Harbaugh: DB Hill questionable to play in Orange Bowl

Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh said Dec. 30 that defensive back Dax Hill was not yet in Miami and was questionable to play in the Orange Bowl against No. 3 Georgia.

Harbaugh did not provide details of what kept Hill from traveling with the team nor what could keep him out of the College Football Playoff semifinal on Friday night. Harbaugh added Hill could be joining the team in Florida later Dec. 30.

“He’s working through something right now,” Harbaugh said. “We’ll know more today.”

Hill is second on the team in tackles with 65 and has two interceptions for the secondranked Wolverines (12-1).

MAYO BATH » South Carolina coach Shane Beamer anticipated getting a bucket of mayonnaise dumped over his head would be awful.

And yet, it was worse than he could have imagined.

Beamer got hit in the back of the head by the cooler before 4 ½ gallons of mayo cascaded over his face and down his shirt, capping the Gamecocks’ celebration after their 38-21 victory over North Carolina in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl.

“I got hammered in the back of the head from the cooler — and then came the mayo,” Beamer said. “I may have a concussion. It was awful.”

He changed his shirt for the postgame news conference, but joked, “I still have mayo in my pockets.”

COLTS’ LEONARD BACK » Colts linebacker Darius Leonard couldn’t wait to get back to work Dec. 30. He has even bigger plans for Jan. 2. Less than three hours after team officials activated the two-time AllPro and two other starters from the reserve/ COVID-19 list, Leonard explained how difficult it was to miss the Dec. 25 game at Arizona — and how eager he is to face the Las Vegas Raiders this weekend. “Actually, I tested negative that morning and then probably around 1 or 2 is when I tested positive,” he said while wearing a mask on a video call with reporters. “I got on a plane ride back home around 7 and now we’re here. I feel good.”

BEARCATS VS. NO. 1 » Cincinnati is facing the AP’s No. 1-ranked team for the third time in program history, seeking its first victory over such an opponent. The Bearcats play Alabama in the Cotton Bowl on Dec. 31.

The Bearcats lost to Miami 45-13 on Oct. 18, 1986, then lost to Ohio State 37-7 on Sept. 16, 2006.

“If you want to have a shot at the title, you’ve got to beat the champs, and this is what we have,” Cincinnati coach Luke Fickell said. “We have a shot to beat the champs.”

Oddsmakers don’t give Cincinnati much of a chance. Fickell doesn’t mind.

“We’ve said it all year long, that the best team doesn’t always win the game,” Fickell said. “It’s just a reality. The teams that play the best win the football game.”