NCAA

Several NFL stars had big bones to pick with Nick Saban on Monday night ... with Patrick Mahomes, Jalen Ramsey and others blasting the coach and the Tide for playing injured star Jaylen Waddle.

The future NFL wideout broke his ankle against Tennessee back on Oct. 24 ... and had to have major surgery to repair the damage.

But, Waddle still suited up for the Tide's championship game with Ohio State ... and it became clear right away, the dude was nowhere close to 100 percent.

After catching a pass on the first drive of the game, he had a noticeable limp ... and seconds later, stars throughout the NFL wondered out loud why the hell he was playing.

"Who advised 17 for Bama to play?" Ramsey said in a tweet. "Whoever it is definitely doesn’t have his best interest at heart. As a competitor, I understand why he would want to play, but no way he should be out there with the future he has ahead. I hope he can stay safe."

Added Mahomes, "Respect the heart! But you can’t let that man be out there!"

Even Tennessee Titans star A.J. Brown chimed in, writing on his social media page, "Waddle please sit down."

Waddle is expected to be a possible top-15 pick in April's NFL draft -- which caused star Colts linebacker Darius Leonard to also fire away at 'Bama, writing, "Cmon nick don’t let Waddle do this, he’s hurt and shouldn’t be out there! Cmon bro! Sometimes you gotta protect players from themselves!"

For Waddle and 'Bama's part, the school said the wideout was cleared by doctors to return to football activities with the team last week.

If 2020 has shown you anything, think the unthinkable ... like a wide receiver winning the Heisman!

Yeah, that just happened ... with Alabama's DeVonta Smith becoming just the 3rd wide receiver EVER to win college football's most coveted award!!

Smith beat all the odds coming into the 2020 season to earn the honor -- seriously, wideouts NEVER win the award -- and he's now the first WR to inscribe his name on the trophy since Desmond Howard did it in 1991.

As for whether or not he deserved it ... there's no debate there -- Smith was a MONSTER for the Tide this season, posting 105 catches for 1,641 yards and 20 touchdowns in just 12 games.

The 22-year-old also had a rushing touchdown ... and is currently the nation’s leader in all-purpose yardage heading into next week's National Championship game against Ohio State.

As for Tuesday's awards ceremony, it truly is quite the accomplishment for Smith to beat out quarterbacks for the honor -- only six receivers since 2000 have even cracked the top five in Heisman voting, let alone the top 3!!!

Smith -- who received 447 first place votes -- took down his QB Mac Jones, as well as Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence and Florida QB Kyle Trask to grab the award.

Who knows ... maybe he'll add a title championship ring to go along with it next week??

March Madness -- the entire NCAA college basketball tournament -- will take place in the state of Indiana in 2021, officials confirm.

It's the first time in the history of the tournament that all 67 games will take place in the same state -- and, of course, it's all because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The NCAA says it's "partnering with a local health provider to administer COVID-19 testing within the controlled environment for players, coaching staffs, administrators and officials."

"The Marion County Health Department has approved medical protocols shared by the NCAA and will continue collaborating with the NCAA leading up to and during the championship."

The majority of the games will take place in Indianapolis -- with some contests going down in West Lafayette and Bloomington.

Several Indiana-based universities will technically "host" the tournament -- including Ball State, Butler, Indiana University and Purdue, among others. The school will lend their facilities and staffs to assist with tournament operations.

The NCAA says teams will be allowed to use the Indiana Convention Center as a practice facility, with multiple courts set up inside the venue.

Most teams will stay at Marriott hotel properties -- which happens to be an official NCAA corporate partner.

COVID protocols will be in full effect -- "All teams will be housed on dedicated hotel floors, with physically distanced meeting and dining rooms, as well as secure transportation to and from competition venues."

The NCAA says Selection Sunday is still scheduled for March 14 -- with the Final Four games set to take place on April 3 and 5.

The org notes, "The exact preliminary round dates are still to be determined."

"This is a historic moment for NCAA members and the state of Indiana," NCAA President Mark Emmert said in a statement.

Another huge milestone in Keyontae Johnson's recovery -- the Univ. of Florida basketball star just did the Gator Chomp from his hospital bed!!

It's been almost a week since Johnson collapsed on the court in a game against Florida State. He was hospitalized in Tallahassee and was eventually transported back to the UF hospital in Gainesville.

Johnson was placed in a medically induced coma after the incident -- but has since woken up and has made tremendous progress in his recovery.

You can see in the new video ... Johnson is talking, smiling and moving his arms (hence the "Chomp"). It's all great to see.

"First and foremost, I would like to thank God," Johnson says.

"I know you all have been sending your prayers out the last few weeks and me and my parents are very grateful for all the prayers that have been going out."

