Video game company Electronic Arts made public some of the tools and patents that help gamers with disabilities play its games.
Tom Izzo isn't sure what conclusions can be drawn from the first two months of this college basketball season. The longtime Michigan State coach guided his team to a 10-2 record before the Christmas break. The Spartans are ranked No. 18 heading into their non-conference home game against Western Michigan in East Lansing on Monday afternoon, but Izzo still has several questions about his team -- and everyone else's, for that matter. "If you remember the first big press conference in here, I said you probably are not gonna know where you're at until after Christmas. I still feel that way because I don't know what comparative scores (do) anymore," he said. "I'm still too confused on what's going on out there as far as who's good and who's not good. Comparative scores have been very difficult, and the scores have been so up and down." What's indisputable is that before the layoff, the Spartans were heading in the right direction. They enter Monday's contest on a five-game winning streak. No one has emerged as a go-to scorer on the team, but it clearly has good balance -- seven different players have led the Spartans in scoring this season. Forward Coen Carr came off the bench in Michigan State's most recent game on Dec. 21 and scored 17 points in an 86-69 victory over Florida Atlantic. He was one of four Spartans in double figures. Guard Jaden Akins, at 13.3 points per game, is the only Michigan State player averaging double figures in scoring, while seven other players are averaging at least 6.8 points. "We're 10-2. Good enough to beat a lot of teams, not great enough to not lose to a lot of teams," Izzo said. "I think we've got to shore up our defense a little bit. ... We are shooting the ball a little better. I'm not as concerned with that. We've got to defend and rebound. And if we do that, we'll get our run game going and we'll be a better team." The Broncos (3-8) carry a four-game losing streak into Monday's game, with their wins this season coming against Division II Davenport, Canisius and Youngstown State. Western Michigan hasn't played since Dec. 20, when they lost to Valparaiso 76-73. Western Michigan held a 16-point halftime lead and a 22-point advantage with less than seven minutes remaining, then wound up losing on a 3-pointer at the buzzer. The Broncos have received a boost from Chansey Willis Jr., who missed the first eight games of the season due to injury. The 6-foot-2 guard is averaging 17 points, 5.7 rebounds and 5.7 assists in the three games he's played. Western Michigan, coached by former Michigan State assistant Dwayne Stephens, has three other players averaging double figures in scoring and three more averaging at least seven points. "I feel like we're all an unselfish group. No one's really saying, 'I've got to get my 20 shots,' so it comes from a different person almost every single night," forward Max Burton said in a recent TV interview. "Every person is going to have a good game here and there." --Field Level Media
NonePetco Health & Wellness Co. ($WOOF) stock was down nearly 3% on Thursday ahead of the pet products retailer’s third-quarter earnings, but retail sentiment turned bullish. Wall Street analysts expect earnings per share to come in at -$0.04 on estimated revenues of $1.5 billion. Petco has beaten estimates thrice out of the last four quarters. Recently, analyst firm Baird reiterated its ‘Neutral’ rating on the company and maintained its price target of $5.00. The company has previously said it expects Q3 net revenues to be around $1.5 billion; and adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, and depreciation to be between $76 million and $80 million. Its guidance for adjusted EPS stands at -$0.03 to -$0.04. Retail sentiment on Stocktwits has turned ‘bullish’ (67/100) from ‘bearish’ (43/100) a week ago. In the second quarter, Petco met revenue consensus estimates. It posted net revenues of $1.52 billion, down 0.5% compared to the prior year. Overall, the quarter was a mixed bag. It beat estimates on EPS estimates but lowered guidance for the next quarter. Last month, Petco named Joe Venezia Chief Revenue Officer. One Stocktwits user’s analysis of the options market is expecting the stock to move more than 20% following its earnings report. Petco stock is up 55% year-to-date. For updates and corrections, email newsroom[at]stocktwits[dot]com.<
Indiana aims to limit turnovers vs. Minnesota
Woman killed in crash as officer responds to threat at Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's homeLONDON — French President Emmanuel Macron has vowed to see out his current term until 2027 and name a new government in the next few days, amid a spiraling political criss that has threatened to engulf his leadership. Speaking Thursday at his official residence in the Elysée Palace in Paris, Macron thanked the outgoing Prime Minister Michel Barnier for his "dedication," after a majority of National Assembly lawmakers voted to remove Barnier Wednesday, forcing him to resign. Macron accused the opposition parties of choosing "chaos," saying they "don't want to build, they want to dismantle." The political instability in France — and simultaneously in Germany, where the governing coalition collapsed a month ago — could have wide-ranging consequences for European security, as well as trans-Atlantic relations, analysts tell NPR, just weeks before President-elect Donald Trump enters the White House. With a war still raging on Europe's