Georgia showed it’s hard to beat the same team twice during a college football season as the Bulldogs avenged their loss to Alabama in the SEC championship game to beat the Crimson Tide 33-18 in last night’s college football playoff championship game. It completes a dominant season for Georgia as they won 13 games by 15 points or more. It’s also their first natty since 1980.

There is no movement on expanding the college football playoff. The College Football Playoff Management Committee concluded meetings without coming to a resolution on a format that would make the leaders of the major conferences happy. Whether to have automatic qualifiers is a big sticking point.

Former LSU great Kevin Faulk is heading into the College Football Hall of Fame as he’s among the 18 players and three coaches selected to be enshrined in December. Faulk is LSU’s all-time leading rusher and still leads the SEC in career all-purpose yards. He was a three-time All-SEC selection from 1996 to 98.

The Saints have many questions to answer as they head into the offseason. Figuring out the quarterback position is a big one. New Orleans is also hoping to get a healthy Michael Thomas next season. NFL analyst Mike Detillier says another major decision facing the Saints is whether to re-sign Marcus Williams and if they don’t, it’s a position they’ll have to address in the draft or in free agency….
cut 18 (12) “…for the Saints”
Saints assistant general manager Jeff Ireland will reportedly interview with the Bears as Chicago is looking for a G-M to replace the fired Ryan Pace, who used to be in the Saints front office.

Meanwhile, Saints quarterback Taysom Hill will need on surgery on his left foot which he injured in the regular-season finale. Coach Sean Payton says it’s possible two procedures will be required. Payton did not give a recovery timetable but expects he’ll be ready for the start of the 2022 season.

Georgia avenged its loss to Alabama in the SEC Championship game by rolling the Crimson Tide 33-18 in last night’s college football championship game. It’s the first national title for the Bulldogs since 1980.

Prior to the game, the College Football Playoff management committee met, but could not come to an agreement on expanding the current four-team playoff format. The panel reportedly can’t agree on whether there should be automatic playoff qualifiers, revenue streams, and if bowl games should be part of the playoff format.

Former LSU great Kevin Faulk is heading into the College Football Hall of Fame as he’s among the 18 players and three coaches selected to be enshrined in December. Faulk is the school’s leading rusher and still leads the SEC in career all-purpose yards. He was a three-time All-SEC selection from 1996 to 98. Faulk will speak about the accomplishment at 12:15 on the LSU campus.

NFL analyst Mike Detillier says figuring out the quarterback position is the number one priority for the Saints this offseason. Detillier does not believe the Saints starting quarterback in 2022 is currently on the roster and expects New Orleans to trade for a veteran Q-B
Cut 16 (20) “…number of teams.”
Detillier says San Francisco’s Jimmy Garoppolo is another possibility.

Meanwhile, Saints quarterback Taysom Hill will need on surgery on his left foot which he injured in the regular-season finale. Coach Sean Payton says it’s possible two procedures will be required. Payton did not give a recovery timetable but expects he’ll be ready for the start of the 2022 season. Hill is under contract for next season.

The Saints did their part but didn’t get the help they needed from the Rams who blew a 17-point lead against San Francisco and its the 49ers not New Orleans headed to the playoffs. After the Saints defeated the Falcons 30-20 they watched from the locker room to watch San Fran win in overtime in Los Angeles. Coach Sean Payton says they were pulling for the Rams hard…
Cut 19 (12“…would be”
It was a trying season as the Saints spent the first month of the regular season re-located because of Hurricane Ida, suffered numerous injuries to key players, an NFL record 58 different starters and used four quarterbacks. Saints defensive end Cam Jordan says it would have been an amazing story if they got into the playoffs…
Cut 8 (09) “…be with the family.”
The Saints end the year with a 9-8 record.

Former LSU great and Carencro native Kevin Faulk learned today he’s going into the college football Hall of fame. He’s the eleventh LSU player or coach to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame and he’ll be enshrined on December sixth.

Faulk still holds the all-time SEC record for all-purpose yards and he’s LSU’s all-time leading rusher with 4,577 yards. His 46 rushing touchdowns is also the most in school history.

It’s been a difficult few months for Faulk as he’s grieving over the loss of his youngest daughter Kevione. She died on September 17th. In December, Faulk told he would not be retained as LSU’s running backs coach. Former Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck and ex-Toledo and Missouri coach Gary Pinkel are also part of Faulk’s hall of fame class.

Tonight is the College Football Playoff Championship game. Alabama and Georgia meet in a rematch of the 2017 title game. Nick Saban is seeking his eighth national championship. But Georgia is a 2.5 point favorite.

The Saints battled to the end, but came up short in securing a spot in the postseason. New Orleans defeated the Falcons in Atlanta 30-20 yesterday, but nearly 22-hundred miles away the 49ers rallied to beat the Rams in overtime knocking the Black and Gold out of the playoffs.

