dney Jones in the secondary, but Penn States defense gave Ohio Stat

VAL GARDENA, Italy -- Steven Nyman and his girlfriend were lying under the stars admiring the view atop one of the Dolomites most majestic mountain passes when they decided to open the doctors email.The couple is expecting a baby girl in June.Slightly more than 12 hours after finding out the sex of his baby, Nyman celebrated the news with a third-placed finish in the Val Gardena downhill Saturday despite a hair-raising landing off the biggest jump on the high-speed Saslong course.With his grandmother having died of cancer three days ago, Nymans mind has been racing as fast as his skis lately.For her to pass and knowing she has moved on and then figuring out that Im going to have a little girl, Nyman said. Its been emotional.Nymans girlfriend, Charlotte Moats, may have had the toughest test of emotions, watching from the finish as Nyman lost control over the legendary camel jump, which launches skiers into the air for nearly 90 yards -- almost the full length of a football field.Nyman flailed his arms to regain his balance and sat all the way down on his skis to soften the landing and somehow restore control.It made me roll down the windows and gave me a good scare, Nyman said. I let out a good grunt when I landed and pulled myself back up. ... I was just telling myself, `You got to keep pushing. The first thing in my mind was that the knees didnt pop so things are OK. `Lets keep going, keep charging. Lets go, lets go, lets go.All three of Nymans wins have come in Val Gardena. The Sundance, Utah, skier still needs one more to match Austrian legend Franz Klammer and Italian standout Kristian Ghedina for a record fourth downhill victory on the Saslong.Im old but Im healthy and happy and I have several more years in me, said Nyman, now the oldest member of the U.S. team at 34. My lady thinks I can go till 2022. I dont know about that, but well see.Either way, Nyman will forever be linked to this race and this area -- perhaps thats why he and Moats decided to wait until they got to Alto Adige to open the baby news.We were lying under the stars last night at the top of Passo Sella and were like, `Lets open this email, Nyman said. And we opened it and were like, `Its a girl! ... And then were like, `Lets name it Sella.I dont know if thats going to (work out) but we might name it Sella. Or it could be Ronda, (for) Sellaronda, Nyman said, referring to the 40-kilometer (25-mile) loop of interconnected trails around the Sella Range.In a race won by Austrias Max Franz, the U.S. Ski Team had a strong showing with Travis Ganong finishing seventh and Bryce Bennett coming eighth with the No. 54 bib.I know I have speed to be faster than anybody, but its having all the splits add up at the end. Its close, its super close, Ganong said. Hopefully I can build from this and look at the video and figure out why I lose time in one section of every race and hopefully not do that next race and hopefully win.Up next for the speed team is a set of races in Santa Catarina, where Ganong posted his only win two years ago.Then its off to the downhill classics in Wengen, Switzerland, and Kitzbuehel, Austria, in January, followed by the world championships in St. Moritz, Switzerland, in February -- a major test before next seasons Pyeongchang Olympics.First, though, Nyman is inviting the entire team to his apartment in Innsbruck, Austria, for Christmas -- Ganong and his girlfriend, the Canadian skier Marie-Michele Gagnon; two-time Olympic super-G medalist Andrew Weibrecht and his wife and 10-month old daughter; plus some coaches and members of the U.S. womens team.Its going to be quite a change from the usual holiday of just the guys hanging out in Bormio.We got a big Christmas tree and its just nice to create that environment, Nyman said. Usually as men we have a very depressing Christmas. We dont find it all that depressing but the women do. So theyre aching to make it a little more festive.Nyman, for one, has plenty to celebrate.