Baymax cosmetic into their game without looking silly. Fortnite has been delivering massively with its massive Chapter 6 Battle Pass full of original characters, and as players work through new Lego and OG Passes at the same time, it seems that there's no shortage of great cosmetics for players to show their flair, but as the Item Shop rolls into new territory, there are more characters (or rather, real people) to be added. And, football fans, you're not going to miss this, as eight-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi is about to hit the Item Shop with a full cosmetic bundle in tow. Fortnite Ballistic launches in early access: Epic Games introduces first-person 5v5 mode Fortnite players could get $72 million refund stemming from predatory in game purchases Here's what you need to know about the Messi Fortnite skin, and when to expect it. The Messi Fortnite skin will be released into the Item Shop at 7pm EST / 4pm PST on Friday, December 13 , and for UK players, that means 12am GMT on Saturday, December 14 , this is according to reliable leaker @SpushFNBR. This time coincides with the Item Shop refresh for the day, so it seems bang on. According to the leaker, here’s everything we can expect to touch down in the item shop when he arrives: Two outfits (one costing 1,800 V-Bucks, the other costing 1,500 V-Bucks) Two Back Blings (included with each outfit) Two emotes (one built-in, presumably with the more expensive outfit, and one for 400 V-Bucks) Two Pickaxes (800 V-Bucks each) The full bundle containing every Messi Fortnite item will come to 2,800 V-Bucks in total , saving you a huge 2,500 V-Bucks. If you want to buy the pack from a V-Bucks wallet of zero, the best way to do so would be to buy a bundle of 2,800 V-Bucks, which will cost you £17.49 / $22.99 / AU$30.35 . We’re not sure what the Messi Fortnite outfits will look like yet, though we can probably presume that he’ll appear in his current team’s kit, which is Inter Miami, as well as a more abstract outfit if it’s set to come with its own built-in emote. Whatever it is, we’re sure fans will shell out for it anyway. DAILY NEWSLETTER: Sign up here to get the latest news and updates from the Mirror US straight to your inbox with our FREE newsletter.Norwegian guard at US Embassy in Oslo arrested over allegations of spying for Russia and Iran

The combined profits of listed housing developers are expected to decline by more than 10% this year compared with 2023, driven by intense market competition and aggressive discount campaigns to capture dwindling demand. Sumitra Wongpakdee, managing director of property research and consultancy Terra Media and Consulting, said a sluggish market prompted developers to make significant adjustments this year. "Many developers resorted to price cuts and promotional campaigns to lift sales, willingly sacrificing profit margins to maintain their yearly revenue targets," she said. During the first nine months of 2024, 35 listed housing developers reported a combined net profit of 20.8 billion baht on revenue totalling 223 billion baht, compared with 38.5 billion baht in net profit and 331 billion baht in revenue for the full 2023. The net profit margin to revenue ratio dropped to 9.3%, down from 11.6% at the end of 2023 and 13.1% in 2022, according to Terra. The combined revenue of the 35 listed housing developers is projected to decrease by 5-8%, tallying around 300 billion baht by the end of 2024, noted the consultancy. Only a few developers are expected to meet their annual targets, having achieved more than 63% of their goals in the first nine months, while others fell short, with some reaching only 36-38% of their annual targets. According to Kasikorn Securities, 12 listed developers under its analysis reported a combined net profit of 7.5 billion baht in the third quarter, a decline of 8% year-on-year and 2% quarter-on-quarter. While the results aligned with market and internal estimates, they were underwhelming, as quarter-on-quarter growth was absent despite significant condo backlog transfers during the previous three months, according to the brokerage. The combined net profit for the first nine months of 2024 fell 20% year-on-year to 21.3 billion baht and is expected to plunge 11% by year-end, noted Kasikorn Securities. In the third quarter, the 12 listed developers, particularly those with joint ventures, saw a significant rise in transfer value both year-on-year and quarter-on-quarter, driven by the transfer of condo backlogs. This was reflected in a significant rise in profit contributions from investments. However, intense market competition, especially in low-rise houses, led to a drop in gross profit margin for residential properties. The 12 developers reported a decrease of 1.0 percentage point year-on-year and 0.5 percentage points quarter-on-quarter, reaching a four-year low of 30.6%. Given