A Clemson-Alabama rematch is the game college football needs and other top stories.

• A Clemson-Alabama rematch is the game college football needs

  GLENDALE, Ariz. -- It isn't just that No. 1 Alabama versus No. 2 Clemson will give us the first national title rematch in the BCS/playoff era. It isn't just that we have a sequel to the dynamic Deshaun Watson again squaring off with Nick Saban, perhaps the greatest coach in college football history, and his Olympian defense.It's that both teams, for a second consecutive season, delivered such emphatic whippings in their respective semifinal games that we reasonably suspect we're headed for anoth..

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• College basketball: Virginia Tech upsets No. 5 Duke

  

  Virginia Tech entered Atlantic Coast Conference play with a sparkling record and several quality wins to its credit, but the Hokies hadn't faced a ranked foe all season. That test came Saturday — and they passed rather easily.  Justin Bibbs scored 18 points to lead host Virginia Tech to an 89-75 upset of No. 5 Duke in the ACC opener for both teams. Bibbs broke out of a seasonlong slump for the Hokies (12-1, 1-0), who won their eighth straight game. Virginia Tech hasn't lost since squandering a..

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• Liverpool helps title push by edging Manchester City

  

  AP 7:50 p.m. EST December 31, 2016Liverpool's Georginio Wijnaldum, left, celebrates scoring his side's only goal against Manchester City.(Photo: The Associated Press)LIVERPOOL, England — Juergen Klopp has turned Liverpool into credible English Premier League title contenders again.A season that began for Liverpool with a victory over Arsenal reached its midway point on Saturday by edging Manchester City 1-0 through Georginio Wijnaldum's early header.Klopp has also seen off leader Ch..

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• Niners expected to fire Trent Baalke, Chip Kelly

  

  The 49ers will play the Seahawks on Sunday, and when they are done it will conclude another frustrating, disappointing season. In the first year under coach Chip Kelly, they went backward. And now, San Francisco faces an offseason of change with the goal of returning the organization to the upper echelon spot it has held so often in the league's history. Owner Jed York and the 49ers' key decision-makers are expected to replace both embattled GM Trent Baalke and Kelly, multiple sources say. A..

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• Indiana enters 2017 with lot of urgency after flailing vs. Louisville: 5 takeaways

  

  Louisville Cardinals recovered nicely from a frustrating but understandable Wednesday night home loss to Virginia Cavaliers . Indiana Hoosiers is now in the muck and needs to right itself in a hurry, but that's not going to be easy. The Cardinals (12-2) had their way with the Hoosiers (10-4) on Saturday afternoon, winning 77-62 and reminding all of college basketball in the process that Rick Pitino's team should remain on the lis..

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• NBA Capsules (Jan 1, 2017)

  

  HOUSTON (AP) James Harden had 53 points, 17 assists and 16 rebounds for his second straight triple-double, and the Houston Rockets beat the short-handed New York Knicks 129-122 on Saturday night. Harden became the first player in NBA history to have at least 50 points, 15 assists and 15 rebounds in a single game, according to information provided by the Rockets from the Elias Sport Bureau. He also tied Wilt Chamberlain for most points in a triple-double, set career highs for points and 3-poi..

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• UFC 207: Amanda Nunes vs. Ronda Rousey, stars, takeaways and highlights

  

  UFC 207 capped off a riveting and wild 2016 in mixed martial arts. In a year dominated by Conor McGregor, all eyes turned to former bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey's return to the sport after a year-long absence since losing the strap. A win would've set up Rousey for a huge 2017, perhaps a run at the newly created featherweight title to cement her legacy as the first woman to win belts in two weight classes and to hold belts simultaneously. It wasn't to be, ..

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• Even Urban Meyer couldn't overcome Clemson's talent edge

  

  GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Urban Meyer is the winningest coach in college football. He has won three national championships, two at Florida and one at Ohio State. Yet when historians begin to dissect his career, they might view his work with the 2016 Buckeyes as one of his best efforts.That's because No. 2 Clemson, behind the wizardry of quarterback Deshaun Watson and a fast, physical defense, exposed the No. 3 Ohio State team that Meyer brought to the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl as young and toothless. The..

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• Five matchups that will define NFL Week 17: Can Rodgers complete Packers' push?

  

  USA TODAY Sports' Lorenzo Reyes looks at the three biggest story lines heading into Week 17 of the NFL season. USA TODAY SportsGreen Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) throws a pass during the first quarter against the Detroit Lions at Lambeau Field.(Photo: Jeff Hanisch, USA TODAY Sports)Aaron Rodgers' midseason remark that the Green Bay Packers could still "run the table" might not have been a fully formed prediction, but the quarterback has his team in position to make good on..

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