---Andrew Dampf on Twitter: www.twitter.com/asdampfWholesale Yeezy Boost . -- There were a lot of firsts for the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night. Discount Yeezys . That gave fans outside Joe Louis Arena another chance to ask for autographs from the 19-year-old whose stardom in the NHL has arrived earlier than most expected. http://www.wholesaleyeezy.com/ . Thousands of Southern California fans enveloped the Trojans to celebrate an improbable win secured by an interim coach, an inconsistent kicker and a thin defence that wouldnt break. Discount Yeezy Shop . Philadelphia is 2-0 against the Senators this season and scored five goals in each victory. The Flyers recorded a 5-0 win in Ottawa on Nov. 12 and then earned a 5-2 home decision on Nov. 19. The Flyers have claimed three straight and four of the last five encounters with the Sens overall and Philly has won two in a row and three of its past four tests in Canadas capital city. Cheap Yeezys Real . LOUIS -- St.The third College Football Playoff rankings had barely been released before Bill Hancock, the CFPs executive director, reiterated that the system is working.We are confident, Hancock said Sunday, that four is the right number.But eight is so much more fun! And it seems that the majority of fans want the playoff to expand! And every playoff in every major American sport has eventually grown bigger!I dont anticipate any discussion about expansion, Hancock said.Hancock is a prince of a guy, but when it comes to college footballs postseason, hes the smiling sheriff of the fun police. Just because the sports decision-makers arent interested in exploring an eight-team playoff doesnt mean we cant drum up one.Why eight teams? Many believe eight is the sweet spot for the college football playoff: more national representation but not too much, and only one more round of competition.What would an eight-team playoff look like this season? The exercise is part reality and part subjectivity.To acknowledge the selection committee members, we will use their top four: No. 1 Alabama, No. 2 Clemson, No. 3 Ohio State and No. 4 Washington.Now, the fun part: We pick the next four!They are: No. 5 Penn State, No. 6 Michigan, No. 7 USC and No. 8 Oklahoma. Despite a 39-point loss at Michigan Stadium, Penn State is ahead of the Wolverines because of its overall profile (wins over Ohio State, Wisconsin, Temple and Iowa) and conference championship. USC didnt win its conference or division but has two better wins -- Washington and Colorado -- than anything on Oklahomas résumé. Plus, outside of Alabama, USC is the team no one wants to play.The first four out: Wisconsin, Florida State, Colorado and Western Michigan.Heres how a hypothetical eight-team playoff would look this year.No. 1 Alabama (13-0) vs. No. 8 Oklahoma (10-2) The Sooners want to show theyre not the same team that started 1-2, and coach Bob Stoops always craves chances to take down the SECs best. The game features the nations most dominant defense against a surging Oklahoma offense featuring quarterback Baker Mayfield, running backs Samaje Perine and Joe Mixon, and transcendent wide receiver Dede Westbrook. It would take a lot for Oklahoma to win, but the Sooners have the type of offense -- coorddinated by Lincoln Riley -- that tends to give Alabama trouble.dddddddddddd Crimson Tide wide receivers Calvin Ridley and ArDarius Stewart would look to attack a vulnerable OU secondary.No. 2 Clemson (12-1) vs. No. 7 USC (9-3) Who wouldnt want to see this matchup? It has it all: game-changing quarterbacks in Clemsons Deshaun Watson and USCs Sam Darnold, NFL-ready wide receivers in Clemsons Mike Williams and USCs JuJu Smith-Schuster, solid running back play, and elite cornerbacks in USCs?Adoree Jackson?and Clemsons Cordrea Tankersley. If you like speed and highlights, this game will not disappoint. Clemson has been on the big stage much more often than USC in recent years, but the Trojans showed at Washington that they are coming back strong.No. 3 Ohio State (11-1) vs. No. 6 Michigan (10-2) Yes, we get to see The Game again. It wont be quite the same at a neutral site (unless the hypothetical playoff begins on campus, which isnt a bad thing at all), but these teams are so evenly matched that drama is inevitable. Michigan had the right blueprint to beat Ohio State the first time around. If quarterback Wilton Speight?could take better care of the football against an opportunistic Buckeyes defense, the Wolverines likely would advance. Ohio State would once again lean on Malik Hooker, Marshon Lattimore,?Raekwon McMillan?and the defense, as well as veteran signal-caller J.T. Barrett, to beat its archrival for the second time and advance to the semifinals.No. 4 Washington (12-1) vs. No. 5 Penn State (11-2) We debated these two through the night and into Sunday, but in an eight-team playoff, the Huskies and Nittany Lions settle it on the field. Underrated quarterbacks Jake Browning (Washington) and Trace McSorley (Penn State) lead big-play offenses with excellent running backs -- Washingtons Myles Gaskin and Lavon Coleman, and Penn States Saquon Barkley -- and perimeter threats in John Ross III?and DaeSean Hamilton. Washington has the more decorated defense, highlighted by Budda Baker and Sidney Jones in the secondary, but Penn States defense gave Ohio State fits and steadily improved as the season went along. ' ' '