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Best Celebrity of the Year It All Comes Down to Jennifer Lawrence and One ...

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Happy New Year

It's finally 2015 and only two contenders are left in our battle for best celebrity of the year. After an entire week of intense voting it comes down to Oscar winning actress Jennifer Lawrence and a boy band teen girls can't get enough of. Yep we're talking about One Direction.

Will the Hunger Games star emerge as the winner in our final round or will the fans of Liam Payne Harry Styles Louis Tomlinson Zayn Malikand Niall Horan prove to be unstoppable

Vote in our last poll below and make sure to come back later tonight to find out who wins the title of Best Celebrity of 2014

VIDEO The Hunger Games meets One Direction in epic mashup

PHOTOS Red carpet gowns we'll never forget from 2014

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Watch an Aerial View of the Times Square Ball Dropping on New Years Eve

Anthony Quintano has the kind of access to the iconic Times Square New Year s Eve ball shared by only a few.

Quintano is the on site assistant to the camera operator who shoots the close up shot of the famous ball drop. The shot is fed live to networks broadcasting Times Square coverage.

Aside from the broadcast camera Quintano also mounts recording devices of his own. A few days before New Year s Eve he climbed to the top of the pole and rigged up a GoPro 3 Canon 5D Mark II and an iPhone 6 Plus. He then combined the footage to create a breathtaking view of the ball as it dropped.

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Meghan Trainor supports Nantucket church

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Forget about 2014 All About the Bass was one of the biggest hits of all time topping music charts all over the world. But has Meghan Trainor turned her back on her native Nantucket Nope. The other day Trainor happily posed for photos with young fans (Katrina Hancock at right) at a fund raiser for the Nantucket United Methodist Church where she and her parents are members. The 21 year old singer will spend New Year s Eve in Los Angeles where she ll perform as part of Dick Clark s New Year s Rockin Eve. Taylor Swift One Direction and Charli XCX are also on the bill.

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New Year New Opportunity 15 Intriguing Questions for 2015

The ball has dropped. The confetti has been cleared. The Ice Bucket Challenge and All About That Bass are officially so last year.

It's 2015 the beginning of a whole new year in the news.

What's in store Three hundred sixty five days from now we'll have answers. For now here are some of the most intriguing questions in the world.

1. Will Obama go to Cuba

It was a diplomatic stunner President Barack Obama announced in December that the United States would restore relations with Cuba chilled since the Kennedy administration and one day open an embassy in Havana.

A presidential visit would be politically dicey. Some Republicans most notably Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida were infuriated by the announcement. On the other hand Obama could bring home Cohibas. For personal use only of course.

CARLOS BARRIA / Reuters2. Who will emerge for the Republicans

The Iowa caucus is little more than a year away. And the GOP field is the most wide open in memory. Former Gov. Jeb Bush Gov. Chris Christie Gov. Scott Walker Gov. Rick Perry Sen. Rand Paul Sen. Ted Cruz and Rubio could all be contenders.

We'll get some clues at a debate at the Ronald Reagan Library in California on Sept. 15 with others still to be scheduled. They could be battling for the right to take on Hillary Rodham Clinton. Speaking of which

3. Will she or won't she (And if not her who )

The former secretary of state has said she'll make a decision about another White House bid after the first of the year. One of the most intriguing questions of 2015 will be which Democrats try to stop her or rush to fill the void if she says no.

Former Sen. Jim Webb of Virginia and former Gov. Martin O'Malley of Maryland are considering running. So is Sen. Bernard Sanders of Vermont. Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts has flatly said she won't run despite a Draft Warren movement.

4. Will they ever find Flight 370

Investigators are mapping and searching about 23 000 miles of the Indian Ocean floor in hopes of solving the greatest mystery in modern aviation what happened to the Boeing 777 that vanished March 8 on a flight from Malaysia to China.

Australia which is leading the investigation says the underwater hunt may be complete by May. The search is concentrated in what is known as the Seventh Arc a swath of seafloor defined by satellite and aircraft data.

