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Drone company’s stock soars after appointing Donald Trump Jr. to advisory board

Shares in a little-known drone company soared Wednesday after announcing that Donald Trump Jr. had joined its advisory board.

Unusual Machines, an Orlando, Florida-based firm born just two years ago as it acquired a drone manufacturer and a separate drone retailing firm, announced the appointment in an early-morning press release.

“Don Jr. joining our board of advisors provides us unique expertise we need as we bring drone component manufacturing back to America,” Allan Evans, Unusual Machines’ CEO, said in the release. “He brings a wealth of experience and I look forward to his advice and role within the Company as we continue to build our business.”

Trump Jr., in the statement, also put the move in the context of the America First economic agenda of his father, President-elect Donald Trump.

“The need for drones is obvious. It is also obvious that we must stop buying Chinese drones and Chinese drone parts,” Trump Jr. said. “I love what Unusual Machines is doing to bring drone manufacturing jobs back to the USA and am excited to take on a bigger role in the movement.”

After announcing Trump Jr.’s move, Unusual Machines’ stock nearly doubled to more than $10 on heavy trading volume before giving back some of the gains.

In a securities filing Wednesday, Trump Jr. is listed as at one point having been Unusual Machines’ second-largest shareholder. The company disclosed that Trump Jr. had previously owned 331,580 shares of Unusual Machines before a share offering detailed in the statement, and currently owns no shares. The statement does not disclose the price paid by Trump Jr. for his shares, or what price he sold them at.

Nevertheless, the stock surge demonstrates the extent to which an association with the Trump name can transform an entity’s fortunes, for better or worse. During Donald Trump’s first term as president, his social media posts mentioning a company or one of its executives could cause shares to slide or jump, creating material risks or gains for investors.

Unusual Machines already had some momentum earlier this month, posting large gains after Election Day. Still, even with the share increases, its market value stood at a relatively meager $69 million as of early Wednesday afternoon.

Unusual Machines also finds itself potentially in the crossfire if President-elect Trump launches a new trade war with China. The company notes in the securities filing its heavy reliance on Chinese imports, which Trump now says would face punitive tariffs once he takes office. “If there are increased tariffs imposed, it could materially and adversely affect our business and results of operations,” the company said in a regulatory filing, warning of potential price increases.

An Unusual Machines spokesperson didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

In February, Unusual Machines closed its initial public offering of 1.25 million shares of stock for net proceeds of $3.85 million, according to CNBC.

When the company completed its IPO, it also acquired the drone brands Fat Shark and Rotor Riot from Red Cat. Jeffrey Thompson, the founder and CEO of Red Cat, is the founder, prior CEO and current board member of Unusual Machines.

In a recent regulatory note, Unusual Machines said it changed its accounting firm in April and “terminated its engagement with their prior auditor.” The firm in question was BF Borgers CPA, which also had been the auditor for Trump Media, the Truth Social parent company whose majority owner is the president-elect.

The SEC in May charged BF Borgers with “massive fraud” for work that affected more than 1,500 SEC filings. The auditor and owner Benjamin Borgers agreed to be permanently suspended from practicing as an accountants before the SEC and to pay a combined $14 million in penalties.

Trump Media soon after retained a new auditor to replace BF Borgers.

Unusual Machines in its recent quarterly report said that its own new accounting firm re-audited the company’s prior financial statements, and found that various transactions and stock compensation expenses weren’t recorded.


This post appeared first on NBC NEWS

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‘Moana 2’-led Thanksgiving box office could be best in post-pandemic era

The domestic box office is poised for its biggest Thanksgiving haul since the pandemic thanks to a Polynesian princess, a pair of witches and a revenge-fueled gladiator.

Disney’s “Moana 2” is set to hit theaters Wednesday and generate between $120 million and $150 million in box office receipts in the U.S. and Canada through Sunday. It’ll be joined by Universal’s “Wicked” and Paramount’s “Gladiator II,” both in their second week of domestic screenings.