ongoing challenges, cash flow management strategies are crucial, said the brokerage. Project development has slowed, leading to reduced housing stock, which helps manage interest-bearing liabilities and improves cash flow. Kasikorn Securities reported the housing market in the third quarter remained under pressure because of weakening demand. Fierce competition further compressed gross profit margins, emphasising the critical need for effective cash flow management across the sector. While condo backlog transfers and the seasonal uptick in fourth-quarter transfers are expected to bolster profits, challenges persist, noted the brokerage. Several developers downgraded their 2024 project launches, leading to an anticipated 16% year-on-year decrease in the value of new project launches, totalling 314 billion baht. Fourth-quarter profits are likely to stand out, fuelled by high transfer volumes, the seasonality effect and the condo backlog, said Kasikorn Securities. The expiration of tax incentives for homes priced less than 7 million baht is expected to provide an added boost before year-end, yet there are no short-term catalysts in sight, noted the brokerage. A positive shift in macroeconomic conditions, coupled with lower interest rates and declining loan rejection rates, will be crucial for lifting sales and profits in 2025, potentially rekindling investor interest, according to Kasikorn Securities.Russell Westbrook Invests $10 Million in Oklahoma City's Soccer Scene and Entertainment District10 notable books of 2024, from Sarah J. Maas to Melania Trump

Louisville scores 52 second-half points to race past No. 14 Indiana 89-61 in the Battle 4 Atlantis

SADO, Japan (AP) — Japan will hold a memorial ceremony on Sunday near the Sado Island Gold Mines , which were listed this summer as a UNESCO World Heritage site after the country moved past years of historical disputes with South Korea and reluctantly acknowledged the mines' dark history. At these mines, hundreds of Koreans were forced to labor under abusive and brutal conditions during World War II, historians say. The Japanese government said Sunday’s ceremony will pay tribute to “all workers” who died at the mines, but without spelling out who they are — part of what critics call a persistent policy of whitewashing Japan's history of sexual and labor exploitation before and during the war. The ceremony, which was supposed to further mend their wounds, renewed tensions between the two sides. On Saturday, South Korea's government said it will boycott the memorial service due to unspecified disagreements with Tokyo over the event. There was no immediate response from Japanese officials. Ahead of the ceremony on Sunday, The Associated Press explains the Sado mines, their history and the controversy. What are the Sado gold mines? The 16th century mines on the island of Sado, about the size of the Pacific island of Guam, off the western coast of Niigata prefecture, operated for nearly 400 years beginning in 1601 and were once the world’s largest gold producer. They closed in 1989. During the Edo period, from 1600 to 1868, the mines supplied gold currency to the ruling Tokugawa Shogunate. Today, the site has been developed as a tourist facility and hiking site where visitors can learn about the changes in mining technology and production methods while looking at the remains of mine shafts and ore dressing facilities. Critics say the Japanese government only highlights the glory of the mines and covers up its use of Korean victims of forced labor and their ordeals. The mines were registered as a cultural heritage site in July after Japan agreed to include an exhibit on the conditions of Korean forced laborers and to hold a memorial service after repeated protests from the South Korean government. What's the controversy? At the July meeting of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, the Japanese delegate said Tokyo had installed new exhibition material to explain the “severe conditions of (the Korean laborers’) work and to remember their hardship.” Japan also acknowledged that Koreans were made to do more dangerous tasks in the mine shaft, which caused some to die. Those who survived also developed lung diseases and other health problems. Many of them were given meager food rations and nearly no days off and were caught by police if they escaped, historians say. But the Japanese government has refused to admit they were “forced labor.” South Korea had earlier opposed the listing of the site for UNESCO World Heritage on the grounds that the Korean forced laborers used at the mines were missing from the exhibition. South Korea eventually supported the listing after consultations with Japan and Tokyo’s pledge to improve the historical background in the exhibit and to hold a memorial that also includes Koreans. Historians say Japan used hundreds of thousands of Korean