AP Sports Summary for January 21st, 2025:

Ohio State wins 1st national title since 2014, outlasting Notre Dame 34-23 in CFP championship game

ATLANTA (AP) — Ohio State can celebrate another title after holding off a Notre Dame comeback bid to walk away with a nailbiter of a 34-23 victory over the Fighting Irish. Will Howard hit big-play receiver Jeremiah Smith for 56 yards on a late third-and-11 to lock down a game that had been a laugher, then turned into something else. Trailing 31-7, Notre Dame scored two touchdowns and two 2-point conversions to make it a one-score game late in the fourth quarter. But Howard's big throw to Smith set up a field goal that started the celebration in earnest. Ohio State won its sixth title and first since the 2014 season.

Ohio State QB Will Howard played his best in run to national title, and set a record along the way

ATLANTA (AP) — Will Howard transferred to Ohio State to win a national championship, and he reached that goal by playing the best football of his career throughout the Buckeyes' four games in the College Football Playoff. He was never better than in the first half and at the end of Ohio State's 34-23 victory over Notre Dame. Howard connected on his first 13 passes to set the record for consecutive completions in a CFP title game, and late in the fourth quarter he lofted a pass to Jeremiah Smith for a 56-yard gain that all but sealed the win.

Notre Dame's Leonard can't keep do-it-all pace set in monstrous opening drive of loss to Ohio State

ATLANTA (AP) — Riley Leonard opened the national championship game with a do-it-all drive that made it appear the Notre Dame quarterback could win the title by himself. As it turned out, Leonard needed more help. Leonard's two second-half touchdown passes to Jaden Greathouse proved the Fighting Irish were resilient, but the comeback attempt was too late. Greathouse's first scoring catch came late in the third quarter of Ohio State's 34-23 win. Leonard was the workhorse on a monstrous 18-play touchdown drive to open the game. Riley had nine carries in the drive which lasted almost 10 minutes.

Notre Dame's Marcus Freeman falls short of breakthrough for Black coaches on historic day in America

ATLANTA (AP) — It was hard to ignore the connections between Marcus Freeman's fate as he tried to make history on Monday night and all that was happening in America on the day of the big game. Freeman's quest to become the first Black head football coach to capture a college title at the highest level came to an end with a 34-23 loss to Notre Dame. Monday was also the day the United States celebrated Martin Luther King Jr., and inaugurated Donald Trump to his second term as president. Freeman arrived at this moment on a day when America celebrated the man whose life was devoted to inclusion and equality, while diversity initiatives are increasingly under scrutiny on college campuses.

Bills will face Chiefs in AFC title game; Eagles will host the Commanders in NFC championship game

Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills will take on Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC championship game in their fourth playoff matchup in five years. Allen ran for two touchdowns and the Bills beat Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens 27-25 in a divisional game Sunday. Mark Andrews dropped a pass from Jackson on a 2-point conversion that would've tied it with 1:33 remaining and Buffalo held on for the victory. The Chiefs have defeated the Bills three straight times in the playoffs, including the conference title game four years ago in Kansas City. It'll be Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley and the Philadelphia Eagles hosting Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders in the NFC championship game.

Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson agrees to become Bears head coach, AP source says

Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson has agreed to become the Chicago Bears head coach, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press. The person spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity because the contract was being finalized. Johnson spent three years as Detroit's offensive coordinator under Dan Campbell and was considered the top head coaching candidate on the market. The Lions earned the top seed in the NFC at 15-2 before getting stunned by Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders in a divisional playoff game on Saturday. The Bears fired Matt Eberflus on Nov. 29. Chicago finished last in the NFC North at 5-12.

Coco Gauff says she has more work to do after loss to Badosa at the Australian Open. Sabalenka wins

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Coco Gauff has lost in the Australian Open quarterfinals to Paula Badosa 7-5, 6-4. Tuesday's result ended a 13-match unbeaten run that dated to last season for Gauff, the 2023 U.S. Open champion. Gauff was seeded No. 3 and trying to get back to the semifinals at Melbourne Park for the second year in a row. Badosa is a 27-year-old from Spain who is seeded No. 11. She will now head to her first Grand Slam semifinal, and her opponent will be two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka. The No. 1-ranked Sabalenka got past Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in three sets Tuesday night, before Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz met in the men's quarterfinals. Alexander Zverev beat Tommy Paul.

Late Ohio State field goal is a win for Buckeyes bettors in CFP title game victory over Notre Dame

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Jayden Fielding's 33-yard field goal with 26 seconds remaining did more than secure Ohio State's 34-23 victory over Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff title game on Monday night. It also handed Ohio State bettors the victory. Ohio State was favored by 8 1/2 points at BetMGM Sportsbook. It's a line the Buckeyes appeared to cover with ease when taking a 31-7 lead midway through the third quarter. But the Fighting Irish rallied with two touchdowns and two 2-point conversions to make it an eight-point game in the closing minutes.

Aryna Sabalenka reaches the Australian Open semifinals as she seeks a third title in a row

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Aryna Sabalenka's bid for a third consecutive Australian Open championship will continue after she got past Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 2-6, 6-2, 6-3 in a surprisingly difficult quarterfinal. Sabalenka has now won 19 matches in a row at Melbourne Park after Tuesday night's struggle. She had run her set streak to 25 at the place — dating all the way to the 2023 final — when she grabbed the opener against 2021 French Open runner-up Pavlyuchenkova. But Sabalenka had a hard time harnessing her intimidating strokes on a windy evening in Rod Laver Arena. She will face her good friend, No. 11 seed Paula Badosa, in the semifinals.

CJ McCollum and Dejounte Murray fuel the resurgent Pelicans' franchise-record comeback win

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The New Orleans Pelicans are gratified by a franchise-record comeback victory that shows they're not giving in to the misfortune that defined the first two months of their season. CJ McCollum highlighted a 45-point performance with 3-pointers and reverse layups in the clutch. Dejounte Murray was one rebound short of a triple-double. And the New Orleans Pelicans erased a 25-point deficit en route to a 121-117 overtime victory against the Utah Jazz on Monday night. Pelicans coach Willie Green says he credits players for pulling together and being resilient. The Pelicans have won four straight and seven of 10 after a 5-29 start.

Here are the scores from yesterday's sports events:

		(14)Mississippi St.	at	(6)Tennessee	7 p.m.	

		Arizona St.	at	(23)West Virginia	9 p.m.	

