o. 3 MichiganJan. 21 p.m. ET: Goodyear Cotto. 3 MichiganJan. 21 p.m. ET: Goodyear Cott | Forum

The answer to the question of which team can overcome its recent disappointments may be found when Florida State visits North Carolina State. Rasmus Ristolainen Jersey .The No. 22 Seminoles (5-3, 2/3 ACC) and the Wolfpack (4-4, 1-3) meet Saturday at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh, N.C. (7 p.m. ET, ESPNU).The Seminoles are coming off a heartbreaking 37-34 loss to unbeaten Clemson that saw them lose an eight-point lead in the fourth quarter. That defeat pretty much eliminates them from the Atlantic Division title race and potential berth in the ACC Championship Game.Meanwhile, N.C. State hasnt been right since missing a late field goal and losing in overtime to Clemson. The Wolfpack lost twice more since after sitting at 4-1 following their 10-3 victory over Notre Dame on Oct. 8.Last week, N.C. State lost 21-14 to a Boston College team that hadnt won a conference game since the 2014 season finale.But playing a third-ranked opponent in the last four weeks does provide some motivation.Were ready to work, sophomore receiver Nyheim Hines said. Were not going to let past losses impact our future.Despite the skid, N.C. State coach Dave Doeren prefers to emphasize the positive. Other than the 54-13 whipping by Louisville, which followed the heartbreaking loss at Clemson, he notes that his team has been just a couple of plays away from turning the game around in each of its other three losses.Were close. Thats the bottom line, Doeren said. We have to execute. We have to make the play when the play is there.Penalty problems have been largely persistent, and thats one area where the Wolfpack is intent on cleaning up. The shortcomings also developed during an erratic stretch of offense in October.Weve just got to put it into action at this point, quarterback Ryan Finley said, noting that talking about it doesnt do much good if the results dont back up the dialogue.Finley, a redshirt sophomore transfer from Boise State, threw for a career-best 307 yards and two touchdowns last week.Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher sees his Seminoles, who lost big to Louisville early and by two points to North Carolina on a field goal as time ran out, as improving as well.This team is growing and getting much better, he said. The competitive series, the things they do, their toughness, their mindset. Those kids, they did against North Carolina, but theyre leaving everything out there.Theyre playing the way you want to play as far as the effort and snap.The Seminoles still have one of the countrys top breakaway running threats in running back Dalvin Cook, who has averaged 168 yards rushing over his last five outings, and a quarterback who has exhibited extraordinary toughness as a redshirt freshman.Deondre Francois was sacked six times against Clemson but still passed for 286 yards and a touchdown. Francois has been sacked at least two times in all but one game for a total of 25 takedowns for the season.The sacks would seem to indicate a problem area in the way of protection up front, but Fisher sees no reason for lineup changes, pointing out that other players such as fullbacks and tight ends must share in that responsibility. The offensive line starters will remain the same, at least for now.Right now, those guys are showing they play the most consistent, he said. Youre never satisfied because, even when youre perfect, you want to go push up. Weve got to get better in a lot of areas, though, up there. Conor Sheary Sabres Jersey . With the short-handed Warriors needing help from someone -- anyone -- to stop a three-game skid, ONeal returned from right knee and groin injuries that had sidelined him for four games and put up season highs with 18 points and eight rebounds. It was just enough to help lift Golden State to a 102-101 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night. Pierre Turgeon Sabres Jersey . One game after a miserable showing in Oklahoma City, Gay tied a career high with 41 points and the Sacramento Kings cruised to a 114-97 victory at the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night. http:///...rsson-sabres-jersey/ . -- Jakob Silfverberg is making himself right at home with the Anaheim Ducks, scoring four goals in his first four games. With its third ranking, the College Football Playoff selection committee reminded everyone that it isnt influenced by other polls.On the heels of the biggest weekend of upsets in 31 years, in which three undefeated, top-four teams lost, the committee kept two of those teams -- Michigan and Clemson -- in its top four. Ohio State claimed the fourth spot, as it rose from No. 5 to No. 2, one spot behind No. 1 Alabama and ahead of the No. 3 Wolverines and No. 4 Tigers.The committee stayed consistent with its regard for head-to-head wins by keeping Clemson a notch above No. 5 Louisville in spite of the Tigers home loss to an unranked Pitt team. The committee went against the grain from both the Associated Press Top 25 and the Amway Coaches Poll, which ranked Louisville No. 3 and Clemson No. 5, stirring the debate of the week.Strength of schedule -- or lack thereof -- was likely a major factor in Washingtons drop from No. 4 to No. 6 this week. The Huskies lost to a surging No. 13 USC, which magnified a schedule that is the third-easiest in the Power 5, according to ESPN Stats & Information.The biggest surprises were not in the top four. They were at No. 19, where 7-3 Tennessee landed, and at No. 24, where 7-3 Stanford appeared for the first time this season. In the Group of 5, one-loss Boise State jumped undefeated Western Michigan to take the lead for a New Years Six Bowl, but the Broncos need Wyoming to lose again to win their division and have a chance to win the Mountain West.Heres what the bracket would look like today:As for the other major bowls, heres a projection based on the current rankings:The Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual gets the Pac-12 champ, which in this case would be No. 6 Washhington. Johan Larsson Sabres Jersey. Because the Big Ten champ (assuming its either Ohio State or Michigan in this case) is in a semifinal, the Rose Bowl would choose the next-highest ranked Big Ten team, which would be No. 7 Wisconsin.The Allstate Sugar Bowl is guaranteed the Big 12 champ, which would be No. 9 Oklahoma, but because SEC champ Alabama is in the semifinal, it would take the next-highest SEC team, No. 15 Auburn.The Capital One Orange Bowl is guaranteed the ACC champion, but because Clemson is in a semifinal, it would take the next team, which would be No. 5 Louisville. The Orange Bowl then chooses the next-highest ranked team from the SEC, Big Ten or Notre Dame. In this case, that would be No. 8 Penn State.The highest-ranked Group of 5 champion is guaranteed a spot in a New Years Six Bowl, so No. 20 Boise State would go to the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic. The Cotton Bowl would then get the highest-ranked at-large team, which would be No. 10 Colorado.Heres what the New Years Six could look like, based on todays rankings:Dec. 308 p.m. ET: Capital One Orange Bowl: No. 5 Louisville vs. No. 8 Penn StateDec. 313 p.m. or 7 p.m.: College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl: No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 4 Clemson3 p.m. or 7 p.m.: College Football Playoff Semifinal at the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl: No. 2 Ohio State vs. No. 3 MichiganJan. 21 p.m. ET: Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic: No. 10 Colorado vs. No. 20 Boise State5 p.m. ET: Rose Bowl Game Presented by Northwestern Mutual: No. 7 Wisconsin vs. No. 6 Washington8:30 p.m. ET: Allstate Sugar Bowl: No. 9 Oklahoma vs. No. 15 Auburn ' ' '