Clemson coach Dabo Swinney finds it incredible that Bill Belichick will soon share the same meeting rooms and an opposing sideline in his position as North Carolina's new head coach.

Cade Klubnik threw for 262 yards and four touchdowns, Nolan Hauser kicked 56-yard field goal as time expired and the No. 18 Clemson knocked off league unbeaten and No. 8 SMU 34-31 Saturday night in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship to earn a spot in the College Football Playoff and position itself for a first-round bye.

It has been a rough few days for Clemson coach Dabo Swinney.

What a difference a year makes.

Florida coach Billy Napier is on the verge of being fired.

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney generally has passed on deep dives into the transfer portal for recruits.

EA Sports College Football 25, among the most highly anticipated sports video games of all time, has flooded the market as gamers who waited more than a decade for the franchise’s next installment rush to play.

Georgia’s Kirby Smart has agreed to a contract extension that makes him the highest-paid coach in college football with an annual salary of $13 million.

Football coaches from South Carolina's three major school have joined together at the Statehouse to urge lawmakers to pass a law allowing their schools to directly compensate their athletes.

College recruiting more than ever never really stops once the players are on campus.

Phil Mafah ran for a career high 186 yards and two touchdowns in relief of the injured Will Shipley and Clemson held off No. 12 Notre Dame 31-23 to end a disheartening two-game losing streak Saturday.

Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman hasn't changed his mind about Clemson football.

A frustrated Dabo Swinney defended his Clemson career to a radio caller who questioned his performance as one of college football's highest-paid coaches.

Prince Kollie scored on a blocked punt, Benjamin Morrison returned an interception 96 yards for a touchdown and had another interception to set up another score as Notre Dame earned its second straight win over a ranked opponent, beating No. 5 Clemson 35-14.

Will Shipley scored twice and freshman quarterback Cade Klubnik rallied No. 5 Clemson to a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns in a 27-21 victory over No. 14 Syracuse.

Clemson defensive backs Malcolm Greene and Fred Davis II were sued by a U.S. postal worker who's delivery truck was struck by Davis last year seconds after he was clocked driving 115 mph on a highway near campus.

Nate Wiggins broke up Sam Hartman’s fourth-down pass in the end zone to help No. 5 Clemson hold off No. 21 Wake Forest 51-45 in double overtime.

Clemson has taken steps to keep football coach Dabo Swinney around for a while longer.

The Atlantic Coast Conference gets a chance in September to bolster the perception of the league's strength with multiple matchups against other power conferences.

DJ Uiagalelei threw for one touchdown and ran for another, overcoming a sluggish start in the season opener to lead No. 4 Clemson to a 41-10 victory over Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets kept it closer than expected much of the way.

The Atlantic Coast Conference has four new coaches for this season, all in the same division.

Atlantic Coast Conference commissioner Jim Phillips says the league is looking for ways to boost its revenue and shrink a rising financial gap with leagues like the Big Ten and Southeastern Conference.

Ohio State plans to hike Ryan Day’s annual salary to $9.5 million as part of a two-year contract extension that will put him among the nation’s highest-paid college football coaches.

Alabama coach Nick Saban is concerned about the current state of college football.

Onetime Clemson quarterback Hunter Johnson is returning to the Tigers for his final season of college football.

D.

Oklahoma has introduced Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables as its head coach.

Oklahoma has hired Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables as its head coach to replace Lincoln Riley.

Newly hired LSU coach Brian Kelly is in Baton Rouge after flying in on a private jet with athletic director Scott Woodward.

Michigan State is giving Mel Tucker a $95 million, 10-year contract to stay, making an aggressive move to keep a football coach who potentially could have left for LSU or the NFL.

The race for the Atlantic Coast Conference football championship hasn't looked this wide open in the better part of a decade.

For about 45 minutes late Saturday afternoon, college football was on overload.

Will Shipley ran for two touchdowns and No. 6 Clemson survived a wild finish to escape Georgia Tech with a 14-8 victory over Georgia Tech on Saturday night.

