ever grateful for the people who put on the show and who make the incredible sport of racing run. From the backstretch workers to the racetrack employees and outriders to the jockeys and horsemen who are u

Washington moved into fourth in the College Football Playoff rankings, putting the four remaining unbeaten teams from the Power Five conferences at the top of the selection committees second top 25.Alabama, Clemson and Michigan still hold the top three spots.The committees first ranking of the season caused a bit of a stir because the unbeaten Huskies were behind Texas A&M last week. The Aggies then went out and lost at Mississippi State to clear up the mini-controversy.Ohio State is behind Washington at fifth.It was a small margin between No. 4 and No. 5, committee chairman Kirby Hocutt said.Hocutt, who is the athletic director at Texas Tech, said last week that A&M was ahead of Washington because of the Aggies superior schedule strength. That left open the possibility that Ohio State would jump the Huskies for the same reason after the Buckeyes pounded Nebraska on Saturday.Hocutt said a big difference was A&Ms only loss was to Alabama whereas Ohio States one loss was to 10th-ranked Penn State.But more than anything its the consistency that weve seen week in and week out with Washington, Hocutt said.The Buckeyes are still in fine shape. Ohio State plays Michigan on Nov. 26 in a game that could decide the Big Tens East division.Louisville moved up a spot to sixth, followed by Wisconsin at seven and Texas A&M at eight and Auburn at nine.CHAOS THEORYIf chaos is what you crave down the stretch of the college football season, these last few weeks are set to leave you feeling less than satisfied.For sure, none of the teams in the latest top four are safe. Weird stuff happens. What mitigates the chances for real chaos is the firewall the top three teams, and to some extent Washington, has created. Alabama (vs. Mississippi State), Clemson (vs. Pitt) and Michigan (at Iowa) could all lose this weekend and still they would be fine to reach the final four if they win out and become conference champions. Washington would likely be in more trouble than the rest with a loss to Southern California on Saturday, but far from out.The potential for chaos is also limited by the teams lurking behind No. 6 Louisville (8-1). All nine teams ranked from seven to 15 have already lost twice. There was only one 7-2 in the committees top 15 at this point last season.For years, the folks who supported and fought for preserving the BCS beat to death one particular point: A playoff would devalue the regular season. Well, they were right, but thats not such a bad thing. The pressure that comes with a system that is so unforgiving takes some of the drama out of late-season games, but the trade-off makes up for it. More teams are in the mix and more games matter. Losses are not quite so catastrophic, but they do create new possibilities and heighten tension.And, of course, in the end the playoff produces a truer champion.THE FIELDFour of these nine teams will almost certainly make the College Football Playoff: Alabama, Clemson, Michigan, Washington, Ohio State, Louisville, Wisconsin, Auburn and No. 16 West Virginia. Heres where they stand.TOTAL CONTROLAlabamaClemsonMichiganWashingtonOhio StateAuburnWin out, get in the playoff. Simple. Barring a significant upset in the next couple weeks Alabama-Auburn and Michigan-Ohio State on Nov. 26 might as well be early round playoff games.SOME CONTROLWisconsinWest VirginiaThe Badgers and Mountaineers would be very much in the mix if they win out and win their conferences, but would still need some help.NO CONTROLLouisvilleWith the Cardinals chance to win the Atlantic Coast Conference at slim to none, the best Louisville can do is win out and hope the upsets start piling up.SORT OF STILL IN ITPenn StateNo. 12 ColoradoNo. 14 UtahNo. 23 Washington StateUnranked FloridaThe Nittany Lions need two losses from Michigan to reach the Big Ten championship game, but they do hold the tiebreaker on Ohio State. The Utes, Buffaloes and Cougars could all still win the Pac-12 at 11-2, which at least gets them a look if there are conference championship game upsets.Dont laugh at the Gators. If Florida wins out it would be 10-2 with victories against LSU, Florida State and maybe Alabama to win the SEC championship. OK, yeah, you can laugh a little.THE REST OF THE BIG 12No. 11 Oklahoma and No. 13 Oklahoma State both have two losses and could win the Big 12, but there is no reason to think the Big 12 is getting a two-loss team in the playoff without some madness down the stretch.---Follow Ralph D. Russo at www.Twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP Cowboys Jerseys 2021 .Y. - Detroit goaltender Jonas Gustavsson has earned NHL first star of the week honours after winning in his first three appearances of the season. Dallas Cowboys Store . Burris threw two TD passes, including a key 15-yard fourth-quarter strike to Bakari Grant that effectively countered a Toronto comeback bid and led Hamilton to a 33-19 victory. https://www.cowboysjerseysale.com/ . The Dutchmans tenure got off to a poor start when referee Guido Winkmann awarded a penalty within two minutes for Niklas Starks clumsy challenge on Alexandru Maxim. Fake Cowboys Jerseys . -- Jakob Silfverberg is making himself right at home with the Anaheim Ducks, scoring four goals in his first four games. Cowboys Jerseys China . Woodson said during a radio interview Thursday that the Knicks Carmelo Anthony doesnt get the same calls as other superstars. Coming off of a historic year for racing in 2015, it was going to be hard for 2016 to live up to what we experienced last year. But somehow, 2016 managed to not only keep the momentum of last year going, it built upon the energy generated by American Pharoahs magical Triple Crown and