he bullpen, which has been battered by injuries, will b

SEATTLE -- By this point, the best way for Washington coach Chris Petersen to deal with the task of facing Alabama in the national semifinals is through self-deprecation.The more Washingtons coach watches film of the Crimson Tide, the more he realizes the gargantuan task awaiting the Huskies.You know, probably the best college team Ive seen. So what can you do but keep humor about it? Petersen said Tuesday as Washington officially accepted its invitation to the Peach Bowl and a date with top-ranked Alabama. I mean, these are some -- top to bottom, theres no weaknesses out there.Petersen and his staff are still in the beginning stages of putting together their game plan for the fourth-ranked Huskies matchup with Alabama on Dec. 31 in Atlanta. Washingtons coaches spent time last week recruiting, making up for time lost by the Huskies while playing in the Pac-12 championship game. And with final exams going on, the Huskies have limited their practices, only holding a few in Seattle prior to the team departing for Atlanta on Christmas Day.Without players around much, its allowed Petersen time to analyze Alabama. And everywhere he looks, he sees challenges.Theres no players, like, `Well, hes a freshman. If hes a freshman, hes a freshman All-American(and) a whatever-star recruit, Petersen said. Theyre good. Theyre coached well. And the thing that Im as impressed with (as) anything in that program is how they recruit. They get great talent and then he does a great job with the culture of their program, playing hard and all those things.While Petersen has wanted his players to focus on their final exams, some have worked in a little film study of the Crimson Tide in between their studies. In the case of standout safety Budda Baker, his study of Alabama started immediately after the Pac-12 championship game victory over Colorado.As in the next day, before the Huskies even knew they were in the College Football Playoff.For me I think of the best, Baker said late last week. We won that game and I just felt like we were going to be playing Alabama so I started watching film right away.The majority of observers and casual fans believe Alabama will have its way with the Huskies. Petersen tries to block out as much noise as possible but its not like 10 years ago when he led decided underdog Boise State to an upset of Oklahoma. Theres too much available via social media for Petersen to completely insulate his team from the outside expectation that the Huskies are a long shot.Were not trying to block it out, and I dont think thats realistic, just like youre saying, Petersen said. So we just talk to our kids all the time about where they need to focus. Theyre going to hear it. Theyre going to know what everybody says, for the most part. But what do we think about, what do we pay attention to, where do we focus? How do we treat all this attention coming their way? And theyve been great about it.---More AP college football: www.collegefootball.ap.org Adidas NMD Womens Pink . The return match will take place next Wednesday. Udinese leads Fiorentina 2-1 in the other semifinal. Napoli staged a second-half comeback from two goals down after Gervinhos opener and a stunning strike from Kevin Strootman. Adidas NMD Human Race Cheap . LeBron James and Chris Bosh didnt need any more. Williams scored 11 points in 10 minutes, Alan Anderson scored 17 points, and the Brooklyn Nets finished the exhibition season with a 108-87 win over the Miami Heat on Friday night. http://www.cheapnmdonline.com/adidas-nmd-mens-clearance.html . Radwanska, making her debut in the Seoul tournament, hit eight aces in a match that lasted 1 hour, 4 minutes at Olympic Park tennis stadium. "It was definitely a very good match -- I was playing really good tennis," Radwanska said. Adidas NMD Discount . P.A. Parenteau scored early in the third period to help the Avs edge Toronto 2-1 on Tuesday night. Cory Sarich also scored for Colorado (3-0-0), which is off to its best ever start. Adidas NMD Black Sale . Bjorn, who had a 36-hole total of 8-under 134, made a testing six-foot putt to save par on the 16th and a birdie on the 17th before bogeying the final hole after a misjudged approach shot. American Kevin Streelman was in second place after shooting a 69. BOSTON -- Justin Verlander gave the Detroit Tigers a quality start Monday night, and they capitalized. They could use more of that in a tightening AL Central race.Jose Iglesias hit a two-run homer in the sixth inning, Verlander pitched six solid innings and the Tigers beat the Red Sox 4-2 to spoil Drew Pomeranzs second start with Boston.Victor Martinez and James McCann also drove in runs for the Tigers. Detroit pulled within 5 1/2 games of idle AL Central-leading Cleveland.I think its start by start, Verlander said. You tend to string starts together, occasionally. Im not thinking about the last one that happened, just thinking about the next one.Verlander (10-6) allowed one run and five hits and struck out five to pick up the victory. He is 3-0 in his last five starts.Francisco Rodriguez earned his 28th save.Pomeranz (8-8), recently acquired from the San Diego Padres, gave up four hits and struck out seven in six innings. Both of the runs he allowed came via Iglesias homer.Boston, which had scored 46 runs in its last six outings, failed to homer Monday. That ended a streak of 15 straight games with at least one.Pomeranz entered Mondays start looking to bounce back from his dismal Boston debut last week against San Francisco, in which he gave up five runs in just three innings.He was cruising through five innings Monday, allowing just two hits. That changed in the sixth when Iglesias crushed Pomeranzs fastball high over the Green Monster in left for a two-run homer to put the Tigers up 2-1.It was the first career homer in Fenway for Iglesias, who started his career in Boston before being traded to Detroit in 2013.When I was here I never had the opportunity to do that so I was really happy to do that against them, he said.Iglesias scored his second run of the game in the eighth, trotting across home plate on Martinezs single off reliever Clay Buchholz to make it 4-1.I had a good curveball tonight. I was locating my fastball a lot better, Pomeranz said. I was in a lot better counts all night. I really made one bad pitch.Boston loaded the bases on three straight singles off Justin Wilson to begin its half of the eighth. A single by Sandy Leon pulled the Red Sox within 4-2, bbut Wilson settled down to get an out and Rodriguez came on to help end the rally.ddddddddddddBostons hitters had several long at-bats against Verlander, pushing his pitch count above 40 through just two innings. In the second, Travis Shaw lined a double into the right-field corner, scoring Jackie Bradley Jr.TRAINERS ROOMTigers: RHP Jordan Zimmermann, who has been sidelined since July 1 with a right neck strain, began a rehab assignment in Triple-A Toledo on Sunday night.Red Sox: CF Mookie Betts returned to the lineup Monday after missing a pair of games with right knee soreness. ... Manager John Farrell said RHP Craig Kimbrel (left knee surgery) is progressing and looked good in a short bullpen session. He could make a rehab start this weekend.KEEPING OPTIONS OPENRed Sox management is keeping its ears open to trade offers, but president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said its not something he believes must happen to make a postseason push. He thinks the bullpen, which has been battered by injuries, will bounce back when Junichi Tazawa and Kimbrel are back to full strength. I think were in position where were open-minded, but not a necessity, Dombrowski said.RETURN TRIPTigers C Jarrod Saltalamacchia made his first return to Fenway Park since he left in free agency in 2013 to join the Miami Marlins. The Red Sox honored him with a video tribute after the second inning. I feel like Boston gave me my second chance, he said. I was in Texas, sitting in Triple-A and they traded for me, gave me an opportunity to play here -- kind of resurge, resurrect my career.UP NEXTTigers: RHP Mike Pelfrey (3-9, 4.78 ERA) is coming off a victory at Chicago last week, in which he allowed the White Sox just one run in 5 1/3 innings. Pelfrey hasnt allowed a home run his last eight road starts, spanning 45 1/3 innings.Red Sox: RHP Steven Wright (12-5, 2.67) has won his last four starts. His lone appearance against Detroit was last July, when he allowed four runs over 4 1/3 innings in a loss.---Follow Kyle Hightower on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/khightower ' ' '