Christopher Smith returned an interception 74 yards for a touchdown and No. 5 Georgia turned in a defensive effort for the ages, toppling third-ranked Clemson 10-3 on Saturday in the opener for both teams.

Urban Meyer's first NFL season is also his first taste of real football since the end of the 2018 season.

Atlantic Coast Conference coaches are counting on high program COVID-19 vaccination rates to minimize risks of illnesses or lineup-depleting contact tracing for the upcoming college football season.

New quarterbacks are leading last year's College Football Playoff teams.

Bobby Bowden may have been known across the country for winning two national championships at Florida State, but the coach was eulogized Saturday as a man with three guiding principles: faith, family and football.

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney called Bobby Bowden a “model” that other college coaches should follow saying he never lost sight of being a man of faith, a great husband and father.

College coaches are trying to get a handle on the recruiting impact of athletes' ability to profit off their fame.

The post-Trevor Lawrence era begins at Clemson with the Tigers still the prohibitive favorites to win the Atlantic Coast Conference for a seventh consecutive season.

The Los Angeles Angels became the first club ever to select exclusively pitchers over a full amateur draft this week when they took 20 straight hurlers.

A new College Football Playoff with triple the number of teams involved could bring in three times as much money to the conferences and schools that share the wealth.

Alabama coach Nick Saban has agreed to a three-year contract extension running through the 2029 season.

What if college football’s most powerful teams, the biggest of the big boys, tried to do what is happening now in European soccer, where a dozen of the wealthiest and most successful clubs are in the process of forming a 15-team Super League.

FILE - Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence passes against LSU during the second half of a NCAA College Football Playoff national championship game in New Orleans, in this Monday, Jan. 13, 2020, file photo. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, File)CLEMSON, S.C. – Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence worked out for several NFL personnel including his expected future pro coach, Urban Meyer of the Jacksonville Jaguars. While 16 NFL teams attended, the 6-foot-6 Lawrence with the cannon arm and flowing air doesn't figure to get past the Jaguars. Lawrence threw for 3,153 yards, 24 touchdowns and five interceptions while missing two games after testing positive for COVID-19 in October. He said he wanted to perform for NFL teams to show he's no different than anyone else applying for a job.

And with that, Lawrence’s bid to finish an extraordinary college football career with his second national championship in three seasons slipped away. 2 Clemson in the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Sugar Bowl on Friday night. “Obviously they kicked our butt tonight," Lawrence said. Lawrence is one of four finalists, along with Alabama QB Mac Jones, Crimson Tide receiver Davonta Smith and Florida QB Kyle Trask. Still, he'll be remembered as one of the faces of college football — on the field and off — during a tumultuous junior year.

Ohio State won 49-28. 11, where Clemson coach Dabo Swinney placed Ohio State on his ballot in the final regular-season coaches' poll. Ohio State beat the Crimson Tide in the semifinals on the way to the 2014 national championship. “This performance by this team I hope will go down in Ohio State history as a landmark victory,” Day said. Ohio State did not give details about their absences, but all four had played in the Big Ten championship two weeks ago.

FILE - In this Oct. 31, 2020, file photo, Coastal Carolina coach Jamey Chadwell waits to lead his team onto the field for an NCAA football game against Georgia State in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Amis, File)Coastal Carolina’s Jamey Chadwell is The Associated Press college football coach of the year after leading the Chanticleers to a surprising, near-perfect season. UCF’s Scott Frost was AP coach of the year in 2017 and Gary Patterson won the first of his two AP awards with TCU in 2009 when the Horned Frogs were competing in the Mountain West. Chadwell came to Coastal Carolina in 2017 as offensive coordinator for former coach Joe Moglia after four successful season at FCS Charleston Southern. ___VotingJamey Chadwell, Coastal Carolina - 88 points (16 first-place votes).