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1701494597443.png" alt="Sports Headlines and News for Tuesday, January 21st, 2025" />
 <figcaption>Sports Headlines and News for Tuesday, January 21st, 2025</figcaption>
 </figure>AP Sports Summary for January 21st, 2025:<div><iframe title="AP Early Morning Sports Wrap for January 21st, 2025" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=ewmpr-17bf5cc-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=60a0c8&font-color=&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=ff6d00" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>Ohio State wins 1st national title since 2014, outlasting Notre Dame 34-23 in CFP championship game<div><iframe title="AP Sports Wrap for January 21st, 2025" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=42cxr-17bf5d9-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=60a0c8&font-color=&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=ff6d00" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>ATLANTA (AP) — Ohio State can celebrate another title after holding off a Notre Dame comeback bid to walk away with a nailbiter of a 34-23 victory over the Fighting Irish. Will Howard hit big-play receiver Jeremiah Smith for 56 yards on a late third-and-11 to lock down a game that had been a laugher, then turned into something else. Trailing 31-7, Notre Dame scored two touchdowns and two 2-point conversions to make it a one-score game late in the fourth quarter. But Howard's big throw to Smith set up a field goal that started the celebration in earnest. Ohio State won its sixth title and first since the 2014 season.Ohio State QB Will Howard played his best in run to national title, and set a record along the wayATLANTA (AP) — Will Howard transferred to Ohio State to win a national championship, and he reached that goal by playing the best football of his career throughout the Buckeyes' four games in the College Football Playoff. He was never better than in the first half and at the end of Ohio State's 34-23 victory over Notre Dame. Howard connected on his first 13 passes to set the record for consecutive completions in a CFP title game, and late in the fourth quarter he lofted a pass to Jeremiah Smith for a 56-yard gain that all but sealed the win.Notre Dame's Leonard can't keep do-it-all pace set in monstrous opening drive of loss to Ohio StateATLANTA (AP) — Riley Leonard opened the national championship game with a do-it-all drive that made it appear the Notre Dame quarterback could win the title by himself. As it turned out, Leonard needed more help. Leonard's two second-half touchdown passes to Jaden Greathouse proved the Fighting Irish were resilient, but the comeback attempt was too late. Greathouse's first scoring catch came late in the third quarter of Ohio State's 34-23 win. Leonard was the workhorse on a monstrous 18-play touchdown drive to open the game. Riley had nine carries in the drive which lasted almost 10 minutes.Notre Dame's Marcus Freeman falls short of breakthrough for Black coaches on historic day in AmericaATLANTA (AP) — It was hard to ignore the connections between Marcus Freeman's fate as he tried to make history on Monday night and all that was happening in America on the day of the big game. Freeman's quest to become the first Black head football coach to capture a college title at the highest level came to an end with a 34-23 loss to Notre Dame. Monday was also the day the United States celebrated Martin Luther King Jr., and inaugurated Donald Trump to his second term as president. Freeman arrived at this moment on a day when America celebrated the man whose life was devoted to inclusion and equality, while diversity initiatives are increasingly under scrutiny on college campuses.Bills will face Chiefs in AFC title game; Eagles will host the Commanders in NFC championship gameJosh Allen and the Buffalo Bills will take on Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC championship game in their fourth playoff matchup in five years. Allen ran for two touchdowns and the Bills beat Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens 27-25 in a divisional game Sunday. Mark Andrews dropped a pass from Jackson on a 2-point conversion that would've tied it with 1:33 remaining and Buffalo held on for the victory. The Chiefs have defeated the Bills three straight times in the playoffs, including the conference title game four years ago in Kansas City. It'll be Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley and the Philadelphia Eagles hosting Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders in the NFC championship game.Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson agrees to become Bears head coach, AP source saysDetroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson has agreed to become the Chicago Bears head coach, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press. The person spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity because the contract was being finalized. Johnson spent three years as Detroit's offensive coordinator under Dan Campbell and was considered the top head coaching candidate on the market. The Lions earned the top seed in the NFC at 15-2 before getting stunned by Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders in a divisional playoff game on Saturday. The Bears fired Matt Eberflus on Nov. 29. Chicago finished last in the NFC North at 5-12.Coco Gauff says she has more work to do after loss to Badosa at the Australian Open. Sabalenka winsMELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Coco Gauff has lost in the Australian Open quarterfinals to Paula Badosa 7-5, 6-4. Tuesday's result ended a 13-match unbeaten run that dated to last season for Gauff, the 2023 U.S. Open champion. Gauff was seeded No. 3 and trying to get back to the semifinals at Melbourne Park for the second year in a row. Badosa is a 27-year-old from Spain who is seeded No. 11. She will now head to her first Grand Slam semifinal, and her opponent will be two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka. The No. 1-ranked Sabalenka got past Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in three sets Tuesday night, before Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz met in the men's quarterfinals. Alexander Zverev beat Tommy Paul.Late Ohio State field goal is a win for Buckeyes bettors in CFP title game victory over Notre DameLAS VEGAS (AP) — Jayden Fielding's 33-yard field goal with 26 seconds remaining did more than secure Ohio State's 34-23 victory over Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff title game on Monday night. It also handed Ohio State bettors the victory. Ohio State was favored by 8 1/2 points at BetMGM Sportsbook. It's a line the Buckeyes appeared to cover with ease when taking a 31-7 lead midway through the third quarter. But the Fighting Irish rallied with two touchdowns and two 2-point conversions to make it an eight-point game in the closing minutes.Aryna Sabalenka reaches the Australian Open semifinals as she seeks a third title in a rowMELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Aryna Sabalenka's bid for a third consecutive Australian Open championship will continue after she got past Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 2-6, 6-2, 6-3 in a surprisingly difficult quarterfinal. Sabalenka has now won 19 matches in a row at Melbourne Park after Tuesday night's struggle. She had run her set streak to 25 at the place — dating all the way to the 2023 final — when she grabbed the opener against 2021 French Open runner-up Pavlyuchenkova. But Sabalenka had a hard time harnessing her intimidating strokes on a windy evening in Rod Laver Arena. She will face her good friend, No. 11 seed Paula Badosa, in the semifinals.CJ McCollum and Dejounte Murray fuel the resurgent Pelicans' franchise-record comeback winNEW ORLEANS (AP) — The New Orleans Pelicans are gratified by a franchise-record comeback victory that shows they're not giving in to the misfortune that defined the first two months of their season. CJ McCollum highlighted a 45-point performance with 3-pointers and reverse layups in the clutch. Dejounte Murray was one rebound short of a triple-double. And the New Orleans Pelicans erased a 25-point deficit en route to a 121-117 overtime victory against the Utah Jazz on Monday night. Pelicans coach Willie Green says he credits players for pulling together and being resilient. The Pelicans have won four straight and seven of 10 after a 5-29 start.AP-ScorecardHere are the scores from yesterday's sports events:___NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATIONFinal	Charlotte	110	Dallas	105	Final	Detroit	107	Houston	96	Final	Memphis	108	Minnesota	106	Final	New York	119	Atlanta	110	Final	Cleveland	118	Phoenix	92	Final	Boston	125	Golden State	85	Final OT	New Orleans	123	Utah	119	Final	Chicago	112	L.A. Clippers	99	___NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUEFinal	Boston	6	San Jose	3	Final	Minnesota	3	Colorado	1	Final	Seattle	6	Buffalo	4	Final SO	St. Louis	5	Vegas	4	Final	N-Y Islanders	3	Columbus	1	Final	Toronto	5	Tampa Bay	3	Final OT	Carolina	4	Chicago	3	Final	Utah	5	Winnipeg	2	Final	Pittsburgh	5	Los Angeles	1	___TOP-25 COLLEGE FOOTBALLFinal	(6)Ohio St.	34	(3)Notre Dame	23	___TODAY'S SPORTS SCHEDULE___NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION		New York	at	Brooklyn	7:30 p.m.			Orlando	at	Toronto	7:30 p.m.			Portland	at	Miami	7:30 p.m.			Philadelphia	at	Denver	10 p.m.			Washington	at	L.A. Lakers	10:30 p.m.	___NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE		Detroit	at	Philadelphia	7 p.m.			Ottawa	at	N-Y Rangers	7 p.m.			Tampa Bay	at	Montreal	7 p.m.			Carolina	at	Dallas	8 p.m.			San Jose	at	Nashville	8 p.m.			Washington	at	Edmonton	9 p.m.			Buffalo	at	Vancouver	10 p.m.			Florida	at	Anaheim	10 p.m.	___TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL		UCF	at	(3)Iowa St.	8 p.m.			Vanderbilt	at	(4)Alabama	7 p.m.			(14)Mississippi St.	at	(6)Tennessee	7 p.m.			(10)Marquette	at	Seton Hall	8 p.m.			Ohio St.	at	(11)Purdue	7:30 p.m.			Washington	at	(15)Oregon	11 p.m.			(18)Wisconsin	at	UCLA	9:30 p.m.			Butler	at	(19)UConn	7 p.m.			(22)Missouri	at	Texas	9 p.m.			Arizona St.	at	(23)West Virginia	9 p.m.			(25)Louisville	at	SMU	9 p.m.	___

📢📰🎧 Sports Headlines for Tuesday

ATLANTA (AP) — The pass seemed to hang up there forever. Did it feel like seven weeks? Did it feel like 10 years?

What a great debate for Ohio State fans to have forever.

When that&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/OhioStateFB/status/1881552148040958413">teardrop of a throw</a>&nbsp;from Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard on third-and-11 finally landed, light as a feather, in the hands of receiver Jeremiah Smith late in the fourth quarter Monday, Ohio State had locked up what would be a 34-23 victory over Notre Dame for its sixth national title and first in a decade.

It was that 56-yard gain that snuffed out a feverish Notre Dame comeback and made the Buckeyes the champion of the sport's first 12-team playoff, just as they were champions of its first four-team tournament a decade ago.

“They were running man coverage and I said, ‘Hey, I’m gonna let this loose and let him make a play on it,’” Howard said of a play that felt about 100 years removed from Ohio State's once program-defining “Three yards and a cloud of dust.”

This was a win that hardly anyone thought possible a mere seven weeks ago — Nov. 30 — when a 13-10 loss to Michigan led to a near-riot on the field and questions over whether coach Ryan Day would keep his job when the calendar flipped.

“It’s a great story about a bunch of guys who have just overcome some really tough situations, and at the point where there’s a lot of people that counted us out (they) just kept swinging and kept fighting,” Day said.

Buckeyes were on cruise control, then suddenly, ND came to life

It might be that much sweeter because of how it went down in a jam-packed stadium in the middle of SEC country that looked like a Christmas tree — Ohio State fans on one half in red, Notre Dame's on the other in green.

Trailing 31-7, Notre Dame scored two touchdowns and two 2-point conversions to make it a one-score game late in the fourth quarter. The in-stadium camera found legendary Irish coach Lou Holtz in his luxury box, and he ignored all those booing Buckeye fans and flashed a thumbs-up.

But Notre Dame's time was running out. After stopping the Buckeyes on their first two plays and using their timeouts, the Irish put Christian Gray — whose interception&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/penn-state-notre-dame-orange-bowl-score-34fe8fc6414366145cfaa10f0147964c">wrapped up Notre Dame's semifinal win</a>&nbsp;over Penn State — in single coverage on Smith.

Smith got behind Gray on the right sideline and Howard dropped his best pass of the season into the hands of the second-team All-American.

It set up a field goal that started the celebration in earnest, and also helped Ohio State&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ohio-state-notre-dame-cfp-national-championship-betting-line-4e59407b67c901d23a06f511099c45bc">cover the 8 1/2-point spread</a>&nbsp;at BetMGM Sportsbook.

“It was do or die, it was that type of down,” Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman said. “He’s a heck of a player. He’s difficult to cover.”

Howard and Judkins make transfer portal pay off for Ohio State

Howard, a transfer-portal success story from Kansas State, threw for 231 yards and two scores, but nothing will beat the pass to Smith with everything on the line.

The receiver, who had been bottled up by Texas in the semifinals then fairly quiet for most of this game, finally got loose for the kind of play he’s been making all year. He finished with five catches for 88 yards.

“We felt at the end we wanted to give Jeremiah that shot,” Day said. “We really hadn't thrown it all night, but I thought, ‘Know what, let’s be aggressive, let's do this and lay it on the line.'”

Ohio State didn't really look like a team that needed to take risks after scoring touchdowns on its first four possessions, then adding a field goal on its fifth.

When Quinshon Judkins (100 yards, 11 carries, three TDs), a transfer from Mississippi who highlighted Ohio State’s judicious use of the ever-growing portal, busted a 70-yard run to set up the score that made it 28-7, this game looked over.

It wasn’t, and now Freeman will have to answer a few tough questions — one about the failed fake punt in the third quarter that turned into a field goal for a 31-7 lead; the other about sending Mitch Jeter in for a short field goal attempt while down 16 and facing fourth-and-goal from the 9. It might have looked like a better call had Jeter’s kick not clanged off the left upright.

“I know it’s still a two-score game, but you have a better probability of getting 14 points than you do 16 points,” Freeman said.