laborers, including those forcibly brought from the Korean Peninsula, at Japanese mines and factories to make up for labor shortages because most working-age Japanese men had been sent to battlefronts across Asia and the Pacific. About 1,500 Koreans were forced to work at the Sado mines, according to Yasuto Takeuchi, an expert on Japan’s wartime history, citing wartime Japanese documents. The South Korean government has said it expects Japan to keep its pledge to be truthful to history and to show both sides of the Sado mines. “The controversy surrounding the Sado mines exhibit underscores a deeper problem” of Japan’s failure to face up to its wartime responsibility and its growing “denialism” of its wartime atrocities, Takeuchi said. Who does the ceremony commemorate? All workers who died at the Sado mines will be honored. That includes hundreds of Korean laborers who worked there during Japan’s 1910-1945 colonization of the Korean Peninsula. Officials say the ceremony is organized by a group of local Japanese politicians, business owners and other volunteers who campaigned for the Sado mines to win the UNESCO status, but preparations were handled by local government officials, who did not disclose details, including guests and programs, until the last minute. Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya announced the ceremony on Friday, but he declined to comment on “diplomatic exchanges.” Officials at Sado city and the Foreign Ministry said about 100 people, including officials from Japan’s local and central government, as well as South Korean Foreign Ministry officials and the relatives of Korean wartime laborers, have been invited. Attendants are expected to observe a moment of silence for the victims who died at the mines due to accidents and other causes. The ceremony dredged up long-standing frustrations in South Korea, where the Foreign Ministry said in a statement it was impossible to settle the disagreements between both governments before the planned event on Sunday, without specifying what those disagreements were. The cancelation came a day after Japan said it will send a parliamentary vice minister, Akiko Ikuina, who in 2022 visited Tokyo's controversial Yasukuni Shrine, which honors Japan's 2.5 million war dead including convicted war criminals and is seen by Japan's neighbors as a symbol of its wartime militarism. Some South Koreans had criticized the Seoul government throwing its support behind an event without securing a clear Japanese commitment to highlight the plight of Korean laborers. There were also complaints over South Korea agreeing to pay for the travel expenses of Korean victims’ family members who were invited to attend the ceremony. How has Japan faced up to its wartime atrocities? Critics say Japan’s government has long been reluctant to discuss wartime atrocities. That includes what historians describe as the sexual abuse and enslavement of women across Asia, many of them Koreans who were deceived into providing sex to Japanese soldiers at frontline brothels and euphemistically called “comfort women,” and the Koreans who were mobilized and forced to work in Japan, especially in the final years of World War II. Korean compensation demands for Japanese atrocities during its brutal colonial rule have strained relations between the two Asian neighbors, most recently after a 2018 South Korean Supreme Court ruling ordered Japanese companies to pay damages over their wartime forced labor. Japan’s government has maintained that all wartime compensation issues between the two countries were resolved under the 1965 normalization treaty. Ties between Tokyo and Seoul have improved recently after Washington said their disputes over the historical issues were hampering crucial security cooperation as China’s threat grows in the region. Japan's whitewashing of wartime atrocities has risen since the 2010s, particularly under the past government of revisionist leader Shinzo Abe . For instance, Japan says the terms “sex slavery” and “forced labor” are inaccurate and insists on the use of highly euphemistic terms such as “comfort women” and “civilian workers” instead. South Korea’s conservative President Yoon Suk Yeol announced in March 2023 that his country would use a local corporate fund to compensate forced labor victims without demanding Japanese contributions. Japan’s then-Prime Minister Fumio Kishida later expressed sympathy for their suffering during a Seoul visit. Security, business and other ties between the sides have since rapidly resumed. Takeuchi said listing Japan’s modern industrial historical sites as a UNESCO World Heritage is a government push to increase tourism. The government, he said, wants “to commercialize sites like the Sado mines by beautifying and justifying their history for Japan’s convenience.” ___ AP writer Kim Tong-hyung in Seoul, South Korea contributed.