"To all the doctors and medical staff at Tallahassee Memorial and UF Shands, I just want to say thank you for all the support you gave me."

"To my Gator Nation and UF athletic family, I just want to thank you for all the prayers you gave out to me."

Great to see -- and hopefully he'll continue to get better ... and maybe even get back on the court sometime soon.

Notre Dame could REJECT an invitation to the College Football Playoff if officials don't allow players' families to attend ... so says Irish head coach Brian Kelly, who just made the threat on Friday morning.

Kelly spelled out his feelings on the matter in a heated Zoom sesh with reporters ... saying, "I'm not sure we'll play in the playoffs if the parents can't be there."

"Why would we play if you can't have families at the game? If you can't have families at bowl games, why would you go to a game where your families can't be part of it?"

Kelly continued, "What's the sense of playing a game in an area of the country where nobody can be part of it?"

The NCAA had planned to hold one of its CFP semifinal games at the Rose Bowl this season ... and, despite Los Angeles not allowing spectators at sporting events due to COVID, the org. is still pushing forward with that plan.

Kelly clearly believes that's a ludicrous idea ... saying the NCAA should just move the game to another site so players' family members can watch in person.

"Maybe they need to spend a little less time on who the top four teams are and figure out how to get parents into these games because it is an absolute shame and a sham if parents can't be watching their kids play," Kelly said.

"My kids have been on campus since June. They haven't seen their families very much at all. They've had to fight through COVID, some of them have had COVID. They can't be around their families for Christmas, and you're going to tell me we're going to have a playoff and maybe one site can have families and the other can't? Please."

Kelly added, "Somebody's got to wake up in that room and figure this out or you might as well call this the professional league. I am so sick and tired of this playoff committee talking about having sites where you can't have parents at and their families. It's ridiculous."

Sarah Fuller went from being the first woman to play in a Power 5 college football game to now becoming the first woman to score in a Power 5 game ... this after putting her kicking skills to good use.

The Vanderbilt University athlete trotted out to the gridiron Saturday in a game against the Tennessee Volunteers, where she kicked a field goal for an extra point in the first quarter to help tie things up 7 to 7.

Fuller showed no hesitation ... she shot the ball straight through the goalposts, and made history in the process. You could tell she was pretty excited, as were male teammates ... all of whom gave her props and dabbed her up after scoring. It was an awesome moment.

Just a few weeks ago, she made history by becoming the first female player to partake in a Power 5 game -- kicking off to the opposing team, but failing to score at the time.

She was named the SEC Player of the Week after that -- a huge honor -- and something tells us she'll get it again now.

Ohio State vs. Michigan is officially off -- after the Wolverines announced their COVID situation is so bad, they can't field a team to play this weekend.

The #4 ranked undefeated Buckeyes were scheduled to host the 2-4 Wolverines in The Game on Saturday -- one of the most anticipated rivalries in college football and really, all of sports.

But, the Michigan football program has been badly impacted by the pandemic -- and the school says it can't pull together enough healthy players to take the field on Saturday.

"The number of positive tests has continued to trend in an upward direction over the last 7 days," Michigan AD Warde Manuel said Tuesday.

"We have not been cleared to participate in practice at this time. Unfortunately, we will not be able to field a team due to COVID-19 positives and the associated quarantining required of close contacted individuals."

"This decision is disappointing for our team and coaches but their health and safety is paramount, and it will always come first in our decision making."

Michigan also canceled last week's game against Maryland after at least 12 members of the program tested positive for COVID.

The situation is especially bad for Ohio State which is still in the college football playoff hunt.

They need to schedule another opponent ASAP -- and hopefully against a top opponent -- if they want to qualify for the post-season.

The NCAA says teams have to have at least 6 wins to be bowl eligible -- and OSU is currently 5-0.

One potential matchup could be Texas A&M ... since their game against Ole Miss was scraped because Ole Miss couldn't field a team.

Texas A&M is also 7-1 and ranked #5 in the country.

Ohio State has won 8 in a row against Michigan -- with Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh 0-5 against his rivals.

The first Ohio State vs. Michigan football game took place in 1897 -- and it's been a heated rivalry ever since.

Ex-college football coach Lou Holtz will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Thursday, the White House announced.

The award is recognized as the "Nation's highest civilian honor," according to the White House ... usually given to someone who has "made especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public endeavors."

So, why Lou? Here's what Trump's team is saying ...

"America recognizes Lou Holtz as one of the greatest football coaches of all time for his unmatched accomplishments on the gridiron, but he is also a philanthropist, author and true American patriot."

83-year-old Holtz is most well known for leading Notre Dame to a 12-0 record in 1988 -- when the Fighting Irish were crowned national champions.

His career record as a college football coach is 249-132-7 -- with 22 bowl appearances (he won 12 of them).