Vincent Thian / AP file5. Will Bowe Bergdahl be court martialed

It's up to a four star Army general. Just before the year ended the military completed its investigation into the circumstances of Bergdahl's disappearance from his post in Afghanistan in June 2009.

Bergdahl was captured by the Taliban and held five years before the United States arranged for his freedom in exchange for five Taliban fighters imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay Cuba. Fellow soldiers have accused Bergdahl of desertion.

6. Will the Dow hit 20 000

It's already one of the longest bull markets in history and if it keeps going the Dow Jones industrial average could surpass a milestone that would have seemed unthinkable during the Great Recession. In March 2009 the Dow bottomed out at 6 547.

Good economic news is part of what's pushing stocks ever higher. Employers have added jobs for 50 months in a row which has never happened before and the economy grew in the third quarter of 2014 at a sizzling rate of 5 percent.

JUSTIN LANE / EPA7. Will the feds charge Darren Wilson

A grand jury's decision not to indict the officer in the shooting death of Michael Brown last August in Ferguson Missouri touched off protests around the country and a national debate about policing.

The Justice Department is conducting its own investigation and could prosecute Wilson on a civil rights charge. Legal experts say it's unlikely but Attorney General Eric Holder has stressed that the federal probe will be independent from the local one.

8. Will Ray Rice play in the NFL

The man at the center of the furor over domestic violence and the NFL says he wants a second chance. And a former federal judge cleared the way by overturning the league's indefinite suspension.

The question now Will any team take on the explosive public relations risk of signing him

9. Will gay marriage come to all 50 states

Supporters and opponents agree on this much The Supreme Court will have the final word on the matter and maybe as early as June. Gay marriage is legal in 35 states and the District of Columbia.

The justices took a pass on the issue last October. But a federal appeals court's decision to uphold bans on gay marriage in Kentucky Michigan Ohio and Tennessee made it much more likely that the Supreme Court will decide it this term.

Bill Pugliano / Getty Images file10. Will Vladimir Putin survive

He had quite the year in 2014 Russia invaded and then annexed the Crimean peninsula and pro Russian agitators were blamed for violence in east Ukraine including shooting down Malaysia Airlines Flight 17.

But his fortunes took a big turn as Western sanctions took hold the price of oil plunged and the value of the ruble collapsed. Russia now appears headed for a severe recession and Kremlin watchers say Putin may not even serve out the last four years of his term.

11. Does anybody want the Olympics

This is the year we find out who will host the 2022 Winter Games and it's down to just two cities Beijing and Almaty Kazakhstan.

Oslo Norway was in the running but it pulled out citing cost concerns. So did Munich Stockholm two Swiss cities and Krakow Poland. Russia spent an estimated $51 billion to stage the 2014 Olympics in Sochi.

12. What will ISIS control a year from now

The United States and its allies unleash airstrikes almost every day against the militants in Syria and Iraq. But the Defense Department has stressed that it will take time to degrade and ultimately destroy ISIS to use Obama's words.

That is perhaps best illustrated in the Syrian town of Kobani on the border with Turkey where Kurds have been fighting for more than three months to drive back the militants.

BULENT KILIC / AFP Getty Images13. Will Dzhokhar Tsarnaev get the death penalty

The surviving suspect in the Boston Marathon bombing which killed three people and injured more than 260 is set to go on trial Jan. 5.

His lawyers want to delay the trial until September. They say they are overwhelmed with material from prosecutors and worry that a January start could put the case in the jury's hands in April around the emotionally charged second anniversary of the blasts.

14. Will the Secret Service get its act together

Julia Pierson who ran the agency charged with protecting the president lost her job in October after a string of security lapses and embarrassments including a breach of the White House by an intruder who was carrying a knife.

The new acting director is asking for patience and a recently released independent review offers him some options to look over including raising the 7 foot fence around the executive mansion.

15. What will be the hot new weather trend

If you've paid attention to the forecast over the past few years you've been introduced to the haboob a massive dust storm the derecho a particularly fierce kind of windstorm and the turbocharging effect known as bombogenesis.