Breeders Cup sweep.This year saw the making of new stars and the reinforcement of the legendary status of others. On this Thanksgiving week, lets take a look back at what we were most thankful for in racing this year.Emergence of New StarsEach year brings with it the excitement of a fresh 3-year-old crop and anticipation over whether any of the contenders has what it takes to make a serious Triple Crown bid. Although Nyquist dominated his division earlier in the year, he couldnt maintain it later in the year as new stars emerged; tops among them was Breeders Cup Classic winner Arrogate.Arrogate became the story in racing for the second half of the year after running down potential Horse of the Year California Chrome. But even before that, Arrogate put up a performance for the ages in the Travers Stakes at Saratoga. Hard-pressed throughout the early stages of the race, Arrogate was still able to kick clear to a 13-1/2-length victory while smashing the track record.Other emerging stars who showed flashes of greatness in 2016 were Sentient Jet Breeders Cup Juvenile hero Classic Empire and Bob Bafferts new sprinting star Drefong. We were thankful to watch them break out this year and eagerly await whats in store for them in 2017.Miracle of Lady EliPerfection. Thats what Lady Eli stood for through the first six races of her career, from late 2014 to July 4 of last year when she cruised to victory in the Belmont Oaks. Sadly, following that race she stepped on a nail and developed laminitis in both of her front feet. The disease could have ended her life, ignoring entirely what it might have meant for a racing career that started with so much promise.As 2016 progressed, word spread that Lady Eli was making a miraculous recovery and was doing well as she trained for an improbable return to the races. In late August, Lady Eli did indeed come back and bravely battled to a second-place finish in the Ballston Spa at Saratoga. If that wasnt remarkable enough, the filly returned in October to win the Flower Bowl at Belmont. She capped off her return run with another impressive second-place finish in the Breeders Cup Filly and Mare Turf.We were thankful just to see Lady Eli make it through her battle away from the track. In a lot of ways, her race results didnt even matter. Yet the fact that she returned and excelled only made her story more incredible.Consistency of ChromeWith the aforementioned retirement of American Pharoah, racing fans were desperate for a star to stand by in 2016 -- they found it in California Chrome. While some dismissed Chromes 2014 Kentucky Derby and Preakness run as a fluke (given his extremely modest pedigree), the California-bred chestnut already had a large following of Chromies behind him before he even raced this year. Once he hit the track, he gave his faithful fans even more to cheer about.Chrome wwas nearly perfect in 2016.dddddddddddd. After winning the San Pasqual Stakes at Santa Anita in January, he cruised to victory next out in a handicap in Dubai and then capped off the early part of his year with a dominant performance in the Dubai World Cup. After a four-month break, Chrome came back as sharp as ever, winning three more races highlighted by a five-length win over Beholder in the Pacific Classic.California Chrome took our breath away, time and time again, in 2016 -- and were thankful for it.Battle for the AgesGoing into the Breeders Cup Distaff, the level of hype was immeasurable for the anticipated showdown of then-undefeated champion filly Songbird and the three-time champion older mare Beholder. Although it was unimaginable when they entered the gate for the Distaff, the race managed to somehow exceed expectations.Songbird, facing older and battle-tested horses, continued to make it look easy as she glided to the lead right from the break. With her mind-boggling high cruising speed, there was no one who could, or perhaps even wanted to, keep up with her. When Beholder was asked to run down Songbird, she tried, and then she tried some more. Eventually, Beholders class was on full display as she caught up with her younger foe. From there, the battle to the wire was nothing short of epic.The only shame, from a storytelling perspective, was that the race didnt end in a dead heat -- it might have perhaps symbolized the truest of torch-passings from Beholder to Songbird. Still, there was nothing that could be taken away from Songbird, and there was something quite special about seeing a mare like Beholder go out on top in her final career race.While were talking fillies and mares, lets not forget the incredible performances posted by other ladies this year, including Tepin, Catch a Glimpse, Miss Temple City and Cavorting, to name a few.The People StoriesWhile these sometimes get lost, we are ever grateful for the people who put on the show and who make the incredible sport of racing run. From the backstretch workers to the racetrack employees and outriders to the jockeys and horsemen who are up early every single day, we are thankful. Were also thankful for all of the Thoroughbred aftercare organizations who make sure that so many horses have a place to live and a purpose once their careers on the track come to an end.From jockey Anne Von Rosens recovery from a severe riding accident to Simon Brays courageous battle with multiple myeloma, there are so many others who amazed, astonished and overcame in 2016. We are thankful for them and for all of the people who give everything they have to put on the best show possible on daily basis. Were thankful for the horse bettors, those who keep us fashionably aware and those who know how to make the most of a day at the races. We certainly enjoyed many unforgettable race days in 2016 -- and theres still some time left in the year to make some more memories.For more stories like this check out Americas Best Racing. ' ' '