Outside of football, Holtz has been a staunch Trump supporter who campaigned for POTUS ... and even spoke at the Republican National Convention.

In fact, it was at the RNC when Holtz attacked Trump's opponent Joe Biden over his position on abortion -- saying the former Vice President is a "Catholic in name only."

During his presidency, Trump has given the M.O.F. to several sports legends -- including Tiger Woods, Jerry West and Roger Staubach.

Awesome honor for Sarah Fuller ... the Vanderbilt kicker, who just became the 1st woman to ever compete for a Power 5 college football team, has now earned an SEC Player of the Week award.

The conference announced the selection Monday ... splitting this week's Special Teams Player of the Week honors between Fuller and Florida punt returner Kadarius Toney.

"Fuller made history Saturday," SEC officials said in a statement.

Fuller -- who just joined the Commodores' football team last week after it was left shorthanded due to COVID-19 -- kicked just one ball for Vandy on Saturday, but she made it count.

In the opening kickoff of the second half of the Commodores' loss to Missouri ... Fuller executed a planned squib kick to perfection that was downed at her opponents' 35-yard line.

Afterward, Fuller -- who's the school's women's soccer team's starting goalkeeper -- said, "I just want to tell all the girls out there that you can do anything you set your mind to. Like, you really can."

"And, if you have that mentality all the way through, you can do big things."

The Vanderbilt University football team made history this weekend by enlisting the athletic prowess of one its star soccer players for their own sport ... and this time it's not a man.

Sarah Fuller took the field Saturday in Vandy's NCAA match against the Missouri Tigers -- where she suited up and kicked off to the opposing team in the second half ... and etching her name in the record books while doing so.

She delivered an effective onside kick to the Tigers, and then jogged off the field to lots of applause. Her play marks the first time a female has played in a Power 5 college football game ... which is a huge deal. The first woman to play the game ever at the college level was Liz Heaston in 1997 ... but that wasn't NCAA.

In 2001, Ashley Martin did the honors there ... but as far as Power 5 (the most competitive tier of collegiate football), Sarah is the first to ever do it -- an historic feat.

Now, as for how this came to be ... word is a few players on Vanderbilt's squad -- including some kickers -- are out right now due to COVID-19, so they were in need of some emergency reinforcements from other athletic departments on campus.

Sarah's actually the goalkeeper for Vanderbilt's women's soccer team, which just won the SEC championship. The Vanderbilt football coach reportedly was considering different options amid his team being down a handful of guys, and thought of Sarah because of how good she was with the soccer ball. One thing led to another, and they had her practice with a football. Obviously, she was a fit.

Some folks -- including certain media personalities -- criticized the move and questioned Vandy's motives for recruiting a female soccer player instead of a guy ... wondering if it was all for publicity and more for PR than actual merit.

Something historic might come out of the COVID pandemic ... Vanderbilt's head football coach says he's considering using a female soccer player to be his team's placekicker this week after the Commodores were hit by coronavirus quarantines.

Derek Mason, who's coached Vandy football since 2014, said Wednesday the school's women's soccer team's goalie, Sarah Fuller, "is an option for us" in the team's game against Missouri on Saturday.

FYI -- if Fuller does log a snap in the game ... it's believed she will be the first woman EVER to compete in live-action for a Power 5 football program.

As for why Mason's considering it ... aside from Vanderbilt's kicking woes this season -- the team had to place a bunch of special teamers in quarantine this week due to a possible COVID outbreak.

"Well, right now, we’re just looking at all options," Mason said of Fuller on ESPN 102.5 The Game. "She’s a complete competitor. She’s an option for us. So, right now, that’s where we sit."

According to the Vanderbilt Hustler, Fuller suited up for the Commodores at their practice Tuesday ... but did NOT kick with the team.

Instead, per the report, Fuller -- who donned full pads -- just went through walkthroughs with the team and coaches.

Fuller helped lead Vandy's women's soccer team to an SEC Championship last weekend in a COVID-shortened season ... playing in 8 games and logging 25 total saves.

Alabama football coach Nick Saban has tested positive for COVID-19 -- again -- only this time he's symptomatic and will likely not coach in the Iron Bowl against Auburn on Saturday.

"This morning we received notification that Coach Saban tested positive for COVID-19," the University said in a statement.

"He has very mild symptoms, so this test will not be categorized as a potential false positive. He will follow all appropriate guidelines and isolate at home."

#1 ranked Alabama is set to take on #22 ranked Auburn in the Iron Bowl this weekend -- a HUGE game -- but Saban is not expected to be on the sidelines this time around.

Saban previously tested positive for COVID back in October -- but was not symptomatic and he ultimately coached just 3 days after the positive test when Bama took on Georgia. The Tide won that game in a 41 to 24 shellacking.

