the Philadelphia 76ers are actively working on the details

The Alabama invitational, um, College Football Playoff is set, along with 38 other bowl games big and small.From coaching intrigue to record-setting runs there should be plenty of story lines to follow.---THE PLAYOFFTop-ranked Alabama and Nick Saban are attempting to win an unprecedented fifth national title in eight seasons, including back-to-back for a second time, and add to what can already be considered the greatest run in the history of college football.The Peach Bowl semifinal between the Tide and No. 4 Washington it will also be the first meeting of Saban and Washington coach Chris Petersen, who has an .826 winning percentage since he first became a head coach with Boise State in 2006.Petersens Boise teams were known for upsets. Alabama is a two-touchdown favorite.The Fiesta Bowl semifinal between No. 2 Clemson and No. 3 Ohio State is a rematch of the 2014 Orange Bowl won by Clemson 40-35. That game completed a late-season meltdown of Ohio States defense that led coach Urban Meyer to make staff and scheme changes that have helped the Buckeyes have one of the top defenses in the country three years running.RUSHING TOWARD A RECORDSan Diego States Donnel Pumphrey needs 108 yards in his final college game against Houston in the Las Vegas Bowl on Dec. 17 to break the FBS career record held by former Wisconsin star and Heisman winner Ron Dayne.The Cougars, led by star freshman defensive lineman Ed Oliver, have one of the best run defenses in the country, allowing 97 yards per game and 2.87 per carry.Pumphrey is the nations second-leading rusher at 155 yards per game.COACHING CAROUSELHouston will go into its bowl game with an interim coach after Tom Herman left for Texas and a few other schools could be in similar situations.- No. 12 Western Michigan is on its way to the biggest bowl game in school history, a matchup with No. 8 Wisconsin in the Cotton Bowl, but coach P.J. Fleck has been the subject of much speculation with regards to openings at Purdue and Oregon.- Western Kentucky coach Jeff Brohm has been tied to Purdue and Baylor openings. The Hilltoppers, who have won two straight Conference USA titles, face Memphis on Dec. 20 in the Boca Raton Bowl.- Boise State and Baylor meet Dec. 27 at Cactus Bowl in Phoenix. It will be the last game for Jim Grobe, Baylors acting head coach who took over on short notice after Art Briles was fired in the summer.Broncos coach Bryan Harsin is being mentioned as candidate for Oregon.STYLE CLASHThe best bowls are often the ones between teams that take very different approaches to offense.- Navy will bring its triple-option (averaging 327 yards rushing per game) to the Armed Forces Bowl to face Louisiana Tech, which averages 360 yards passing per game behind quarterback Ryan Higgins.- Minnesota faces Washington State in the Holiday Bowl on Dec. 27, but only the Cougars have the pedigree to live up to the bowls high-scoring tradition. Minnesota has thrown eight touchdown passes, tied for 124th in the nation. The Cougars have 39 touchdown passes.- North Carolinas up-tempo offense matches Stanfords plodding, traditional pro-style in the Sun Bowl on Dec. 30.IN NEED OF A STRONG FINISHThe Music City Bowl in Nashville was definitely not what Tennessee (8-4) and coach Butch Jones had in mind this season after the Volunteers beat Florida in September. But here the Vols are facing No. 24 Nebraska (9-3).Not only did the Vols blow a chance to win the SEC East by losing to South Carolina, but they blew a chance to back into the Sugar Bowl by losing to Vanderbilt.On the other side, No. 24 Nebraskas second season under coach Mike Riley was a huge step forward from five wins to nine. But the Cornhuskers were a top-10 team in late October and their best victory of the season was against Minnesota. Getting to 10 wins against a big brand like Tennessee would make a huge difference to how this season is viewed.FINALESA great group of junior running backs could all be playing their final college games.- Christian McCaffrey at Stanford should find some room to run against a North Carolina defense that had trouble stopping teams on the ground late in the season.- No. 19 LSUs Leonard Fournette faces No. 15 Louisville in the Citrus Bowl on Dec. 31. Fournette has been hampered by an ankle injury but it would be nice to get one more look at him running for the Tigers.And, oh by the way, the Heisman Trophy winner might be on the other side of the field. Cardinal quarterback Lamar Jackson is still the front-runner and would be the first Heisman winner since Johnny Manziel in 2012 to not play in either the playoff or the BCS championship.- No. 10 Florida State against No. 6 Michigan in the Orange Bowl is one of the best bowls outside the playoff and a big part of that is Seminoles star Dalvin Cook.- Pitts James Conner has been one of the best stories in college football, returning from cancer treatment to run for 1,060 yards and score 20 touchdowns. He and the 22nd-ranked Panthers face Northwestern in the Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium on Dec. 28.---Follow Ralph D. Russo at www.Twittre.com/ralphDrussoAP---More AP college football: www.collegefootball.ap.org Cody Zeller Hornets Jersey .C. -- Rodney Hood connected from all over the court while freshman Jabari Parker was busy swatting shots and scoring in transition. Miles Bridges Hornets Jersey . Vettel, who has already clinched his fourth straight F1 title, enters the finale with a chance to equal Michael Schumachers 13 victories in a year and match the record of nine consecutive wins by Alberto Ascari in the 1952 and 1953 seasons. http://www.hornetsteamproshop.com/Cheap-Bismack-Biyombo-Hornets-Jersey/ Bismack Biyombo Hornets Jersey . It was hard for Luck to pull off another comeback, or even get into the end zone, while standing on the sideline. Rivers threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to rookie Keenan Allen and Nick Novak kicked four field goals to give the Chargers a 19-9 victory against the Colts on Monday night. Dell Curry Hornets Jersey . "It doesnt get any better than that," Giambi said. "Im speechless." The Indians are roaring toward October. Giambi belted a two-run, pinch-hit homer with two outs in the ninth inning to give Cleveland a shocking 5-4 win over the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday night, keeping the Indians up with the lead pack in the AL wild-card race. Croatian big man Dario Saric appears headed to the NBA in time for next season, according to league sources.Sources told ESPN.com on Wednesday that Saric and the Philadelphia 76ers are actively working on the details that would enable the 7-footer to head to the NBA after playing with the Croatian national team this summer.Saric told Croatian reporters this week that, as expected, he wants to join the Sixers as soon as possible despite having one season left on his contract with Anadolu Efes in Turkey.Saric will have to pay a buyout believed to be in the $800,000 range to secure his release from Efes to jump to the NBA, with league rules allowing Philadelphia to contribute $650,000 to the buyout amount.Sixers general manager Bryan Collangelo told local reporters last week before the NBA draft that Philadelphia had received a good indication about Sarics willingness to make an immediate jump to the NBA.ddddddddddddSaric has spent the past two seasons playing in Turkey since Orlando selected him No. 12 in the ?2014 draft and immediately dealt his rights to the Sixers and then-GM Sam Hinkie.Saric and Joel Embiid -- who has lost his first two seasons to injury -- have yet to play a game for the Sixers, who, according to sources, recently explored trades for Jahlil Okafor and Nerlens Noel?--?two highly drafted big men already on the roster. 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