Ohio State dominated most of the night, and all through the playoffs

Really, though, Ohio State was the better team. The Buckeyes outgained Notre Dame 445 yards to 308. Howard completed his first 13 passes and never really got stopped. Ohio State punted a grand total of once.

The Buckeyes rolled through four games in the new, expanded playoff — what great timing for Ohio State that the tournament swelled to a dozen teams in a year it didn't even play for the Big Ten title — by an average score of 36-21.

Ohio State was seeded eighth, but the seedings were pretty much meaningless. The worse seed won every game in the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds, and the Buckeyes dominated in this title-game showdown of No. 7 vs. No. 8.

A fine ending to a season that almost got away

It puts to rest, for now, any angst about that 13-10 Michigan loss in November — Ohio State’s fourth straight in the series — that ended with a brawl after Wolverine players tried to plant a flag at midfield.

The whole scene left a lot of folks, both in and out of Buckeye circles, thinking Day, in his sixth season, had outlived his usefulness on a campus that hadn’t tasted a title in a decade.

Instead, the Ohio State marching band can dot the “I” next time with the national-title trophy. And Day can join a list of title-winning coaches with Urban Meyer (2014) Jim Tressel (2002), Woody Hayes ("Three yards and a cloud of dust") and Paul Brown (who went on to become the namesake of the NFL's Cleveland Browns).

Also, Day’s .873 winning percentage coming into the game was third among coaches with 50-plus games — one spot behind none other than the Notre Dame legend Knute Rockne, himself.

The Notre Dame loss means college football still has never had a Black coach win the national title.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cfp-notre-dame-king-trump-football-faf2fc685b25a887dd6eec083223a591">Freeman was trying</a>&nbsp;to become the first.

Instead, another kind of history. This marked the first time the Big Ten has taken back-to-back titles since 1942. Last year’s champion was Michigan, which was sitting home watching this one, but still played a special role in a Buckeyes redemption story hardly anyone saw coming.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1737436647075.jpeg" alt="Ohio State celebrates after their win against Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff national championship game Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)" />
 <figcaption>Ohio State celebrates after their win against Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff national championship game Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)</figcaption>
 </figure>ATLANTA (AP) — The pass seemed to hang up there forever. Did it feel like seven weeks? Did it feel like 10 years?What a great debate for Ohio State fans to have forever.When that&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/OhioStateFB/status/1881552148040958413">teardrop of a throw</a>&nbsp;from Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard on third-and-11 finally landed, light as a feather, in the hands of receiver Jeremiah Smith late in the fourth quarter Monday, Ohio State had locked up what would be a 34-23 victory over Notre Dame for its sixth national title and first in a decade.It was that 56-yard gain that snuffed out a feverish Notre Dame comeback and made the Buckeyes the champion of the sport's first 12-team playoff, just as they were champions of its first four-team tournament a decade ago.“They were running man coverage and I said, ‘Hey, I’m gonna let this loose and let him make a play on it,’” Howard said of a play that felt about 100 years removed from Ohio State's once program-defining “Three yards and a cloud of dust.”This was a win that hardly anyone thought possible a mere seven weeks ago — Nov. 30 — when a 13-10 loss to Michigan led to a near-riot on the field and questions over whether coach Ryan Day would keep his job when the calendar flipped.“It’s a great story about a bunch of guys who have just overcome some really tough situations, and at the point where there’s a lot of people that counted us out (they) just kept swinging and kept fighting,” Day said.<h2>Buckeyes were on cruise control, then suddenly, ND came to life</h2>It might be that much sweeter because of how it went down in a jam-packed stadium in the middle of SEC country that looked like a Christmas tree — Ohio State fans on one half in red, Notre Dame's on the other in green.Trailing 31-7, Notre Dame scored two touchdowns and two 2-point conversions to make it a one-score game late in the fourth quarter. The in-stadium camera found legendary Irish coach Lou Holtz in his luxury box, and he ignored all those booing Buckeye fans and flashed a thumbs-up.But Notre Dame's time was running out. After stopping the Buckeyes on their first two plays and using their timeouts, the Irish put Christian Gray — whose interception&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/penn-state-notre-dame-orange-bowl-score-34fe8fc6414366145cfaa10f0147964c">wrapped up Notre Dame's semifinal win</a>&nbsp;over Penn State — in single coverage on Smith.Smith got behind Gray on the right sideline and Howard dropped his best pass of the season into the hands of the second-team All-American.It set up a field goal that started the celebration in earnest, and also helped Ohio State&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ohio-state-notre-dame-cfp-national-championship-betting-line-4e59407b67c901d23a06f511099c45bc">cover the 8 1/2-point spread</a>&nbsp;at BetMGM Sportsbook.“It was do or die, it was that type of down,” Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman said. “He’s a heck of a player. He’s difficult to cover.”<h2>Howard and Judkins make transfer portal pay off for Ohio State</h2>Howard, a transfer-portal success story from Kansas State, threw for 231 yards and two scores, but nothing will beat the pass to Smith with everything on the line.The receiver, who had been bottled up by Texas in the semifinals then fairly quiet for most of this game, finally got loose for the kind of play he’s been making all year. He finished with five catches for 88 yards.“We felt at the end we wanted to give Jeremiah that shot,” Day said. “We really hadn't thrown it all night, but I thought, ‘Know what, let’s be aggressive, let's do this and lay it on the line.'”Ohio State didn't really look like a team that needed to take risks after scoring touchdowns on its first four possessions, then adding a field goal on its fifth.When Quinshon Judkins (100 yards, 11 carries, three TDs), a transfer from Mississippi who highlighted Ohio State’s judicious use of the ever-growing portal, busted a 70-yard run to set up the score that made it 28-7, this game looked over.It wasn’t, and now Freeman will have to answer a few tough questions — one about the failed fake punt in the third quarter that turned into a field goal for a 31-7 lead; the other about sending Mitch Jeter in for a short field goal attempt while down 16 and facing fourth-and-goal from the 9. It might have looked like a better call had Jeter’s kick not clanged off the left upright.“I know it’s still a two-score game, but you have a better probability of getting 14 points than you do 16 points,” Freeman said.<h2>Ohio State dominated most of the night, and all through the playoffs</h2>Really, though, Ohio State was the better team. The Buckeyes outgained Notre Dame 445 yards to 308. Howard completed his first 13 passes and never really got stopped. Ohio State punted a grand total of once.The Buckeyes rolled through four games in the new, expanded playoff — what great timing for Ohio State that the tournament swelled to a dozen teams in a year it didn't even play for the Big Ten title — by an average score of 36-21.Ohio State was seeded eighth, but the seedings were pretty much meaningless. The worse seed won every game in the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds, and the Buckeyes dominated in this title-game showdown of No. 7 vs. No. 8.<h2>A fine ending to a season that almost got away</h2>It puts to rest, for now, any angst about that 13-10 Michigan loss in November — Ohio State’s fourth straight in the series — that ended with a brawl after Wolverine players tried to plant a flag at midfield.The whole scene left a lot of folks, both in and out of Buckeye circles, thinking Day, in his sixth season, had outlived his usefulness on a campus that hadn’t tasted a title in a decade.Instead, the Ohio State marching band can dot the “I” next time with the national-title trophy. And Day can join a list of title-winning coaches with Urban Meyer (2014) Jim Tressel (2002), Woody Hayes ("Three yards and a cloud of dust") and Paul Brown (who went on to become the namesake of the NFL's Cleveland Browns).Also, Day’s .873 winning percentage coming into the game was third among coaches with 50-plus games — one spot behind none other than the Notre Dame legend Knute Rockne, himself.The Notre Dame loss means college football still has never had a Black coach win the national title.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cfp-notre-dame-king-trump-football-faf2fc685b25a887dd6eec083223a591">Freeman was trying</a>&nbsp;to become the first.Instead, another kind of history. This marked the first time the Big Ten has taken back-to-back titles since 1942. Last year’s champion was Michigan, which was sitting home watching this one, but still played a special role in a Buckeyes redemption story hardly anyone saw coming.___

🏈 Ohio State wins 1st national title since 2014, outlasting Notre Dame in CFP championship game

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22DAVE%20SKRETTA%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By DAVE SKRETTA AP Sports Writer</a>

Kansas State forward Ayoka Lee will be sidelined indefinitely after an X-ray and MRI exam revealed the All-American fractured a bone in her foot in the second quarter of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll">No. 10</a>&nbsp;Wildcats'&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/arizona-state-kansas-state-score-9dd812c75d1e801072ee17f55468bd8b">win over Arizona State</a>.

The school called it “probable” that Lee will return before the end of the season, but more will be known in the coming weeks.

“It's not good,” Kansas State coach Jeff Mittie said after the 81-69 win Sunday over Arizona State. “It’s not going to be a week or two.”

Lee only played 13 minutes in the game, leaving for good with 4:21 left in the first half.

The Wildcats, who do not play again until visiting Colorado on Saturday, entered the week 19-1 and 7-0 in the Big 12, and they are riding a 14-game win streak, the fourth-longest in Division I women's basketball. The Wildcats' only loss came against No. 13 Duke in the Ball Dawgs Classic in late November.

Lee is a big reason for their success. The 6-foot-6 forward from Byron, Minnesota, is averaging 16 points on 65.4% shooting, even though she's played limited minutes because of a number of blowouts. She also is averaging 6.3 rebounds and 2.3 blocks.

Lee set the women's Division I scoring record when she had 61 points against Oklahoma in January 2022. She is already Kansas State's career scoring leader with 2,482 points, and she holds school records for rebounds, blocks and field goals.

