NCAA

Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Hendon Hooker exited Saturday's game against the South Carolina Gamecocks with a non-contact knee injury in the fourth quarter

Hooker completed 25-of-42 passes for 247 yards and three touchdowns, in addition to rushing for 25 yards before exiting.

Hooker was running an option play and after making a sharp cut, his left leg buckled and he hit the ground grabbing his leg in pain. It was determined he also fumbled on the play and the South Carolina defense recovered the ball for a touchdown.

The 24-year-old walked off the field and into the Tennessee locker room with assistance. He was seen on broadcast cameras limping and not putting much pressure on his injured leg.

Hooker's status moving forward is unclear, but the Volunteers have just one regular season game remaining against the Vanderbilt Commodores next weekend.

If Hooker suffered a serious injury and is done for the season, he put together an impressive senior season with the Vols. Entering Saturday's game, he had completed 71.1 percent of his passes for 2,888 yards and 24 touchdowns against two interceptions in 10 games, in addition to rushing for 405 yards and five scores.

However, any serious injury could hurt his 2023 NFL draft stock. While Alabama's Bryce Young and Ohio State's C.J. Stroud are expected to be two of the top quarterback's in the 2023 class, Hooker was projected to be a top-five signal-caller.

If Hooker misses Tennessee's final game of the season against Vanderbilt, Joe Milton III would be in line to get the start.

The Michigan Wolverines got off to a strong start against Illinois on Saturday with a touchdown on its opening drive, but the team suffered a major blow before the first half ended.

Wolverines star running back Blake Corum went down with an apparent knee injury late in the second quarter and was forced to exit the game.

A significant play here:

Blake Corum loses fumble and leaves game with injury.

Let's hope the star Michigan RB is OK. pic.twitter.com/AaRQ7nwAXg

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) November 19, 2022

Coming out of halftime, Tony Garcia of the Detroit Free Press reported Corum was seen running onto the field with his helmet on and going through warm-ups. It was reported during the broadcast that he was expected to be available to play in the second half.

He returned to the field on the team's second play of the third quarter and took a handoff, running it five yards up the middle, much to the delight of Michigan fans in attendance.

Blake Corum enters the game on the second play of the second half. 👏

The Michigan RB left the game late in the first half with an injury. pic.twitter.com/yCqEzDG6FJ

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) November 19, 2022

However, Corum spent the rest of his day on the sideline.

Prior to his injury, Corum ran the ball 17 times for 103 yards for his eighth straight 100-yard game. He punched in a two-yard touchdown that gave Michigan an early 7-0 lead.

The junior running back is the engine that drives the Wolverines offense. Entering Saturday's game, Corum was ranked fourth in the nation with 1,349 rushing yards and tied for second with 17 touchdowns on the ground. DraftKings Sportsbook gives him the fourth-best odds to win the Heisman Trophy.

Losing Corum for any amount of time would have been devastating for Michigan. Donovan Edwards, the team's second-leading rusher, was ruled out for Saturday's game with an undisclosed injury, leaving the Wolverines thin at running back.

Former NC State defensive lineman Joseph Boletepeli was arrested and charged with misdemeanor stalking and communicating threats to Wolfpack head coach Dave Doeren.

ESPN's David M. Hale reported Friday that Boletepeli, a member of the NC State football team in 2018 and 2019, allegedly sent out a Twitter post that read: "Imma get him I promise. Dave Doeren and the rest."

The 22-year-old North Carolina native was also charged with resisting arrest, per Hale.

Along with the Twitter post, investigators allege Boletepeli "went to Doeren's place of work several times and sent threats through text message" to both Doeren and other Wolfpack staff members, according to WRAL.

Boletepeli was released from custody and placed on house arrest with an ankle monitor Friday.

Court records allege the former NC State player acted in a way that "would cause a reasonable person to suffer substantial emotional distress by placing that person in fear of death, bodily injury ... or the safety of the person's immediate family," per Josh Shaffer and Virginia Bridges of the Charlotte Observer.

