MAYFIELD, JACKSON, LOVE ARE HEISMAN TROPHY FINALISTS
Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield made Heisman Trophy history just by being selected as a finalist.
Mayfield, reigning Heisman winner Lamar Jackson of Louisville and Stanford running back Bryce Love were chosen Monday as finalists for the 83rd Heisman Trophy.
The award for most outstanding college football player will be given out Saturday night in New York.
Mayfield and Jackson are finalists for the second straight year, and Jackson is trying to become the second player to win two Heismans, joining former Ohio State star Archie Griffin.
Mayfield, though, will come to Manhattan as the clear favorite. He finished fourth in the Heisman voting in 2015 but was not invited to New York. Last year, he was one of five finalists and finished third behind Jackson and Clemson’s Deshaun Watson.
Mayfield is the seventh player to finish in the top five of Heisman voting three times, joining Glenn Davis and Doc Blanchard of Army, Doak Walker of SMU, Griffin, Herschel Walker of Georgia and Tim Tebow of Florida.
The Heisman has been naming finalists and bringing them to New York for the presentation since 1982. Mayfield is the ninth Oklahoma player to be selected as a finalist, matching Miami for the most from one school.
Ohtani trims list of MLB teams.
YORK» Japanese pitcher and outfielder NEW Shohei Ohtani cut the field of major league teams he is considering to five clubs on the West Coast plus the Chicago Cubs and Texas Rangers.
The Los Angeles Dodgers and Angels, San Francisco, San Diego and Seattle all remain in contention.
Several teams said Sunday they were told they had been eliminated, and the seven remaining were confirmed on Monday.
• Aaron Boone’s hiring was finalized by the New York Yankees, who gave the ESPN broadcaster a threeyear contract to succeed Joe Girardi as manager. The club also said Larry Rothschild will return as pitching coach.
IOC weighs Russian Olympic ban.
Russia could be banned from competing at the Pyeongchang Olympics.
The decision will come on Tuesday when the International Olympic Committee executive board meets in Lausanne, less than nine weeks before the games open Feb. 9 in South Korea.
Falcons rally past Western State.
Lavelle Scottie had a career-high 27 points on 11-of14 shooting and Air Force men’s basketball overcame an early 23-point deficit to beat Western State 79-67.
The Falcons missed nine of their first 11 shots while the Mountaineers jumped to a 27-4 lead in the first nine-plus minutes. Air Force pulled the margin back to 46-33 by halftime and erased the deficit entirely at 53all.
The Falcons tied it at 55, the Mountaineers tied it at 57 and then Air Force took off with a 15-4 run and led by at least nine the rest of the way.
• Terance Mann scored 25 points, CJ Walker added 17 and Florida State upset No. 5 Florida 83-66.
The Seminoles also extended their winning streak against the Gators to four, their longest in the 68-game history of the series.
• Jo Lual-Acuil had 15 points and 11 rebounds, leading six players who scored in double figures for No. 23 Baylor during an 84-56 win over Sam Houston State.
• Katelynn Flaherty scored 22 of her 26 points in the first half and the No. 24 Michigan women cruised by Detroit Mercy 86-50.
Footnote.
Portland Timbers midfielder Diego Valeri was named Major League Soccer’s most valuable player.