Box-office analysts believe the five-day Thanksgiving weekend, which runs from Wednesday to Sunday, should easily clear $200 million in ticket sales and could even become the second- or third-highest Thanksgiving period in cinematic history.

“The trifecta of ‘Moana 2,’ ‘Wicked,’ and ‘Gladiator II’ is a bona fide perfect storm for movie theaters this Thanksgiving,” said Shawn Robbins, director of analytics at Fandango and founder of Box Office Theory.

“The holiday used to regularly see major releases combining for all-audience appeal, but that’s been a challenge for the industry to replicate in the post-pandemic era so far,” he said. “This year is much different with such a holy trinity of tentpole releases that could anchor some of the biggest all-around box office results the holiday frame has ever seen.”

The Thanksgiving holiday haul hasn’t topped $200 million since 2019, according to data from Comscore. Currently, the highest-grossing Thanksgiving weekend is 2018′s slate, led by “Ralph Breaks the Internet,” “Creed II” and “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald,” which generated $315 million in ticket sales combined. The second-highest haul for the holiday period was the $294.2 million secured during the same five-day period in 2013.

“Thanksgiving is arguably the most important holiday period of the year for movie theaters as it sets the tone for the year-end box office sprint,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore. “The strength of the final few weeks of the year will determine the total annual box office revenue and its perception as either a win or a loss for the industry.”

Disney could use another animation win.

After ruling the Thanksgiving box office for years with titles from Pixar and Disney Animation, it’s failed to live up to expectations with its recent string of releases.

In 2016, “Moana” opened over the Thanksgiving holiday, generating $82.1 million. The following year “Coco” took in $72.9 million during its opening, and in 2018 “Ralph Breaks the Internet” tallied $84.8 million during its debut over the five-day period. Just before the pandemic in 2019, “Frozen II” added $125 million over the Thanksgiving holiday after opening the week before to more than $130 million.

Meanwhile, “Encanto,” which arrived during the midst of the pandemic, managed to tally $40.6 million in 2021. “Strange World” flopped, having scooped up just $18.9 million during the holiday period in 2022, and “Wish” snared a meager $31.6 million in 2023. No Disney animated film was released over Thanksgiving in 2020.

“Moana 2” should outperform these post-pandemic releases, however. It arrives in theaters a year after the first film was named the top-streamed film aimed at kids and families. And audiences came out in droves for Disney and Pixar’s “Inside Out 2″ over the summer. “Inside Out 2” opened to $154.2 million domestically and tallied more than $1 billion globally during its full run.

Disclosure: Comcast is the parent company of NBCUniversal, CNBC and Fandango. NBCUniversal distributed “Wicked.”

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS

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Reddit targets international users for ad growth, teases bolstered search feature

Reddit is ramping up efforts to attract more users outside of the U.S., putting countries like India and Brazil in focus as it looks to unlock new advertising opportunities, a top company executive told CNBC.

In a wide-ranging interview, Jen Wong, chief operating officer of Reddit, said other platforms have 80% to 90% of users outside of the U.S. while about half of her company’s current users are based internationally.

“So that points to a lot of our future user growth opportunity definitely outside of the U.S. and local language,” Wong told CNBC. “The opportunity, the way I think about it, is every language is an opportunity for another Reddit.”

Reddit has historically been an English-language platform, but the company is looking to expand its international reach with the help of artificial intelligence translations. This year, Reddit launched a feature that automatically translates its site into different languages.

Wong said that around 20 to 30 languages could be available by the end of the year.

Among the company’s fastest-growing markets in terms of users is the U.K., the Philippines, India and Brazil.

“India’s growing really rapidly,” Wong said. “We see a big opportunity in India.”

The Reddit COO said that India has a large English-speaking internet population, and there are lots of engaged users around topics like cricket and the Bollywood movie industry.

Wong also said Reddit has been meeting with “mods” — or moderators, who oversee content on communities on the site.