doorstep, caretaker governments will now control two of the continent's most powerful economies. President Macron had appointed Barnier to head the government only three months ago, after snap elections this summer left no party with a majority in a deeply divided parliament. On Wednesday, legislators from opposing extreme flanks came together in a vote of no confidence against Barnier, over his proposed 2025 national budget. Now, with the government toppled and no approved budget, Macron knows he must act quickly, according to Mathieu Gallard, a pollster at Ipsos. "Regarding the adoption of the budget, everything is stalled, nothing can move in the parliament before we have a new government," says Gallard. "It's really uncharted territory, since we have never been in this kind of situation." The main challenge stems from the fact that none of the political groups in the French parliament have a clear majority, nor do any of them want to negotiate or compromise with one another, Gallard says, while the electoral system means there is very little incentive for that to change, even if Macron calls a fresh national vote in 10 months, which is as soon as the constitution allows after the last election. "Before the election of Emmanuel Macron, we had two blocks opposing in French politics, the left and the right, and it was quite simple." explains Gallard, who lectures on public opinion at Paris' top political science university, Sciences Po. "Now we have three blocks, a left-wing block, a center-right block and a radical right block, and it makes the situation way more complicated." Meanwhile, in neighboring Germany, Chancellor Olaf Scholz lost support from his previous political coalition partners, over economic and budget policies as well. Now he's limping along to a confidence vote later this month and federal elections in February . All this adds up to something that European leaders must soon take seriously, says Tanja Börzel, a political science professor at the Freie Universität, or Free University, in Berlin. While she doesn't believe the European Union "faces an existential threat, yet," she says, "it's a major challenge." And the timing of these twin political crises is particularly unfortunate, given that polarization and societal distrust of government has been rising on both sides of the Atlantic, Börzel says. "These two countries have always, very often, taken the lead in helping Europe to speak one voice. I think that's what is required more than ever with Trump taking over the presidency in the U.S." At the dawn of a second Trump term in the White House, a chief concern for many in the EU — even before this latest instability — has centered on the continent's security. "For the EU today, the No. 1 urgency is the Ukraine war," says Alexandra de Hoop Scheffer, acting president of the German Marshall Fund of the United States, speaking in a video call during a visit to Washington, D.C. "As we know, [there is] a certain dose of anxiety in terms of how the Trump administration will handle the war in Ukraine with the potential deal that might circumvent Europeans." There has been an ongoing debate in many European countries, known colloquially as the "guns versus butter" battle. It has pitted the need for increased defense spending — prompted not only by the Ukraine conflict, but also Trump's frustrated attitude with member states' NATO obligations — against domestic requirements amid an ongoing cost of living crisis. And it's the budget fights in both France and Germany that have recently helped topple their respective leaders. "At the end of the day, the EU is not united on Ukraine, and it's always European fragmentations that fuels European weaknesses," says de Hoop Scheffer, who previously worked for NATO as well as the French Defense Ministry. "The crisis of French-German leadership — that truly doesn't help," she says. And with Europe's two largest economies already spluttering, the new year may herald a new era for both the European Union and the United States.Obama's Call for New Leadership Sparks Democratic Debate
Freshman Tre Johnson poured in 18 points in just 22 minutes of play, lifting Texas to a 77-53 win over Northwestern State on Sunday afternoon in Austin, Texas. The Longhorns (11-2) won their fourth straight outing as Johnson returned from a two-game absence due to a sore right hip. He finished 7 of 11 from the floor with four 3-pointers, leading the way as Texas held the Demons to 30 percent shooting in the first half while building a 19-point lead. The Longhorns stretched the advantage to 56-26 on a dunk by Chendall Weaver with 13:50 to play. Texas had more than enough to cruise to the finish and is in fine shape in advance of its first run in Southeastern Conference play. The Longhorns play at rival 13th-ranked Texas A&M in the teams' league opener on Saturday. Jordan Pope added 11 points and Arthur Kaluma recorded 13 rebounds for Texas. None of the Longhorns' starters played more than 28 minutes. Micah Thomas scored 19 points, including 16 in the second half, and Addison Patterson had 18 points for the Demons (5-7). The Longhorns made an early bid to bury Northwestern State by scoring the game's initial eight points over the first 3:15 of the first half. The Demons responded with an 11-4 run, capped by a layup by Patterson at the 10:15 mark that cut the deficit to 12-11. Texas then reeled off a 18-4 surge that featured a pair of tough running jumpers and two 3-pointer from Johnson, the latter with 4:02 to play in the half that pushed the lead to 30-15. The Longhorns got a bucket and a 