Few people had heard of the polar vortex until it pushed south from the Arctic last year with temperatures low enough to freeze the bitter curses coming off the tongues of people from Chicago to the Gulf Coast. What'll it be this year

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Its mid afternoon on New Years Eve and Times Square is already my worst ...

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What on earth does Auld Lang Syne mean

Auld Lang Syne was written by the famous Scots poet Robert Burns in 1788. 9NEWS at 8 a.m. 12/31/14.

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Orange Bowl Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets rough up Mississippi State Bulldogs

MIAMI GARDENS Fla. Georgia Tech players hopped happily hugged each other and danced in place. The clock had just struck midnight on New Year's Eve so they had two things to celebrate.

Minutes earlier the Yellow Jackets had completed a 49 34 victory over Mississippi State in the Orange Bowl.

Quarterback Justin Thomas was chosen the game's outstanding player Wednesday night after he directed an offense that totaled an Orange Bowl record 452 yards rushing. He ran for 121 yards and three touchdowns and threw for 125 yards and a score.

Synjyn Days ran for 171 yards and three scores including a 69 yarder that defused Mississippi State's comeback bid.

No. 12 Georgia Tech (11 3) earned its first Orange Bowl victory in 63 years. The Yellow Jackets improved to 2 8 in bowl games in the past 10 seasons.

Our program took a step forward this year Thomas said and we're planning to keep striving to put Georgia Tech's name on the top of the list.

The victory was especially sweet for an Atlantic Coast Conference team located in the heart of Southeastern Conference country.

For a week or so we won't have to hear about the SEC Tech coach Paul Johnson said.

No. 7 Mississippi State (10 3) lost three of its final four games after being ranked No. 1 for five consecutive weeks.

Mississippi State's Dak Prescott threw for 453 yards an Orange Bowl record and a career high. Mississippi State outgained Georgia Tech 605 577 and the two team total was an Orange Bowl record.

Georgia Tech running back Synjyn Days (10) scores a touchdown in the first quarter.

But the Bulldogs twice lost the ball on downs in the second half and two onside kick attempts failed.

We missed some big opportunities coach Dan Mullen said. We just didn't score enough points.

Mississippi State scored on a 42 yard Hail Mary on the final play of the first half to trail 21 20 but the Yellow Jackets were unfazed bouncing back with touchdowns on their first four possessions of the second half to lead 42 20.

We talked about it at halftime if we scored every time in the second half we couldn't lose because we were ahead Johnson said.

Georgia Tech's triple option attack had uncharacteristic balance in the first half when Thomas threw 10 times for 125 yards. Senior Darren Waller had a career high 114 yards on five catches including a 41 yard score.

The nation's second ranked rushing offense revved it up in the third quarter when the Yellow Jackets pulled away by gaining 208 yards all on the ground.

That's our game no matter who we play Thomas said. That's what we're going to do.

The 75 000 seat stadium was a third empty at the start and two thirds empty with 10 minutes left. But fans made plenty of noise especially Tech rooters.

After Georgia Tech scored a touchdown to take a 21 20 lead with 29 seconds left in the first half the Bulldogs started at their own 28. Four plays advanced the ball to the Yellow Jackets 42 with 5 seconds left and after a timeout Prescott heaved a pass into the end zone. Two defenders and Mississippi State's Joe Morrow got their hands on the ball and it deflected to Fred Ross who made a diving scoop for the improbable score.

I was just in the right spot Ross said.

The Yellow Jackets responded by shifting their ground game into high gear. First Days found a big hole on a dive play and broke two tackles en route to the end zone.

It was a big spark Thomas said. We got that touchdown and never looked back.

Thomas then scored on a 32 yard keeper juking past a defender in the backfield to break into the clear and make it 35 20. And after Jamal Golden forced a fumble at midfield Thomas scored again on a 15 yard run.

He made some great throws Mullen said. What made him dangerous is extending the plays. He made some great open field runs and made people miss.