Growth in markets like India can propel Reddit to boost ad revenue, its main source of income.

International markets account for just over 17% of Reddit’s revenue currently, according to the company’s third-quarter results, despite around 50% of its users being located outside the U.S.

Wong said that Reddit first attempts cross-border advertising for international markets, such as when a European brand is looking to advertise in the U.S. Then, when Reddit hits about 10% of a country’s internet population in a country, there is an opportunity to build teams focused on local advertising — like an Indian brand advertising to Indian users.

This has not yet happened in many markets, but Reddit is keeping an eye on many of its fastest growing countries, Wong said.

Reddit users will know that it’s not always the easiest site to find what you’re looking for — a drawback that the company is now looking to change with new search tools.

During Reddit’s third-quarter earnings call last month, CEO Steve Huffman called search on the platform a “focused investment” in 2025.

Wong expanded that the company is thinking of its search feature as a way of helping users to navigate around the site to find similar topics or posts that they may have otherwise missed.

“You land on a post and but it’s almost like a dead end. But there are a lot of posts, often like that post, or there are other posts like that post in other communities. And so giving you a total view of what that looks like is a really interesting opportunity,” Wong said.

“Guiding you through Reddit as you follow that line of thinking, is how we think of the opportunity.”

Wong declined to say more except, “We’re testing a lot of things.”

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS

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How to Trade MicroStrategy’s Painful Plunge: The Levels Every Investor Must Watch

On November 21, 2024, Citron Capital shorted MicroStrategy Inc. (MSTR). What made this confrontation particularly electrifying was the clash between two titans: Citron, a legendary short seller, and MicroStrategy, arguably the strongest stock of 2024.

Why did Citron short MicroStrategy? Citron called its $91 billion valuation a reckless Bitcoin bubble. MSTR began buying Bitcoin in 2020; it currently owns 1.7% of the global Bitcoin supply and some analysts expect the company to own 4% by 2033. Citron viewed MSTR’s Bitcoin hoarding as a leveraged gamble that could implode if Bitcoin falters.

To see the impact of MSTR’s crypto trade, look at the correlation between the stocks and the crypto on a weekly chart.

FIGURE 1. WEEKLY CHART OF MICROSTRATEGY. The Correlation Coefficient in the bottom panel shows how MSTR strongly correlates with Bitcoin. MSTR has also outperformed the S&P 500 ($SPX).Chart source: StockCharts.com. For educational purposes.

The stellar rise in MSTR from a low of $43-and-change in January to a high of $543 in November has been anything but smooth and steady. MicroStrategy is a business analytics company that provides exposure to both AI and Bitcoin (due to its heavy accumulation). It’s like two trades in one. StockCharts’s Correlation Coefficient indicator shows how correlated MSTR is to $BTCUSD. You will want to keep an eye on this: if Bitcoin rises or falls, it will likely affect MSTR’s stock price.

You can also see MSTR’s relative performance against the S&P 500 ($SPX). Currently, it’s outperforming the broad index by over 300%. Overvalued and risky? That’s Citron’s take, and you can see the plunging effect of Citron’s thesis as it took action in the market.

Nevertheless, MSTR still ranks within the Top 10 of StockCharts Technical Rank (SCTR) report, its technical strength holding its measured position despite the big short and the risk it entails.

FIGURE 2. SCTR REPORT ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2024. MSTR is fourth from the top, with a SCTR score of 99.5.Image source: StockCharts.com. For educational purposes.

If this remains true, might the stock experience a bounce, attracting prospective bulls to enter positions at perceived discount levels? If so, where? Let’s shift to a daily chart.

FIGURE 3. DAILY CHART OF MSTR. Note how the swing points correspond cleanly with the Fibonacci Retracement lines.Chart source: StockCharts.com. For educational purposes.

Drawing Fibonacci Retracement levels from the August low to the November high, you can better contextualize the pullback to see where bullish investors may be looking for entry points. Note that I circled each level to highlight each potential support area.