Lee also has had a history of injuries, though. She redshirted as a freshman while recovering from a knee injury, and she missed the entire 2022-23 season&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-manhattan-college-basketball-womens-kansas-d3a64345f3647364b65ddce0bb3b7c02">because of surgery</a>&nbsp;on the other knee. She also sat out several conference games a year ago after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ayoka-lee-ankle-injury-kansas-state-87bbcaff2e509fea0da1043076736901">she hurt her ankle</a>, and Mittie has limited her minutes at times this season in an effort to keep her healthy.

The Wildcats will lean more heavily on Missouri State transfer Kennedy Taylor, Imani Lester and Eliza Maupin while Lee is out.

"I think it’s just the next-man-up mentality, and I think Eliza came in and played really well for us,” Kansas State guard Taryn Sides said after the win over the Sun Devils. “We don’t really know a whole lot about Yokie. Hopefully she’s OK.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1737409095320.png" alt="Photo KSU Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo KSU Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22DAVE%20SKRETTA%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By DAVE SKRETTA AP Sports Writer</a>Kansas State forward Ayoka Lee will be sidelined indefinitely after an X-ray and MRI exam revealed the All-American fractured a bone in her foot in the second quarter of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll">No. 10</a>&nbsp;Wildcats'&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/arizona-state-kansas-state-score-9dd812c75d1e801072ee17f55468bd8b">win over Arizona State</a>.The school called it “probable” that Lee will return before the end of the season, but more will be known in the coming weeks.“It's not good,” Kansas State coach Jeff Mittie said after the 81-69 win Sunday over Arizona State. “It’s not going to be a week or two.”Lee only played 13 minutes in the game, leaving for good with 4:21 left in the first half.The Wildcats, who do not play again until visiting Colorado on Saturday, entered the week 19-1 and 7-0 in the Big 12, and they are riding a 14-game win streak, the fourth-longest in Division I women's basketball. The Wildcats' only loss came against No. 13 Duke in the Ball Dawgs Classic in late November.Lee is a big reason for their success. The 6-foot-6 forward from Byron, Minnesota, is averaging 16 points on 65.4% shooting, even though she's played limited minutes because of a number of blowouts. She also is averaging 6.3 rebounds and 2.3 blocks.Lee set the women's Division I scoring record when she had 61 points against Oklahoma in January 2022. She is already Kansas State's career scoring leader with 2,482 points, and she holds school records for rebounds, blocks and field goals.Lee also has had a history of injuries, though. She redshirted as a freshman while recovering from a knee injury, and she missed the entire 2022-23 season&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-manhattan-college-basketball-womens-kansas-d3a64345f3647364b65ddce0bb3b7c02">because of surgery</a>&nbsp;on the other knee. She also sat out several conference games a year ago after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ayoka-lee-ankle-injury-kansas-state-87bbcaff2e509fea0da1043076736901">she hurt her ankle</a>, and Mittie has limited her minutes at times this season in an effort to keep her healthy.The Wildcats will lean more heavily on Missouri State transfer Kennedy Taylor, Imani Lester and Eliza Maupin while Lee is out."I think it’s just the next-man-up mentality, and I think Eliza came in and played really well for us,” Kansas State guard Taryn Sides said after the win over the Sun Devils. “We don’t really know a whole lot about Yokie. Hopefully she’s OK.”___

🏀 K-State All-American Ayoka Lee out indefinitely with injury

A limited quantity of tickets for the AFC Championship Game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium will go on sale to the public at 11 a.m. 

Fans can purchase tickets online at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.chiefs.com/tickets">www.chiefs.com/tickets</a>&nbsp;at that time.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Chiefs will host the Buffalo Bills in the championship game, the seventh straight AFC title game appearance for Kansas City. The game will kickoff at 5:30 p.m. The game will be televised on CBS, while you can also listen to the game on KWBW-AM/FM (1450/98.5) in the Hutchinson area.

Delivery of all tickets to the AFC Championship Game is mobile-only and there is a six-ticket limit per purchaser. The ticket office will not be open for any walk-up sales for AFC Championship Game tickets. 

Parking passes for the AFC Championship Game are also on sale at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.chiefs.com/tickets/">www.chiefs.com/tickets/</a>. As has been the case all season long, all parking is mobile-entry only, so fans must purchase parking passes online in advance as payment will not be accepted at the parking tollgates.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1614896681378.jpeg" alt="Photo Courtesy Kansas City Chiefs" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Kansas City Chiefs</figcaption>
 </figure>A limited quantity of tickets for the AFC Championship Game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium will go on sale to the public at 11 a.m. Fans can purchase tickets online at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.chiefs.com/tickets">www.chiefs.com/tickets</a>&nbsp;at that time.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Chiefs will host the Buffalo Bills in the championship game, the seventh straight AFC title game appearance for Kansas City. The game will kickoff at 5:30 p.m. The game will be televised on CBS, while you can also listen to the game on KWBW-AM/FM (1450/98.5) in the Hutchinson area.Delivery of all tickets to the AFC Championship Game is mobile-only and there is a six-ticket limit per purchaser. The ticket office will not be open for any walk-up sales for AFC Championship Game tickets. Parking passes for the AFC Championship Game are also on sale at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.chiefs.com/tickets/">www.chiefs.com/tickets/</a>. As has been the case all season long, all parking is mobile-entry only, so fans must purchase parking passes online in advance as payment will not be accepted at the parking tollgates.&nbsp;&nbsp;

🏈 AFC Championship Game tickets go on sale at 11 a.m.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Due to the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, there will NOT be a DragonTalk Show at Chick-fil-A, Monday, Jan. 20, as previously scheduled.

The show will resume next Monday, Jan. 27 from 6-7 p.m. live at Chick-fil-A in Hutchinson.

As a reminder, you can hear DragonTalk live on <a href="https://radio.securenetsystems.net/v5/KWBW">KWBW Radio</a>, or find the archived shows in their entirety by <a href="https://www.kwbwradio.com/page/140000775/140047533/HCC-Womens-Dragon-Talk">clicking here</a>.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1731343173564.jpeg" alt="Dragon Talk - Photo Courtesy HutchCC Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Dragon Talk - Photo Courtesy HutchCC Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Due to the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, there will NOT be a DragonTalk Show at Chick-fil-A, Monday, Jan. 20, as previously scheduled.The show will resume next Monday, Jan. 27 from 6-7 p.m. live at Chick-fil-A in Hutchinson.As a reminder, you can hear DragonTalk live on <a href="https://radio.securenetsystems.net/v5/KWBW">KWBW Radio</a>, or find the archived shows in their entirety by <a href="https://www.kwbwradio.com/page/140000775/140047533/HCC-Womens-Dragon-Talk">clicking here</a>.&nbsp;

🏀 No DragonTalk Show Jan. 20

• Hutch High vs. Derby (Girls Only) - 7:15 p.m. pregame, 7:30 p.m. tipoff (KWBW)

• HutchCC WBB/MBB vs. Barton - 5:15 p.m. pregame, 5:30 p.m. tipoff (KHUT, KWBW) • K-State MBB at Baylor - 7 p.m. pregame, 8 p.m. tipoff (KHMY)

•Hutch High boys vs. Blue Valley West (McPherson Invitational) - 4:15 p.m. pregame, 4:35 p.m. tipoff (KWBW) • Jerome Tang Show - 7 p.m. (KHMY)

• Hutch High boys vs. TBD (McPherson Invitational) - TBD (KWBW)

• Hutch High boys vs. TBD (McPherson Invitational) - TBD (KWBW) • HutchCC WBB/MBB vs. Fort Hays Tech NW - 1:45 p.m. pregame, 2 p.m. tipoff (KHUT) • K-State MBB vs. West Virginia - 4 p.m. pregame, 5 p.m. tipoff (KHMY)

• Chiefs vs. Bills (AFC Championship - Westwood One broadcast) - 5:30 p.m. kickoff (KWBW)

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1725282945901.png" alt="EAGLE Media" />
 <figcaption>EAGLE Media</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://streamdb7web.securenetsystems.net/ce/index.cfm?stationCallSign=KHMY2">KHMY-FM (93.1)</a> <a href="https://streamdb5web.securenetsystems.net/v5/KHUT">KHUT-FM (102.9)</a> <a href="https://radio.securenetsystems.net/v5/KWBW">KWBW-AM/FM (1450/98.5)</a>Monday, Jan. 20Tuesday, Jan. 21• Hutch High vs. Derby (Girls Only) - 7:15 p.m. pregame, 7:30 p.m. tipoff (KWBW)Wednesday, Jan. 22• HutchCC WBB/MBB vs. Barton - 5:15 p.m. pregame, 5:30 p.m. tipoff (KHUT, KWBW) • K-State MBB at Baylor - 7 p.m. pregame, 8 p.m. tipoff (KHMY)Thursday, Jan. 23•Hutch High boys vs. Blue Valley West (McPherson Invitational) - 4:15 p.m. pregame, 4:35 p.m. tipoff (KWBW) • Jerome Tang Show - 7 p.m. (KHMY)Friday, Jan. 24• Hutch High boys vs. TBD (McPherson Invitational) - TBD (KWBW)Saturday, Jan. 25• Hutch High boys vs. TBD (McPherson Invitational) - TBD (KWBW) • HutchCC WBB/MBB vs. Fort Hays Tech NW - 1:45 p.m. pregame, 2 p.m. tipoff (KHUT) • K-State MBB vs. West Virginia - 4 p.m. pregame, 5 p.m. tipoff (KHMY)Sunday, Jan. 26• Chiefs vs. Bills (AFC Championship - Westwood One broadcast) - 5:30 p.m. kickoff (KWBW)

🎧 EAGLE Media Sports Broadcast Calendar (Jan. 20-Jan. 26)

By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/rob-maaddi">ROB MAADDI</a>

(AP) — Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills will take on Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC championship game for their fourth playoff matchup in five years.

Allen ran for two touchdowns and the Bills beat Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens 27-25 in a divisional game on Sunday. Mark Andrews dropped a pass from Jackson on a 2-point conversion that would’ve tied it with 1:33 remaining and Buffalo held on for the victory.

