It’s Friday, and — well, we can’t really say what we want to, because we’re not supposed to use that kind of language…

Weather: Gloomy. Rainy skies pretty much goes with football fans’ mood today. We’ll see steady rain most of the day with highs around 50. The rain continues through the night, and the temperatures will pretty much stay where they were during the day. More showers and some thunderstorms on Saturday, and wind as well with highs in the middle 60s. The rain continues through Saturday night and finally ends around noon on Sunday.

Former New York governor, liberal firebrand dies. Mario Cuomo, who served three terms as governor of the state of New York and was considered for presidential runs in 1988 and 1992, died Thursday at the age of 82 of natural causes related to heart failure. Those outside the state often remember Cuomo best for a speech he gave at the 1984 Democratic National Convention, in which he blasted President Ronald Reagan’s conservative policies. A devout Roman Catholic who nonetheless was a supporter of abortion rights (and nearly excommunicated for his stand), Cuomo died 32 years to the day after his inauguration for his first term – and on the very day his son Andrew was sworn in for his second term as governor.

Sports: A bad day. Alabama’s hopes for a national championship went down in flames Thursday night in New Orleans, as Ohio State scored four straight touchdowns and defeated the Crimson Tide 42-35 in the Sugar Bowl, one of two semifinal games in the new College Football Playoff. The fourth-ranked Buckeyes will face Oregon, who demolished Florida State 59-20, in the championship game on Jan. 12. Elsewhere, Auburn also fell on Thursday, losing the Outback Bowl 34-31 in overtime. The Badgers scored on a field goal in their half of the extra period, while Daniel Carlson’s field goal attempt went off the upright for the Tigers.