PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- As much time as Adam Scott spends away from the PGA Tour, this might have been a good week to take off. By the mathematical wonder of the world ranking, Scott could have stayed in The Bahamas this week and still moved to No. 1 in the world ranking provided three other players had an ordinary week at The Players Championship. "See you later," Scott said with a laugh when told of the scenario. Scott would love to get to No. 1 for the first time in his career, though hes more interested in winning big tournaments. Besides, he had a chance at Bay Hill and the Masters to replace Tiger Woods atop the ranking and squandered both chances. What adds to the interest on the TPC Sawgrass is Scott has company. Henrik Stenson, Masters champion Bubba Watson and Matt Kuchar each have a mathematical chance to reach No. 1 for the first time. "I dont think I knew that," Kuchar said. "That title is a pretty impressive title. To be No. 1 in the world at anything is amazing. To have a chance to be No. 1 in the world in the game of golf, I think all of us that play have those dreams." Its been made possible in part by Woods being on the sidelines. The Players Championship, which starts Thursday, is the second title he is unable to defend this year because of a balky back. Woods had surgery on March 31 and still doesnt know when he might return. Woods effectively has owned the No. 1 ranking for the better part of 15 years, his most recent reign dating to his victory last year in the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Other players have reached No. 1 with a caveat. Woods was going through a swing change in 2004 (though Vijay Singh helped his cause by winning nine times and a major), and he was going through another swing change and a divorce when he lost the No. 1 ranking from October 2010 to March 2013. And now hes not even playing. But the landscape is changing in golf. Woods has gone six years without a major and is hampered by injuries to his legs, arm and back in recent years. Stenson a year ago became the first player to win the FedEx Cup and Race to Dubai in the same season. Scott won the Masters and became a force in the majors. "This guy has had as much of a No. 1 period as anyone," Geoff Ogilvy said as he walked onto the short-game area to see Scott stick 24 tees into the ground around the cup for a putting drill. "He contends every time he tees it up. He only plays the big tournaments. After two rounds, it feels like he has a chance in every tournament." That sounds a little like Woods, minus the outrageous number of victories. Even so, Ogilvy remembers the time when someone else got to No. 1 -- whether it was Singh in 2004 or Lee Westwood in 2010 -- and the murmurs were that Woods was busy changing his swing. Now? "He seems to be playing better every week than Tiger," Ogilvy said about Scott. "Tiger won five times last year, but you go to the majors, Scotty seems to be in contention with a chance to win more often than Tiger. If Tiger is your benchmark, he (Scott) has been a better player. Right now, whoever gets to No. 1 probably is. If Henrik wins a major and gets to No. 1, there cant be an argument." Woods still has the nod over two years, the duration of how the ranking measures performances. In the 26 tournaments that Woods and Scott have played, Woods has won five times (Scott has won twice) and has a 12-11-3 edge in how they finished. However, Scott has a 5-1-1 advantage in the seven majors they have played, winning one of them. Stenson and Woods have played in 22 tournaments, with Woods having an 11-10-1 advantage (along with four wins to two for Stenson). Heres the very least the four contenders have to do for a chance at No. 1: -- Scott has to finish in the top 16. -- Stenson has to finish in the top six. -- Watson has to finish second alone. -- Kuchar has to win. "It would be the same as the green jacket," Watson said, describing it as the "pinnacle of the game." Scott has the most experience answering the questions, since it has been a mathematical possibility for more than two months. He couldnt hold a seven-shot lead at Bay Hill going into the weekend with a shot at No. 1. By now, as it was then, he cares more about winning. "Look, Im here to win golf tournaments," Scott said. "Thats been the goal and from that you can get to No. 1 in the world if you win often enough." Thats the way Woods always approached it, and it worked for him. Fake Vapormax . -- Atlanta Braves pitcher Tommy Hanson is being checked for a possible concussion after blowing a tire on his way to the first workout of spring training. Vapormax For Sale . - The Raiders have released guard Mike Brisiel after two disappointing seasons in Oakland. https://www.cheapvapormaxoutlet.com/. Right-hander Ricky Nolasco and the Twins agreed to terms on a free-agent contract Wednesday, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press. Wholesale Vapormax . Replay backed him up. Adeiny Hechavarria immediately followed the ruling with a go-ahead sacrifice fly for the Miami Marlins, who held on to beat the Seattle Mariners 3-2 on Sunday completing a three-game sweep. Authentic Vapormax Shoes .com) - Guess whos back, back again? Josh Gordons back, tell a friend.Pasadena, CA (SportsNetwork.com) - Marcus Mariota stood on the sideline, clapping. He smiled, his helmet nowhere to be seen, a berth in the national title game secure. In the span of just over a quarter, the Oregon star went from Heisman Trophy- winning quarterback to Heisman Trophy-winning cheerleader. He can thank his defense for the break. Mariota finished with 400 combined yards and three touchdowns on offense, but it was