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Jay Ajayi trick plays help Boise State win thrilling Fiesta Bowl

Rogelio V. Solis / Associated Press Jay Ajayi rushed for three first half touchdowns as Boise State built an early lead.

Boise State has a rich and thrilling Fiesta Bowl history often being portrayed as the fresh faced David to power teams' Goliath throughout much of the BCS era in college football. It's not hard to argue that the Broncos' previous success was a factor in being the first ever Group of Five team selected by the College Football Playoff selection committee to play in the prestigious Fiesta Bowl.

Like they did in those previous editions Boise State fought clawed and used every trick play in its playbook to find a path to victory on Wednesday night and top Pac 12 South champion Arizona 38 30.

Can't miss Moments Top CFB plays from New Year's Eve

Tailback Jay Ajayi who declared for the 2015 NFL Draft in a press conference last week once again put in a strong effort against a big name opponent powering the Broncos' run game to the tune of 22 carries for 134 yards and three touchdowns. The 6 foot 220 pounder ran well between the tackles and flaunted his speed for scouts in attendance by racing 56 yards for a score on the game's first drive to set the tone for the Mountain West champions.

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Stage screen actor Edward Herrmann dies at 71

FILE 2011 Edward Herrmann seen after presenting an award at the 39th International Emmy Awards in New York. (AP)

Edward Herrmann the towering melodious voiced actor who brought Franklin D. Roosevelt to life in films and documentaries won a Tony Award and charmed audiences as the stuffy dad on TV's Gilmore Girls died Wednesday. He was 71.

Herrmann died at Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital of brain cancer said his son Rory Herrmann. The actor who had been hospitalized for several weeks was surrounded by family members including his wife Star and his three children his son said.

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He was full of knowledge and kindness and goodness. ... He always wanted to share the great and beautiful things in life said Rory Herrmann. That included art music and classic cars.

The 6 foot 5 actor's favorite role was playing President Roosevelt his son said which he did in projects including the TV movies Eleanor and Franklin (1976) and its sequel Eleanor and Franklin The White House Years (1977) and in the 1982 movie musical Annie.

Herrmann also provided the voice for FDR in Ken Burns' documentary series The Roosevelts An Intimate History which aired on PBS last year.

His urbane tones were heard on other documentaries and on hundreds of audio books including Laura Hillenbrand's Unbroken. He had recently narrated a documentary on cancer Rory Herrmann said.

He appeared frequently on the big screen in major films including Reds and The Wolf of Wall Street and was an acclaimed stage actor whose Tony winning performance came in 1976 for a revival of Mrs. Warren's Profession opposite Lynn Redgrave.

Television was also a familiar home with appearances on The Good Wife and How I Met Your Mother. His best known role came on the 2000 07 series Gilmore Girls on which he portrayed the patrician father of a single mother played by Lauren Graham.

Besides his wife and son Herrmann's survivors include daughters Ryen and Emma. A private funeral was planned followed by a public memorial early next week Rory Herrmann said.

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The year Taylor Swift said goodbye to Nashville and shook off Spotify

This was the year in which Taylor Swift went big city on us. Just before releasing her fifth album 1989 the 25 year old singer announced that after a decade in Nashville she had decided to leave behind Music Row for Manhattan. Then to make it clear that she and Nashville are never ever getting back together Swift told the world she now wants her music to be thought of as pop not country. Nashville s many country music purists rejoiced.

But the queen of kiss off songs was kind enough to leave the Music City a parting gift. She started a feud with Spotify the top streaming service. Upset over her royalty payments Swift not only withheld 1989 from Spotify s servers she also asked the company to stop streaming her previous albums. Swift s label Big Machine Records claims to have received less than $500 000 from Spotify in the 12 months prior to her music coming down. The service would have paid out $6m for Swift s music in 2014 had she allowed it to stream her new album. Even taking into account the cut taken by Universal which distributes Swift s music the gap between the two sides figures is substantial.

