The Atlantic Coast Conference finds itself fighting for respect from the College Football Playoff selection committee.

The ACC will be represented in the College Football Playoff, just maybe not by the usual suspects.

It has been a rough few days for Clemson coach Dabo Swinney.

Oregon, Georgia and Miami remained the top three seeds in The Associated Press College Football Playoff bracket projection with BYU overtaking Iowa State for No. 4.

What a difference a year makes.

Carson Beck threw for 278 yards, including a pair of touchdowns, and No. 1 Georgia opened the season by stifling 14th-ranked Clemson 34-3.

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney generally has passed on deep dives into the transfer portal for recruits.

Jac Caglianone hit his 32nd home run of the season to spark Florida’s seven-run fifth inning and the Gators beat Clemson 10-7 to win Game 1 of the best-of-three Clemson Super Regional.

The NCAA baseball tournament moves to the best-of-three super regionals this weekend.

Chase Hunter scored 18 points and converted a three-point play with 25.7 seconds remaining, and Clemson advanced to the Elite Eight for the second time in school history, beating Arizona 77-72 in a West Region semifinal.

Chase Hunter had 20 points and six assists, and No. 6 seed Clemson held off third-seeded Baylor for a 72-64 victory in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Clemson has filed a lawsuit against the Atlantic Coast Conference in a South Carolina court.

Football coaches from South Carolina's three major school have joined together at the Statehouse to urge lawmakers to pass a law allowing their schools to directly compensate their athletes.

Seniors Brandon Parrish and Ousmane Sylla each scored, and No. 9 Clemson held off No. 2 Notre Dame 2-1 to claim the program’s second national championship in three seasons.

Phil Mafah ran for a career high 186 yards and two touchdowns in relief of the injured Will Shipley and Clemson held off No. 12 Notre Dame 31-23 to end a disheartening two-game losing streak Saturday.

Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman hasn't changed his mind about Clemson football.

A frustrated Dabo Swinney defended his Clemson career to a radio caller who questioned his performance as one of college football's highest-paid coaches.

Miami quarterback Tyler Van Dyke was ruled out Saturday game against Clemson.

3 key takeaways from the state’s football scene -- and a glimpse at what’s to come next week.

Jordan Travis threw a 24-yard touchdown pass to Keon Coleman to start overtime and No. 4 Florida State rallied in the second half to defeat Clemson 31-24.

The No. 4 Florida State Seminoles will travel to play the Clemson Tigers.

No. 21 Duke and No. 22 Colorado have jumped into the Associated Press Top 25 college football poll after scoring the biggest upsets of the opening weekend of the season.

No. 21 Duke and No. 22 Colorado have jumped into the Associated Press Top 25 college football poll after scoring the biggest upsets of the opening weekend of the season.

The Florida State Seminoles will clash with the LSU Tigers here in Orlando on Sunday, September 3.

Michael Vick, Larry Fitzgerald and Terrell Suggs are among the college football stars who will be considered for induction to the Hall of Fame for the first time this year.

NCAA rules state schools cannot recruit athletes who are currently on another team’s roster.

Jayden Gardner had 23 points and 12 rebounds and No. 13 Virginia beat Clemson 76-56, sending coach Tony Bennett’s team to the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament title game for the first time since 2018.

South Carolina quarterback Spencer Rattler is coming back to the Gamecocks next season.

Joe Milton passed for 251 yards and three touchdowns, and No. 6 Tennessee finished off its best season in more than two decades by topping No. 10 Clemson 31-14 in the Orange Bowl.

Barring some unusual circumstances, Southern California quarterback Caleb Williams will become the eighth Heisman Trophy winner since 2000 to play college football the following season.

The College Football Playoff will include 12 teams, starting with the 2024 season.

Zia Cooke scored 15 points and Aliyah Boston added 12 points and six rebounds in No. 1 South Carolina's 85-31 victory over Clemson on Thursday night.

Georgia was the new No. 1 in the College Football Playoff rankings, followed by Ohio State, Michigan and TCU.

Will Shipley scored twice and freshman quarterback Cade Klubnik rallied No. 5 Clemson to a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns in a 27-21 victory over No. 14 Syracuse.

Clemson defensive backs Malcolm Greene and Fred Davis II were sued by a U.S. postal worker whose delivery truck was struck by Davis last year seconds after he was clocked driving 115 mph on a highway near campus.

The Atlantic Coast Conference gets a chance in September to bolster the perception of the league's strength with multiple matchups against other power conferences.