After the game, Saban was seen on video dancing in the locker room with players while NOT wearing a mask.

University of Miami head football coach Manny Diaz says he's been diagnosed with COVID -- the latest in a wave of positive tests to hit the team.

"I have tested positive for COVID-19," the 46-year-old said Friday morning.

"I am currently in isolation and feeling good overall. I will continue to work with our team virtually as we prepare for our next game at Wake Forest."

The Hurricanes have been hit hard by COVID -- starting back in October when 8 players weren't available for the Oct. 24 game against Virginia.

Leaving 11 players unavailable for the Nov. 6 game against North Carolina State -- and then it grew again to 13 this past weekend against Virginia Tech.

On Monday, University of Miami officials announced a 2-week stoppage -- meaning the team would resume its season on Dec. 5, against Wake Forest.

But, WF has its own COVID problems which led to the school canceling this weekend's game against Duke.

COVID-19 can't stop Urban Meyer ... the college football coaching legend just revealed he beat the virus after contracting it recently.

The former Ohio State head man said he was fortunate ... and only experienced minor effects.

"I did deal with it," the 56-year-old told WBNS 10TV this week. "I've just recently gotten over it. I was relatively symptom-free."

Meyer -- who now works as a CFB analyst for Fox Sports -- says his positive test was the reason he and his other co-hosts had to bail on their “Big Noon Kickoff” pregame show earlier this month.

Urban added he doesn't believe his diagnosis affected any of his co-workers.

"The good thing is none of my partners and teammates had it," Meyer said, "and we're going to be back at it this weekend."

Journey Brown -- Penn State's top running back in 2019 -- is retiring from football after doctors diagnosed him with a serious heart condition

It's called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy -- a thickening of the heart muscle, which makes it more difficult to pump blood to the body.

According to the American Heart Association, "HCM has been cited as the most common reason for sudden cardiac death in young people and athletes under the age of 35."

Experts say things like "lifestyle changes" can make a big impact for people diagnosed with HCM -- which is obviously why Brown is making the decision to quit football. It's just too risky.

Penn State's head coach, James Franklin, said Brown only discovered the condition while undergoing routine COVID testing -- but noting, "it is not COVID related."

"We learned about this in early September, and we've been working through this and dealing with this as a team," Franklin said.

"The entire organization has rallied behind Journey and his family."

Brown was a force at running back -- earning MVP honors at the 2019 Cotton Bowl by rushing for 202 yards and 2 TDs on 16 carries in Penn State's victory over Memphis.

He led Penn State in rushing in 2019 with 890 yards and 12 TDs.

Brown has posted a statement about the situation -- saying his condition will prevent him from realizing his dreams of playing in the NFL, but "football will always be a part of me."

"The pain of not being able to play the game I love anymore hurts and I can't explain how I am feeling right now. However, I can walk away from the game knowing I truly gave my all at every practice, on every down and in the locker room every day."

The president of Notre Dame is "very disappointed" at students who broke COVID protocol and stormed the field when the football team beat Clemson this weekend ... and now there will be repercussions.

Tons of students rushed onto the field Saturday night when the #4 ranked Fighting Irish defeated the #1 ranked Clemson Tigers in a double-overtime thriller -- getting up close and personal with players, coaches and staff. It was a COVID-protocol nightmare.

Now, ND president Rev. John. I. Jenkins has sent a letter to the student body spelling out a NEW protocol -- and threatening to essentially ban students next semester if they don't comply.

"As exciting as last night's victory against Clemson was, it was very disappointing to see evidence of widespread disregard of our health protocols at many gatherings over the weekend," Rev. Jenkins said in a letter sent late Sunday.

Jenkins laid out the following steps:

1) "Because we are now even more concerned about the potential for contagion in your home communities as you prepare to travel home at the end of the semester, the University will place a registration hold on the record of any student fails to appear for testing when asked to do so. A Registration hold would mean that you are unable to matriculate or register for classes next semester or receive a transcript."

2) "Furthermore, you may not leave the South Bend area until you receive the results of your exit test. Again, should we discover that you have left the area, we will place a registration hold on your record."

3) "There will be zero tolerance for any gatherings that do not comport with our health and safety guidelines, on or off campus. Those found responsible for hosting such gatherings will face severe sections."

Rev. Jenkins explained "the grave circumstances of this pandemic compel us to take these exceptional measures."

He finished by telling the students to look to the football team for inspiration on how to get through these challenging times.

"Our football team showed us how to finish strong on Saturday night. Please finish the semester strong by wearing a mask, maintaining physical distance, washing your hands and completing your daily health check."

"Furthermore, as outlined above, you must, if you wish to return as a student in the spring semester, appear for testing were notified and not depart until you receive the test result."