3-pointer from Pope before finishing the half with two free throws and a dunk by Ze'Rik Onyema off a nifty assist by Julian Larry to produce a 41-22 lead at the break. Johnson paced the Longhorns with 10 points before halftime as Texas outshot the Demons 62.5 percent to 30 percent over the first 20 minutes of play. Patterson led all scorers with 12 points in the half, making five shots while the rest of the participants for Northwestern State made four combined. The Longhorns opened the second half by scoring the first eight points on jumper and then a 3-pointer by Johnson and a 3-pointer by Kaluma. --Field Level MediaPHILADELPHIA (AP) — Saquon Barkley knew the Eagles season rushing record could be his on Sunday with the type of stellar performance that has become the standard during his first season in Philadelphia. As for the exact moment Barkley hit the milestone, he wasn't sure — until the “MVP!” chants echoed throughout the Linc after a 9-yard run in the fourth quarter . “The records are great, they put a smile on your face,” Barkley said, “but the season is far from over.” Needing 109 yards to break LeSean McCoy's record, Barkley rushed for 124 yards and pushed his season total to 1,623 in a 22-16 victory over Carolina . Barkley needed just 13 games to pass McCoy, who rushed for 1,607 yards in 2013. He also overtook Wilbert Montgomery, who had 1,512 yards in 1978. “I never wrote the goal down to break it,” Barkley said. “You're always aware of it. That's how I train. That's how I operate in the offseason. I want to be great.” Barkley also maintained his pace to break Eric Dickerson’s NFL single-season rushing record of 2,105 yards, set in 1984 with the Los Angeles Rams. “That would be extremely cool to do,” Barkley said. “If it happens, it happens, and not with the mindset of, I'm scared to go try to do it. Whatever it takes to win football games.” Barkley is averaging 124.8 yards per game. At that pace and with one more game to play than Dickerson, he would become the top single-season rusher in NFL history. He needs 483 yards yards over the final four games to top Dickerson’s 40-year-old record. He averaged 6.2 yards on 20 carries against the Panthers to help the Eagles win their ninth straight game. McCoy, who was inducted into the team's Hall of Fame this season, remains the franchise’s rushing leader with 6,792 yards. Referencing his old uniform number, McCoy congratulated Barkley on social media with “a lot of love, coming from 2-5." “Being a fan of Shady's growing up, and seeing the spectacular things he was able to do with the ball in his hand, to be able to have my name mentioned with him definitely means a lot,” Barkley said. Barkley left the New York Giants in the offseason and signed a three-year deal worth $26 million guaranteed to join the Eagles, who made him the highest-paid running back in franchise history. The 27-year-old has been worth every dollar. Barkley is among the favorites for league MVP, according to BetMGM Sportsbook. Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen was the only player with better MVP odds entering Sunday. Barkley has a franchise-record nine 100-yard rushing games in a season. Although he was held out of the end zone Sunday, he began the day leading the league with four rushing touchdowns of 25-plus yards. Barkley, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft, topped 1,000 yards three times in his six seasons with the Giants. He finished with 1,312 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns in 2022 and rushed for 1,307 yards and 11 scores as a rookie. Eagles general manager Howie Roseman, who had been unwilling to spend on elite running backs, pounced on Barkley and the decision was celebrated as a success in Philly from the first game of the season. Barkley rushed for two scores and caught a TD pass in the opener against Green Bay. His three touchdowns were the most by an Eagles player in his debut since Terrell Owens in 2004. Barkley only soared in production and popularity from there, his highlight reel stamped by a reverse leap over the head of a Jacksonville defender last month. He's since vaulted over every running back ahead of him on the Eagles rushing list — and has a chance at NFL history. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL
Indiana aims to limit turnovers vs. MinnesotaAll that is needed for an agreement on crossings is political will, UNSG Special Representative and Head of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP), Colin Stewart, said on Tuesday at the end-of-year reception held at Ledra Palace in the presence of President Nikos Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader, Ersin Tatar. The opening of new crossing points would benefit people on both sides of the island, would strengthen intra-island interdependence, building positive conditions for a settlement, and create positive momentum for the next steps, he added. Stewart also said that preparations for an informal meeting in a larger format which will bring together the two leaders and the guarantor powers under the auspices of the UN Secretary-General, are already under discussion at the UN headquarters. During the event, the two leaders talked for about 15 minutes , with Christodoulides asking the Turkish Cypriot leader to arrange a meeting. In his speech, Stewart said the traditional end of the year reception under the auspices of the Secretary General’s Good offices mission in Cyprus was also “an opportunity” to bring the two leaders together in a festive social setting, together with their teams, the diplomatic