MORNING SPORTS BRIEFS 12/31/21

College Football

Thursday’s Bowl Scores

South Carolina Gamecocks 38, North Carolina Tar Heels 21 (Duke’s Mayo Bowl)
#10 Michigan State Spartans 31, #12 Pittsburgh Panthers 21 (Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl)
Wisconsin Badgers 20, Arizona State Sun Devils 13 (Las Vegas Bowl)

Today’s Games

Two College Football Playoff Semifinals headline today’s New Year’s Eve bowl games. The undercard begins at 10 am when 17th ranked Wake Forest takes on Rutgers in the Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, Florida. At 11 am, Washington State and Central Michigan square off in the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas. The heavyweight matches begin with the first Playoff Semifinal at 2:30 when top-ranked Alabama goes up against fourth-ranked and unbeaten Cincinnati in the Cotton Bowl in Arlington, Texas. The second Playoff Semifinal matches second-ranked Michigan and third-ranked Georgia from the Orange Bowl in Miami. Kickoff is 6:30 p.m.

NFL

The red hot Miami Dolphins head up to Nashville to play the Tennessee Titans on Sunday. Miami has won seven straight games to get to 8-and-7 and is in the race for an AFC Wild Card spot. The Titans are 10-and-5 and remains in the hunt for the AFC’s top seed. Kickoff is at noon in Nissan Stadium.

NHL

The Nashville Predators gained a point in the standings but couldn’t get the winas they lost to the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-3 in a shootout last night. Michael McCarron, Nick Cousins and Ryan Johansen all scored for the Preds. Nashville falls to 19-11-and-2 and hosts the Chicago Blackhawks tomorrow afternoon.

NBA

Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies welcome the San Antonio Spurs to Fed Ex Forum this evening. The Grizzlies have won their last three games.