The Chiefs have defeated the Bills three straight times in the playoffs, including the conference title game four years ago in Kansas City. But Buffalo was the only team to beat Kansas City’s starters this season, a 30-21 victory at home in Week 11.

It’ll be Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley and the Philadelphia Eagles hosting Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders in the NFC championship game.

The Eagles advanced with a 28-22 victory over the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday. They’ll be home next week because the sixth-seeded Commanders upset the No. 1 seed Detroit Lions&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lions-commanders-score-nfl-playoffs-74382ca3f1bc0c69caba21e39f4787d3">45-31</a>&nbsp;on Saturday night.

Barkley ran for 205 yards, including touchdown runs of 62 and 78 yards and Philadelphia’s defense held on the final drive with Jalen Carter sacking Matthew Stafford for a 9-yard loss to the 22. Stafford then fired an incomplete pass on fourth-and-11.

The NFC East rival Eagles and Commanders will meet for the third time this season with each team winning at home. The Eagles beat Washington 26-18 in a Thursday night game on Nov. 14. The Commanders rallied for a 36-33 victory on Dec. 22 in a game where Hurts sustained a concussion in the first quarter.

Backup quarterback Kenny Pickett had Philadelphia in position to win that game, but DeVonta Smith dropped a third-down pass that would’ve allowed the Eagles to run out the clock. Instead, Jake Elliott kicked a field goal for a 33-28 lead and Daniels led another impressive comeback in the final two minutes, tossing a 9-yard TD pass to Jamison Crowder with 6 seconds remaining.

The Eagles (16-3) are going to the NFC title game for the second time in three years and ninth time in franchise history. They’re 4-4 and won the Super Bowl once.

The Commanders (14-5) are in the conference championship game for the first time in 33 years and seventh time in franchise history. Washington is 5-1 in the NFC title game and has won three Super Bowls. Rookie QBs are 0-5 in conference championship games, so Daniels will try to break that streak.

The Chiefs (16-2) advanced on Saturday with a 23-14 victory over the Houston Texans. Mahomes threw for 177 yards and a touchdown to Travis Kelce, who had seven catches for 117 yards with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-kansas-city-chiefs-houston-texans-468b074fb9dc4f03b743593670ffdf86">girlfriend Taylor Swift</a>&nbsp;watching alongside WNBA star Caitlin Clark from a suite.

It’ll be the seventh straight AFC championship game for Mahomes, Andy Reid and the Chiefs. They’ve gone 4-2 and have won three Super Bowls, including two in a row. Kansas City is aiming to become the first team in NFL history to three-peat in the Super Bowl era.

The Bills (15-4) are 4-2 in AFC title games, but 0-4 in the Super Bowl, losing four in a row from the 1990-93 seasons.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1719524116479.png" alt="(AP Photo/Adam Hunger, File)" />
 <figcaption>(AP Photo/Adam Hunger, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/rob-maaddi">ROB MAADDI</a> (AP) — Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills will take on Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC championship game for their fourth playoff matchup in five years.Allen ran for two touchdowns and the Bills beat Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens 27-25 in a divisional game on Sunday. Mark Andrews dropped a pass from Jackson on a 2-point conversion that would’ve tied it with 1:33 remaining and Buffalo held on for the victory.The Chiefs have defeated the Bills three straight times in the playoffs, including the conference title game four years ago in Kansas City. But Buffalo was the only team to beat Kansas City’s starters this season, a 30-21 victory at home in Week 11.It’ll be Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley and the Philadelphia Eagles hosting Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders in the NFC championship game.The Eagles advanced with a 28-22 victory over the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday. They’ll be home next week because the sixth-seeded Commanders upset the No. 1 seed Detroit Lions&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lions-commanders-score-nfl-playoffs-74382ca3f1bc0c69caba21e39f4787d3">45-31</a>&nbsp;on Saturday night.Barkley ran for 205 yards, including touchdown runs of 62 and 78 yards and Philadelphia’s defense held on the final drive with Jalen Carter sacking Matthew Stafford for a 9-yard loss to the 22. Stafford then fired an incomplete pass on fourth-and-11.The NFC East rival Eagles and Commanders will meet for the third time this season with each team winning at home. The Eagles beat Washington 26-18 in a Thursday night game on Nov. 14. The Commanders rallied for a 36-33 victory on Dec. 22 in a game where Hurts sustained a concussion in the first quarter.Backup quarterback Kenny Pickett had Philadelphia in position to win that game, but DeVonta Smith dropped a third-down pass that would’ve allowed the Eagles to run out the clock. Instead, Jake Elliott kicked a field goal for a 33-28 lead and Daniels led another impressive comeback in the final two minutes, tossing a 9-yard TD pass to Jamison Crowder with 6 seconds remaining.The Eagles (16-3) are going to the NFC title game for the second time in three years and ninth time in franchise history. They’re 4-4 and won the Super Bowl once.The Commanders (14-5) are in the conference championship game for the first time in 33 years and seventh time in franchise history. Washington is 5-1 in the NFC title game and has won three Super Bowls. Rookie QBs are 0-5 in conference championship games, so Daniels will try to break that streak.The Chiefs (16-2) advanced on Saturday with a 23-14 victory over the Houston Texans. Mahomes threw for 177 yards and a touchdown to Travis Kelce, who had seven catches for 117 yards with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-kansas-city-chiefs-houston-texans-468b074fb9dc4f03b743593670ffdf86">girlfriend Taylor Swift</a>&nbsp;watching alongside WNBA star Caitlin Clark from a suite.It’ll be the seventh straight AFC championship game for Mahomes, Andy Reid and the Chiefs. They’ve gone 4-2 and have won three Super Bowls, including two in a row. Kansas City is aiming to become the first team in NFL history to three-peat in the Super Bowl era.The Bills (15-4) are 4-2 in AFC title games, but 0-4 in the Super Bowl, losing four in a row from the 1990-93 seasons.

🏈 AFC and NFC title games are set

AP Sports Summary for January 20th, 2025:

Josh Allen scores 2 TDs, Bills force 3 turnovers to beat Ravens 27-25 and reach AFC title game

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Josh Allen rushed for two touchdowns, Buffalo's defense forced three turnovers and the Bills advanced to the AFC championship game with a 27-25 win over the Baltimore Ravens in the divisional round. The Bills hung on when a wide-open Mark Andrews dropped a 2-point conversion pass from Lamar Jackson, allowing the ball to bounce off his chest with 1:33 left. Jackson connected with a sliding Isaiah Likely for a 24-yard touchdown to give the Ravens a chance to tie it. The Bills advanced to the AFC championship game next Sunday against the conference's top seed, the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs.

Barkley runs for 78- and 62-yard TDs in the snow and Eagles top Rams 28-22 to head to NFC title game

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Saquon Barkley dashed through the snow for touchdown runs of 78 and 62 yards and finished with 205 yards rushing, Jalen Hurts had a 44-yard scoring run and the Philadelphia Eagles held on against the Los Angeles Rams 28-22 to advance to the NFC championship game for the second time in three seasons. Barkley ran for a 62-yard score in the first half and stretched the lead in the fourth when he blew through a hole and ran about untouched 78 yards for the touchdown. The Eagles will host the NFC championship game Sunday against Washington.

Powell and the Clippers beat James and the Lakers 116-102 in Lakers' first visit to Intuit Dome

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Norman Powell scored 22 points, James Harden had a double-double and the Los Angeles Clippers defeated LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers 116-102. It was the Lakers' first visit to the new Intuit Dome. Harden added 21 points and 12 assists. James led the Lakers with 25 points and 11 assists. Rui Hachimura had 19 points and Anthony Davis had 16 points and 10 rebounds in his return from a one-game absence.

Buckeyes, Irish used humbling losses as springboards to their national championship game showdown

ATLANTA (AP) — Ohio State and Notre Dame will meet in the College Football Playoff championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Monday night. Both teams survived embarrassing regular-season losses to make it to the game that will end the longest season in history. Ohio State will be playing for its first championship since 2014 and Notre Dame for its first since 1988. Since losing to Michigan, Ohio State has playoff wins over Tennessee, Oregon and Texas. Notre Dame has won 13 straight since losing to Northern Illinois. The Irish have beaten Indiana, Georgia and Penn State in the playoff.

At Notre Dame, the first 'America's Team,' they wake the echoes on a run to another national title

ATLANTA (AP) — Between Touchdown Jesus, "Win One for the Gipper," Rudy, and, yes, even the forward pass, there are those who believe football wouldn't quite be football without Notre Dame. With the Fighting Irish waking up the echoes and playing for a title again after a generation-long retreat from the limelight, now might be the perfect time to admit it — maybe they were right. Ever since 1913, when an end named Knute Rockne helped a small Catholic school based in South Bend, Indiana, pull off a stunner by beating Army, Notre Dame has stood as one of the main shapers of college football.

On eve of CFP title game, some college players ask, What would it look like to be employees?

ATLANTA (AP) — About 50 players in a fledgling college athletes union are meeting this weekend in Atlanta, across town from where the national title game between Ohio State and Notre Dame will be held. They want a bigger say in decisions that will define their industry for years to come. High-profile members of the group called athletes.org include Grant House and Sedona Prince. House is the swimmer whose name is attached to the "House settlement" that will dictate terms of NIL payments, roster limits and other issues. Prince is the basketball player whose viral video of the sparse weight room at women's March Madness in 2020 shined a light on what ails college sports.

