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GRAPEVINE, Texas - The first College Football Playoff expanded the national championship race, made the regular season even more intriguing and produced a final four with major star power.Nick Sabans No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Urban Meyers No. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes at the Sugar Bowl.Marcus Mariota, this seasons Heisman Trophy front-runner, and second-seeded Oregon vs. Jameis Winston, last seasons Heisman Trophy winner, and defending national champion Florida State at the Rose Bowl.The winners will meet on Jan. 12 in Arlington, Texas, at the home of the Dallas Cowboys.A new era, indeed, but with the same old problems: What is the best way to pick the teams and what should be the criteria?After six weeks of ranking teams, the selection committee shuffled its deck Sunday and dealt the Big 12 out of the playoff.Were smarting today, Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby said.TCU, which had been third in the rankings last week, ended up sixth. Big 12 co-champion Baylor moved up a spot to No. 5, but both were squeezed out by Ohio State, which won over the committee with a doozy of a closing statement in its conference championship game: a 59-0 victory against Wisconsin for the Big Ten title.I would say that human nature is that the most recent thing that occurs, in this case the most-recent achievements, are the most impactful, Bowlsby said. Ohio States victory over Wisconsin was complete domination, and in that regard they played their way into the position they now enjoy.The Big 12 doesnt have one of those anymore. Its teams play only 12 games, compared to 13 for champions of the other Big Five conferences.Bowlsby and his conference athletic directors are meeting in New York this week and he anticipates the topic of how best to determine a champion will come up.This will be a catalyst for discussion for sure, Bowlsby said.The Big 12 cant hold a championship game because it only has 10 teams, but the conference, along with the Atlantic Coast Conference, is trying to change that. The leagues have proposed getting rid of NCAA rules requiring a conference have 12 teams split into two divisions to play a title game.Holding one with 10 teams that play a nine-game round-robin schedule isnt ideal because the game would always be a rematch, Bowlsby said.I dont know with 10 its something that we would necessarily do, Bowlsby said. But conference expansion is a complicated issue that goes well beyond whether to hold a championship game.Bowlsby cautioned about making a knee-jerk reaction to one years results. He said his faith in the process has not wavered.We put a system in place and I helped to put it in place and I have confidence in that system. And I have confidence in the impeccable integrity of the people in that room, he said.Baylor coach Art Briles wasnt so sure.I think the committee needs to be a little more regionalized with people that are associated with the south part of the United States, he said. Im not sure there is a connection on there that is that familiar with the Big 12 Conference.There were five active athletic directors on the 12-member committee, one from each of the Big Five conferences. The Big 12 was represented by West Virginias Oliver Luck. The Mountaineers have been in the Big 12 for three seasons.Maybe the most jarring part of Sundays unveiling was TCU dropping three spots from the last rankings. The Horned Frogs seemed to be secure at No. 3 last week, and then beat lowly Iowa State by 52 on Sunday.Committee chairman Jeff Long said TCUs drop was more about the Buckeyes than the Frogs, but it highlighted a problem with weekly rankings. Commissioners initially leaned toward not having them when they first started putting the playoff together.While Long would emphasize every week the committee started with a clean slate, traditionally college football polls create a pecking order for teams that only gets disrupted by losses.The top six teams in last weeks rankings all won on Saturday. On Sunday, the teams were the same, but the order was very different. And it left many fans wondering why.Long said it was too soon to say what changes the committee would recommend to the commissioners. Its safe to say the benefit of having weekly rankings will be addressed when Longs crew reconvenes in a couple of months.I think that the committee will look at this year, look at this season, look how the entire process went, he said.Until then, let the playoff games begin.___Follow AP College Football Writer Ralph D. Russo at www.Twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP Anthony Rendon Jersey . - The Florida Panthers are getting some Army training to finish off their preparations for the season. Kyle McGowin Nationals Jersey . Hargreaves began his career in 2008 with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and has played with the Edmonton Eskimos and last season with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. https://www.cheapnationals.com/1477r-joe...-nationals.html. Knapp defeated American Alison Riske 6-3, 7-5 to secure Italys victory in the best-of-five series. She held a 5-2 lead in the second set, only to let Riske tie it at five. Gerardo Parra Nationals Jersey . - Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Percy Harvin has cleared league-mandated concussion protocol and has returned to practice as a full participant. Matt Adams Jersey . After rookie right-hander Alex Colome excelled in a 5-2 victory in the opener, the Rays fell to Chris Tillman and the Orioles 4-1 on Friday night.Edmonton, AB (SportsNetwork.com) - In a game that could be key in determining draft lottery odds between teams at the bottom of their respective conferences, the Edmonton Oilers prevailed over the Buffalo Sabres, 3-2, on Thursday. Allowing two goals on 20 shots, Ben Scrivens was not particularly busy in net for Edmonton in its third win in its last four games. Oscar Klefbom and Anton Lander each scored their first goal of the season for the Oilers, and Lander also tallied two assists. Matt Fraser scored Edmontons first goal. He was exceptional, by far the best player on the ice, Oilers coach Todd Nelson said of Lander. Jonas Enroth stopped 31 of the 34 shots he faced as Buffalo dropped its 13th game in a row. Defensemen Tyler Myers and Rasmus Ristolainen each scored and Brian Gionta picked up assists on both goals. We had our chances, Buffalo coach Ted Nolan said. Trailing 1-0 in the first, Fraser tied the game for the Oilers. He found a soft spot in the defense, and Landers pass from below the goal line set up Frasers one-timer. Just 2 1/2 minutes later, Edmonton went ahead on Klefboms goal. Lander once again set up a one-time opportunity, and Klefbom ripped this one by Enroth for the go-ahead goal. Afterr a scoreless second period, Lander provided a valuable insurance goal.dddddddddddd Frasers pass to Teddy Purcell sent the Oilers into the zone on a two-on-zero rush, and Enroth could not make the stop on Landers shot. It was fun to play, and it was a big win for us, said Lander. Ristolainen pulled Buffalo within one just before Enroth could leave the ice for the extra attacker. Scrivens made the initial save on the rush, but Ristolainen crashed the net from the blue line, sending both the puck and Scrivens into the cage. Buffalo only got one shot on goal in the final two minutes and failed to tie the game. Myers got the Sabres on the board just over two minutes into the game. Edmontons defense lost the blueliner sneaking into the top of the circle, and his wrist shot beat Scrivens. Game Notes Edmonton swept the season series but currently has four more points (35) than Buffalo ... The Oilers had not beaten the Sabres in Edmonton since Oct. 16, 2003 ... Buffalos Chris Stewart and Tyler Ennis each lost three-game point streaks ... Sabres defenseman Josh Gorges played in his 600th NHL game ... Edmonton improved to 10-7-1 against Eastern Conference opponents. ' ' '