After the Saints disposed of the Dirty Birds, they raced into the locker room to watch the conclusion of the Rams-49ers game. Safety Malcolm Jenkins says it was tough to watch…
Cut 7 (12) “…somebody else’s hands.”
Jenkins just completed his 13th season, he says it’s too early to say if he’ll play another season. Saints linebacker Demario Davis just completed his tenth season, but he says he’s not thinking about retirement anytime soon.

And in case you are wondering the Saints have the 18th pick in the first round.

The 14-and-1 LSU Tigers moved up nine spots to number 12 in the latest A-P Top 25 polls after pulling off top 20 wins over Tennessee and Kentucky last week. The Tigers knocked off the Volunteers in front of a sold-out crowd on Saturday 79-67. Forward Darius Days says losing to Auburn in the SEC opener turned into a good thing…
cut 17 (17) “….keep rolling”
LSU is at Florida on Wednesday and they’ll host Arkansas on Saturday. The Gators and Razorbacks are both unranked.

Louisiana Tech leads the Sun Belt West with a 4-0 record. The Bulldogs defeated UTSA on Saturday 79-63. Tech faces Southern Miss twice this week, they host the Golden Eagles on Thursday and travel to Hattiesburg on Sunday.

The Ragin Cajuns lead the Sun Belt with a 3-0 record. UL-Lafayette is at Texas-Arlington Thursday and Texas State on Saturday.

The Saints beat the Falcons 30-20 yesterday, but San Francisco’s come from behind win over the Rams puts the 49ers in the playoffs and has New Orleans starting its offseason.

The Saints finish a crazy season with a 9-8 record. The regular season started with the team in the Dallas area because of Hurricane Ida. The Black and Gold used an NFL record 58 starters because of injuries and COVID. And they played four quarterbacks. For the second time this year Trevor Siemien had to replace an injured quarterback…
cut 20 (24) “…proud of”
The Saints have the 18th pick in the first round.

The LSU men’s basketball team is 2-1 in the SEC after solid win over Tennessee on Saturday. The Tigers are at Florida on Wednesday and they’ll host Arkansas on Saturday. Coach Will Wade says his team needs to keep getting better….
cut 18 (20) “….locked in”

Louisiana Tech is locked in as they’ve started Conference USA play with a 4-0 record after beating UTSA 79-63 in San Antonio on Saturday night. Amorie Archibald had career-high 31 points in the win.

The Ragin Cajuns lead the Sun Belt with a 3-0 record, while ULM is 1-and-3.

Southeastern Louisiana beat Nicholls 77-72 to win the Southland Conference tip off tournament.

The Pelicans fell to the Raptors last night 105-101.

Saints offensive tackle Terron Armstead will not play again this Sunday. Cornerback Bradley Roby and defensive back P-J Williams have also been ruled out for the regular-season finale against Atlanta. Defensive end Marcus Davenport, running back Mark Ingram and offensive tackle Ryan Ramczyk are listed as questionable. Ramczyk has missed the last seven games with a knee injury.

New Orleans could use Davenport, Ingram and Ramczyk on Sunday as it’s a must-win game for the Black and Gold. A win for the Saints and a 49ers loss to the Rams and New Orleans gets the last seed in the NFC playoffs. Saints defensive end Cam Jordan says they are not guaranteed another game after Sunday, so all of their focus is going into beating the Dirty Birds…
cut 17 (16) “….what it is”
Kick-off is at 3:25.

Ed Ingram becomes the latest LSU Tiger to announce he’s entering the NFL draft. The offensive guard had one year left of eligibility. Ingram is the seventh LSU player to declare for the draft, joining Derek Stingley, Damone Clark, Cordale Flott, Cameron Lewis, Tyrion Davis Price, and Neil Farrell.

Former Ragin Cajuns player and assistant coach LaMar Morgan has been named as U-L Lafayette’s new defensive coordinator. Morgan was a standout safety for the Cajuns from 2003 to 2007 and last season he was the cornerbacks’ coach at Vanderbilt.

Dave Scholz has been hired as the Director of Football Sports Performance for the Bulldogs. He comes to Ruston after spending the last three seasons as the Head Strength and Conditioning coach at Texas Tech.

Former St. James Quarterback Lowell Narcisse is transferring to Nicholls. He’s been at UTSA the last two years after signing with LSU out of high school. He was a four-star Q-B for St. James.

After so many years as one of the top teams in the NFL in passing, the Saints enter the final game of the regular season ranked last in the NFL in passing yards with 3,259. And in the last three games, New Orleans has scored just one touchdown. Quarterback Taysom Hill still thinks the offense can put it all together…
cut 18 (19) “…to win”
A win against Atlanta on Sunday and a loss by the 49ers to the Rams and New Orleans gets in the playoffs as the final seed in the NFC.

Ed Ingram becomes the latest LSU Tiger to announce he’s entering the NFL draft. The offensive guard had one year left of eligibility.

With football playoffs and the Super Bowl coming in the next few weeks, many want to know when the state will approve online sports betting apps. Kevin Gallagher has more…:
Voicer 3 (33) “…I’m Kevin Gallagher.”