Iga Swiatek's drug-case ruling will not be appealed by the World Anti-Doping Agency

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Iga Swiatek's one-month suspension for failing a drug test will not be appealed by the World Anti-Doping Agency. WADA says Swiatek's explanation for her sample's contamination is plausible. WADA released its decision shortly after Swiatek sealed a 6-0, 6-1 victory against Eva Lys to reach the Australian Open quarterfinals. The resolution of Swiatek's case was made public by the International Tennis Integrity Agency in late November. WADA has appealed the exoneration of Jannik Sinner and a hearing will be held in April at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Austria's Sepp Straka cruises to a 2-shot victory over Justin Thomas at The American Express

LA QUINTA, Calif. (AP) — Sepp Straka won The American Express by two shots over Justin Thomas. The 31-year-old Austrian finished his third career PGA Tour victory at 25-under 263 with a final-round 70. Straka comfortably marched to victory after taking a four-shot lead into the final round at the venerable Coachella Valley tournament. He didn't have a bogey in the four-day event until making two in the final three holes, but his competitors couldn't mount a charge to make it uncomfortable.

Jannik Sinner gets past Holger Rune at the Australian Open in a match with net and medical delays

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Defending champion Jannik Sinner has moved into the quarterfinals at the Australian Open after beating Holger Rune in a match slowed down by medical timeouts for each player and a delay because the net got knocked loose. The No. 1-ranked Sinner beat No. 13 Rune 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2. That stretched Sinner's winning streak to 18 tour-level matches dating back to last season. Iga Swiatek, Madison Keys, Emma Navarro and Elina Svitolina reached the women's quarterfinals, while Ben Shelton, Alex de Minaur and Lorenzo Sonego joined Sinner in the men's final eight.

Final	(12)Michigan St.	80	(19)Illinois	78	

		(6)Ohio St.	at	(3)Notre Dame	7:30 p.m.	

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1701494597443.png" alt="Sports Headlines and News for Monday, January 20th, 2025" />
 <figcaption>Sports Headlines and News for Monday, January 20th, 2025</figcaption>
 </figure>AP Sports Summary for January 20th, 2025:<div><iframe title="AP Early Morning Sports for January 20th, 2025" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=j5srw-17bd3dd-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=60a0c8&font-color=&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=ff6d00" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>Josh Allen scores 2 TDs, Bills force 3 turnovers to beat Ravens 27-25 and reach AFC title gameORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Josh Allen rushed for two touchdowns, Buffalo's defense forced three turnovers and the Bills advanced to the AFC championship game with a 27-25 win over the Baltimore Ravens in the divisional round. The Bills hung on when a wide-open Mark Andrews dropped a 2-point conversion pass from Lamar Jackson, allowing the ball to bounce off his chest with 1:33 left. Jackson connected with a sliding Isaiah Likely for a 24-yard touchdown to give the Ravens a chance to tie it. The Bills advanced to the AFC championship game next Sunday against the conference's top seed, the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs.Barkley runs for 78- and 62-yard TDs in the snow and Eagles top Rams 28-22 to head to NFC title gamePHILADELPHIA (AP) — Saquon Barkley dashed through the snow for touchdown runs of 78 and 62 yards and finished with 205 yards rushing, Jalen Hurts had a 44-yard scoring run and the Philadelphia Eagles held on against the Los Angeles Rams 28-22 to advance to the NFC championship game for the second time in three seasons. Barkley ran for a 62-yard score in the first half and stretched the lead in the fourth when he blew through a hole and ran about untouched 78 yards for the touchdown. The Eagles will host the NFC championship game Sunday against Washington.Bills will face Chiefs in AFC title game; Eagles will host the Commanders in NFC championship gameJosh Allen and the Buffalo Bills will take on Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC championship game in their fourth playoff matchup in five years. Allen ran for two touchdowns and the Bills beat Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens 27-25 in a divisional game Sunday. Mark Andrews dropped a pass from Jackson on a 2-point conversion that would've tied it with 1:33 remaining and Buffalo held on for the victory. The Chiefs have defeated the Bills three straight times in the playoffs, including the conference title game four years ago in Kansas City. It'll be Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley and the Philadelphia Eagles hosting Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders in the NFC championship game.Powell and the Clippers beat James and the Lakers 116-102 in Lakers' first visit to Intuit DomeINGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Norman Powell scored 22 points, James Harden had a double-double and the Los Angeles Clippers defeated LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers 116-102. It was the Lakers' first visit to the new Intuit Dome. Harden added 21 points and 12 assists. James led the Lakers with 25 points and 11 assists. Rui Hachimura had 19 points and Anthony Davis had 16 points and 10 rebounds in his return from a one-game absence.Buckeyes, Irish used humbling losses as springboards to their national championship game showdownATLANTA (AP) — Ohio State and Notre Dame will meet in the College Football Playoff championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Monday night. Both teams survived embarrassing regular-season losses to make it to the game that will end the longest season in history. Ohio State will be playing for its first championship since 2014 and Notre Dame for its first since 1988. Since losing to Michigan, Ohio State has playoff wins over Tennessee, Oregon and Texas. Notre Dame has won 13 straight since losing to Northern Illinois. The Irish have beaten Indiana, Georgia and Penn State in the playoff.At Notre Dame, the first 'America's Team,' they wake the echoes on a run to another national titleATLANTA (AP) — Between Touchdown Jesus, "Win One for the Gipper," Rudy, and, yes, even the forward pass, there are those who believe football wouldn't quite be football without Notre Dame. With the Fighting Irish waking up the echoes and playing for a title again after a generation-long retreat from the limelight, now might be the perfect time to admit it — maybe they were right. Ever since 1913, when an end named Knute Rockne helped a small Catholic school based in South Bend, Indiana, pull off a stunner by beating Army, Notre Dame has stood as one of the main shapers of college football.On eve of CFP title game, some college players ask, What would it look like to be employees?ATLANTA (AP) — About 50 players in a fledgling college athletes union are meeting this weekend in Atlanta, across town from where the national title game between Ohio State and Notre Dame will be held. They want a bigger say in decisions that will define their industry for years to come. High-profile members of the group called athletes.org include Grant House and Sedona Prince. House is the swimmer whose name is attached to the "House settlement" that will dictate terms of NIL payments, roster limits and other issues. Prince is the basketball player whose viral video of the sparse weight room at women's March Madness in 2020 shined a light on what ails college sports.Iga Swiatek's drug-case ruling will not be appealed by the World Anti-Doping AgencyMELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Iga Swiatek's one-month suspension for failing a drug test will not be appealed by the World Anti-Doping Agency. WADA says Swiatek's explanation for her sample's contamination is plausible. WADA released its decision shortly after Swiatek sealed a 6-0, 6-1 victory against Eva Lys to reach the Australian Open quarterfinals. The resolution of Swiatek's case was made public by the International Tennis Integrity Agency in late November. WADA has appealed the exoneration of Jannik Sinner and a hearing will be held in April at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.Austria's Sepp Straka cruises to a 2-shot victory over Justin Thomas at The American ExpressLA QUINTA, Calif. (AP) — Sepp Straka won The American Express by two shots over Justin Thomas. The 31-year-old Austrian finished his third career PGA Tour victory at 25-under 263 with a final-round 70. Straka comfortably marched to victory after taking a four-shot lead into the final round at the venerable Coachella Valley tournament. He didn't have a bogey in the four-day event until making two in the final three holes, but his competitors couldn't mount a charge to make it uncomfortable.Jannik Sinner gets past Holger Rune at the Australian Open in a match with net and medical delaysMELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Defending champion Jannik Sinner has moved into the quarterfinals at the Australian Open after beating Holger Rune in a match slowed down by medical timeouts for each player and a delay because the net got knocked loose. The No. 1-ranked Sinner beat No. 13 Rune 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2. That stretched Sinner's winning streak to 18 tour-level matches dating back to last season. Iga Swiatek, Madison Keys, Emma Navarro and Elina Svitolina reached the women's quarterfinals, while Ben Shelton, Alex de Minaur and Lorenzo Sonego joined Sinner in the men's final eight.AP-ScorecardHere are the scores from yesterday's sports events:___NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATIONFinal	Miami	128	San Antonio	107	Final	Denver	113	Orlando	100	Final	Oklahoma City	127	Brooklyn	101	Final	Milwaukee	123	Philadelphia	109	Final	L.A. Clippers	116	L.A. Lakers	102	Final	Sacramento	123	Washington	100	Final	Portland	113	Chicago	102	___NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUEFinal	Ottawa	2	New Jersey	1	Final OT	Montreal	5	N-Y Rangers	4	Final	Dallas	4	Detroit	1	___NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE PLAYOFFSFinal	Philadelphia	28	L.A. Rams	22	Final	Buffalo	27	Baltimore	25	___TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALLFinal	(12)Michigan St.	80	(19)Illinois	78	Final	(18)Memphis	77	Charlotte	68	Final	(20)Michigan	80	Northwestern	76	Final	TCU	74	(25)Baylor	71	___TODAY'S SPORTS SCHEDULE___NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION		Dallas	at	Charlotte	12 p.m.			Detroit	at	Houston	2 p.m.			Minnesota	at	Memphis	2:30 p.m.			Atlanta	at	New York	3 p.m.			Phoenix	at	Cleveland	3:30 p.m.			Boston	at	Golden State	5 p.m.			Utah	at	New Orleans	8 p.m.			Chicago	at	L.A. Clippers	10:30 p.m.	___NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE		San Jose	at	Boston	1 p.m.			Minnesota	at	Colorado	3 p.m.			Buffalo	at	Seattle	4 p.m.			St. Louis	at	Vegas	6 p.m.			Columbus	at	N-Y Islanders	7:30 p.m.			Tampa Bay	at	Toronto	7:30 p.m.			Carolina	at	Chicago	8:30 p.m.			Winnipeg	at	Utah	9:30 p.m.			Pittsburgh	at	Los Angeles	10:30 p.m.	___TOP-25 COLLEGE FOOTBALL		(6)Ohio St.	at	(3)Notre Dame	7:30 p.m.	___

📢📰🎧 Sports Headlines for Monday

AP Sports Summary for January 19th, 2025:

Jayden Daniels and the Commanders stun the top-seeded Lions 45-31 to reach NFC title game

DETROIT (AP) — Jayden Daniels threw for two touchdowns in a flawless performance by Washington's dazzling rookie, and the Commanders stunned the Detroit Lions 45-31 to reach the NFC championship game for the first time since winning the Super Bowl 33 years ago. The sixth-seeded Commanders were nearly double-digit underdogs against the Super Bowl favorite Lions and overcame doubts as they did all season with a rookie quarterback, new coach and general manager. Detroit, the NFC's No. 1 seed for the first time, doomed its chances by turning it over five times. Washington rookie Mike Sainristil had two interceptions.