community, a broad spectrum of civil society, both sides of the island and United Nations staff. This gathering, he added, “is also a chance to take stock of what it’s been achieved in the past year in the name of a better future for Cyprus”. “I’m happy to say that while the world around Cyprus continues to go through unprecedented challenges, we are witnessing some new glimmers of hope”, Stewart said. “As you all know, in the first half of the year, a new personal envoy of the Secretary General, Maria Angela Holguin Cuellar, engaged actively with the parties and other key interlocutors”, he said. Building on this work, he added, the Secretary-General hosted an informal dinner in New York on October 15 for the two leaders. “This is the first time that these two leaders have met under the Secretary General’s auspices”, Stewart noted, adding that they agreed with the Secretary-General to start exploring the opening of new crossing points, “and I’m happy to note that in our initial discussions with the representatives of the leaders, we have noted a new energy, a new optimism, a new commitment to finding an agreement ”. “In fact, there was so much optimism at the beginning, we thought we would have an announcement for you here tonight. But these things take a little while. Nothing of this sort is ever quick and easy, but I’m hopeful”, he added. He expressed the belief that agreement on crossings was “doable in a way that is beneficial to both sides”, noting that all that is needed “as always, is the political will”. “The other important thing that was agreed by the two leaders was to meet again informally in a larger format which will bring together the two leaders and the guarantor powers under the auspices of the Secretary-General, for crucial discussion on the way forward”, Stewart said, adding that preparations for such a meeting are already under discussion at the UN headquarters. He also noted that 2024 has been “a landmark year” for the United Nations in Cyprus. “The 60th anniversary of the United Nations Peacekeeping and mediation presence in Cyprus was an unhappy anniversary in a year of unhappy anniversaries”, he said, adding that, all of which remind us that a settlement of the Cyprus issue, “is long overdue”. Stewart also referred to the work of the Technical Committees noting that, “as always” they have been working “quietly throughout the year on a number of good projects”. He noted, among other things, the work of the Technical Committee on Cultural Heritage and the completion of restoration work on a number of sites, on both sides of the divide. Stewart also said that the Technical Committee on Health continues to collaborate on diseases carried by mosquitoes, while the Veterinary subcommittee is now actively looking for ways to allow personal pets to be brought through the Green Line.
Sanctuary Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Limbach Holdings, Inc. ( NASDAQ:LMB – Free Report ) during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 3,456 shares of the construction company’s stock, valued at approximately $262,000. A number of other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of LMB. Renaissance Technologies LLC lifted its holdings in Limbach by 6.4% during the 2nd quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 394,871 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $22,480,000 after purchasing an additional 23,700 shares during the last quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP lifted its holdings in shares of Limbach by 6.7% during the third quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP now owns 372,836 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $28,246,000 after buying an additional 23,360 shares in the last quarter. Corsair Capital Management L.P. boosted its position in shares of Limbach by 1.3% in the third quarter. Corsair Capital Management L.P. now owns 313,360 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $23,740,000 after acquiring an additional 3,988 shares during the period. Royce & Associates LP grew its stake in shares of Limbach by 35.3% in the third quarter. Royce & Associates LP now owns 249,578 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $18,908,000 after acquiring an additional 65,082 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC increased its position in Limbach by 2.2% during the third quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 238,445 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $18,068,000 after acquiring an additional 5,093 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 55.85% of the company’s stock. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of research analysts have issued reports on LMB shares. Stifel Nicolaus increased their target price on shares of Limbach from $108.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 11th. Roth Mkm raised their price objective on Limbach from $67.00 to $80.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, November 4th. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded Limbach from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 14th. Insider Buying and Selling In related news, Director David Richard Gaboury bought 531 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 10th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $94.51 per share, with a total value of $50,184.81. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now owns 2,071 shares in the company, valued at $195,730.21. This represents a 34.48 % increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link . 