Boletepeli was ordered to remain away from Doeren and the NC State campus as part of the conditions for his release on $25,000 bond.

Boletepeli was a 3-star prospect when he committed to NC State ahead of the 2018 season. He transferred to Maryland in 2020, appearing in four games for the Terrapins.

He appeared in the Terps' 2021 spring game but wasn't on the team's final roster last year.

NC State hasn't provided a statement about the arrest beyond confirming Boletepeli's status as a former Wolfpack player.

When Thanksgiving rolls around, the end of the college football season comes into focus.

Conference championship games are now just weeks away, and the College Football Playoff will be decided in short order.

Enjoy it. All of it.

That message cannot be relayed enough in the weeks ahead. Cherish each and every game—and betting opportunity—because they are dwindling.

As for our CFB picks against the spread, well, we hit a speed bump last week. While we’ve been on fire in recent weeks, our Week 11 performance was not one to remember. For the year, however, we’re still a solid 60-41-4.

This week, we’re getting back on track. Before we do, however, here’s what went right and wrong with the previous picks.

The Good: Oregon State (-14) vs. Cal

The Beavers have been good to us this year, and they were once again. Taking on a feisty Cal team, Oregon State cruised to a 38-10 win. On a Saturday that had very few sure things, this was an exception.

The Bad: Baylor (-3) vs. Kansas State

Dreadful. Not much else to say. Baylor was crushed by Kansas State at home. The oddsmakers took a bath on this one, and so did I. It was so bad that I’ve decided to give Baylor another shot. More on that in a moment.

Here are this week’s picks.

All odds courtesy of DraftKings and accurate as of Wednesday.

Baylor (+2.5) vs. TCU

This could be a very bad idea. Let’s get that disclaimer out of the way right now.

I faded TCU last week, and it did not go well. In fact, fading TCU this year has been a not-so-sound strategy. The Horned Frogs have lost only once against the spread all season.

So, why do this?

For starters, the public is going to be all over TCU this week. Coming off a win against Texas, there's now a real chance that the Horned Frogs could make the playoff. The average gambler is going to look at this line and think to themselves “FREE MONEY.”

Heck, they might not be wrong. Although let's hope they are.

The other piece of this equation is the performance Baylor delivered last week. The Bears lost to Kansas State 31-3 at home, never putting up much of a fight. It was a lackluster performance, which we stated above.

Still, Baylor is much better than advertised. And while TCU deserves credit for overcoming Texas, the offensive line in that game was nothing short of a mess. Having to travel for a second consecutive week could present an interesting challenge.

This one pains me. I would very much like to see TCU make the playoff, but I can’t shy away from one of the more fascinating spreads we will see all year.

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Arizona State (+8) vs. Oregon State

Speaking of fascinating point spreads, here’s another.

The Beavers were one of the few teams that won us money last week, which we appreciate. At the same time, this feels like a delicate road game at just the right time.

Arizona State has had a peculiar season. At 3-7, there has been much more bad than good. But one of those three wins came against Washington at home. Given the Huskies’ win against Oregon this past weekend, that result has aged quite nicely.

The Sun Devils’ schedule has certainly been a challenge, and it doesn’t get much easier this week. Oregon State has been solid at 7-3, although the Beavers have yet to beat a top-tier team. (They were close against USC back in Week 4.)

However, timing is everything. With a matchup against Oregon looming, this feels like a potential lookahead game for Oregon State.

Although the Beavers will find a way to win, the ultimate result could wind up being far closer than expected.

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Liberty (-9.5) vs. Virginia Tech

Last week was not kind to Liberty. Coming off a win over Arkansas, Hugh Freeze’s team responded with an outright loss to UConn as roughly a two-touchdown favorite.

Also, shoutout to Jim Mora Jr. and those Huskies.

For the Flames, this was a setback. They won six straight heading into that matchup, although it was not to be. A week later, and I expect things to get fully on track.