One place that buyers may be looking for an early bounce is at the swing high point right above $380, which coincides with the Fib 38.2% retracement. While some buyers might have jumped in, that level may be too aggressive an entry as the price is looking to break below it. The next potential support levels are the swing low between $318 and $320, which converges with the Fib 50% line, and, below that, the October swing high near $267, which is close to the 61.8% Fib retracement level.

Should any of these points trigger a bounce, check volume and buying pressure as a potential indicator for institutional support. Right now, if you look at the Chaikin Money Flow (CMF), you can see that sellers are firmly in control of the stock (see green circle). You will want to see that situation reverse, with the CMF line crossing above the zero line.

Your Next Action Steps

While watching these levels, do the following:

  • Add MSTR to your ChartLists. This ensures you can have the chart handy with all key levels when monitoring it.
  • Set a price alert for when the price crosses below $323. Once it crosses below this level, prepare for a potential bounce somewhere between $318 and $320. You could also set a second alert for when the price crosses above $375, the 38.2% Fibonacci retracement level. This could be an entry point for a potential upside move.
  • Also, keep an eye on the CMF; if there’s a bounce, you’ll want to see buyers taking control of the market.

This should give you ample time to observe and respond, assessing whether the technical context signals a buy or a wait-and-see. You can also check the fundamental story to see what’s happening with the stock, particularly if the technicals remain fuzzy.

At the Close

MicroStrategy’s meteoric rise in 2024, fueled by its double play on Bitcoin and AI, has made it a magnet for both bulls and skeptics. While Citron’s short position underscores bearish concerns about overvaluation and leverage risk, the stock’s technical strength and correlation with Bitcoin continue to attract bullish attention. Keep an eye on support levels and for any shift between buying/selling momentum. The technical levels above should map out the key areas to watch and key technical events to anticipate.

Disclaimer: This blog is for educational purposes only and should not be construed as financial advice. The ideas and strategies should never be used without first assessing your own personal and financial situation, or without consulting a financial professional.

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Mack Brown out as North Carolina football coach after season

North Carolina has fired coach Mack Brown six seasons into his second tenure with the Tar Heels, the university announced on Tuesday.

Brown will be on the sidelines for the season finale against North Carolina State but a decision hasn’t been made on whether he’d continue to coach in the postseason, said the school.

This announcement comes one day after Brown said he intended to return in 2025 as head coach. After losing 70-50 at home to James Madison in non-conference play, Brown had to clarify he was not resigning after suggesting he would step aside if the team’s issues could be not fixed.

‘While this is not the perfect time and way in which I imagined going out, no time will ever be the perfect time,’ Brown said in a statement. ‘Moving forward, my total focus is on helping these players and coaches prepare for Saturday’s game against N.C. State and give them the best chance to win.’

UNC is 6-5 this season with several demoralizing losses, including the result against JMU and a heartbreaking 21-20 defeat to rival Duke one game later. Of the Tar Heels’ six victories, just one, against Minnesota in the season opener, has come against an opponent with a winning record.

Brown is 44-32 in his second tenure at UNC, reaching bowl eligibility in all six seasons with one national ranking. The 2020 team went 8-4, 7-3 in the ACC, reached the Orange Bowl and finished No. 17 in the US LBM Coaches Poll.

North Carolina owes Brown just over $2.8 million – the base salary part of his contract that had been set to run thru Jan. 15, 2028. The total pay for his deal was $5 million annually.

Heading into Saturday, his overall record at UNC is 113-78-1, giving Brown the program record for wins. His first tenure, from 1988-97, saw the Tar Heels make a run at Florida State for ACC dominance. After going a combined 2-20 in his first two seasons, Brown won at least nine games four times, led by a 10-1 mark and eventual No. 6 finish in 1997.

