After a less-than-stellar week, the Tigers will have to work their way back into the AP Top 25.

Did Memphis remain ranked in Parth Upadhyaya’s Top 25 after a rough pair of outings capped off with Sunday’s lopsided home loss to Arkansas State?

ESPN college football expert Paul Finebaum answers The Daily Memphian’s questions going into the College Football Playoff and bowl seasons.

Times are good for a team now up to second place in the West. How good? Chris Herrington tackles that in this mailbag’s first question. 

Standouts from Arlington, Briarcrest, Harding and Houston up for consideration. 

Standouts from Arlington, Bartlett, Collierville, Fayette-Ware and White Station up for consideration. 

Memphis lost to Arkansas State of the Sun Belt, but Penny Hardaway’s faith in the Tigers remains strong. Red Wolves coach Bryan Hodgson’s does too.

Fans had flashbacks to last season as a Memphis team that had notched wins over then-No. 2 UConn and Michigan State in Maui less than two weeks ago led for only 38 seconds against Arkansas State.

Related content:

Box score: Arkansas State 85, Memphis 72

Memphis can’t dig out of early hole in double-digit loss to Arkansas State

The Grizzlies handled their business against the Washington Wizards on Sunday night, leaning into their bench. 

Related content:

Box score: Grizzlies 140, Wizards 112

NBA box score for the Memphis Grizzlies game against the Washington Wizards, Sunday, Dec. 8 in Washington.

The Texas Tech Red Raiders, who won three of their last four games to end the regular season, will face an Arkansas team that is making its second Liberty Bowl appearance in three years. The Razorbacks have won three Liberty Bowls since 2010. 

A 13-point halftime deficit ballooned to 18 just minutes into the second half. And, even when Memphis tried to respond, it wasn’t enough. Nope, there was no late-game switch the Tigers could flip this time.

NCAA men’s basketball box score for Sunday’s game between the Memphis Tigers and Arkansas State Red Wolves played at FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee.

The University of Memphis women’s basketball team lost to the Southern Miss Lady Eagles, on Sunday Dec. 8 at Reed Green Coliseum in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

The 66th AutoZone Liberty Bowl has its two teams for a Dec. 27 date at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium.

Related content:

AutoZone Liberty Bowl snapshot: Texas Tech vs. Arkansas

The Mountain West Conference claimed the Group of Five spot in the first 12-team format of the College Football Playoff.

The Scooter’s Coffee Frisco Bowl will be the first game played between Memphis and West Virginia. Here’s a look at the two teams.

Related content:

How a tiny Texas bowl came up big with the No. 25 Memphis Tigers

Much had to fall into place for the Frisco Bowl to land 10-win Memphis and West Virginia of the Big 12. Tigers athletic director Ed Scott and bowl director Sean Johnson reveal how everything came together.

Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. combined for 59 points as Memphis defeated Boston in Boston for the first time since 2013.

Related content:

Box score: Grizzlies 127, Celtics 121

Ja Morant scores 32 in Boston, to help Grizzlies snap 32-game losing streak

Ja Morant had 32 points, nine assists and nine rebounds, and the Memphis Grizzlies ended a 10-game losing streak in Boston with a win over the Celtics on Saturday night.

The third quarter proved decisive as the Oakland Patriots avenged their loss in last year’s title game.

Box score for the Memphis Grizzlies NBA game against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts.

The Tigers will host the preseason Sun Belt Conference favorite Red Wolves on Sunday at FedExForum.

Runners braved a chilly December morning to raise money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Macon County’s ground game was too much to overcome. But a disappointing result doesn’t taint a storybook season for Orange Mound’s Golden Wildcats.