Amundsen scores 25, Dartmouth knocks off Vermont 84-54Three priests suspended over report that felled Justin WelbyChina, Pakistan share latest non-wood forestry findings

By Brett Daniels The fourth edition of the College Football Playoff rankings were unveiled on Tuesday night leaving only one more “regular season” poll before the final edition that will set the field for the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff. As in previous editions of the poll, the logic (or lack thereof) that the committee uses to rank these teams is inconsistent at best and incompetent at worst. The NEW CFP bracket projection 🏈 Did your team make the cut? 👀 pic.twitter.com/ZllfR51pys Week 4 College Football Rankings 1. Oregon Ducks (11-0) The Ducks are the only undefeated team from a Power 4 conference and have three quality wins against Ohio State, Boise State, and Illinois. © Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images 2. Ohio State Buckeyes (10-1) The Buckeyes have two quality wins over Penn State and Indiana and a close loss to Oregon on the road. Ohio State has also handled the bottom feeders of the Big 10 the way a top team is supposed to except for Nebraska. 3. Texas Longhorns (10-1) The only criteria that the committee has for having the Longhorns ranked 3 rd is the one in the loss column. Texas has zero wins over ranked teams, an opponent’s winning percentage of .477, and the 38th-ranked strength of schedule along with being dominated at home by Georgia. © Scott Wachter-Imagn Images 4. Penn State Nittany Lions (10-1) Penn State is another “lazy” ranking by the committee who only seems to see the 1 in the loss column and think “they must be good”. The Nittany Lions have one win over a ranked team (Illinois) and a loss to Ohio State at home. A 32nd-ranked strength of schedule and .460 opponent winning percentage do them no favors. © Matt Krohn-Imagn Images 5. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (10-1) Since the brain lapse in week 2 against Northern Illinois, the Irish have dominated their opponents defensively holding all under their season average for points and total yards. Notre Dame also has a victory over Texas A&M on the road to start the season. It's in the details ✨ A closer look at this year's uniforms for the Shamrock Series presented by @MyCreditUnion1 #GoIrish | @NDFootball pic.twitter.com/5UCepLR7IS 6. Miami Hurricanes (10-1) Miami bounced back from their loss at Georgia Tech to throttle Wake Forest 42-14. The Hurricanes have yet to face a ranked opponent all season much less beat one. A loss to Syracuse or in the ACC Championship game could spell the end of the line for Miami. © Sam Navarro-Imagn Images 7. Georgia Bulldogs (9-2) The 2024 Georgia team will be a case study moving forward when the playoff either collapses completely or becomes a majority SEC/Big 10 affair. This committee can’t seem to wrap its head around the concept of “playing better teams might result in more losses” vs “playing 10 tomato cans and losing to the one good team on the schedule” not being a sensible approach to evaluating teams. Replace Alabama or Ole Miss with one of the bottom tier teams from the SEC and most likely the Dawgs would be ranked #1 or #2 at worst. Would one loss instead of two mean that this team was more likely to win a National Championship than they are now? Not at all. Georgia has three of the best wins of any team over Clemson, Texas, and Tennessee, and both losses are to teams ranked in the top 15. © Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports 8. Tennessee Volunteers (9-2) The Vols are a formidable team with RB Dylan Sampson leading the SEC in yards and touchdowns and the defense 4 th in the nation in scoring defense. Tennessee has one ranked win against Alabama. © Saul Young/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images 9. SMU Mustangs (10-1) The Mustangs currently sit atop the ACC standings at 7-0 and have clinched a berth in the title game regardless of their game with California on Saturday. An early season loss to BYU is the only thing keeping SMU from being ranked higher. © Amber Searls-Imagn Images 10. Indiana Hoosiers (10-1) Indiana has played one of the weakest schedules of any Power 4 conference team. A dominating loss against the only ranked team on the schedule last weekend at Ohio State should have ended the Hoosiers' CFP aspirations but a win against Purdue this weekend should secure their place in the field. © Kirby Lee-Imagn Images 11. Boise State Broncos (10-1) The Broncos struggled against Wyoming last week before pulling out the 17-13 win. A close loss at Oregon in Week 2 is the best point on the Broncos' resume. © Troy Babbitt-USA TODAY Sports 12. Clemson Tigers (9-2) The Tigers are still alive for a berth in the ACC Championship Game after finishing the conference slate 7-1. Clemson will need a Miami loss to secure a spot in the championship game. A win against instate rival South Carolina, currently ranked 15 th should secure Clemson a spot in the 12-team field. © Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images Some metrics matter more one week and less the next week. The one metric that seems to carry more weight than others is wins and losses which makes perfect sense on a surface level, however what that doesn’t take into consideration is who the wins are against and where and when the losses occurred. Due to the inconsistency of conference size and strength all schedules are not created equally and cannot be judged on an apples-to-apples basis, so strength of schedule must be taken into account when evaluating Team A against Team B. This is something that this committee has not done consistently.