“Coach Brown has led the Carolina Football program back into the national conversation as we improved the program’s facilities, significantly increased the size of the staff, invested in salaries and bolstered our nutrition and strength and conditioning programs,” athletics director Bubba Cunningham said in a statement. He also has been a dedicated fundraiser, strengthening the Football endowment while also supporting our other sports programs.”

Brown was hired by Texas following the 1997 season and went 158-48 over 16 seasons, winning the 2005 national championship and playing for another in 2009.

He also coached at Appalachian State (1983) and Tulane (1985-87). Brown was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2018.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

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NFL power rankings: Ravens fly again as Chargers drop

NFL power rankings entering Week 13 of the 2024 season (previous rank in parentheses):

2. Philadelphia Eagles (3): RB Saquon Barkley showed Sunday night he might be the league’s best player. Per OptaSTATS, he’s the first to have more than 500 yards from scrimmage over consecutive games since Hall of Famer Walter Payton in 1977. He’s also the first since Maurice Jones-Drew 15 years ago to break two TD runs of 70-plus yards in the same game. But is Barkley the most valuable player in the NFL? Not ready to go there yet … though maybe Sunday’s game at Baltimore – against MVP candidates Lamar Jackson and (maybe) Derrick Henry – will shed further light on Barkley’s case.

NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.

7. Baltimore Ravens (6): ‘Harbaugh Bowls’ are becoming byes for them. Not really, and playing another physical team on the West Coast in a Monday night matchup doesn’t bode especially well for the turnaround with those brutish Eagles making the quick commute to Charm City on a short week. But the Ravens are in a good spot, only a half-game out of first place in the AFC North.

13. Los Angeles Chargers (11): Detractors who might want to label them the Hoosiers of the NFL are eating no crow. A defense that hadn’t given up more than 20 points all season – albeit against questionable competition – has surrendered 57 at home over the past two weeks. It was also scorched for 212 yards on the ground Monday, the most ever for a Jim Harbaugh-coached team. Factor in RB J.K. Dobbins’ knee injury and … woof.

15. Atlanta Falcons (14): The August trade for Matthew Judon hasn’t borne fruit, the veteran pass rusher averaging roughly one pressure per game.

20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (19): They might be on their way, Sunday’s rout of the Giants initiating what’s still the easiest remaining schedule (measured by opponents’ winning percentage) for any NFC team. WR Mike Evans had a 68-yard day on the heels of a five-week injury absence but will have to average 99.5 the rest of the way to keep his career-long string of 1,000-yard seasons intact.

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28. New York Jets (25): Before you avert your eyes … never mind – avert, avert.

29. Tennessee Titans (30): Per NFL Media, second-year QB Will Levis is the first player since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger to post a passer rating of at least 105.0 over three games while also being sacked at least 20 times.

30. Las Vegas Raiders (27): They hadn’t lost seven in a row since being based in Oakland … until now. Maybe it’s time to break tendencies and sign the ultimate anti-Raider – yes, we’re thinking it’s time for Daniel Jones to give this franchise, like, a shot in the arm … maybe of V8?

***

Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Nate Davis on X, formerly Twitter, @ByNateDavis.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

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CFP rankings grades, snubs: What committee got right, wrong

As the college football regular season comes to a close, the weekly College Football Playoff rankings reveal becomes more important. As a result, it draws increased scrutiny.

Just when it seems like the college football world has an idea of how the bracket will unfold, chaos ensues to create even more questions as to which teams will be in the 12-team field. This past weekend, which saw Ohio State comfortably beat Indiana and a few SEC contenders take crushing losses, drastically changed the projected field.

With one week of regular season football left before conference title games take place, here are the grades for the selection committee’s choices in the latest rankings reveal.

1. Oregon: A+

Heading into the final week undefeated with the best win of the season (over Ohio State), the Ducks remain at the top of the rankings.

2. Ohio State: A+

Handling Indiana proved Ohio State is a top-two team in the country and is headed toward a rematch with Oregon.

3. Texas: A

Not only would it clinch a spot in the SEC championship game, but Texas could get a nice resume boost by beating rival Texas A&M.

