AP Wednesday Sports Roundup

Clemson, LSU, Ohio State and Alabama top playoff rankings.

NEW YORK (AP) — The first College Football Playoff selection committee rankings are out and Clemson, LSU, Ohio State and Alabama are the top four. Notre Dame was fifth and Baylor was sixth. The top four in the final rankings in December meet in the second annual College Football Playoff.

The College Football Playoff Selection Committee will issue weekly rankings each Tuesday, with the final rankings being announced Sunday, Dec. 6 (Noon EST). The playoff semifinals will match the No. 1 seed vs. the No. 4 seed, and No. 2 will face No. 3. The semifinals will be hosted at the Orange Bowl and Cotton Bowl on New Year's Eve.

The championship game will be next Jan. 11, at Glendale, Arizona.

NBA-SCHEDULE

Hawks play it again on Heat...Raptors 4-0...Grizzlies rebound from 50-point shellacking

UNDATED (AP)— Jeff Teague had 26 points and nine assists, Al Horford scored 17 points and the Atlanta Hawks topped Miami for the seventh straight time, beating the Heat 98-92.

Horford also grabbed 13 rebounds for the Hawks, who have won four straight following a season-opening loss. Paul Millsap had 12 points and 10 rebounds. Kent Bazemore added 10 points for Atlanta.

In other NBA:

— Zach Randolph had 20 points and 11 rebounds, and the Memphis Grizzlies bounced back from an embarrassing 50-point loss to Golden State with a 103-89 victory over the Sacramento Kings.

— Denver dropped the L.A. Lakers to 0-4 with a 120-109 win at Staples Center. Kenneth Faried led the Nuggets with 28 points and 15 boards.

— Kyle Lowry scored 27 points, and the Toronto Raptors spoiled the home opener in Dallas, beating the Mavericks 102-91 for the first 4-0 start in franchise history.

— Rodney Stuckey scored 23 points against his former team, Paul George added 16 points and nine rebounds and the Indiana Pacers beat the Detroit Pistons 94-82 for their first victory. The Pistons fell to 3-1.

— Jeremy Lamb scored 20 points on 9-of-10 shooting, Nicolas Batum added 18 and the Charlotte Hornets cruised to their first victory of the season, 130-105 over the Chicago Bulls.

— Evan Fournier capped a career-high, 30-point performance with a pair of 3-pointers in the final 1:13 and the Orlando Magic won for the first time this season, 103-94 over winless New Orleans.

NBA-CAVALIERS-SMITH

Cavs Smith sidelined

CLEVELAND (AP) — Cavaliers starting guard J.R. Smith will miss at least two games with a bruised right knee. He was injured in Monday night's win over Philadelphia when he locked legs with 76ers forward Nerlens Noel.

Smith will miss Wednesday's home game against New York and Friday's against Philadelphia. He is doubtful for Sunday against Indiana.

NHL-SCHEDULE

Triumphant return to Beantown...Costly win for Edmonton as McDavid is hurt

UNDATED (AP)— Tyler Seguin scored his 300th goal and then added two more against his former team as the Dallas Stars beat the Boston Bruins 5-3.

Jyrki Jokipakka scored his first NHL goal. Alex Goligoski scored his first of the season for the Stars, who ended Boston's four-game winning streak despite being outshot 39-19.

Jason Spezza and John Klingberg had two assists each for the Stars and Kari Lehtonen finished with 36 saves.

Boston, which is unbeaten on the road, has yet to win consecutive games at home this season.

In other hockey:

__ It was a costly 4-2 win for the Edmonton Oilers over Philadelphia. Connor McDavid, the overall No. 1 pick in the 2015 draft, had an upper-body injury that was described by coach Todd McLellan as "long term." McDavid left the game late in the second period favoring his left shoulder after an awkward collision at full speed into the boards.

— Kevin Hayes snapped a tie late in the first period, and the opportunistic Rangers defeated the Capitals 5-2. It was their first game since New York defeated Washington in seven games in the Eastern Conference semifinals last spring.

— Casey Cizikas scored the tie-breaking goal with 2:12 left in the third period to lift the New York Islanders to a 2-1 victory over the New Jersey Devils.

— The L.A. Kings blanked St. Louis 3-0. Jhonas Enroth posted his sixth career shutout with 24 saves.

— Kyle Turriss scored 34 seconds into overtime to give the Ottawa Senators a 2-1 win over Montreal.

— Detroit rookie Dylan Larkin broke a third-period tie and gave the Red Wings a 2-1 victory over Tampa Bay.

__ Nathan MacKinnon and Matt Duchene scored 1:28 apart late in the third period of Colorado's 6-3 victory over Calgary.

— The Columbus Blue Jackets went on the road and whacked San Jose 5-2. Brandon Saad had a goal and one assist. Sergei Bobrovsky made 41 saves for the Jackets.

NHL-WILD

Wild lose Fontaine

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Minnesota Wild right wing Justin Fontaine has a sprained medial collateral ligament in his left knee that's expected to keep him out four to six weeks. He was injured in the game on Friday against Chicago. Fontaine has one goal and three assists in eight games this season.

The Wild also revealed that rookie center Tyler Graovac has undergone surgery for a bilateral core muscle repair and will need about six weeks to recover.

T25-TOLEDO

Huskies hand Toledo first loss

TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) — Freshman quarterback Ryan Graham led Northern Illinois on two fourth-quarter scoring drives, and the Huskies rallied to beat No. 20 Toledo 32-27. That knocks the Rockets from the ranks of the Division 1 unbeatens.

