STATE COLLEGE — Penn State is back in the AP Top 25 just in time for Saturday's showdown with No. 3 Alabama.

The Nittany Lions made their season debut in the poll this week at No. 23, coming off a 41-7 rout of FCS school Indiana State in the season opener.

WASHINGTON — The notion of Stephen Strasburg coming back better than before? Seemed almost too good to be true for a Washington Nationals franchise so accustomed to misfortune.Rest assured, Strasburg looks as good as his word.In his first major league start since undergoing Tommy John surgery, the 2011 edition of Strasburg was every bit as impressive as the 2010 version that wowed the baseball world. The 23-year-old right-hander allowed two hits over five shutout innings Tuesday night before the bullpen blew the lead in the Nationals' 7-3 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — David Garrard lost his starting job the same way he got it: Just days before the season opener and in stunning fashion.The Jacksonville Jaguars released Garrard on Tuesday, making a “pure football decision” that will save the franchise $9 million in 2011.Whether it saves coach Jack Del Rio's job remains to be seen. Team owner Wayne Weaver has said Jacksonville needs to make the playoffs for Del Rio to stick around for a 10th season.Del Rio made it clear late last season that he had grown tired of Garrard's inconsistent ways, but the coach remained steadfast through training camp and the preseason that Garrard was his starter.

HERSHEY — Marissa DeCola of Butler won the girls under-19 division of the International Golf Tour’s 36-hole event played at Hershey Country Club over the weekend.DeCola trailed the leader by three strokes entering the final round, but carded a 3-over-par 75 to win the event. Her two-day total of 155 was two strokes better than Vickie Long of Northampton.There were 20 girls in the division. The first day of competition had a four and a half hour delay because of rain and course flooding.