Surge of betting on CFP semifinals falls short of record

LAS VEGAS — The combination of a strong College Football Playoff field and the semifinals being on New Year's Day sparked a surge in betting, but not to the level hoped for by sportsbooks.

There was anticipation records would be set, but the semifinals being played on a Monday likely kept that from happening.

The national championship between Michigan and Washington for the national championship will be Monday in Houston. Michigan is a 4 1/2-point favorite at FanDuel Sportsbook, but it's Washington that is driving the early action.

The Huskies are getting 64% of the bets and 62% of money to cover the spread, and 73% of bets are on Washington to win outright. The handle, though, is evenly split for the money line, which lists the Wolverines at minus-194 ($194 to win $100) and plus-160 ($100 to win $160) for Washington.

Both teams got there by surviving scintillating semifinals. The Wolverines used a defensive stand to beat Alabama 27-20 in overtime and the Huskies watched a two-possession lead disappear before finally denying Texas late for a 37-31 victory.

Joey Feazel, who heads college football betting for Caesars Sportsbook, said betting was up for the semifinals largely because more states have legalized sports wagering. But he said the average bets were up.

K-State hires Wells as co-offensive coordinator

Kansas State hired former Texas Tech coach Matt Wells on Thursday to join offensive line coach Conor Riley as the Wildcats' co-offensive coordinators following the departure of Collin Klein for the same job at Texas A&M.

Wells spent the past two seasons at Oklahoma as an offensive analyst and advisor to Sooners coach Brent Venables. But he is most well known for coaching his alma mater, Utah State, for six seasons and the Red Raiders for three seasons.

“He is someone who will bring a lot to the table as a member of our staff, from head coaching experience to developing some of the top quarterbacks in the game,” Kansas State coach Chris Klieman said. “He will be a great addition to our offensive room and system, providing tremendous X’s and O’s experience as well as a recruiting prowess that mirrors our philosophy.”

Wells played quarterback at Utah State and is considered one of the game's top offensive minds. Most of his success came with the Aggies, which he led to four bowl games and two 10-win seasons. He went 13-17 in three seasons at Texas Tech.

Alabama's McKinstry, Braswell enter draft

Alabama linebacker Chris Braswell and cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry are heading into the NFL draft.

Both players announced their decisions via social media posts on Thursday, joining linebacker Dallas Turner and offensive tackle JC Latham in announcing plans to leave the Southeastern Conference champion Crimson Tide for the NFL.

McKinstry was a first-team Associated Press All-American and two-time first-team All-Southeastern Conference pick during his three seasons in Tuscaloosa. He had 32 tackles and seven pass deflections this season while also returning punts.

Braswell finished second on the team with eight sacks, behind only Turner. He had 42 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss and three forced fumbles. He also blocked a kick and returned an interception 28 yards for a touchdown against Mississippi State.

Texas' top players declare for draft

AUSTIN, Texas — Several Texas Longhorns playmakers who led the team to the program's first appearance in the College Football Playoff and first Big 12 championship since 2009 have declared for next spring's NFL draft and will leave school early.

Wide receiver Xavier Worthy and defensive tackle Byron Murphy II have posted statements on social media announcing their departures. Multiple media outlets reported Thursday that tailback Jonathon Brooks is also leaving.

Texas finished 12-2. The Longhorns lost their CFP semifinal to Washington on Monday when Quinn Ewers' pass to Adonai Mitchell was batted away in the end zone as time expired.

Texas is still waiting on announcements from Mitchell, tight end J.T. Sanders and Ewers about their intentions for next season. Ewers, who passed for 3,429 yards and 22 touchdowns, indicated after the loss to Washington that he may return.

Ex-Kansas St. quarterback Howard off to Ohio State

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Former Kansas State quarterback Will Howard announced his intention to transfer to Ohio State on Thursday night, giving the Buckeyes a replacement for Kyle McCord after his own decision to transfer to Syracuse.

Howard made the announcement on his social media channels.

Howard has one season of eligibility remaining after he went 12-5 as a starter for the Wildcats, leading them past TCU in the 2022 Big 12 title game and helping them reach the Pop-Tarts Bowl this past season. But with Kansas State expected to turn over its offense to five-star prospect Avery Johnson, who led the Wildcats to a victory in the bowl game, Howard announced he was entering the transfer portal and considered Miami and Southern California before settling on Ohio State.

He also considered declaring for the NFL draft before deciding to spend a year with the Buckeyes.

Howard has prototypical NFL size at 6-foot-5, 240-plus pounds, and along with a strong arm the ability to run. He also gives Ohio State some experience, having started 27 games and thrown for 5,786 yards and 48 touchdowns during his career.

Mississippi's Judkins plans to transfer

OXFORD, Miss. — Mississippi running back Quinshon Judkins is entering the transfer portal after opening his college career with two 1,000-yard seasons.

The Rebels' sophomore star announced his decision Thursday on X.

“After long talks with my family and hard prayer, I have decided to enter the transfer portal,” Judkins posted. “This decision to enter the transfer portal was not made lightly but I believe it is the best decision for my personal and athletic growth.”

Judkins helped lead Ole Miss to its first 11-win season and a Peach Bowl victory over Penn State. Players who participated in New Year's Six or College Football Playoff games were granted extra time to make decisions on entering the portal.

OBIT: Don Read, who helped build Montana into a Football Championship Subdivision powerhouse during a decade as its coach and led the team to its first national championship in 1995, died Wednesday, just days before the Grizzlies were set to play for a third national title. He was 90.

NMSU: New Mexico State didn’t need to look far when searching for a new head football coach. Eleven days after Jerry Kill stepped down after two seasons with the Aggies, Tony Sanchez was officially introduced as the program’s 36th head coach. The 49-year-old Sanchez was a wide receiver for New Mexico State from 1994-95 and coached that position the past two years.

OKLAHOMA: Ted Roof was fired on Thursday as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Oklahoma, following a season in which the Sooners' defense started strong but struggled down the stretch.

OKLAHOMA STATE: Quarterback Alan Bowman was granted a seventh year of eligibility after the NCAA approved his waiver request.