Joel Bouagnon's 2-yard touchdown with 1:59 remaining lifted the 6-3 Huskies to their sixth consecutive victory against the Rockets, who are 7-1. Bouagnon rushed for 87 yards on 26 carries.

NASCAR-KENSETH SUSPENDED

Kenseth suspended

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — NASCAR has suspended Matt Kenseth for the next two races after he intentionally wrecked Joey Logano late in the race at Martinsville Sunday.

Logano was leading the race in an effort to wrap up his fourth straight win when Kenseth, who was nine laps down, rode him into the wall.

It was payback for when Logano pushed Kenseth out of the way, then went on to win when both were contending for the race in Kansas City three races ago.

Because of the wreck, Logano is now last in the eight-driver field with two races remaining to earn a bid into the title-deciding finale on Nov. 22.

Kenseth has also been placed on probation for six months.

MLB-NATIONALS

Baker takes on DC

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Washington Nationals have hired Dusty Baker as their new manager. The 66-year-old replaces Matt Williams, who was fired after a disappointing season.

Baker has a 20-year managing career in the majors, most recently with the Cincinnati Reds, who fired him in 2013. Baker is 1,671-1,504 as a skipper good for a .526 winning percentage. His win total is the second-most victories of any active manager.

Baker led the Giants to the 2002 World Series where they lost to the Angels, and reached the postseason a half-dozen other times.

Baker won the NL Manager of the Year award, in 1993, 1997 and 2000.

WORLD SERIES-ROYALS CELEBRATION

Fans pack KC for Royals rally

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Thousands turned out in Kansas City to celebrate the Royals' first World Series title in 30 years.

The team held a parade followed by a rally that was so well attended, some drivers had to park along the side of the interstate and walk to the festivities.

Manager Ned Yost held the World Series trophy up as his vehicle turned into Union Station for the rally.

Series MVP Salvador Perez walked through the crowd with the trophy taking selfies and pictures with fans.

Downtown KC was so crowded that some fans who came for the festivities left before they began, realizing they wouldn't be able to see or hear anything.

MLB-METS-COLLINS CONTRACT

AP Source: Collins gets new Mets contract

NEW YORK (AP) — A person familiar with the deal tells The Associated Press that New York Mets manager Terry Collins has gotten a new two-year contract through the 2017 season.

The agreement comes fresh off the team's run to the World Series. The Mets lost to the Kansas City Royals in the clinching Game 5 on Sunday night.

There has been no official announcement, but Collins and general manager Sandy Alderson are set to be at a news conference at Citi Field today.

MLB-TRANSACTIONS

Off season moves begin

UNDATED (AP) — The Toronto Blue Jays have their exercised 2016 options on sluggers Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion as well as knuckleballer R.A. Dickey.

Bautista, who had 40 home runs and 114 RBIs last season, will earn $14 million in 2016. Encarnacion, who had 39 homers and 111 RBIs, will earn $10 million. Dickey, who went 11-11 with a 3.91 ERA, will earn $12 million.

In other moves:

— The Red Sox have exercised their $13 million option on right-hander Clay Buchholz. The 31-year-old was 7-7 with a 3.26 ERA in 18 starts this year, striking out 107 and walking 23 in 113 1-3 innings. His season was cut short by a strained right elbow that caused him to go on the disabled list on July 11. A two-time All-Star, Buchholz is 73-51 with a 3.85 ERA in nine big league seasons.

— The Tigers have declined their $10 million option on reliever Joe Nathan, making the 40-year-old closer eligible for free agency. The decision costs the team a $1 million buyout. Nathan faced only one batter this year and missed the rest of the season with a torn ligament in his pitching elbow.

— The Arizona Diamondbacks have exercised their options on pitchers Brad Ziegler and Josh Collmenter for next season. The sidearm-throwing Ziegler moved into the closer's role early last season, compiling a 1.85 ERA and 30 saves. Collmenter was the Diamondbacks' opening day starter but was ineffective and moved to the bullpen.

— The San Diego Padres have exercised a $7.5 million club option on the contract for right-hander Joaquin Benoit for the 2016 season and declined their $2 million option on infielder Clint Barmes.

The Houston Astros have declined the 2016 option on the contract of right-handed reliever Chad Qualls. The 37-year-old spent the last two seasons with the Astros after beginning his career in Houston in 2004. He went 3-5 with a 4.38 ERA and four saves in 60 appearances this season.

NFL-NEWS

Tennessee dumps coach...Colts fire OC

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Tennessee Titans have fired coach Ken Whisenhunt who was 3-20 over one-plus seasons. The club is currently 1-6 with losses in 16 of its last 17 games.

Assistant Mike Mularkey has been named interim head coach for the rest of the season.

In other NFL news:

— The Indianapolis Colts have fired offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton less than 24 hours after a 29-26 overtime loss at Carolina. Former Browns coach Rob Chudzinski will replace Hamilton as the play-caller.

— Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen is done for the season after injuring a kidney while making a spectacular touchdown catch in a loss to the Baltimore Ravens. The Chargers placed Allen on season-ending injured reserve. They also released veteran receiver Jacoby Jones.

T25-WOMEN'S POLL

UConn back on top

UNDATED (AP) — The pre-season Associated Press Top-25 women's basketball poll is out and the top team is Connecticut. The Huskies are No. 1 in the pre-season poll for the 11th time. In seven of those years the Huskies went on to win the national championship, including the last two seasons. The Huskies received all 32 first-place votes from the national media panel and will be trying for an unprecedented fourth straight national championship this year.

Rounding out the top-five are South Carolina, Notre Dame, Tennessee and Baylor.