Yet the decision appears to have paid off for Swift. Her new album sold 1.3m copies in its first week becoming the first album released in 2014 to go platinum. It was also the best one week performance by an album in 12 years. And 1989 has continued to sell well since having spent five weeks in Billboard s top slot. (The other two weeks the album has been out it ranked second in sales.)

Spotify for its part has managed to shake the controversy off. Though Swift was one of the service s most popular artists the company s chief executive spins the row as having generated good publicity for his site as it fights for market share with competitors such as Pandora.

Swift was in a strong position to make such a power play. As the most popular artist on an independent label Swift could dictate the terms for her album s release. And as often mocked as she may be her songs of teenaged angst have a large and loyal following. The girls for whom Swift s music is written and the parents who shop for those girls are almost certain to buy it in any form Swift chooses especially with its release coming so close to Christmas.

Swift also has the advantage of playing to a fanbase that has been late to adopt streaming. Perhaps because of slower download speeds and spottier internet service in rural areas country music fans continue to be major listeners of radio and buyers of CDs. One can imagine her core audience catching Blank Space or a previous hit over the airwaves while driving to pick up 1989 at the nearest Walmart.

But it isn t clear Swift s attempt to stand athwart the march of technology will have a lasting impact on the music industry. She says she s been thanked privately by fellow musicians but it s far easier to cheer from the sidelines than enter the fray. While Radiohead s Thom Yorke pulled music from Spotify before Swift made her announcement only Jason Aldean a country singer with similar relationships to his label and to his fans appears to have followed her lead.

Unless more pop and hip hop artists take up the banner Swift s tiff with Spotify will be remembered as just another of her spoiled relationships not the beginning of a revolution. Maybe now that her divorce from Nashville has been finalised she should patch things up with Katy Perry.

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Thousands ring in 2015 at Cleveland Rocks New Years Eve celebration

CLEVELAND Ohio The concept of an outdoor New Year's Eve party in Cleveland still seems a bit odd.

But that didn't stop Ohio Homecoming and its team of sponsors and organizers from putting on Cleveland Rocks New Year's Eve for the second straight year. And to be fair they did a solid job.

Last year's Cleveland Rocks New Year's Eve in Public Square had its growing pains. There was some confusion over the start time and a delay in getting attendees through metal detectors and into the event.

This year's party held at Mall B ran much smoother. Again a large number of people were lined up as the gates opened at 8 p.m. Most of them were Machine Gun Kelly fans. The Cleveland hip hop star co headlined Cleveland Rocks New Year's Eve with DJ E V.

Like last year it was very cold. Temperatures dropped below the 20 degree mark with a wind chill below 10 degrees.

Yet the night began with a laid back vibe thanks to Cleveland reggae artist Carlos Jones The PLUS Band. Fans had their choice of standing in front of the stage near the row of food trucks or in a beer garden.

There was also a VIP lounge at the atrium for the Global Center for Health Innovation. VIP tickets sold out early Wednesday. Roughly 1 000 people filled the indoor facility.

At 10 30 p.m. the moment everyone was waiting for arrived. Machine Gun Kelly appeared as fans rushed towards the stage. MGK was in fine form breezing through some of his most popular songs such as See My Tears.

The night's most exciting (and controversial) occurred when MGK invited fans to hop the barricades in front of the stage. It was slight pandemonium as fans wound up on the edge of the stage singing right along with MGK and his live band.

MGK ended his set by taking his shirt off and diving into the crowd. Fans went crazy.

However not everyone was impressed. The fire department shut the event down for little while afterwards demanding the barricades be put back up. The crowd booed but eventually obliged.

The party resumed with DJ E V whose set was a bit of a letdown compared to MGK's high energy performance. Fans lack of familiarity with E V's new music including his single Zombie didn't help.

Thankfully MGK reappeared on stage to re energize the crowd. E V and MGK performed their song Good Time before debuting MGK's new single Till I Die (The official version drops next week).

This is the only city I know that would come out and party like it's 60 degrees out MGK said before apologizing for the barricade coming down.