It is odd seeing Virginia Tech as a double-digit underdog in a game like this, although it isn't wrong. The Hokies have lost seven games in a row, and they haven’t exactly played a gauntlet of unbeatable teams. A program that was so incredibly stable for so long has fallen on hard times, and it will show here.

Granted, it's a lot of points to lay against an ACC team. Many will see it as too much.

But with the Arkansas win and the UConn letdown in the rearview, Liberty gets back on track with a massive win.

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SMU (+3.5) vs. Tulane

At the moment, this SMU offense is on fire.

Sure, the Mustangs endured a rough stretch in the heart of the season, but the schedule did them no favors. SMU’s losses this year came against Maryland, TCU, UCF and Cincinnati. Not too shabby.

Entering this week, the Mustangs have won three consecutive games, covering the spread in all three. During that time, they’ve scored 163 points. The 77-point outing against Houston helped boost those numbers.

From a matchup standpoint, all of those points could present an issue for Tulane. The Green Wave were unable to keep pace with UCF last weekend, losing by a touchdown as a short favorite. It wouldn’t shock me to see the same type of game unfold here.

Even coming off a loss, Tulane has lost only twice outright and against the spread this season. It’s been a magical year.

After Thursday night, it will be slightly less magical (although still darned good). SMU covers and pulls the mild upset.

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Oklahoma (-7) vs. Oklahoma State

It’s hard to recall a year when Bedlam, one of the greatest rivalries in college football—albeit one that is historically lopsided—has been as understated as this. It isn't a mystery as to why.

Oklahoma has lost five games, which it doesn't do all that often. Oklahoma State, which began the season with a ton of promise, has dropped two of its last three games. (Still, the Pokes are ranked once again.)

Despite their five losses, the Sooners are still a sizable favorite in this game. While that might seem illogical considering Oklahoma just lost to Baylor and West Virginia in back-to-back weeks, it isn’t scaring me.

Quarterback Dillon Gabriel, who wasn’t superb a week ago, should be much better here. And while the Sooners haven't been anywhere close to what we thought they might be, this feels like an opportunity to provide a little joy in an otherwise down year.

Despite last year’s loss, Oklahoma still leads this series 90-19-7. The Sooners add another win to an impressive all-time mark.

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Other Games on the Card

Army (-10.5) vs. UConn

We rode the UConn wave last week against Liberty, which was very good to us. This week, we’re backing Army, which is second in the nation in rushing yards. On the other side, the Huskies are allowing 4.2 yards per carry.

Iowa State (-3.5) vs. Texas Tech

Yes, the Cyclones have lost six of their last seven games. However, the fact that the oddsmakers feel strongly about them here is noteworthy. The high temperature on Saturday is forecasted to be 20 degrees, and a team from Texas might not like that.

Pittsburgh (-7.5) vs. Duke

The Pitt defense has allowed only 16 points in the past two weeks, and it will now head back home for Duke. Pittsburgh is simply more explosive, which will ultimately show here.

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As the Texas Longhorns men's basketball team hosts the Gonzaga Bulldogs on Wednesday night, it could be looking at its replacement in the Big 12 ahead of its impending departure to the SEC.

According to Action Network's Brett McMurphy, Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark and Gonzaga athletic director Chris Standiford met earlier Wednesday in Austin and there is "growing mutual interest" for the Bulldogs to join the Big 12.

Texas is set to leave the Big 12 along with Oklahoma and they will become official members of the SEC on July 1, 2025. The Big 12 has already announced that BYU, Houston, Cincinnati and UCF will join the conference beginning in July 2023.

ESPN's Pete Thamel reported earlier this month that Gonzaga and the Big 12 were engaged in talks about joining the conference. The Bulldogs are a basketball powerhouse that plays in the West Coast Conference, which is a mid-major. Thamel noted that the school is fielding multiple discussions to move to a Power Five league.