DJ Uiagalelei threw for one touchdown and ran for another, overcoming a sluggish start in the season opener to lead No. 4 Clemson to a 41-10 victory over Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets kept it closer than expected much of the way.

A growing number of college baseball teams are moving away from the tradition of catchers using their fingers and hands for pitch signs.

Onetime Clemson quarterback Hunter Johnson is returning to the Tigers for his final season of college football.

D.

The field at Camping World Stadium in Orlando is ready for the Cheez-It Bowl, and so are the fans.

This year's Cheez-It Bowl features the Clemson Tigers and the Iowa State Cyclones.

Isaiah Reid scored twice, including a goal just 27 seconds into the match, and Clemson defeated Washington 2-0 to win the NCAA College Cup championship.

Oklahoma has hired Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables as its head coach to replace Lincoln Riley.

For the first time since it began in 2014, the College Football Playoff won't include a team from the Atlantic Coast Conference.

The class of U.S. Rhodes scholars for 2022 includes the largest number of women ever selected for the scholarship in one year.

Destanni Henderson had 16 points off three 3-pointers and Zia Cooke added 13 points as No. 1 South Carolina pulled away in the second half for its 11th straight win over rival Clemson 76-45.

It seems parity has arrived in the Atlantic Coast Conference, just look no further than the results on scoreboards.

Will Shipley ran for two touchdowns, including the game-winning 21-yard score with 2:53 left, as Clemson rallied past Florida State 30-20 for its 32nd straight victory at Death Valley.

The race for the Atlantic Coast Conference football championship hasn't looked this wide open in the better part of a decade.

Clemson has tumbled to No. 25 in The Associated Press college football poll and snapped its streak of 97 straight weeks in the top 10.

For about 45 minutes late Saturday afternoon, college football was on overload.

Clemson and Ohio State have slipped to the back of the top 10 in The Associated Press college football poll and Penn State has jumped four spots to No. 6.

Alabama looked beatable.

Television viewers are ready for some football.

Christopher Smith returned an interception 74 yards for a touchdown and No. 5 Georgia turned in a defensive effort for the ages, toppling third-ranked Clemson 10-3 on Saturday in the opener for both teams.

No team has lost its opening game and reached the Bowl Championship Series title game of the College Football Playoff.

New quarterbacks are leading last year's College Football Playoff teams.

The post-Trevor Lawrence era begins at Clemson with the Tigers still the prohibitive favorites to win the Atlantic Coast Conference for a seventh consecutive season.

Home games or bowl games.

There is a plan in place to expand the College Football Playoff from four teams to 12.

A new College Football Playoff with triple the number of teams involved could bring in three times as much money to the conferences and schools that share the wealth.

The College Football Playoff is considering an expansion from four to 12 teams.

The Jacksonville Jaguars look to turn the team around with the squad's new quarterback and coach.

A big two has emerged within the Power Five.

Quarterbacks and just about anyone from national champion Alabama headlined the NFL draft.

Quarterbacks Trevor Lawrence of Clemson and Zac Wilson of BYU were the first two players off the board, as expected, in the NFL Draft.

The Jacksonville Jaguars made the easiest and maybe most significant selection in franchise history when they chose Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence with the first pick in the NFL draft Thursday night.

The Jacksonville Jaguars made the easiest and maybe most significant selection in franchise history when they chose Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence with the first pick in the NFL draft Thursday night.

The Jacksonville Jaguars drafted Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence with the first overall pick in the 2021 draft.

Trevor Lawrence, the likely No. 1 overall NFL draft pick, has signed an endorsement deal with cryptocurrency investment app Blockfolio.

This year's NFL draft is like none other because teams weren't able to meet face-to-face with the pool of prospects outside the lucky few who got to play in the Senior Bowl after a season that was marked by opt-outs and cancellations.

Jacksonville’s draft prospects helped lure Urban Meyer out of coaching retirement.

The program’s official Twitter account posted Monday that the Tar Heels are seeking a home game for this week. 18 Virginia Tech was postponed, the third Atlantic Coast Conference home game called off for the program. ___Vanderbilt says a limited number of students from its senior class can attend the men’s basketball home game Wednesday with Kentucky. ___The Atlantic Coast Conference announced Monday that Clemson's men's basketball game at Notre Dame scheduled for Wednesday has been postponed due to COVID-19 issues. AdThe conference says in a release that the postponement follows a positive test, subsequent quarantining, and contact tracing within the Clemson men’s program.