Mahomes and Kelce help Chiefs to a 23-14 win over Texans and another AFC title game trip

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes threw for 177 yards and a touchdown, Travis Kelce caught seven passes for 117 yards and the score and the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Houston Texans 23-14 to advance to the AFC championship game for the seventh straight season. The Chiefs will face Buffalo or Baltimore next weekend at Arrowhead Stadium as they try to become the first team to win three consecutive Super Bowl titles. Mahomes improved to 7-0 in the divisional round while Andy Reid became the fourth NFL coach with 300 career wins. The Texans still have never won in six trips to the divisional round.

Texans' Kris Boyd flings helmet, gets penalized and then shoves his coach on first play vs. Chiefs

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Texans cornerback Kris Boyd nearly shoved Houston special teams coach Frank Ross to the ground after the opening kickoff of their divisional playoff game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Boyd had caused a fumble on the kickoff and ripped off his helmet and sent it sailing into the bench to celebrate. But the ball was recovered by Kansas City, which wound up kicking a field goal on the drive. Boyd was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct for taking off his helmet.

Taylor Swift joined by Caitlin Clark as she watches Travis Kelce and the Chiefs' playoff win

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Pop superstar Taylor Swift returned to Arrowhead Stadium to cheer on her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, and the rest of the Kansas City Chiefs as they beat the Houston Texans 23-14 in the divisional round of the playoffs. Swift was dressed nearly head to toe in Chanel, including a black-and-white tweed jacket, a quarter-zip romper, a pearl strand belt and pendant earrings. She spent some of the game sitting in a suite alongside Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark, who is likewise a big Chiefs fan. Kelce had a huge game with seven receptions for 117 yards and a touchdown.

Turnovers and depleted defense contribute to top-seeded Lions' quick playoff exit

DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Lions worked all season to earn the NFC's top seed and ensure they wouldn't have to play anywhere but Ford Field until the Super Bowl. Their ambitions came to a quick halt when they self-destructed against the Washington Commanders in a 45-31 loss on Saturday night in the divisional round of the playoffs. This year's Lions team went 15-2 in the regular season but didn't advance as far in the playoff teams as they did last season, when they lost at San Francisco in the NFC title game. Detroit was undone by five turnovers and the stellar play of Washington rookie Jayden Daniels.

Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic will meet at the Australian Open. This time, it's a quarterfinal

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic have set up a quarterfinal showdown at the Australian Open. Tuesday's contest will be their eighth head-to-head matchup, but their first at Melbourne Park and their first that is neither a semifinal nor a final. Alcaraz reached his 10th career Grand Slam quarterfinal, tied for the most by a man before his 22nd birthday, when 15th-seeded Jack Draper stopped playing because of a hip injury on Sunday afternoon. Djokovic needed to do more work as he pursues a 25th major trophy, and 11th in Australia, and ended up beating Jiri Lehecka 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (4) on Sunday night.

Coco Gauff writes 'RIP TikTok USA' on a TV camera at the Australian Open

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Tennis star Coco Gauff has mourned the loss of TikTok's app back home. The 20-year-old from Florida wrote "RIP TikTok USA" on a TV camera lens and drew a broken heart right after winning a match at the Australian Open to reach the quarterfinals. Gauff's three-set victory in the Grand Slam tournament's main stadium finished about an hour after TikTok could no longer be found on prominent app stores in the U.S. on Saturday. When users opened the TikTok app, they encountered a pop-up message from the company that prevented them from scrolling on videos. Gauff frequently has posted on TikTok, often mimicking popular trends.

Lindsey Vonn falls while on pace for podium finish at World Cup super-G in Cortina

CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy (AP) — Lindsey Vonn has fallen while on pace for a podium finish at a World Cup super-G on the course that will host skiing at next year's Milan-Cortina Olympics. She went down on her left hip coming around a gate midway down but appeared to avoid injury. Then the American slid down the course and came to a stop far away from the safety netting. Vonn quickly got up and skied down to the finish area and waved to the crowd. It was her second fall in four days after also avoiding injury during a crash in downhill training on Thursday. Home favorite Federica Brignone was leading the race from Lara Gut-Behrami by 0.58 seconds, with Corinne Suter in third, 1.08 behind.

Islam Makhachev submits late-replacement Renato Moicano in 1st round at UFC 311

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Lightweight champion Islam Makhachev submitted 10th-ranked Renato Moicano at 4:05 of the first round Saturday night at UFC 311 for his 15th straight victory. It didn't take long for Makhachev (27-1-0) after he took down Moicano (20-6-1), as he quickly administered a D'Arce choke. The 33-year-old Makhachev has the most title fight wins in the division with five, and accomplished what no other fighter in his division had ever done — successfully defending his belt four times. It was his 13th win by submission. Moicano was a last-minute replacement for top-ranked challenger Arman Tsarukyan, who pulled out of the bout Friday because "of significant back pain" related to an injury.

Alexander Zverev returns to the Australian Open quarterfinals and faces Tommy Paul next

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Alexander Zverev has reached the Australian Open quarterfinals for the fourth time and will face Tommy Paul next. The No. 2-seeded Zverev beat No. 14 Ugo Humbert 6-1, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 with the help of 19 aces on Sunday night. Paul ended Alejandro Davidovich Fokina's run of comebacks at the Australian Open and reached his third Grand Slam quarterfinal with a 6-1, 6-1, 6-1 victory earlier. Paul is an American seeded 12th at Melbourne Park. He needed less than 1 1/2 hours on Sunday to finish off a diminished opponent. The 66th-ranked Davidovich Fokina had won his last two matches despite dropping the first two sets in both.

Final	(15)Mississippi St.	84	(21)Mississippi	81	

		(19)Illinois	at	(12)Michigan St.	12 p.m.	