All was forgiven.

It was anticipated that more than 20 000 people might show up to Wednesday's night's celebration. That didn't happen. But the crowd probably approached about close to 10 000 once the Cleveland Cavaliers game let out.

The night concluded with DJ EV and the folks from WOIO Channel 19 counting things down. Cue the fireworks. Welcome to 2015.

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Robin Williams Art Show and Celebration to Hit San Francisco This Saturday

click to enlarge One of the pieces featured in the show. Christopher Paddock We probably all remember where we were when we heard of Robin Williams passing. From Williams more lighthearted roles such as Mrs. Doubtfire and the voice of the Genie in Aladdin to his more serious roles like those in Good Will Hunting and Dead Poets Society Williams was one of the most versatile actors of his time.

This Saturday San Franciscans will get the chance to honor Williams and celebrate his films and the impression they left.

Ezra Croft the mastermind behind the Nic Cage art show last February and the Christopher Walken art show last month is hosting another art show this time dedicated to all things Robin Williams.

The show will feature artistic depictions of Williams as well as stories from people who had an interaction with Williams that they want to share burlesque and circus performances live music and sets from stand up comedians Kate Willett Kurt Weitzmann and Johan Miranda.

Croft says he's been wanting to do a show honoring Williams for a while but wanted to wait roughly six months after his passing in order to be respectful.

We didn t want to capitalize on the immediency of his death Croft says. I have really weird mixed emotions about the show . It s a sad situation.

Croft adds that the show is going to focus more on celebrating and less on mourning.

We are going to approach it with a really celebratory kind of attitude Croft says. Williams is a Bay Area icon someone who made people laugh in so many movies.

The show will be hosted by Jamie DeWolf the host and creator of the Oakland based performance art show Tourettes Without Regrets.

The show is to celebrate who Williams was and his art and also the community behind it the inspiration he gave so many people and to continue with that spirit DeWolf says. It s a celebration of his irrepressible sense of humor.

A large amount of the proceeds from the show will be donated to the Oakland Children s Hospital.

If you have any stories about personal Robin Williams encounters you d like to share or Williams themed art you d like to have in the show please contact Ezra at ejc.artshows gmail.com. Story and art submissions will be accepted up until the day of the show.

I don t think it s going to be depressing show DeWolf adds. It s going to be an awesome show. I think it s going to be as wacky as Williams would want.

The show will be held this Saturday January 3 at Public Works from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. Admission will be $10 before 9 30 p.m. and $15 after. Visit the event page on Facebook for more info about the show.

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Boise State caps off stellar season with Fiesta Bowl upset of Arizona

The Fiesta Bowl s been good to Boise State. Under Chris Petersen the Broncos won two of them in 2006 and '09 and they won the '14 edition under new head coach Bryan Harsin. Boise State jumped ahead early and held on in the second half to beat Arizona 38 30 at University of Phoenix Stadium on New Year s Eve to cement its place as the Group of Five team to beat for the foreseeable future.

The quick lead allowed Boise State to control the tempo and play loose. Though their offense stalled in the second half the Broncos got some timely plays from the defense including a pick six by Donte Deayon late in the third quarter to push the lead to 38 20. Arizona scored 10 unanswered points and was driving in the last two minutes in the red zone but Boise State stopped Anu Solomon on the last play of the game to seal the win.

Here are three thoughts from the Fiesta Bowl as the Broncos had another unforgettable performance in Arizona.

1. The Tonight Show with Jay Ajayi

Jay Ajayi put Boise State up 7 0 busting through the line and sprinting 56 yards into the end zone for his 26th rushing touchdown of the season. That tied him for the most touchdowns in a season in Boise State history. Ajayi took sole possession of the record after a 16 yard run to put the Broncos up 21 0 after a Statue of Liberty play something anyone familiar with the Broncos will remember as being well singularly Boise at this point.