FILE - Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence passes against LSU during the second half of a NCAA College Football Playoff national championship game in New Orleans, in this Monday, Jan. 13, 2020, file photo. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, File)CLEMSON, S.C. – Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence worked out for several NFL personnel including his expected future pro coach, Urban Meyer of the Jacksonville Jaguars. While 16 NFL teams attended, the 6-foot-6 Lawrence with the cannon arm and flowing air doesn't figure to get past the Jaguars. Lawrence threw for 3,153 yards, 24 touchdowns and five interceptions while missing two games after testing positive for COVID-19 in October. He said he wanted to perform for NFL teams to show he's no different than anyone else applying for a job.

The recruiting class that Alabama finalized Wednesday has the highest rating in the history of the 247Sports Composite team rankings, which go back to 2010. Steve Wilfong, the director of recruiting for 247Sports, notes this celebrated Alabama class arrives as most of the Tide’s decorated 2017 class departs. Ad“You’re replacing one of the best recruiting classes ever for what they accomplished with maybe the best recruiting class on paper coming in,” Wiltfong said. While plenty of SEC teams joined Alabama in signing impressive classes, Ohio State stood out from its Big Ten foes. All three were quarterbacks, with Bryce Young enrolling at Alabama, DJ Uiagalelei selecting Clemson and CJ Stroud selecting Ohio State.

National champion Alabama has five players leaving early after beating Ohio State in the CFP title game on Jan. 11, with All-America quarterback Jones and linebacker Dylan Moses both early graduates. The 30 players with college eligibility remaining after completing their degree requirements had to notify the NFL of their intentions for the draft. Players less than four years removed from high school who have not completed a degree need to be granted special entry to the draft by the NFL. Southern California has the most players leaving early for NFL draft eligibility with six. Stanford and Ohio State matched Alabama with five each.

The people say one was because of a positive test for COVID-19 and the other two for contact tracing protocols. On the women’s side, the Cavaliers remain in COVID-19 protocols and haven’t played since Dec. 13 with four straight games postponed. LSU will visit Mississippi on Saturday night after both teams had their originally scheduled games postponed. ___Defender Matthijs De Ligt is the third Juventus player to test positive for COVID-19 in a week. ___The Georgia State men’s basketball team postponed games against Troy on Friday and Saturday and paused all team activities following multiple positive COVID-19 tests.

Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence passes against Ohio State during the first half of the Sugar Bowl NCAA college football game Friday, Jan. 1, 2021, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence has made it official — he’s heading to the NFL. “I really feel like I'm a man now and I'm ready to take on those challenges,” Lawrence said. The Jaguars finished 1-15 and have the top pick in the draft and are expected to take Lawrence. He finished 34-2 in his college career, leading Clemson to three Atlantic Coast Conference titles and the national title after the 2018 season.

Ohio State won 49-28. AL.com reported that Ohio State has been in contact with CFP officials about possible player availability problems that could force the game to be delayed. For Ohio State, though, it has been an especially bumpy road. The Big Ten initially canceled the fall football season in August, only to reverse course in September. Ohio State played its final regular-season game and the Big Ten championship game missing more than 20 players for each.

Ohio State head coach Ryan Day hugs quarterback Justin Fields after their win against Clemson in the Sugar Bowl NCAA college football game Friday, Jan. 1, 2021, in New Orleans. Ohio State won 49-28. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)Ohio State coach Ryan Day says he expects Justin Fields to play in the College Football Playoff national championship game against Alabama after the quarterback was banged up during the semifinals. Fields missed only one play and finished with six touchdown passes in Ohio State’s 49-28 victory. Buckeyes running back Trey Sermon took Fields' place on the call.

And with that, Lawrence’s bid to finish an extraordinary college football career with his second national championship in three seasons slipped away. 2 Clemson in the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Sugar Bowl on Friday night. “Obviously they kicked our butt tonight," Lawrence said. Lawrence is one of four finalists, along with Alabama QB Mac Jones, Crimson Tide receiver Davonta Smith and Florida QB Kyle Trask. Still, he'll be remembered as one of the faces of college football — on the field and off — during a tumultuous junior year.

Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields runs past Clemson defensive tackle Tyler Davis during the first half of the Sugar Bowl NCAA college football game Friday, Jan. 1, 2021, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)NEW ORLEANS – Clemson starting middle linebacker James Skalski has been ejected from the Sugar Bowl for a tackle that knocked Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields out of the game for one play. Officials concluded that Skalski committed targeting by leading with the crown of his helmet when he hit Fields in the ribs. After that touchdown, Fields was 12 of 13 for 173 yards and three touchdowns without an interception. He entered the Sugar Bowl with 39 tackles, including 3 1/2 tackles for loss and a fumble recovery in eight games.