4. Penn State: B-

The win over Minnesota wasn’t all that impressive and keeping this spot is up for debate.

5. Notre Dame: A-

Army isn’t ranked anymore, but Notre Dame impressed against the Black Knights and have been dominant for months. Beat Southern California and a playoff home game is clinched.

6. Miami: A

Miami had a case to be above Alabama last week, and are now well positioned to make the playoff as long as it beats Syracuse in the regular season finale.

7. Georgia: A

The first team to benefit from Alabama and Mississippi losing, Georgia should feel good about its playoff security if it enters the SEC title game at 10-2.

8. Tennessee: C+

Rightfully behind Georgia, yet the Volunteers aren’t being held back by the confusing loss to Arkansas. Beat Vanderbilt and Tennessee should like its chances to make the playoff.

9. Southern Methodist: A-

Finally getting credit as a legit playoff team, but the struggles of Brigham Young appear to be hurting SMU more than it should.

10. Indiana: B-

Indiana has to love that Alabama and Mississippi lost so it couldn’t be questioned as a playoff-worthy team. However, the Hoosiers have a better resume than SMU and should be above them.

11. Boise State: A

Even though it’s one spot, the Broncos moving up shows the committee respects them. Where they are positioned in relation to the highest-ranked Big 12 team will be something to watch.

12. Clemson: D+

Moving Clemson five spots up, just outside of the projected field, is questionable since the Tigers haven’t impressed much recently. A win against South Carolina can change the narrative.

13. Alabama: A-

Alabama fans may wonder why they’re behind a Clemson team that got throttled by Georgia, but scoring only three points against Oklahoma is worth a heavy drop.

14. Mississippi: A-

Of Alabama and Mississippi, which team’s loss was more damaging? Yes, Alabama looked worse, but the Crimson Tide have a better resume than the Rebels.

15. South Carolina: B-

South Carolina is behind two teams it lost to, but if the Gamecocks can beat their in-state rival, will the committee give them a possible path to the playoff?

16. Arizona State: A-

Deservingly got a major jump in the rankings. Arizona State is in position to get in the playoff but the path toward getting a first-round bye doesn’t look promising.

17. Tulane: D

If Boise State somehow collapses, what gives Tulane the best chance to make the playoff? The strength of schedule is 100th in the country and Army has a better case than the Green Wave.

18. Iowa State: B+

Putting Iowa State above Brigham Young and behind Arizona State is the right move with Kansas State on deck.

19. Brigham Young: A

Amazing how the Cougars have gone from a team well-positioned for a first-round bye to now hoping Iowa State falls to Kansas State.

20. Texas A&M: A-

Losing to Auburn is embarrassing. especially considering the Aggies don’t have any impressive wins. But you can’t forget that Texas A&M still has a chance to win the SEC.

21. Missouri: F

Does a win over an Oklahoma team that handled Alabama suddenly become impressive? Should Missouri be ranked? Maybe at No. 25 … at best.

22. UNLV: C-

A potential spoiler with a likely rematch with Boise State on deck, UNLV has to hope a win over the Broncos would be able to propel them over Tulane.

23. Illinois: C

A miracle against Rutgers isn’t impressive even with teams ranked higher losing.

24. Kansas State: B+

Holding a win over Colorado, it makes sense to put Kansas State above the Buffaloes. But the Wildcats have a very slim chance of actually getting to the Big 12 title game.

25. Colorado: A-

The Buffaloes should still be ranked, and the Big 12 title is still within reach.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

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Deion Sanders blasts ‘idiotic’ omission of Travis Hunter for award

Colorado football coach Deion Sanders blasted the fact that Travis Hunter was not selected as a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award on Tuesday, saying the omission was “idiotic” and devalued the integrity of the award.

