Had us in the first half
From The GIST (hi@thegistsports.com)
Hi there!
We’re sending love to everyone impacted by the devastating California wildfires — if you’re able, here’s a list of ways to help.
- The LA sports scene is being affected too, and the NFL moved Monday’s Wild Card game between the Minnesota Vikings and LA Rams to Arizona “in the interest of public safety.”
- We’ll have a full NFL Playoff primer in your inbox tomorrow as we continue to keep LA County in our thoughts.
— Orlando Pride legend Marta, scaring soccer fans everywhere with a retirement tease before confirming her two-year extension with the reigning champs. Had us in the first half.
College Football Playoff
🎓🏈 Kind of a big peel
The GIST: And just like that, one half of January 20th’s college football National Championship is set after No. 7 Notre Dame clinched their spot with last night’s 27–24 Orange Bowl win over No. 6 Penn State.
- Here’s how the Fighting Irish got the job done and a preview of tonight’s 7:30 p.m. ET Cotton Bowl before No. 5 Texas takes on No. 8 Ohio State for the second spot in the title game.
Notre Dame victorious after back-and-forth fourth quarter, will play for first national title since 1988: Penn State’s ferocious defense had the Fighting Irish in the first half, limiting ND to just three points — but quarterback (QB) Riley Leonard can’t be silenced for long.
- The senior returned from an injury scare and capped off an explosive fourth quarter by leading his squad down the field in the final minute and setting up a game-winning field goal for kicker Mitch Jeter.
- The Orange Bowl dub didn’t come easy though, especially with a relentless rushing attack from Nittany Lions running back (RB) Nick Singleton, who scored three touchdowns, and a Penn State defensive line that sacked Leonard five times.
- Now, Notre Dame head coach (HC) Marcus Freeman is on the brink of making history, with the chance to become the first Black HC to win a football natty. How’s that for a birthday present?
Explosive offense expected in tonight’s Cotton Bowl: In contrast to last night’s initially slow affair, Texas vs. Ohio State could be a touchdown fiesta from the jump, pitting dynamic Longhorns QB Quinn Ewers (who transferred out of Ohio State back in 2022) against ever-consistent Buckeyes QB Will Howard.
- Both teams have excelled under the playoff pressure, but only one has absolutely dominated their competition in the postseason — and that’s Ohio State, the squad that routed then–undefeated No. 1 seed Oregon 41–21 in the quarter-final.
- Texas, on the other hand, needed double overtime — and a little magic from tight end Gunnar Helm — to clinch their semis spot. Who will rise to the occasion tonight?
Question of the Day
There’s no shortage of football with four straight days of gridiron action on deck from the College Football Playoff to the NFL. With that in mind, what’s your go-to game-day snack? Choose from the options below or reply with your fave recipe to bring to the party.
🏒 Superwoman Montréal Victoire captain Marie-Philip Poulin brought the sold-out crowd at Vancouver’s Rogers Arena to its feet with this absolute beauty on Wednesday, one of two goals MPP scored in her squad’s 4–2 PWHL Takeover Tour win over the Toronto Sceptres. Magnifique.
🎓🏀 Only three teams remain unbeaten in college hoops with both No. 8 Maryland and No. 13 Georgia Tech suffering recent losses. Sophomore USC star JuJu Watkins netted 21 points to lead the Trojans to a 79–74 Wednesday win over the Terps while last night’s double-overtime thriller against Virginia Tech ended the Yellow Jackets’ quest for a perfect season.
🦄 Dallas Wings standout Satou Sabally informed the team she’s played her last game in the Big D, sending shockwaves through the W and leaving the Wings a superstar down as they prepare to make the No. 1 pick in April’s draft.
☀️ The NHL will host two outdoor games in Florida next season, one in Miami on January 2nd and the other in Tampa Bay on February 1st. Heating up the ice, literally.
🏀 The NBA-best Cleveland Cavaliers extended their win streak to 12 games last night, surviving a 132–126 scare from the lowly Toronto Raptors after outlasting the impressive Oklahoma City Thunder 129–122 in Wednesday’s heavyweight showdown.
⛳ Nearly 1M people tuned in to watch Tomorrow’s Golf League (TGL) debut on Tuesday, doubling Sunday’s viewership of the PGA Tour’s final round at The Sentry.
🏐 The second season of PVF volleyball served last night with the Orlando Valkyries topping San Diego Mojo in straight sets. And there’s more thrilling action where that came from with a full slate of games this weekend.
- In fact, it’s all volleyball, all the time with LOVB Pro’s season debut in the books, too. Salt Lake won the league’s inaugural match on Wednesday, beating Atlanta in head-to-head action, while a Weekend with LOVB kicked off with Houston’s reverse-sweep five-set win over Austin last night.
🇺🇸🏒 It’s been smooth sailing for the U18 Team USA women at the World Championships: The red, white, and blue crushed Slovakia 9–1 in yesterday’s quarter-final, setting up tomorrow’s 8 a.m. ET semifinal showdown versus Sweden, with a ticket to Sunday’s championship game on the line.
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🎾 Australian Open — Sunday through January 26th — ESPN
- Time to order a Flat White because tennis’ first Grand Slam of the year is almost here. Check out the tourney’s wild opening draws to learn who world No. 3 Coco Gauff will battle in the first round before a full preview hits your inbox on Sunday. Crikey!
🎓🏀 NCAA women’s basketball: No. 5 Texas vs. No. 2 South Carolina — Sunday at 1 p.m. ET — ESPN
- Expect fireworks in this top-five tilt as two of the best guards in the country, Texas’ Rori Harmon and reigning champ South Carolina’s Te-Hina PaoPao, go head-to-head in the programs’ first meeting as SEC foes. Get in on the ground floor of this budding rivalry.
🏒 PWHL Takeover Tour: Montréal Victoire vs. Minnesota Frost — Sunday at 3 p.m. ET — YouTube
- The Victoire eked out a 3–2 victory over the Frost at the end of December thanks to a game-winner from, who else, but the aforementioned Poulin. Captain Clutch has a knack for tickling the twine, but so does Minnesota’s hockey legend, Kendall Coyne Schofield.
Peep our squad’s MVPs (Most Valuable Picks):
😎 How to conquer Dry January
Try out Cycling Frog’s THC seltzers. They’re strong enough to take the edge off, but accessible for cannabis newbies and gurus alike thanks to their range of potencies. Hello, Ruby Grapefruit.*
🏀 What to gift
This basketball-inspired 3-Point Power Charging Station which doubles as a mini basketball game for your desk. Perfect for techies and hoop lovers alike.
👀 What to check out
The Infatuation. Need a restaurant or sports bar recommendation for your next trip? They have you covered.
*P.S. This is a sponsored post. Ribbit-ing.Today’s email was brought to you by Alessandra Puccio, Lisa Minutillo, Lauren Tuiskula, Marga Sison, Lisa Minutillo, Megan Murray, and Briana Ekanem. Editing by Laura Pastore, Emily Ohman, Emma Leishman, Rachel Fuenzalida, and Lindsay Jost. Fact-checking by Marga Sison. Ops by Briana Ekanem and Marga Sison. Ads by Katie Kehoe Foster, Alessandra Puccio, and Lisa Minutillo. Managing edits by Lauren Tuiskula and Alessandra Puccio. Head of content Ellen Hyslop.