Notre Dame quarterback Ian Book (12) is sacked by Alabama defensive lineman Byron Young (47) in the second half of the Rose Bowl NCAA college football game in Arlington, Texas, Friday, Jan. 1, 2021. (AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth)ARLINGTON, Texas – Ian Book had Notre Dame moving with a chance to get within a touchdown of No. Notre Dame beat the Tigers 47-40 in November while Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence was sidelined because of a positive COVID-19 test. “I don’t have a unique problem at Notre Dame,” Kelly said. Everybody can keep saying, you know, Notre Dame is not good enough.

3 Ohio State (6-0, No. ... Clemson beat Ohio State 29-23 in a Fiesta Bowl CFP semifinal last season. ... All of Clemson's victories over Ohio State have come in bowl games, including the Orange Bowl at the end of the 2013 season and the 1978 Peach Bowl. ... Clemson is making its third Sugar Bowl appearance and is seeking its first Sugar Bowl win. ... Ohio State is making its sixth Sugar Bowl appearance and has won its last three, including a 42-35 triumph over Alabama in the first CFP semifinal on Jan. 1, 2015.

Clemson’s offense led the Atlantic Coast Conference at 44.9 points a game and with 343.8 yards passing per game this season. The announcement Wednesday comes amid positive COVID-19 tests, quarantining and contact tracing for the host Cavaliers. The Cardinals later paused all team-related activities after there was a positive COVID-19 test within their program while the Blue Devils decided to end their season due to safety concerns. “But we have a lot to go through right now.”Perine is the first Jets player to test positive this season. ___The Cleveland Browns have two more positive COVID-19 cases — another player and a staff member — as they prepare for Sunday’s finale against the Steelers.

Probably go pick up some food," Notre Dame offensive tackle Liam Eichenberg said. 4 Notre Dame had to go a combined 37-2 on the field and keep the virus at bay. Alabama faces Notre Dame in the relocated Rose Bowl at the home of the Dallas Cowboys in Arlington, Texas. Notre Dame and Ohio State were more cautious, keeping their players on campus over the recent holiday weekend. Notre Dame had a virus outbreak pause its season for about two weeks in late September.

Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) makes a pass during an NCAA college football game against Syracuse in Clemson, S.C., on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2020. (Ken Ruinard/Pool Photo via AP)JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jacksonville Jaguars have botched the quarterback position repeatedly over the past two decades. 1 pick in the 2021 NFL draft Sunday, gaining a stronghold on Clemson star quarterback Trevor Lawrence the same day they set a team record for futility. The only thing standing in the way of the small-market team drafting Lawrence is the junior’s decision to turn pro. —Signing Nick Foles: The Jaguars gave Foles a four-year, $88 million deal in 2019 free agency that included $50.125 million guaranteed.

Lawrence, the likely first pick in the next NFL draft, made AP All-America for the first time in his career. ___The 2020 AP All-America team:FIRST TEAMOffenseQuarterback — Mac Jones, junior, Alabama. Running backs — Najee Harris, senior, Alabama; Breece Hall, sophomore, Iowa State. Guards — Ben Cleveland, senior, Georgia; Tommy Kraemer, senior, Notre Dame. Safeties — Kyle Hamilton, sophomore, Notre Dame; Tykee Smith, sophomore, West Virginia.

(AP Photo/Brian Blanco, File)Alabama teammates Mac Jones and DeVonta Smith along with Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence and Florida’s Kyle Trask have been named finalists for the Heisman Trophy. Jones and Smith are the eighth set of teammates to be finalists together since the tradition started in 1982. Smith is trying to become the first wide receiver to win the Heisman since Michigan's Desmond Howard in 1991. Jones or Smith would become Alabama's third Heisman winner, but first that is not a running back. Iowa State running back Breece Hall was sixth, followed by Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields, BYU quarterback Zach Wilson, Notre Dame quarterback Ian Book and Florida tight end Kyle Pitts.

Both teams flexed their muscles in winning their respective conference championship games. The last time Alabama was held below 35 points came in a 44-16 loss to Clemson in a CFP championship game to cap the 2018 season. Clemson’s 34-10 Atlantic Coast Conference championship game rout of Notre Dame improved Trevor Lawrence's record as a starting quarterback to 34-1. San Jose State and Ball State will face off in the Arizona Bowl on Dec. 31. San Jose State is seeking to complete its first unbeaten season since a 13-0 finish in 1939.