Probably go pick up some food," Notre Dame offensive tackle Liam Eichenberg said. 4 Notre Dame had to go a combined 37-2 on the field and keep the virus at bay. Alabama faces Notre Dame in the relocated Rose Bowl at the home of the Dallas Cowboys in Arlington, Texas. Notre Dame and Ohio State were more cautious, keeping their players on campus over the recent holiday weekend. Notre Dame had a virus outbreak pause its season for about two weeks in late September.

4 Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff semifinal originally scheduled to serve as the 107th Rose Bowl, the playoff committee announced Sunday. “Our guys recognize what they’ll need to do relative to the mental preparation of playing a great football team in Alabama. But instead of a week amid the pomp and pageantry of the Rose Bowl, the teams will spend their semifinal week in Arlington, Texas. Oregon State beat Duke in Durham, North Carolina, in that version of the Rose Bowl. The festive week of genteel celebrations around the Rose Bowl game had already been mostly canceled.

2 Notre Dame 34-10 on Saturday to win its sixth straight ACC title. “His ability to run really stresses your coverage calls,” Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly said. Clemson has won all nine games Lawrence has started by at least 18 points and their average margin of victory in those games is 33.6 points. “We are trending in the right direction and we are playing our best football,” Lawrence said. Notre Dame: Notre Dame hopes to edge No.

“Why would we play if you can’t have families at the game?" "If you can’t have families at bowl games, why would you go to a game where your families can’t be part of it? “Why can’t it be the Rose Bowl in Las Vegas or can it be the Rose Bowl in another town?” Kelly said. "They can’t be around their families for Christmas, and you’re going to tell me we’re going to have a playoff and maybe one site can have families and the other can’t? I am so sick and tired of this playoff committee talking about having sites where you can’t have parents at and their families.

Ohio State (4-0) had to cancel its game at Illinois last week because of a spike in COVID-19 cases in the program. HERBSTREIT APOLOGYESPN's Kirk Herbstreit caused a commotion with some of his analysis regarding Ohio State, Michigan and teams using COVID-19 as an excuse to not play. The Wolverines (2-4) are scheduled to host Maryland this week and play at Ohio State on Dec. 12. “I still think Michigan waves the white flag, potentially avoids playing Ohio State next week,” Herbstreit said. the former Ohio State quarterback said.

2 Alabama heading into a huge ACC matchup at fourth-ranked Notre Dame this week. The rest of the top five remained the same, with Ohio State at No. 1 on their ballots had Clemson third behind Ohio State. Penn State had the fourth-longest active streak behind Alabama (205), Ohio State (138) and Clemson (94). 4 Notre Dame: Another “biggest game of the year” — until the next one.

Uiagalelei stepped in for Lawrence on Saturday and rallied the top-ranked Tigers to a 34-28 victory over Boston College after they fell behind by 18 points. “It's the same mindset that I had this week,” Uiagalelei said. A jarring week for Clemson ended with its 28th straight win over league competition, 10th straight over the Eagles and 27th in a row at home. Clemson coach Dabo Swinney told his team at halftime, “Don't flinch.”“It's been a long time since we've been down like this,” he said. Boston College took advantage of the Clemson chaos early on with TDs on its first two series.

CLEMSON, S.C. – Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence is doing “great” in isolation and the top-ranked Tigers had no additional COVID-19 cases since Lawrence's positive test, coach Dabo Swinney said Saturday. Swinney spoke on ESPN's “College GameDay” before No. Lawrence and the school revealed his positive test on Thursday night. Freshman backup DJ Uiagalelei will make his first college start with Lawrence sidelined. Swinney said Lawrence spoke to the team that day via Zoom.

Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence has tested positive for COVID-19, putting into doubt whether the face of college football will be available to play the top-ranked Tigers' biggest game of the season. Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said in a statement released by the school Thursday night that Lawrence is in isolation with mild symptoms. Swinney said Lawrence would miss Clemson's game Saturday against Boston College. Individuals who test positive for COVID-19 must isolate for a minimum of 10 days. He led the Tigers (6-0) to a national championship as a freshman and back to the College Football playoff championship game last season.

Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) throws a pass during an NCAA college football game against Syracuse in Clemson, S.C., on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2020. (Ken Ruinard/Pool Photo via AP)CLEMSON, S.C. – Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence has seen plenty of tight games against Syracuse. 1 Clemson used a late boost to pull away to a 47-21 victory after Syracuse drew with a score at 27-21. Syracuse (1-5, 1-4 ACC), a 45-point underdog, rallied from 17-0 down to draw within a touchdown late in the third quarter before Clemson regained its footing. The Syracuse Orange couldn't finish this one off, however.

CLEMSON, S.C. – Trevor Lawrence was happy with Clemson's win over Virginia. Lawrence threw for 329 yards and three touchdowns as Clemson opened 3-0 for the sixth straight year with a 41-23 victory over the Cavaliers on Saturday night. However, like so often the past few years when pressed, Clemson and Lawrence found what it took to succeed. Rodgers had two TD catches in the final six minutes of the opening half to give Clemson a 24-3 lead that Virginia could not overcome. That's when Lawrence found Etienne for a final scoring throw to restore Clemson's momentum.

The Atlantic Coast Conference and Notre Dame are considering whether the Fighting Irish will give up their treasured football independence for the 2020 season play as a member of the league. The ACC had announced plans last week for a 10-game league slate with one nonconference game and its championship game played either Dec. 12 or 19. Now Notre Dames lone nonconference game will be a previously scheduled visit from Western Michigan on Sept. 19. Notre Dame, a member in all other league sports, already had a scheduling agreement to annually play five or six games with ACC teams as an independent. The Irish were set to play five-time reigning ACC champion Clemson, Wake Forest, Pittsburgh, Duke, Georgia Tech and Louisville this year.

(AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)TOP OF THE HOUR: Atlanta police officer fired after fatal shooting of Rayshard Brooks. Clemson football team members lead demonstration on campus. ATLANTA An Atlanta police officer has been fired following the fatal shooting of 27-year-old Rayshard Brooks, and a second officer has been placed on administrative leave. Atlanta police announced the termination of Garrett Rolfe early Sunday, a move that follows the Saturday resignation of Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields. Clemson football alumni and one-time Houston Texans teammates DeAndre Hopkins and Deshaun Watson voiced support for the petition on social media.

(AP Photo/Eric Gay)NEW ORLEANS, LA – Clemson relied all year on a strong defense and quarterback Trevor Lawrence to give itself a shot at a second straight national title. In the end, Clemson gave up 1,144 yards in its two playoff games, including a semifinal win over Ohio State. It was just he second time in 30 college games Lawrence did not throw a TD pass. Lawrence and the defense had always been able to close things out before in winning the past 29 games. The 6-foot-6 Lawrence will return for his junior year after going 25-1 as a starter the past two years.

There will be several erasers on the field during the College Football Playoff championship game between No. The increased emphasis on the passing game has given rise to a Golden Age of wide receivers. “You get open with your route running,” LSU receivers coach Mickey Joseph said. And with players such as Chase, Ross and Marshall returning for next season there are plenty more erasers ready to fill any void. ___Follow Ralph D. Russo at https://twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP and listen http://www.westwoodonepodcasts.com/pods/ap-top-25-college-football-podcast/___More AP college football: https://apnews.com/APTop25CollegeFootballPoll and https://apnews.com/Collegefootball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25

Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty ImagesCLEMSON, S.C. - Trevor Lawrence threw three touchdown passes, two to Justyn Ross, and No. 2 Clemson answered any lingering questions from its close call at North Carolina, winning its 21st straight game by pounding Florida State 45-14 on Saturday. Clemson (4-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) started 6-0 for a fifth straight year and beat the Seminoles (3-3, 2-2) for the fifth straight year, also a program best. Moments later when Clemson got the ball back on Chad Smith's interception with 40 seconds before the half and up 28-0, Lawrence threw twice into the end zone before B.T. THE TAKEAWAYFlorida State: The Seminoles hoped to carry momentum from two straight wins into Death Valley.