At this point it s hard to call a guy like Ajayi underrated but he really was. He had 1 132 yards and 20 touchdowns in the team s final eight games heading into the Fiesta Bowl and the performance against the Wildcats was the official exclamation point to an already impressive season.

ELLIS TCU obliterates Ole Miss in lopsided Peach Bowl

Ajayi finished with 134 yards and three scores moving him to 1823 yards on the year to go with 535 receiving yards and 32 total touchdowns. The junior has already declared for the NFL draft and although he doesn't have the buzz of Wisconsin s Melvin Gordon Tevin Coleman from Indiana or Georgia s Todd Gurley he may be just as productive (if not more) at the next level.

The Broncos running back runs with confidence and has the strength to absorb and bounce off tackles. He sees the field extremely well finding the hole and attacking it relentlessly. Add in his pass catching ability and NFL teams could be sold on him as a complete feature running back.

2. The Broncos are in good hands with Harsin

The marriage between Harsin and Boise State was perfect from from the get go. A Boise native Harsin is a Bronco for life. The former Boise State quarterback coached the Broncos as an assistant from 2001 2010 eventually rising to offensive coordinator. He then moved onto the Texas for two seasons and got his shot as a head coach in 2013.

That familiarity with the program and with what Petersen was did during his time at Boise State made for a smooth and flawless transition. It s kind of hard to ask for more than 12 wins and a trophy in a prestige bowl over a Pac 12 opponent especially with a new coach in the brave new College Football Playoff world.

The highest ranked Group of Five team is guaranteed a spot in a New Year s Six bowl and Boise State has as good a shot as anyone at staking its claim to that spot year in and year out.

3. Arizona s future is still bright

The Wildcats had a golden opportunity against Oregon in the Pac 12 championship after winning the conference s South division following a 42 35 win over Arizona State in Tucson the last week of the regular season. Ranked at No. 7 in the College Football Playoff committee s rankings heading into the conference title games there was a slim chance Arizona could get itself in the Top Four with a win.

Instead the worst case scenario emerged. Oregon went up 23 0 at the half and led 44 7 at the end of the third quarter eventually winning 51 13.

SCHNELL Oregon is out to prove that it's more than an offense

Even with the loss Arizona earned the opportunity to play in a prestigious New Year s Six bowl. The Wildcats were ahead of schedule under Rich Rodriguez in Year 3 giving the Ducks lone loss of the regular season and coming out on top of a crowded and strong Pac 12 South.

A lot of that success can be attributed to Rodriguez and Arizona athletic director Greg Byrne who saw something in the former Michigan coach even though his tenure with the Wolverines didn t go as hoped.

You look at Rodriguez s track record at West Virginia and he had a lot of success over an extended period of time Byrne told SI.com in early October. When we were making our decision with him I really felt that what he was as a coach was a reflection of what took place at West Virginia rather than what had happened the previous three years.

With so many returning players and an established identity Arizona could be a thorn in the Pac 12 s side for as long as Rodriguez is around.

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Ed Sheeran Is Going To Get Drunk On One Direction

by Jessica Hyndman 20h ago

Ed Sheeran is claiming his seat in the battle for 2015 s biggest kitten loving Directioner on the planet.

The Grammy nominee shared a photo of how he plans to ring in the New Year with One Direction mates Harry Niall Zayne Louis and Liam and a handful of princess kittens.

Ready for New Years annihilation Teddy wrote showing off his spread of booze and party supplies that has 1D fans grinning and shouting that Ed is 1D AF

more Here Are Your Fan Favorites Of 2014

Sheeran is up for three Grammy Awards at the upcoming 2015 ceremony including the coveted Album of the Year award which he is fully prepared to hand over to competitor Pharrell WIlliams.

Pharrell s winning alright the 23 year old artist told MTV News in an interview. Cause when you get the Album Of The Year nomination all the producers involved in your album if you win get a nomination. And he worked on Beyonc s album my album and his own album so he s got a three in five chance of winning. So Pharrell fair play.

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Jessica Hyndman

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Trick Your Kids With an Early New Years Countdown From Netflix

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