(AP Photo/Darron Cummings)COLUMBUS, Ohio – Shortened schedule and all, Ohio State is headed back to the College Football Playoff and a familiar foe will be waiting. Barta, the Iowa athletic director, said “there was no dissension in the room” over putting Ohio State in. Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said he wasn't surprised Ohio State got in with fewer games “because that’s what the committee has demonstrated over the past few weeks. We all know Ohio State is an incredibly talented team.”The loss to Clemson in the playoff last year landed hard and lingered for the Buckeyes, Ohio State coach Ryan Day said on ESPN. It'll be different this time with less than two weeks between the conference championship game and the semifinal.

Notre Dame was picked Sunday over Texas A&M for the final spot, ending what little drama there had been. Alabama, Notre Dame, Clemson and Ohio State have also held the first four spots in the AP Top 25 since Oct. 25. The Atlantic Coast Conference is the second league to have two teams in the playoff, joining the SEC in 2017. After sitting second in the CFP rankings for a month, Notre Dame was blown out 34-10 by Clemson in the ACC championship. Barta said the disparate number of games played by contenders — along with far fewer cross-conference games than usual —- was a challenge for the committee all season.

2 Notre Dame 34-10 on Saturday to win its sixth straight Atlantic Coast Conference championship. Clemson allowed Notre Dame to pile up 518 yards in the previous meeting, but limited the Fighting Irish (10-1) to 263 yards Saturday and sacked quarterback Ian Book six times. The momentum changed late in the first quarter when Notre Dame kicker Jonathan Doerer, who had converted an ACC title-game record 51-yard field goal on the game's opening drive, clanked a 21-yard attempt off the right upright. Notre Dame: The Fighting Irish could get nothing going in the passing game. Notre Dame: Notre Dame hopes to edge No.

“I could be here all day talking about how different this is,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day said on the Big Ten Network. As of late Wednesday afternoon, Alabama had signed five of them and was expected to land at least one more. Even with the coach's future still to be determined, day signing was OK for the Wolverines. On the positive side for the Wolverines on signing day: In-state running back Donovan Edwards, a four-star, signed with Michigan. Smith had indicated his final decision would come down to a choice between LSU, Alabama, Georgia and Miami.

(AP Photo/Michael Woods)Alabama, Notre Dame, Clemson and Ohio State will enter championship weekend in position to make the College Football Playoff with very little drama. The unbeaten Bearcats host Tulsa, which is 23rd, in the American Athletic Conference title game. The semifinals are scheduled to be played Jan. 1 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, and the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans. The current COVID-19 restrictions in California will prohibit the Rose Bowl from having any fans in attendance, including family members of the players. Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick is also a part of the management committee.

25 San Jose State is this week's upstart. How they persevered through all kinds of challenges.”This San Jose State team showed progress last year, going 5-7 after winning three games total in Brennan's first two seasons. San Jose State had to relocate to practice at first and then to play. CHAMPIONSHIP WEEKENDNine of the 10 FBS conference championship games will feature at least one ranked team and six will match Top-25 teams. 25 San Jose State, Mountain West championship.

(AP Photo/Morry Gash)The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:___The Southeastern Conference championship game between No. This will be the ninth time Alabama and Florida have met in the SEC title game, which has been played in Atlanta since 1994. It was moved to take the place of the Michigan-Ohio State game, which was canceled due to COVID-19 issues within the Wolverines’ program. ___UConn has postponed a second men’s basketball game as it continues to deal with a player’s positive coronavirus test. Should the game be played, the winner of the Washington-Oregon matchup will be Pac-12 North champions and play in the conference title game on Dec. 18.

Ohio State (4-0) had to cancel its game at Illinois last week because of a spike in COVID-19 cases in the program. HERBSTREIT APOLOGYESPN's Kirk Herbstreit caused a commotion with some of his analysis regarding Ohio State, Michigan and teams using COVID-19 as an excuse to not play. The Wolverines (2-4) are scheduled to host Maryland this week and play at Ohio State on Dec. 12. “I still think Michigan waves the white flag, potentially avoids playing Ohio State next week,” Herbstreit said. the former Ohio State quarterback said.

INDIANAPOLIS – University of Notre Dame students are now subject to mandatory coronavirus testing with stricter penalties if they leave town before getting their test results after thousands of fans stormed the football field and threw parties to celebrate a double-overtime upset over Clemson. All Notre Dame students are required to undergo coronavirus testing before they leave South Bend for the extended winter break, Notre Dame President the Rev. Following the win, Notre Dame moved up two spots to No. Notre Dame reported 24 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, with 220 active cases overall. The university has reported 1,355 positive cases since the start of the fall semester.