Knicks win NBA Cup final; Terence 'Bud' Crawford retires from boxing; Packers plummet in NFL Power Rankings

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Good morning, sports fans! It's Austin Nivison greeting you. Congratulations to the Knicks on winning the NBA Cup, and farewell to boxing legend Terence Crawford, who chose to ride off into the sunset. We'll have all that and more in today's newsletter, so let's not waste anymore time.

🏆 Five things to know Wednesday

1. The Knicks defeated the Spurs to win the NBA Cup. It's title time in the Big Apple. Down by five going into the fourth quarter of the NBA Cup championship, the Knicks rallied to beat the Spurs in impressive fashion, 124-113. OG Anunoby was the difference for New York as he totaled 28 points, including a dagger 3-pointer in the final quarter, while adding nine rebounds and three assists. Jalen Brunson added 25 points and was named NBA Cup MVP. Now three years into the NBA Cup experience, our Sam Quinn notes what's working and what isn't.
2. Terence "Bud" Crawford retires from boxing with perfect 42-0 record. The top pound-for-pound boxer in the world, Crawford was a five-division champion and the undisputed champion at the junior welterweight, welterweight and super middleweight levels. Just months after his unanimous decision victory over Canelo Alvarez, Crawford announced that he is hanging up his gloves for good. He will go out as one of the best boxers of his generation thanks to his untarnished record, which includes 31 knockouts.
3. Arch Manning will return to Texas for the 2026 season. For much of the season, there was little question that Manning would be back with the Horns next year. Then, he surged at the end of the season, even leading Texas to an upset win over No. 3 Texas A&M. That stretch at least left the door open for a jump to the NFL, but Manning will be back for another season in Austin. On a related note, USC quarterback Jayden Maiava is also staying put in the City of Angels.
4. Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love declared for the NFL Draft. One college football star who will not be back in 2026 is Love, who announced he was going to the NFL on Tuesday night. It makes sense for Love, a Heisman Trophy finalist, because he will be one of the top running backs in the 2026 class. In one of our recent mock drafts, Love comes off the board at No. 9 overall to the Cardinals. Love ends his Irish career with 2,882 rushing yards and 36 rushing touchdowns.
5. The ACC is updating its tiebreaker policy after missing out on the College Football Playoff. Who could have seen this  coming? After a 7-5 Duke team reached the ACC title game and won -- eliminating the conference from the playoff -- the league announced it will revise its tiebreaker policy. The details of the new tiebreakers haven't been hammered out yet, but the ACC said they will be laid out prior to the 2026 season.

📈 Do not miss this: Packers plummet in NFL Power Rankings

The Packers suffered a tough road loss against the Broncos on Sunday, but it sure felt like more than one defeat. Star pass rusher Micah Parsons tore his ACL, and they also lost key contributors in right tackle Zach Tom and safety Evan Williams.

The NFL season is a battle of attrition, and right now the Packers are losing that battle. In Pete Prisco's latest NFL Power Rankings, Green Bay was the biggest faller, sinking five spots to No. 10. Can Green Bay keep it together for a Super Bowl run? Maybe, but it will take something special.

• Prisco: "The Packers drop to No. 10 in my power rankings this week after the loss to the Broncos. I picked Green Bay to reach the Super Bowl before the Parsons injury, but these injuries will be tough to overcome. Is it impossible? Not if Jordan Love plays out of his mind and players like Rashan Gary and Lukas Van Ness emerge as dominant edge rushers. But it certainly won't be easy."

With the Packers and Rams both suffering key injuries in Week 15, the NFC Championship race suddenly opened up a little bit. Can teams like the 49ers, Bears and Seahawks take advantage?

🏈 Top 25 players in the College Football Playoff

The College Football Playoff kicks off this weekend, and some of the nation's top stars will go head-to-head in the hunt for a national championship. That said, you may as well get familiar with the most important players in the 12-team field.

Blake Brockermeyer ranked the 25 most important players in this year's College Football Playoff. It should come as no shock that Heisman Trophy winner Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza takes the top spot, but Oregon signal caller Dante Moore slots in at No. 5. Moore's poise and ability to make plays in a variety of ways will be key for the Ducks.

• Brockermeyer: "Moore played like a seasoned veteran, completing 72.5% of his passes on the season. He remained calm under pressure and consistently delivered in clutch situations, recording 24 big-time throws and 24 passing touchdowns. Moore also has the ability to run around or through defenders when plays break down and can create effectively on the move."

For those worried about another lopsided first round this year, fear not. This weekend's games should all be much more competitive than last year thanks to a key format tweak. In a similar vein, every fan base needs a little hope their team can win it all, so here is how each College Football Playoff team can go the distance.

👍👎 The best (and not-so-best) of the rest

• Sienna Betts made her highly-anticipated debut for UCLA and notched five points and two assists.
• Snoop Dogg will headline NFL Christmas Day halftime show during Vikings-Lions game.
• Michigan could roll the dice with Biff Poggi, but it would be an enormous risk.
• Trade season is heating up in the NBA, and here are 100 names that could be on the move.
• Speaking of which, could the Bucks hang onto Giannis Antetokounmpo and make some win-now moves?
• Rockets coach Ime Udoka didn't shy away from blasting the refs after a controversial call.
• Here's how NBA teams can prevent more injuries to all their key big men.
• Ohio State star Bruce Thornton is on an absolute heater these days.
• Coach swap: Ole Miss is hiring LSU interim coach Frank Wilson to its staff.
• Could the Padres move Fernando Tatis Jr. to keep their payroll in check?
• The Diamondbacks have entered the race to sign Alex Bregman.
• Napheesa Collier stands by her criticism of the WNBA but says the "future is bright."
• Nick Saban is in the hockey business after purchasing a stake in the Predators.
• Former USMNT star Michael Bradley is getting his shot to lead the New York Red Bulls.

📺 What we're watching Wednesday

⚽ We'll be watching the UEFA Women's Champions League all day on Paramount+.

🏈 Old Dominion vs. USF, 5 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 No. 13 Vanderbilt at Memphis (M), 7 p.m. on ESPN2
🏒 Mammoth at Red Wings, 7:30 p.m. on TNT
🏀 Grizzlies at Timberwolves, 8 p.m. on NBA TV
🏈 Louisiana vs. Delaware, 8:30 p.m. on ESPN
🏒 Devils at Golden Knights, 10 p.m. on TNT