Penn State, Notre Dame arrive at Orange Bowl with a bigger game in mind

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Penn State, Notre Dame arrive at Orange Bowl with a bigger game in mind

2025-01-08 08:30 Last Updated At：08:41

DANIA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — In an era that is now long gone, a trip to the Orange Bowl meant a break from the rough weather up north and the capper to a successful season that, if things had gone great, ended with a championship trophy in the case.

This season, for Penn State (13-2) and Notre Dame (13-1), it's the latest stop in the “One and Done” tour that college football has become.

This pair of iconic programs arrived in South Florida on Tuesday to get ready for the Orange Bowl, which is doubling as the College Football Playoff semifinal this year. At stake in Thursday's game: a trip to Atlanta to play for the national title on Jan. 20. The other semifinal, between Ohio State and Texas, is set for Friday at the Cotton Bowl.

“You get to this point in the season, and when you're out, you're out,” Penn State tight end Khalil Dinkins said of a season that could extend to 17 games for the Nittany Lions. “It's just an important thing to know when it comes to how you approach these games.”

Only in college football is the concept of “lose and you're out” in the postseason even remotely unique. The sport, which for decades revolved around bowl games like the Orange, Rose and Sugar, has now incorporated them into the 12-team playoff that's debuting this year.

Another unique part of this game is that either team playing Thursday could capture the national championship without fulfilling what used to be a virtually ironclad requirement to get that far — winning a conference title.

Back in the day, and even in the most recent four-team playoff, the biggest games were reserved (mostly) for conference champions, with a few runners-up and Notre Dame — which as an independent doesn't have a conference to win — sprinkled in.

“We realize what the stakes are,” Fighting Irish safety Xavier Watts said.

The Irish come in as 2 1/2-point favorites, according to BetMGM Sportsbook. They traveled to the Miami area with one day less between games than had originally been built into the schedule. Their Sugar Bowl game was pushed back a day after the deadly New Year's Day truck attack in the French Quarter in New Orleans.

It has made for a seven-day turnaround for Notre Dame — nothing unusual for the regular season, but slightly condensed this week due to the extra day away from campus that comes with a bowl game, to say nothing of the importance of the game itself.

Among the biggest game-plan challenges for Notre Dame defensive coordinator Al Golden — the former Miami coach who has connections everywhere he looks this week — will be coming up with a way of controlling Tyler Warren, Penn State's 6-foot-6, 260-pound tight end who can catch, but can also throw and run.

“It's never about, like, me versus him,” said Watts, who nevertheless will see Warren a lot in this game. “There will be a lot of people with different responsibilities, and whoever's covering him, it's just ‘Go get the job done.’”

On the other side, Penn State faces a Notre Dame team that has shown a willingness to mix things up.

Irish quarterback Riley Leonard had almost as many yards rushing (80) as passing (90) in last week's 23-10 win over Georgia, and his head-over-heels flip over a Bulldogs defender for a first down late in the game showed what he's willing to do for a win.

“How is this not common to see the quarterback doing everything he can to win?” Leonard said. “I just think that’s common sense.”

Leonard's play came not long after the Notre Dame punt team hustled off the field on fourth-and-short, to be quickly replaced by the offense. That drew the Bulldogs offsides and to keep a late, clock-draining drive going.

Receiver Jordan Faison said coaches aren't shy about introducing new twists and tricks throughout the season.

“It shows you the mental battle that's always going on in this game,” Faison said.

AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

National Board of Review Awards hold space for ‘Wicked’

2025-01-09 04:09 Last Updated At：04:11

NEW YORK (AP) — Days after “Wicked” went home from the Golden Globes with a single award for box office achievement, the National Board of Review Awards held space for the smash hit musical, celebrating its cast and director in the New York group's annual gala Tuesday.

The untelevised but starry NBR Awards were a chance for many of the nominees who didn’t win Sunday to trot out their would-be acceptance speeches, including Daniel Craig, the stars of “Wicked” and Nicole Kidman.

Accepting the award for best actress for her performance in the erotic thriller “Babygirl,” Kidman celebrated by chugging a glass of milk, a nod to some of the film's kinky sex games. After finishing, Kidman triumphantly announced “Good girl!" and left the stage.

It also was an opportunity for some jabs at the Globes. “Isn’t this room just a little bit classier than the Beverly Hilton?“ quipped presenter Christine Baranski, looking around the elegant marble-columned midtown venue, Cipriani’s.

Others were less impressed by the old-school New York vibe. “The bathroom attendant, that shouldn’t exist anymore,” Kieran Culkin said during a typically free-form acceptance speech for best supporting actor for his role in “A Real Pain.”

The night belonged to Jon M. Chu's “Wicked.” The musical was the board's pick for best film and best director for Chu, along with a special award for the creative collaboration of Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande. The two, in back-and-forth remarks, continued their mutual praise of each other.

“Also you’re welcome,” added Grande. “I truly think you would have murdered anyone else.”

“Probably true,” responded Erivo.

Chu, who was introduced by Lin-Manuel Miranda, used the moment to reflect on his yearslong journey with “Wicked,” which will be followed by an already-shot part two due out this November. So lengthy has his time in Oz been that the director noted he had three children during its making, including one born the day of the movie's premiere.

“No twins, same mom,” assured Chu. “I know what you guys are whispering.”

Ryan Reynolds, an avowed fan of the film, took up the topic in his introduction to the film's final award.

“The man missed the premiere of his own film so he could attend the birth of his fifth child,” Reynolds said. “I barely made it to the inception of my own children.”

The common theme of the night was community and togetherness. Coming a day after the anniversary of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot and less than two weeks before the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump, many alluded to Hollywood's role in the coming years.

Marc Platt, producer of “Wicked,” spoke about the deeper meanings of the film and having “the courage to speak truth to power especially when that power is manifested by those who come to it by blame or divisiveness.”

Craig, the best actor winner for his performance in Luca Guadagnino’s William S. Burroughs’ adaptation, “Queer,” declared: “We are in good shape.”

“If we continue to make and produce movies like this, our industry is going to continue to thrive,” said Craig, who dedicated his award “to the dreamers in the room.” “We need you now more than ever.”

A key feature of the NBR Awards, which were founded in 1909 by film enthusiasts, is its style of award presentation. Each winner is introduced by a close friend, collaborator or admirer. Last year’s surprise guest was Daniel Day-Lewis, who presented for Martin Scorsese and the best-film winner “Killers of the Flower Moon."

This year, Robert Pattinson dropped in to introduce India Donaldson, winner of the breakthrough director award for her acclaimed debut “Good One.” Pattinson called Donaldson “one of the most exciting filmmakers working today.”

Sofia Coppola presented best supporting actress to Elle Fanning, who starred as a 12-year-old in 2010's “Somewhere,” for her performance in “A Complete Unknown.” “She’s really the same person that I met when she was 11,” Coppola said.

Other introductions were more surprising. John Lithgow, there as part of the “Conclave” group that won best ensemble, introduced breakthrough performance winner and “Anora” star Mikey Madison. Lithgow had only just met her but profusely praised her performance, listing a wide array of its traits, one of which drew giggles from the crowd, and the 25-year-old Madison.

“I never thought John Lithgow would call me ‘sexually athletic,’” said Madison, who plays a Brooklyn sex worker in the film.

Carol Kane presented best animated film to the wondrous Latvian film “Flow,” about a cat and other animals in a flooded world. She didn’t, at first, seem well-suited to the job.

“I don’t get animation. I like to watch people, you know,” Kane said. Then she relented, calling “Flow” a revelation. “Animals, for a long time now, have been some of my favorite people.”