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Some of the sports stories The Associated Press is covering Thursday. A full Sports Digest will be sent by about 3 p.m. All times EDT:- CHICAGO -- No more Lovable Losers. Forget about curses, too. For the first time in 108 years, the Cubs can -- get this -- turn their attention toward a championship repeat.- CLEVELAND -- Nobody gave the Indians a chance all season, yet there they were in extra innings in Game 7 of the World Series. The future looks promising for a team that spent 2016 overcoming every obstacle in its path.- CLEVELAND -- Theo Epstein, baseballs drought-buster, ended long runs of failure for the Boston Red Sox and the Chicago Cubs. Its safe to say this baseball guru will find his way to the Hall of Fame.- Theyll relive the game for generations, these Cubs fans, talking about the magical night in Cleveland when the skies opened and the curse of the Billy Goat was buried once and for all.- MIAMI -- President Barack Obama invites the Cubs to visit him at the White House. But Obama (a White Sox fan) reminds them to act quickly. He leaves office in mid-January.- TAMPA, Fla. -- Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons try to tighten their grip on first place in the NFC South when they face Jameis Winston and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Game starts 8:25 p.m.- FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Tom Brady has played in only four games, but at 39 he is in the conversation to become the oldest winner of the MVP award.- ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Wade Phillips didnt lose his sense of humor when Melvin Gordon plowed over him on the sideline. The Broncos defensive coordinator discusses the jarring crash.- OAKLAND, Calif. -- Kevin Durant faces Russell Westbrook and the rest of his former Oklahoma City teammates for the first time since joining Golden State. Oklahoma City is 4-0. Game starts 10:30 p.m.- NEW YORK -- Rookie sensation Jimmy Vesey and the surging Rangers look for their sixth win in seven games when they play the Western Conference-leading Edmonton. Game starts 7 p.m.- Two Top 25 college football games Thursday night: No. 12 Oklahoma at Iowa State (7:30 p.m.) and UCLA at No. 21 Colorado (9 p.m.).- The AP announces its womens basketball preseason All-America team.- VILLANOVA, Pa. -- Villanova has basked in a championship celebration for seven months. Now its time to defend the crown. The Wildcats are the Big East favorites and ranked fourth in the nation.- PARIS -- Marin Cilic earns a spot in the ATP finals by defeating David Goffin to reach the Paris Masters quarterfinals. The 2014 U.S. Open champion will next face top-ranked Novak Djokovic or Grigor Dimitrov.- LAS VEGAS -- Opening round of Shriners Children Hospitals Open on PGA Tour. Davis Love III is playing for the first time since he was the winning captain at the Ryder Cup. Asics Shoes Australia Cheap .7 million, one-year contract, a raise of $2.2 million. Wieters had asked for $8.75 million and the Orioles had offered $6. Asics Shoes Online Australia . Badenhop was 2-3 with a 3.47 ERA in 63 relief appearances for Milwaukee this season. He is 18-20 in his career with three saves and a 3. http://www.cheapaustraliaasics.com/ . Vaives lawyer Trevor Whiffen claims the former 50-goal man wasnt provided with a copy of the claim beforehand and that he would not have agreed to the allegations made against the NHL had he been asked to review its contents. Cheap Asics Shoes Australia . LOUIS -- Valtteri Filppula assisted on three of Tampa Bays four goals, and the Lightning beat the St. Asics Shoes Australia Sale . Its the second straight game Bell has scored in extra time for Kelowna, which beat the Brandon Wheat Kings 6-5 on Friday, and he now has four game-winning goals on the season. LOS ANGELES -- By the time Adoree Jackson effortlessly hurdled Notre Dames kicker and sprinted off to strike a Heisman pose in the end zone, every rain-soaked soul already knew they were seeing the culmination of something special for Southern California.Jackson might have punctuated his three-year career at the Coliseum with one last virtuoso display of his talent, although he hasnt decided yet.The Trojans unquestionably wrapped up their regular season by with a fitting climax to a two-month crescendo.Jackson returned a punt and a kickoff for touchdowns and caught a scoring pass to propel No. 12 USC to its eighth consecutive victory, 45-27 over Notre Dame on Saturday in the 88th edition of their famed intersectional rivalry.Sam Darnold passed for 