asked Harbaugh to physically fire him up.SO FAR, SO GOODFrost, a formeor UCF. He hopes the hurry-up, no-h

HOMESTEAD, Fla. -- Theres a changing of the guard occurring in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, and Joey Logano is leading the charge.The 26-year-old Connecticut native has qualified among the final four drivers to compete for the Sprint Cup title in two of three years since NASCAR adopted an elimination playoff-style format to determine its annual champion.Logano is the youngest driver to reach the final four, and he is in position to become NASCARs youngest Cup Series champion since Jeff Gordon took the honors in 1995 at age 24. The only obstacle standing in his way is the Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, where he needs to beat six-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson, Carl Edwards and defending Cup Series titlist Kyle Busch in a straight fight.In a sport where longtime star Gordon retired (theoretically) at the end of the 2015 season and three-time champion Tony Stewart is ready to exit the big stage, the younger generation is taking over. Johnson and other top Cup stars like Kevin Harvick and Matt Kenseth are all over 40 and likely soon to be thinking about following Gordons and Stewarts lead.Meanwhile, Logano and a band of rising twenty-somethings who are trying to become NASCARs future champions and stars are trying to capitalize.For Logano, the time is now. Although hes just 26, hes wrapping up his eighth full season in the Cup Series and making his second serious run at the championship.No driver has won more Chase races (seven) than Logano in the elimination format era, and he knows that based on what has transpired the last two years at Homestead, he will probably need to take his first win at the Florida track if he wants to secure the crown.Coming off a crucial victory at Phoenix International Raceway certainly helps.Weve got momentum, he said.?Theres a lot of excitement.?I remember when we got through a couple years ago to Miami, I wasnt as excited. I was immediately nervous right after the race [at Phoenix]. This time the feeling is, Hey, weve got confidence. I know we can do it. I dont feel like its a long shot like it was last time because weve been here before.?Weve been in these situations.The fact that Logano ended up fourth among the four title contestants at Homestead in 2014 after a slow pit stop led to a disappointing finish doesnt faze the Team Penske driver.Everyone told me Youve got to lose one to win one, and I thought that was the biggest crock of crap Ive ever heard in my life, Logano related. But you know what, its not the fact that you have to lose one to win one, its the fact that maybe it really helped me to just live through it once. Since then, weve been in those situations where we had to win a race to stay in the championship. And Homestead [in 2014] was the first time we ever had to do that.?I think were approaching it like its a normal weekend, he added. We race to win every week; why should we race differently for a championship, right?? Were racing to win that race, and thats ultimately going to have a championship attached to that.?Weve got momentum. Weve won multiple races. Weve got on rolls before where youve got that momentum and that confidence and it just keeps stacking up like it did last year, and were in good position to do that again.As a backdrop to Loganos championship aspirations, team owner Roger Penske is celebrating his 50th anniversary in racing as a team owner. Simon Pagenaud already won the IndyCar Series championship for Penske in what has been a very successful season for the most successful team owner in American motorsports history. But he only has one Sprint Cup title on the list, 2012 with Brad Keselowski.With Logano, Penske has found the perfect blend of youth and experience that is necessary to contend in the sport today.I can tell you that hes a quality young man, Penske said.?He listens. He motivates his team. I mean, hes there at the shop day in and day out, and theres never been a time weve asked him to do something on or off the track he hasnt done it with a smile.?You look at how tight hes been running here the last year and a half or two years, he really pretty much stayed out of trouble, and I think hes earned a reputation in the garage area that you can race hard with him. To me, thats important.But more important, I think the person himself, he represents us in a first-class manner, and he can be with us a long time, working together with Brad, Penske added. Hes matured, and you have to say that if you go up and down the garage area, at his age, weve got a real winner.Crew chief Todd Gordon likes what he has seen from Logano throughout this season, and especially when the pressure has increased in the Chase.I think the peace that weve had success and weve had speed through the last five races kind of builds your confidence to feel like we just need to go forward and do the things that weve done, and we can be successful, Gordon said.?Hes focused on that and focused on making sure our weekend runs the way weve run our weekends and doesnt change anything up.???????????I feel a lot of calm from his feedback and what hes saying and what hes doing and the mannerisms, he continued.?Hes all over just making this another race, and I think in a great position.Any of the four drivers in Sundays championship finale would make a worthy 2016 champion for NASCAR. 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The 21-year-old has three goals, four assists and a plus-5 rating in 24 games with the American Hockey Leagues Oklahoma City Barons this season. ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Michigan was expected to beat Hawaii by nearly six touchdowns.The odds makers didnt give the Wolverines enough credit.Michigan routed the Rainbows 63-3 in its opener, the storied programs most lopsided win in almost four decades.The fifth-ranked Wolverines (1-0) moved up a couple spots in The Associated Press college football poll and are expecting to keep rolling. Theyre favored to beat Central Florida (1-0) by more than five touchdowns Saturday at the Big House.Here are some things to watch when Michigan hosts the Knights:GROUND GAMEThe Wolverines had 10 players combine for 306 yards rushing last week led by Chris Evans, who ran for 112 yards and two touchdowns in his debut. The ability to run early, often and effectively took a lot of pressure off Wilton Speight in his first start. Anytime the quarterback has a run threat, it helps a lot, he said. To have that balance and guys like we have, weapons after weapons, it makes my job a lot easier.FIGHTING KNIGHTSUCFS first-year coach Scott Frost helped the program do something it failed to do last year by winning its opener, beating South Carolina State 38-0. That confidence-boosting game and a nothing-to-lose mentality have Frost believing his team will be prepare to compete with Michigan. I dont think our kids are going to be intimidated or scared, he said. Theyre going to go in there fighting, but we know we have a challenge in front of us.The Knights will have 110,000-plus people rooting against them, but they dont sound worried.Its going to be a big crowd, but I know what me and my teammatess can do if we stick together, receiver TreQuan Smith said.ddddddddddddHE ASKED FOR ITMichigan coach Jim Harbaugh pounded Speights chest, slapped his shoulders, his hips and the side of his helmet last week before he took against Hawaii. The relatively unique scene was caught by a TV camera and shared on social media. Speight insisted a couple days later that he asked Harbaugh to physically fire him up.SO FAR, SO GOODFrost, a former Nebraska quarterback, has brought the up-tempo scheme he used as Oregons offensive coordinator UCF. He hopes the hurry-up, no-huddle offense helps the Knights move the ball, score and draw fans. All went relatively well last week. UCF routed South Carolina State, its first win since Dec. 4, 2014, with 92 plays for 462 yards in front of 36,260 fans.FLOOD OF FRESHMENHarbaugh has not hid the fact that he wants to get talented freshmen on the field even if they play a limited number of plays, ending their chances of redshirting to potentially have a fifth year of eligibility. A few weeks ago, Harbaugh said seven or eight players had earned the right to play right away. That total later went to 10. And by the time the Wolverines finished off Hawaii, 18 freshmen were on the field. Evans and highly touted defensive end Rashan Gary were two of the 16 freshmen on scholarship to play at least a snap. There will be 17 or 20 when its all said and done, Harbaugh said.---AP college football website: collegefootball.ap.org ' ' '