The Thorpe Award is awarded annually to the nation’s top defensive back. Hunter plays cornerback and receiver for Colorado and is the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy, according to BetMGM. But he wasn’t listed among the three finalists for the Thorpe Award, released Tuesday: Jahdae Barron of Texas, Caleb Downs of Ohio State and Malaki Starks of Georgia.

Sanders himself won the award at Florida State in 1988.

“How is Travis Hunter snubbed by the Thorpe Award?” Sanders said at his weekly news conference Tuesday in Boulder. “You can have my award. You can have it back. Matter of fact, I’m going to give him mine. I ain’t using it. It’s just sitting up there collecting dust. So Travis can have my Thorpe Award, because if this ain’t the most idiotic thing in college football, that he’s not a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award and he is, I would say arguably, but I don’t think it’s really an argument about this young man being the best defensive back in college football.”

Who runs the Thorpe Award and what is response to Sanders?

The Thorpe Award is run through the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame. A screening committee of Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame members narrows the field of candidates to 10-15 semifinalists near midseason, then reconvenes near the end of November to select three finalists, according to the organization’s website.

The executive director of the Hall of Fame, Mike James, said in an email to USA TODAY Sports Tuesday that “we offer no criticism of Coach Sanders and wish our former award winner the best.”

He also gave a statement:

“Since 1986 the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame and Jim Thorpe Association selection committee has done their due diligence to identify the top defensive backs across the college football landscape,” the statement read. “Although no easy task, committee members pour measureless amounts of time, energy, and resources into doing just that.  Each year presents scores of challenges for our committee and this year was no different. Numerous young men were in contention for the coveted finalist position; be that as it may, the committee was tasked with the difficult job of picking our top three. I commend all the coaches who believe that their players deserved greater recognition. We look forward to announcing our winner and welcoming that deserving young man into the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award fraternity.”

‘He rarely gets thrown at’

By contrast, Hunter has been named one of three finalists for the Biletnikoff Award, which is given to the best receiver in major college football.

He has caught 82 passes for 1,036 yards and 11 touchdowns on offense. On defense, he has three interceptions, nine pass breakups and 30 tackles, but much of what he does on that side of the ball doesn’t show up statistically. For example, opposing quarterbacks avoid his side of the field because of his ability and football smarts.

“He rarely gets thrown at,” Sanders said, adding that “they just messed up all the integrity of the award and he can have mine. Whoever’s voting down there, whoever’s bringing it home, thank you. Because I don’t even want mine now. God bless you.’

Colorado (8-3) finishes the regular season Friday at home against Oklahoma State (3-8) and still has an outside chance to get in the Big 12 championship game Dec. 7. After suffering a damaging loss against Kansas last week, the Buffaloes would need at least two other Big 12 teams to lose certain games on Saturday in order to get into the Big 12 title game.

The Thorpe Award winner is announced Dec. 12. Heisman Trophy finalists will be announced Dec. 9, followed by the announcement of the Heisman winner on Dec. 14.

Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

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Notre Dame moves up while Alabama, Ole Miss fall in playoff rankings

Things got a little crazy last week in college football. The fallout from the upsets and significant victories was revealed in the College Football Playoff committee rankings released Tuesday.

Entering the reveal, the big questions started with determining the team that would occupy the No. 5 spot held by Indiana before the Hoosiers fell apart against Ohio State on Saturday. That position went to Notre Dame, which improved one spot after defeating Army, which was ranked No. 19 by the committee last week.

The Fighting Irish are in line to host a home game in the first round with a win against Southern California in their finale. Miami is slotted behind the Fighting Irish after an improvement of two places. The Hurricanes must beat Syracuse to reach the ACC championship game against SMU. Indiana ended up at No. 10 and finishes its regular season against Purdue.

The other question was where Alabama and Mississippi would fall after each suffered a third loss. The Crimson Tide and Rebels were ranked No. 7 and No. 9, respectively, before Week 13. With each out of the SEC championship race, where would they stack up against the other at-large contenders? Alabama fell to No. 13 and Mississippi slotted in at No. 14 and need serious help to make the field.