"Sources indicate that Gonzaga has been exploring its conference options, as it has emerged as one of the premier basketball programs in the country," Thamel wrote. "Both the Pac-12 and the Big East have been engaged with Gonzaga, according to sources, but the extent of those conversations is uncertain."

The last two NCAA men's basketball champions are Big 12 schools in Baylor and Kansas, respectively, so adding Gonzaga to that mix would be a major boost to what is already a strength of the conference. The Bulldogs have been the No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament in four of the past five years.

However, there's a chance Gonzaga would not be welcomed with open arms to the Big 12. West Virginia head coach Bob Huggins told reporters he "would think it would be a tremendous awakening for Gonzaga" to join the conference because "you don't get to make your own schedule in the Big 12."

During the waning moments of Oregon's 37-34 loss to Washington last Saturday, wide receiver Kris Hutson appeared to suffer a leg injury after making a first-down catch, forcing officials to stop the clock despite the Ducks having no timeouts.

While Oregon's comeback bid fell short, Hutson revealed on Wednesday that his injury was actually a strategy to get his team some extra time.

"It was just part of the game plan," Hutson told reporters. "It wasn't anything too special, but I'm all right, though."

Hutson, who finished with seven catches for 56 yards in the loss, added that he should be ready to suit up for this week's game against No. 10 Utah. Erik Skopil of 247Sports noted that Ducks head coach Dan Lanning declined to comment on the play while he met with the media after Wednesday's practice.

Oregon fell from No. 6 to No. 12 in both the College Football Playoff rankings and the AP Poll after the loss to Washington. The Ducks had their eight-game win streak snapped and now trail No. 7 USC for first place in the Pac-12 conference.

To make matters worse, Oregon starting quarterback Bo Nix was injured in the fourth quarter against the Huskies, and his status against the Utes is in question. Hutson expressed confidence in backup quarterback Ty Thompson if Nix can't suit up.

"Obviously, Bo is down, so it's the next man up," Hutson said. "...[Thompson] is good at decision-making. He has a great arm. He can extend plays. He's learned a lot from Bo, so he kind of took his game to the next level also. Ty is a good player, he's a great player, great quarterback; very smart. Can't wait to see him out there ready to go."

A redshirt freshman, Thompson has thrown for 72 yards and two interceptions in limited action this season.

The ACC announced that it will honor the lives of the three University of Virginia football players who were shot and killed on campus Sunday.

Adam Lichtenstein of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel relayed a press release outlining the conference's plans, which include helmet decals for all conference teams, a moment of silence for all ACC home games and the use of "UVA Strong" graphics across the league.

The ACC announced several ways they will be honoring slain Virginia football players D’Sean Perry, Devin Chandler and Lavel Davis Jr. at football games this week. pic.twitter.com/Dqyb2rHkRA

— Adam Lichtenstein (@ABLichtenstein) November 16, 2022

Emily Leiker of Syracuse.com tweeted the helmet decal, and Matt Fortuna of The Athletic shared the "UVA Strong" graphic:

The ACC has announced teams will wear helmet decals and hold a moment of silence Saturday in honor of UVA's Lavel Davis Jr., Devin Chandler and D'Sean Perry.

Here's a look at the decals, which feature the Virginia logo. pic.twitter.com/sRTZ0vSbxG

— emily leiker (@emleiker) November 16, 2022

The ACC has produced Virginia helmet decals that all league schools will wear Saturday. Additionally, there will be a moment of silence at every ACC home football game this weekend, along with graphics for videoboard and school use. pic.twitter.com/5wQwN969qQ

— Matt Fortuna (@Matt_Fortuna) November 16, 2022

Mike Barber of the Richmond Times-Dispatch also revealed the helmet decal that numerous Virginia college football teams will wear to honor UVA this weekend:

Around Virginia this weekend, college football teams including JMU, ODU, Liberty, #Hokies, Richmond and William & Mary will wear a memorial decal on their helmets to honor the shooting victims at #UVA, a source tells me.https://t.co/5Smv6XCbD6 pic.twitter.com/3POgP74ChY

— Mike Barber (@StillMikeBarber) November 16, 2022

UVA football players Devin Chandler, Lavel Davis Jr. and D’Sean Perry were shot and killed after returning from a class field trip.