10.20% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. Limbach Price Performance LMB stock opened at $85.90 on Friday. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $90.86 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $73.91. The firm has a market cap of $968.35 million, a P/E ratio of 39.05, a P/E/G ratio of 3.10 and a beta of 1.09. The company has a quick ratio of 1.57, a current ratio of 1.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.14. Limbach Holdings, Inc. has a 12 month low of $35.24 and a 12 month high of $107.00. Limbach ( NASDAQ:LMB – Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, November 5th. The construction company reported $0.62 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.57 by $0.05. Limbach had a net margin of 5.08% and a return on equity of 20.16%. The business had revenue of $133.90 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $129.50 million. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.61 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 4.9% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts anticipate that Limbach Holdings, Inc. will post 2.54 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Limbach Profile ( Free Report ) Limbach Holdings, Inc operates as a building systems solution company in the United States. It operates through two segments, General Contractor Relationships and Owner Direct Relationships. The company engages in the construction and renovation projects that involve primarily include mechanical, plumbing, and electrical services. Further Reading Five stocks we like better than Limbach Where Do I Find 52-Week Highs and Lows? Buffett Takes the Bait; Berkshire Buys More Oxy in December What Does a Stock Split Mean? Top 3 ETFs to Hedge Against Inflation in 2025 How Technical Indicators Can Help You Find Oversold Stocks These 3 Chip Stock Kings Are Still Buys for 2025 Receive News & Ratings for Limbach Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Limbach and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .
CEO’s killing shows challenges in protecting top brass
After a thrilling conference championship Saturday and a drawn-out reveal show Sunday, the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff field is set. The first true tournament in FBS history has plenty to love -- and elements to loathe. What Went Right: Unique opening-round matchups Whether the first round proves to be more competitive than the four-team Playoff's often lopsided semifinal matchups remains to be seen. Until then, there is at least intrigue in the historic rarity of the four pairings. One opening-round matchup -- ACC automatic qualifier Clemson at Texas -- is a first-time encounter between two programs that combine for seven claimed national championships. Of the other three, the most recent contest occurred in 1996 when Tennessee topped Ohio State in the Citrus Bowl. The Vols and Buckeyes meet as the No. 9 and No. 8 seeds at Ohio State's Horseshoe, with the winner advancing to face top overall seed Oregon. SMU, a perhaps surprising final at-large selection given the Mustangs' dearth of high-profile wins, meets Penn State for the third time ever and first since 1978. The Nittany Lions scored a 26-21 come-from-behind win in Happy Valley, where they will again host SMU. The Penn State victory ended a 30-year stalemate after the first and only meeting in the 1948 Cotton Bowl produced a 13-13 tie. Here's hoping the third part of a 76-year trilogy is as closely contested as the initial two. Meanwhile, the matchup with the most previous installments is the closest in proximity -- less than 200 miles separate in-state counterparts Indiana and Notre Dame -- and the most lopsided. The Fighting Irish and Hoosiers last played in 1991, with Notre Dame's 49-27 win marking its sixth straight victory by multiple scores. Indiana's last win in the series came in 1950, a 20-7 Hoosiers victory in Bloomington. What Went Right: Boise State's big opportunity Although not the first outsider to reach or win a Bowl Championship Series game, Boise State's 2007 Fiesta Bowl victory over Oklahoma was arguably the most pivotal moment in building support for outsiders to compete for the national championship. The Broncos spent two decades knocking on the door, beginning with their perfect 2004 regular season, extending through two Fiesta Bowl wins, and withstanding the heartbreak of late-season losses in 2010 and 2011. The celebration in response to Boise State being part of the bracket -- and not just in, but as the No. 3 seed with a bye into the quarterfinals -- marked a culmination of generations of effort for just this opportunity. What Went Right: ‘Football weather' comes to the postseason From the birth of the bowl system with the first-ever Rose Bowl Game, college football's postseason has resided primarily in warm-weather destinations. This makes sense for the original purpose of bowl games as showcases and celebrations of a team's regular-season performance, but less so for the goal of crowning a national champion. After decades of playing what often amounted to road games in the postseason, northern teams get their opportunity to host. Three of the four first-round contests are in such climates -- though Indiana won't be particularly disadvantaged by weather when playing Notre Dame in South Bend. With average December highs in Pennsylvania in the 30s, SMU will need its heaters on the sideline at Penn State's Beaver Stadium. The more intriguing trip, however, is Tennessee's to Ohio State. Longtime college football fans