The top 10 was completed by No. 7 Georgia, No. 8 Tennessee and No. 9 SMU. The two SEC teams in this group face tricky games this week with the Bulldogs hosting Georgia Tech and the Volunteers meeting Vanderbilt.

BREAKDOWN: Winners and losers from College Football Playoff rankings

BIG LOSERS: Committee boosts easy schedules over quality wins

There was no mystery at the top of the rankings with Oregon, Ohio State, Texas and Penn State continuing to occupy the first four positions for the third consecutive week. The Ducks are set to play in the Big Ten title game in two weeks. The Buckeyes and Longhorns must beat respective rivals Michigan and Texas A&M to secure spots in the Big Ten and SEC championship games. The Nittany Lions would face Oregon if they beat Maryland and Ohio State loses.

No. 11 Boise State remains the top Group of Five team and would lock up one of the five spots given to conference champions by beating Oregon State and either UNLV or Colorado State in the Mountain West title game. It’s possible the Broncos could earn a first-round bye given to the four highest-rated champions. They currently are five spots ahead of Arizona State, the top team from the Big 12 in the rankings. No. 17 Tulane is also in the mix for an automatic spot with a win against Memphis on Thanksgiving, then winning the American Athletic championship game against Army.

The SEC continues to have the most teams in the rankings with all eight that appeared last week holding in the top 25. The Big Ten has five teams with No. 23 Illinois joining Oregon, Ohio State, Penn State and Indiana. The Big 12 also has five teams with Brigham Young and Colorado, its two top schools last week, staying in after losses, and Kansas State joining. The ACC has three and the Mountain West have two.

This is the fourth ranking release from the College Football Playoff committee. There will be another next Tuesday, and the final rankings will be announced Dec. 8 and establish the 12-team field that will determine this season’s national champion.

What is the College Football Playoff schedule?

First-round games will take place Dec. 20 and Dec. 21 at campus sites with the higher seeds hosting. The No. 5 seed will play the No. 12 seed, No. 6 faces No. 11, No. 7 matches up with No. 10 and No. 8 meets No. 9.

Winners of those games will advance to the quarterfinals. The Fiesta Bowl will be played on Dec. 31. The Sugar Bowl, Rose Bowl and Peach Bowl will be played Jan. 1.

The Orange Bowl and Cotton Bowl will host the semifinals on Jan. 9 and Jan. 10, respectively.

The championship game will be played Jan. 20 in Atlanta at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

The schedule based on this week’s rankings would look like this:

First-round games (with seeding)

No. 12 Arizona State at No. 5 Ohio State

No. 11 Indiana at No. 6 Penn State

No. 10 SMU at No. 7 Notre DAme

No. 9 Tennessee at No. 8 Georgia

Quarterfinals

Fiesta Bowl: No. 4 Boise State vs. Ohio State-Arizona State winner

Peach Bowl: No. 3 Miami vs. Penn State-Indiana winner

Sugar Bowl: No. 2 Texas vs. Notre Dame-SMU winner

Rose Bowl: No. 1 Oregon vs. Georgia-Tennessee winner

College Football Playoff rankings Top 25

1. Oregon (11-0)

2. Ohio State (10-1)

3. Texas (10-1)

4. Penn State (10-1)

5. Notre Dame (10-1)

6. Miami (Fla) (10-1)

7. Georgia (9-2)

8. Tennessee (9-2)

9. SMU (10-1)

10. Indiana (10-1)

11. Boise State (10-1)

12. Clemson (9-2)

13. Alabama (8-3)

14. Mississippi (8-3)

15. South Carolina (8-3)

16. Arizona State (9-2)

17. Tulane (9-2)

18. Iowa State (9-2)

19. Brigham Young (9-2)

20. Texas A&M (8-3)

21. Missouri (8-3)

22. UNLV (9-2)

23. Illinois (8-3)

24. Kansas State (8-3)

25. Colorado (8-3)

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

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