Another Cavalier player, Mike Hollins, was injured and is still in the hospital, per ESPN's Andrea Adelson. A fifth student, who is not a football player, was hospitalized but has since been released.

Former UVA football player and suspected shooter Christopher Darnell Jones Jr. has been arrested and charged with three counts of second-degree murder in addition to other charges.

UVA has canceled a previously scheduled home game against Coastal Carolina, which would have taken place Saturday. A decision on the team's final game, a Nov. 26 road matchup with Virginia Tech, has not yet been made.

Top 2023 prospect Baye Fall announced Tuesday that he will play for Arkansas next season.

"I chose Arkansas because me and my family feel it's the best place for me to accomplish what I want to accomplish," Fall told On3's Joe Tipton. "It's the best place that can get me to the next level in the best way possible. Going on the two visits to Arkansas opened our eyes. Their play style fits me well. There are great coaches out there. I think I go there and get better and win at the highest level."

Ball committed to Arkansas over Auburn, Seton Hall and Rutgers.

The 5-star player is considered the third-best center in his class and No. 14 overall in the country, per 247Sports' composite rankings.

"He's 6-11, but he jumps like he's 6-2 and moves like he's 6-6," former high school coach Bill Brandsma said in 2020, per Kendra Andrews of The Athletic.

Fall moved from Senegal to Lutheran High School in Parker, Colorado, before eventually transferring to Denver Prep Academy. At every stop, the big man showcased impressive athleticism and natural ability for his size that allowed him to be successful on both ends of the court.

The center already has excellent instincts on the defensive end to be an elite shot-blocker, while his ability to run the floor will allow him to be productive offensively. If he can further develop his offensive game, Fall will be nearly unstoppable.

Arkansas will give him the chance to do that as he tries to reach his potential before making the leap to the NBA.

Fall should still be an impact player while in college, likely starring defensively while helping everyone around him on that end of the court. He should play significant minutes from the start while challenging to be an all-conference player even as a freshman.

University of Virginia running back Mike Hollins is "doing great" after his second surgery following a mass shooting at the school Sunday evening that killed three Cavalier football players and injured Hollins and another teammate.

Baton Rouge, Louisiana attorney Gordon McKernan, who is serving as the Hollins family spokesperson, relayed the news to Sports Illustrated's Ross Dellenger. Hollins' mother Brenda also provided updates to WRBZ.

Hollins suffered a gunshot wound to the back. He was on a ventilator, but that has since been removed and his critical status has been upgraded to stable condition, per WRBZ.

Earlier Tuesday, Brenda Hollins provided some updates on her son:

Family, Mike will be going in for his 2nd surgery at 8am. Keep praying!!! And please keep praying for all of the families that are going through this horrific tragedy. #7🙏🏾

— Brenda Hollins (@MikesMother7) November 15, 2022

Mike is in surgery now!!! Please pray!#GODisgood #7

— Brenda Hollins (@MikesMother7) November 15, 2022

The junior running back out of University Lab High School in Baton Rouge has amassed 319 total yards and a pair of rushing scores this year. He notably rushed for a season-high 75 yards against UNC on Nov. 5.

His old high school head coach, Andy Martin, spoke to WBRZ about his character.

“Mike was a great kid," Martin said. "Was awesome to be around, had a great personality, always a smile on his face. It was just a pleasure to have him on the team and coach."

UVA President Jim Ryan confirmed Monday that football players D'Sean Perry, Devin Chandler and Lavel Davis Jr. were killed. The student-athletes were on a charter bus that had just returned from a class field trip.

Suspect Christopher Darnell Jones Jr., a former member of the football team, was arrested Monday after an hours-long manhunt.

According to Gun Violence Archive, there have now been 598 mass shootings in the United States in 2022.