the Ducks defense that led a 59-20 rout of Florida State in the Rose Bowl on Thursday. Oregon scored 34 points off five Florida State turnovers in the second half, including two by the Seminoles own Heisman Trophy winner, Jameis Winston. The Ducks, seeded No. 2 in the College Football Playoff rankings, will face the winner of Thursdays Sugar Bowl between Alabama and Ohio State in the national championship game on Jan. 12 in Arlington, Texas. An incredible feeling, said Mariota. When you prepare all week and you find success and are able to execute as we did, it does feel good. Hopefully, we can take a little bit of this momentum heading into the next game. Mariota was named the offensive MVP in the first national semifinal game in college football history after passing for 338 yards and two touchdowns and rushing for 62 yards and another score in a little over three quarters. Backup Jeff Lockie played most of the fourth with the game well in hand for Oregon (13-1). Its an incredible feeling, said Mariota. When you prepare all week and you find success and are able to execute as we did, it does feel good. Hopefully, we can take a little bit of this momentum heading into the next game. Winston, after leading the Seminoles to a national title last season, couldnt get them a shot at another one. Riding a 29-game winning streak, Florida State (13-1) imploded in the second half, losing for the first time since Nov. 24, 2012. It hurts badder than whatever you can imagine, but the good thing is we live to fight another day. Weve got tons of great futures, said Winston. No one likes to lose, man. Losing is really not in my vocabulary, to be honest with you, but we fell short today. Got to man up and go ahead and just get better every day. I just hope that we can learn from this because I aint felt this way in a long time, Ive got to say. So thats something to smile on. Winston passed for 348 yards and a touchdown but turned the ball over twice in the third quarter -- once on a fumble and once on a interception, both leading to Oregon touchdowns. The redshirt sophomore wouldnt say after the game if he would leave school for the NFL. Hes only had two years, and what hes been able to accomplish (is a lot), said Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher. It was a tough day out there. Linebacker Tony Washington returned Winstons fumble 58 yards for a touchdown and was named defensive MVP of the game. He scooped the ball up and raced it to the end zone after Winston, scrambling around the pocket for nearly 10 seconds, fell backward and let it slip out of his hands. The play gave Oregon, ahead just 18-13 at halftime, a 45-20 lead wiith 1:36 left in the third quarter.dddddddddddd Winston was intercepted by Erick Dargan two plays into the ensuing drive, leading to Mariotas touchdown on a 23-yard scramble. It took three more plays for the Seminoles to give it away again, on Jesus Wilsons fumble, which led to Thomas Tyners 21-yard touchdown run for the final margin. Florida State freshman running back Dalvin Cook fumbled twice in the third quarter, leading to Royce Freemans 3-yard touchdown run and Mariotas 30-yard touchdown pass to Darren Carrington. Carrington finished with 165 yards and two touchdowns on seven receptions. Tyner carried the ball 13 times for 124 yards with two scores and Freeman also scored twice. Oregon has won nine games in a row since losing to Arizona on Oct. 2 and will be trying to capture the programs first national title. The Ducks are 4-0 in bowl games since losing to Auburn in the BCS title game after the 2010 season. Cook rushed for 103 yards on 15 carries and Karlos Williams carried 12 times for 80 yards and a score for the ACC-champion Seminoles, who had a six-game bowl winning streak snapped. Cooks first fumble came just five plays into the second half when the ball was ripped out of his hands by linebacker Derrick Malone Jr. Winston responded with an 18-yard touchdown pass to Travis Rudolph with 8:07 left in the third quarter, but those were Florida States last points. Carrington scored on a 56-yard catch-and-run at the other end after cutting past a Seminoles safety who slipped, touching off Oregons 34-0 run to end the game. A lot of fun, Oregon coach Mark Helfrich said of his teams surge, but at the same time these guys were able to retain a tremendous focus, and we knew that was going to be needed against an opponent like this and in a game like this, where the emotions, the crowd, everything is just up and down and up and down. Mariota became the 18th Heisman winner to play in the Rose Bowl, following Winston, who led the Seminoles over Auburn last year in the final BCS title game. He was 18-of-26 for 157 yards in the first half, including 4-of-4 for 51 yards on a 73-yard touchdown drive in the first quarter that ended with Freemans 1- yard run. Later, Mariota guided scoring drives of 88 and 75 yards in the second quarter as Oregon built an 18-6 lead after Aidan Schneiders 28-yard field goal and Tyners 1-yard touchdown. The Seminoles made four trips inside the red zone in the first half before scoring a touchdown on Williams 10-yard run in the final minute of the second quarter, which made it 18-13. Earlier, they failed to reach the end zone on two early drives despite getting second chances from Oregon penalties. One touchdown was overturned after a replay review showed Winstons knee was down before the ball crossed the goal line on a fourth-down scramble. Game Notes Oregons 59 points broke the previous Rose Bowl record by 10 ... Oregons 13 wins are a school record ... The Ducks are 3-4 in the Rose Bowl and 13-15 in bowl games ... Florida State fell to 25-15-2 in bowl games. ' ' '