know the arguments about SEC teams playing in Big Ten country late in the year. Pitting two high-quality teams from the two leagues head-to-head in such conditions is a highlight of this new postseason system. And, given Tennessee and Ohio State have two of the nation's best defenses, expect a style of play befitting what is often described as football weather. What Went Wrong: More teams means more politicking When Mack Brown seemingly spent as much time on TV campaigning in 2004 as that year's presidential candidates, George W. Bush and John Kerry, his Texas Longhorns were among a small collection of teams vying for BCS bids. With the 12-team Playoff opening the top postseason opportunities to as many as 20 teams realistically, the political campaign ads that mercilessly ended in early November were replaced by the politicking of college football figures. Iowa State athletic director Jamie Pollard spent last week taking shots at SMU and other programs over strength of schedule -- a point neglecting that the Cyclones' losses came to unranked Texas Tech and sub-.500 Kansas. Arizona State's thorough dismantling of Iowa State in the Big 12 Championship Game solved that debate at the proverbial ballot box. However, brace yourself for an offseason of recount demands coming out of the SEC. Alabama's exclusion at 9-3, while 11-2 SMU landed the final at-large spot, is sure to play into the same controversy that South Carolina coach Shane Beamer leaned into last week. Beamer told The State (Columbia, S.C.) last week that his program may consider changing its nonconference scheduling in response to its seemingly inevitable Playoff snub. It's an odd position, given South Carolina's three losses all came in-conference, and the Gamecocks' nonleague slate included sub-.500 teams Old Dominion, Akron and FCS Wofford. But then again, how often are political campaign pitches rooted in logic? What Went Wrong: Quantity over quality? A more salient position in Beamer's case for South Carolina is that the Gamecocks scored quality wins during a season-ending, six-game streak. With its Rivalry Week defeat of Clemson, South Carolina added a victory over a Playoff qualifier to complement victories over Texas A&M and Missouri. Alabama, meanwhile, boasts wins over No. 2 overall seed Georgia and that same South Carolina team in contention. SMU's resume might be the most likely to draw ire, given the Mustangs received the last at-large berth. However, SMU beat nine- and eight-win Duke and Louisville, with two losses by a combined six points. Indiana should be the more contentious at-large choice, with the Hoosiers beating only one team that finished above .500: 7-5 Michigan. Indiana's only other matchup with an above-.500 opponent was a 38-15 blowout at Ohio State. That's something Alabama and South Carolina have in common with Indiana, as all three teams lost in routs. Alabama dropped a 24-3 decision late in the season at Oklahoma that presumably doomed the Crimson Tide's chances, while South Carolina lost to Ole Miss 27-3. To that end, there are arguments to be made for and against every team that was on the bubble. No system will ever appease all parties. What Went Wrong: Seeding conundrum Much of the Playoff's very existence flies in the face of college football tradition. One facet of how the field was set that upholds tradition in its own small way is rewarding teams for winning their conferences by reserving the four first-round byes for league champions. When this format was implemented, however, the committee could not have envisioned that two of the top five conference champions would not be ranked in the top 10. Because three-loss Clemson survived a furious SMU comeback in the ACC championship game, and Arizona State caught fire after underwhelming losses to Texas Tech and Cincinnati to win a weak Big 12, the committee was in the unusual position of having to slot a non-power conference champion and double-digit-ranked team in a top-four spot. This first edition of the Playoff seems likely to be the last to use this format, even if this scenario seems like an outlier. --Kyle Kensing, Field Level MediaWEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — If last month's election wasn't painful enough for Florida Democrats, they're losing another state House seat after one of their members announced Monday that she's switching parties. State Rep. Susan Valdés, a former school board member who was reelected as a Democrat last month, said on X that she is “tired of being the party of protesting.” Valdés ran to be chairperson for her local county’s Democratic executive committee earlier this month. She won her current term by nearly 5 percentage points but can't run for reelection again because of term limits. Republicans have controlled the governor’s office and both branches of the Legislature since 1999. Valdés is serving her final two years before leaving office due to term limits. Republicans now have an 86-34 majority in the House. “I got into politics to be part of the party of progress,” Valdés wrote. “I know that I won’t agree with my fellow Republican House members on every issue, but I know that in their caucus, I will be welcomed and treated with respect.” House Speaker Daniel Perez reposted Valdés’ statement and welcomed her into the House, where Republicans have a supermajority of 86-34. House Democratic Leader Fentrice Driskell said she was surprised and disappointed by Valdés’ announcement. “It is sad that she has elevated her own aspirations above the needs of her district,” Driskell wrote in a statement on X.