In basketball action last night, Brandon Ingram scored 32 points and the Pelicans defeated the Warriors 101-96. The 13th ranked Lady Tigers fell short in knocking off top-ranked South Carolina as they lost 66-60. Louisiana Tech and the Ragin Cajuns moved to 3-0 in conference play, while ULM won its first Sun Belt game.

The Pelicans snapped a three-game losing streak as they defeated a Golden State team that did not have Stephen Curry and Draymond Green last night. So Brandon Ingram was the best player on the court and he had 32 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists in the 101-96 win over the Warriors.

The 13th ranked LSU Lady Tigers had their 13-game winning streak snapped last night as they fell to top-ranked South Carolina 66-60.

In men’s college basketball….the Ragin Cajuns improved to 3-0 in the Sun Belt with an 83-77 overtime victory over Arkansas State. Kobe Julien led the way with 20 points and Theo Akwuba had 16 points and 15 boards.

ULM won its first Sun Belt game as the Warhawks defeated Little Rock 80-72. Russell Harrison had a career-high 28 points for ULM.

Louisiana Tech is 3-0 in Conference USA Play after a hard-fought 64-52 victory at UTEP. Cobe Williams had 17 points for the Bulldogs.

For the Saints to get back in the playoffs, New Orleans will have to beat the Falcons in Atlanta on Sunday and the Rams need to beat the 49ers in Los Angeles. Both games will kick-off at 3:25 and Saints defensive end Cam Jordan says he will not be scoreboard watching…
Cut 16 (25) “…look outside.”
The NFL playoffs begin next weekend, so will online sports betting be available. Gaming Control Board Chairman Ronnie Johns says no, but they are getting close…
cut 12 (14) “….very, very very soon”
The Saints are 3.5 point favorite to beat Atlanta on Sunday.

No surprise here, but LSU cornerback Derek Stingley Junior has declared for the NFL draft. Stingley is expected to be one of the top picks in the first round, even though he played in just three games this year, before a season-ending foot injury. During the 2019 national championship season, Stingley had six interceptions and 38 tackles.

Other early LSU entrees into the draft are cornerback Cordale Flott, defensive back Cam Lewis and offensive guard Chasen Hines, who is committed to playing in the NFLPA Bowl on January 29th.

Another member of the Ragin Cajuns backfield has entered the transfer portal. Emani Bailey has entered the portal after rushing for eight touchdowns and 642 yards this past season. Fellow freshman running back Montrell Johnson has also entered the transfer portal.

In the NBA, the Pelicans host Golden State tonight. The Warriors have the best record in the Western Conference, while New Orleans is second to last in the West.

The PMAC is expected to be packed tonight as the 13th ranked Lady Tigers host top-ranked South Carolina. LSU is seeking its 14th straight win, while the Gamecocks are led by National Player of the Year candidate Aliyah Boston, who is averaging 17 points and 10 rebounds a game. Coach Kim Mulkey understands the excitement around this game, but she says it will not make or break their season…
cut 20 (25) “…remain the same”
Tip off is at 7 PM.

The Louisiana Tech men’s basketball team is on the road tonight to face UTEP. The Bulldogs are off to a 2-0 start in Conference USA Play. U-L Lafayette is 2-0 in the Sun Belt and the Cajuns will host Arkansas State, while ULM hosts Little Rock. The Warhawks are 0-2 in league play.

As expected LSU cornerback, Derek Stingley Junior has entered the NFL draft. He’s expected to be a first-round pick after missing most of the season with a foot injury.

Cornerback Cordale Flott has also announced he’s entering the draft. The junior from Alabama recorded 41 tackles and an interception this past season. With Flott and Stingley headed to the NFL and Elias Ricks now at Alabama, LSU’s three cornerbacks who started in the season opener are now gone.

The 13th ranked LSU women’s basketball team puts its 13 game winning streak on the line tonight when they host top-ranked South Carolina. Lady Tigers Coach Kim Mulkey says this is a tremendous challenge and opportunity for her squad…
Cut 19 (13) “…size to rebound”
South Carolina is led by National Player of the Year Candidate Aliyah Boston, who is averaging 17 points and ten rebounds a game.

The Ragin Cajuns host Arkansas State in their Sun Belt home opener tonight. U-L Lafayette is off to a 2-0 start in league play, while the Red Wolves beat Georgia Southern in their lone Sun Belt game of the season and they are 10-and-3 overall. Coach Bob Marlin says A-S-U is led by Caleb Fields, Norchad Omier and a talented shooter by the name of Marquis Eaton, who had 32 points against the Cajuns in a game last February…
Cut 18 (16) “ …player inside”
Elsewhere, ULM hosts Little Rock tonight. The Warhawks are looking for their first win in league play. Louisiana Tech is at UTEP. The Bulldogs are 11-and-3 and 2-and-0 in Conference USA. The Miners lost their first Conference USA game of the season a week ago, falling to UAB 75-62.