college football
Florida State and Oregon flip once again in BCS standings
Florida State is back in second place in the BCS standings, edging past Oregon behind first-place Alabama.
The Seminoles’ lead is thin, and their stay at No. 2 could be short again.
Third-place Oregon plays Stanford Thursday night, and a win is likely to push the Ducks back into second. The Seminoles and Ducks have exchanged positions in the BCS standings the last two weeks.
The top two in the final standings play in the BCS championship game.
Florida State (.9525 BCS average) is third in both the USA Today coaches’ poll and Harris poll, though the Seminoles gained ground on the Ducks after a 41-14 victory over Miami on Saturday night. Florida State is No. 1 in the computer ratings.
Oregon is second in the polls and third in the computers.
marathon
Mutai, Jeptoo sweep NYC Marathon titles for Kenya
NEW YORK – Geoffrey Mutai successfully defended his New York City Marathon title Sunday when the race returned after a one-year absence.
Fellow Kenyan Priscah Jeptoo came from behind to win the women’s race, with Bronx resident Buzunesh Deba finishing runner-up for the second consecutive time in her hometown event.
Mutai pulled away around Mile 22 and beat Ethiopia’s Tsegaye Kebede by 52 seconds. On a windy morning, Mutai’s time of 2 hours, 8 minutes, 24 seconds was well off his course record of 2:05:06 set in nearly perfect conditions two years ago. He’s the first man to repeat in New York since Kenya’s John Kagwe in 1997-98.
auto racing
Formula One champion Vettel still up to speed
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates – World champion Sebastian Vettel won the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in dominant fashion Sunday to clinch a seventh consecutive victory and 11th of a dominating season.
Although the German had already clinched his fourth consecutive world title at the Indian GP last weekend, he pledged there would be no let up.
Starting from second on the grid, Vettel overtook his Red Bull teammate Mark Webber on the first turn and was untroubled after that.
He beat second-placed Webber by 30.8 seconds and Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg by 33.6.
Vettel now has 37 career race wins and, with two races left, can still match Michael Schumacher’s single-season record of 13 wins in 2004.
Briefs Label
Italy wins 4th Fed Cup title with 4-0 victory over Russia
CAGLIARI, Sardinia – Italy won a fourth Fed Cup title with a whitewash 4-0 victory over Russia on Sunday as No. 7-ranked Sara Errani cruised past Alisa Kleybanova before Flavia Pennetta and Karin Knapp won the dead doubles rubber.
It took Errani less than an hour to win 6-1, 6-1 against the No. 183-ranked Kleybanova, who has only recently returned to the circuit following treatment for Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
Pennetta and Knapp beat Margarita Gasparyan and Irina Khromacheva 4-6, 6-2, 10-4.
Djokovic downs Ferrer in final of the Paris Masters
PARIS – Novak Djokovic beat defending champion David Ferrer 7-5, 7-5 Sunday to win the Paris Masters for his 17th straight match victory and sixth title of the season.
The second-seeded Serb still has a slim chance to finish the season ranked ahead of No. 1 Rafael Nadal. Djokovic improved to 11-5 against Ferrer, who was looking to become the first player to win back-to-back Paris Masters titles.
Djokovic won the last four games in each set, rallying each time from a 5-3 deficit. Djokovic clinched the win when the Spaniard sent a forehand into the net. Djokovic hit 34 winners to 15 for Ferrer and won 15 of 18 net points.
Associated Press