205 yards and two TDs, and Ronald Jones II rushed for 134 yards and an early score as USC (9-3, No. 12 CFP) claimed the Jeweled Shillelagh for the 11th time in 15 years. Ajene Harris also returned an interception 33 yards for a score shortly before halftime for the Trojans, who fell just short of the Pac-12 South title.But if Jackson, the Trojans do-everything cornerback, heads to the NFL next season, he left LA with one of the most memorable performances in this rivalry games history.USC fans chanted One more year! throughout the second half at the smiling junior, who has scored five touchdowns against Notre Dame in his career. He returned a punt 55 yards for a score before turning a short pass into a 52-yard TD and then taking a kickoff 97 yards for his third score, leaping over John Chereson along the way.The returns and reception were just great blocks by everybody, Jackson said. They made it look easier than it was. I knew something special would happen when I trust them. They set things up, and it makes a highlight play.With an unbeaten run through October and November, USC completed a perfect home schedule and remained in contention for the league championship until the final hour of the regular season.Colorado was beaten convincingly by USC last month, but the Buffaloes win over Utah kept them one game ahead of the Trojans atop the division and sent them into the conference title game next week against Washington. USC would have advanced if the Utes had beaten Colorado.USC still could be in contention for a Rose Bowl berth, particularly if the Huskies rout Colorado. The Trojans will get a week off from practice before learning their postseason fate.What an accomplishment by a group of kids that have been through some adversity and come out the other side of it, USC coach Clay Helton said. What this team and this group have is something special. Over my 21 years (in coaching), Ill always remember this. Its aa special group.ddddddddddddJuJu Smith-Schuster caught a touchdown pass in the fourth quarter to punctuate the prolific junior receivers own probable Coliseum finale. Smith-Schuster is looking toward a bowl game, but also is thinking about the future.If Adoree comes back, Im for sure coming back and were going to win the natty, Smith-Schuster said, referring to the national championship.Josh Adams ran for 180 yards and DeShone Kizer passed for 220 yards and two scores for the Fighting Irish (4-8), who finished their worst season since 2007 with their largest margin of defeat this year.I thought we could play with anybody this year, said Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly, who shrugged off suggestions his job could be in jeopardy. We just have not been able to sustain consistent performance for four quarters.Chris Finke, Kevin Stepherson and Equanimeous St. Brown caught TD passes for the Irish.TILLERYS MISTAKESNotre Dames frustration boiled over when defensive lineman Jerry Tillery made two particularly sketchy plays in the second half.Tillery first kicked USC running back AcaCedric Ware in the helmet while Ware was on the ground with an apparent head injury. Tillery then received an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty a few minutes later when he stomped on prone USC offensive tackle Zach Banners foot.You just cant do stupid things like that, Notre Dame defensive lineman Jarron Jones said. Thats going to reflect on you as a player. Thats going to reflect on your character.Banner summed up the Trojans feelings with a reference to Tillerys jersey: (No.) 99 is dirty.REFEREE INJUREDReferee Ron Cherry left the game in the third quarter after getting flattened in an accidental collision with USC linebacker Michael Hutchings. Cherry appeared to be unconscious after hitting the turf, but eventually walked up the tunnel unaided. USC said Cherry was evaluated for a concussion at a nearby hospital, but should be released later Saturday.THE TAKEAWAYNotre Dame: This was an embarrassing end to an uncommonly ugly year for the Irish. Kelly will find little to salvage from this trip to LA, and Tillery was already receiving heavy online criticism for his dirty play before the game ended.USC: The Trojans have evolved into one of the nations best teams over the last two months. It happened slightly too late to get into the national title conversation, but Helton clearly harnessed USCs formidable talent heading into the postseason and 2017.UP NEXTUSC: An upper-tier bowl game.---More AP college football: www.collegefootball.ap.org and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25 ' ' '