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1701494597443.png" alt="Sports Headlines and News for Sunday, January 19, 2025" />
 <figcaption>Sports Headlines and News for Sunday, January 19, 2025</figcaption>
 </figure>AP Sports Summary for January 19th, 2025:Jayden Daniels and the Commanders stun the top-seeded Lions 45-31 to reach NFC title gameDETROIT (AP) — Jayden Daniels threw for two touchdowns in a flawless performance by Washington's dazzling rookie, and the Commanders stunned the Detroit Lions 45-31 to reach the NFC championship game for the first time since winning the Super Bowl 33 years ago. The sixth-seeded Commanders were nearly double-digit underdogs against the Super Bowl favorite Lions and overcame doubts as they did all season with a rookie quarterback, new coach and general manager. Detroit, the NFC's No. 1 seed for the first time, doomed its chances by turning it over five times. Washington rookie Mike Sainristil had two interceptions.Mahomes and Kelce help Chiefs to a 23-14 win over Texans and another AFC title game tripKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes threw for 177 yards and a touchdown, Travis Kelce caught seven passes for 117 yards and the score and the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Houston Texans 23-14 to advance to the AFC championship game for the seventh straight season. The Chiefs will face Buffalo or Baltimore next weekend at Arrowhead Stadium as they try to become the first team to win three consecutive Super Bowl titles. Mahomes improved to 7-0 in the divisional round while Andy Reid became the fourth NFL coach with 300 career wins. The Texans still have never won in six trips to the divisional round.Texans' Kris Boyd flings helmet, gets penalized and then shoves his coach on first play vs. ChiefsKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Texans cornerback Kris Boyd nearly shoved Houston special teams coach Frank Ross to the ground after the opening kickoff of their divisional playoff game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Boyd had caused a fumble on the kickoff and ripped off his helmet and sent it sailing into the bench to celebrate. But the ball was recovered by Kansas City, which wound up kicking a field goal on the drive. Boyd was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct for taking off his helmet.Taylor Swift joined by Caitlin Clark as she watches Travis Kelce and the Chiefs' playoff winKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Pop superstar Taylor Swift returned to Arrowhead Stadium to cheer on her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, and the rest of the Kansas City Chiefs as they beat the Houston Texans 23-14 in the divisional round of the playoffs. Swift was dressed nearly head to toe in Chanel, including a black-and-white tweed jacket, a quarter-zip romper, a pearl strand belt and pendant earrings. She spent some of the game sitting in a suite alongside Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark, who is likewise a big Chiefs fan. Kelce had a huge game with seven receptions for 117 yards and a touchdown.Turnovers and depleted defense contribute to top-seeded Lions' quick playoff exitDETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Lions worked all season to earn the NFC's top seed and ensure they wouldn't have to play anywhere but Ford Field until the Super Bowl. Their ambitions came to a quick halt when they self-destructed against the Washington Commanders in a 45-31 loss on Saturday night in the divisional round of the playoffs. This year's Lions team went 15-2 in the regular season but didn't advance as far in the playoff teams as they did last season, when they lost at San Francisco in the NFC title game. Detroit was undone by five turnovers and the stellar play of Washington rookie Jayden Daniels.Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic will meet at the Australian Open. This time, it's a quarterfinalMELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic have set up a quarterfinal showdown at the Australian Open. Tuesday's contest will be their eighth head-to-head matchup, but their first at Melbourne Park and their first that is neither a semifinal nor a final. Alcaraz reached his 10th career Grand Slam quarterfinal, tied for the most by a man before his 22nd birthday, when 15th-seeded Jack Draper stopped playing because of a hip injury on Sunday afternoon. Djokovic needed to do more work as he pursues a 25th major trophy, and 11th in Australia, and ended up beating Jiri Lehecka 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (4) on Sunday night.Coco Gauff writes 'RIP TikTok USA' on a TV camera at the Australian OpenMELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Tennis star Coco Gauff has mourned the loss of TikTok's app back home. The 20-year-old from Florida wrote "RIP TikTok USA" on a TV camera lens and drew a broken heart right after winning a match at the Australian Open to reach the quarterfinals. Gauff's three-set victory in the Grand Slam tournament's main stadium finished about an hour after TikTok could no longer be found on prominent app stores in the U.S. on Saturday. When users opened the TikTok app, they encountered a pop-up message from the company that prevented them from scrolling on videos. Gauff frequently has posted on TikTok, often mimicking popular trends.Lindsey Vonn falls while on pace for podium finish at World Cup super-G in CortinaCORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy (AP) — Lindsey Vonn has fallen while on pace for a podium finish at a World Cup super-G on the course that will host skiing at next year's Milan-Cortina Olympics. She went down on her left hip coming around a gate midway down but appeared to avoid injury. Then the American slid down the course and came to a stop far away from the safety netting. Vonn quickly got up and skied down to the finish area and waved to the crowd. It was her second fall in four days after also avoiding injury during a crash in downhill training on Thursday. Home favorite Federica Brignone was leading the race from Lara Gut-Behrami by 0.58 seconds, with Corinne Suter in third, 1.08 behind.Islam Makhachev submits late-replacement Renato Moicano in 1st round at UFC 311INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Lightweight champion Islam Makhachev submitted 10th-ranked Renato Moicano at 4:05 of the first round Saturday night at UFC 311 for his 15th straight victory. It didn't take long for Makhachev (27-1-0) after he took down Moicano (20-6-1), as he quickly administered a D'Arce choke. The 33-year-old Makhachev has the most title fight wins in the division with five, and accomplished what no other fighter in his division had ever done — successfully defending his belt four times. It was his 13th win by submission. Moicano was a last-minute replacement for top-ranked challenger Arman Tsarukyan, who pulled out of the bout Friday because "of significant back pain" related to an injury.Alexander Zverev returns to the Australian Open quarterfinals and faces Tommy Paul nextMELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Alexander Zverev has reached the Australian Open quarterfinals for the fourth time and will face Tommy Paul next. The No. 2-seeded Zverev beat No. 14 Ugo Humbert 6-1, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 with the help of 19 aces on Sunday night. Paul ended Alejandro Davidovich Fokina's run of comebacks at the Australian Open and reached his third Grand Slam quarterfinal with a 6-1, 6-1, 6-1 victory earlier. Paul is an American seeded 12th at Melbourne Park. He needed less than 1 1/2 hours on Sunday to finish off a diminished opponent. The 66th-ranked Davidovich Fokina had won his last two matches despite dropping the first two sets in both.AP-ScorecardHere are the scores from yesterday's sports events:___NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATIONFinal	Phoenix	125	Detroit	121	Final	Indiana	115	Philadelphia	102	Final OT	Atlanta	119	Boston	115	Final	Golden State	122	Washington	114	Final	Cleveland	124	Minnesota	117	Final	Houston	125	Portland	103	___NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUEFinal	Philadelphia	3	New Jersey	1	Final SO	Ottawa	6	Boston	5	Final	Colorado	6	Dallas	3	Final	Florida	3	Anaheim	0	Final	Calgary	3	Winnipeg	1	Final	Washington	4	Pittsburgh	1	Final SO	N-Y Rangers	1	Columbus	0	Final	Tampa Bay	5	Detroit	1	Final	Toronto	7	Montreal	3	Final	N-Y Islanders	4	San Jose	1	Final	Chicago	5	Vegas	3	Final	Nashville	6	Minnesota	2	Final	Utah	4	St. Louis	2	Final	Seattle	4	Los Angeles	2	Final	Vancouver	3	Edmonton	2	___NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE PLAYOFFSFinal	Kansas City	23	Houston	14	Final	Washington	45	Detroit	31	___TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALLFinal	(1)Auburn	70	(23)Georgia	68	Final	West Virginia	64	(2)Iowa St.	57	Final	(3)Duke	88	Boston College	63	Final	(4)Alabama	102	(8)Kentucky	97	Final	(5)Florida	84	Texas	60	Final	Vanderbilt	76	(6)Tennessee	75	Final	Xavier	59	(7)Marquette	57	Final	(9)Kansas	84	Kansas St.	74	Final	(10)Houston	69	UCF	68	Final	(11)Texas A&amp;M	68	LSU	57	Final	(17)Purdue	65	(13)Oregon	58	Final	Creighton	68	(14)UConn	63	Final	(15)Mississippi St.	84	(21)Mississippi	81	Final	Santa Clara	103	(16)Gonzaga	99	Final	(24)Wisconsin	84	Southern Cal	69	___TODAY'S SPORTS SCHEDULE___NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION		San Antonio	at	Miami	3 p.m.			Denver	at	Orlando	6 p.m.			Brooklyn	at	Oklahoma City	7 p.m.			Philadelphia	at	Milwaukee	7 p.m.			Chicago	at	Portland	9 p.m.			L.A. Lakers	at	L.A. Clippers	9 p.m.			Washington	at	Sacramento	9 p.m.	___NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE		Ottawa	at	New Jersey	1 p.m.			N-Y Rangers	at	Montreal	7 p.m.			Detroit	at	Dallas	8 p.m.	___NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE PLAYOFFS		L.A. Rams	at	Philadelphia	3 p.m.			Baltimore	at	Buffalo	6:30 p.m.	___TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL		(19)Illinois	at	(12)Michigan St.	12 p.m.			(18)Memphis	at	Charlotte	3 p.m.			Northwestern	at	(20)Michigan	2 p.m.			TCU	at	(25)Baylor	5 p.m.	___

📢📰🎧 Sports Headlines for Sunday

<a href="mailto:rwilson@ksu.edu" target="_blank">By RON WILSON </a>K-State Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development

“Voice of the Wildcats.” That title belongs to the legendary sportscasters who have broadcast Kansas State University football and basketball games through the years.

Wyatt Thompson is the current and longtime Voice of the Cats, which he especially appreciates because of his roots in rural Kansas. Thompson became Voice of the Wildcats in 2002. He grew up in rural Kansas near Solomon.

Among his interests was livestock judging in high school FFA, which included two elements: One, placing a class of livestock in the desired order; and two, stating oral reasons to a judge to describe the reasons for that placing.

This process required him to make quick judgments and to state his observations articulately and accurately. In a sense, those skills also serve him well as a sportscaster.

Thompson continued livestock judging at Colby Community College but found himself drawn to sports broadcasting. He made the change. In 1976, he began his career, spending time at radio stations in Great Bend and Abilene. He was recognized with the Kansas Association of Broadcasters Play-by-Play Award in 1982.

From 1985 until 1989, Thompson worked at KAYS in Hays where he was the play-by-play voice at Fort Hays State. He won the Oscar Stauffer Sportscaster of the Year Award in 1989.

Then Thompson moved to Denver. He was the play-by-play voice for Colorado State's football and men's basketball teams for five years. In addition to his duties at CSU, Thompson was also a sports reporter on radio and host of the Countdown to Kickoff show for the Denver Broncos.

Thompson won the Colorado Broadcasting Association award for best play-by-play announcer in 2000.

In 2002, he moved to K-State to become the Voice of the Wildcat, a position he still holds today. In doing so, he followed in the footsteps of legendary broadcasters who have previously served as Voice of the Wildcats:&nbsp;Dev Nelson, Mitch Holthus, Steve Physioc and Greg Sharpe.

Today, Thompson is senior director of broadcasting for the K-State Athletic Department as well as Voice of the Wildcats. He&nbsp;serves as host of the Chris Klieman and Jerome Tang coaches’ shows on television and radio. In addition, he is heavily involved in various Catbacker Club, alumni and athletic department functions, frequently serving as a keynote speaker.

In an era of NIL -- Name, Image, Likeness -- and the transfer portal, it seems remarkable that he is observing local players from Kansas making an impact for their home state team. 

For example, in football, he sees Sam Hecht from Shawnee snap the ball to Avery Johnson, who went to Maize, who then might hand off the ball to Dylan Edwards from Wichita or D.J. Giddens from Junction City – and they just might be led by a block from Hadley Panzer of Lakin.

An estimated 55 Kansans are on the K-State football roster – far more than any other state.

It is especially exciting to see such in-state talent perform well. According to the K-State athletic department, since 1990 K-State’s all-conference selections have come from 37 cities in Kansas.

“I love broadcasting K-State sports for so many reasons,” Thompson said. “At the top of the list would be the amazing coaches and players that I get to work with daily.”

He also relishes the game day experience. “You can just feel the excitement for each game, and the love this fan base has for Kansas State University and the Cats,” Thompson said.

Thompson won the Hod Humiston Award for sports broadcasting from the Kansas Association of Broadcasters in 2011. Over the course of his career, Thompson has been named the Kansas Sportscaster of the Year six times. He ranks second all-time among K-State broadcasters in awards won, and fourth all-time among broadcasters in the state of Kansas.

In 2022 he was inducted into the Kansas Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame.

It's an impressive record for a farm kid from the rural community of Solomon, population 993 people. Now, that’s rural.

Voice of the Wildcats. We commend Wyatt Thompson for making a difference by sharing the excitement of Power 4 football and basketball with fans across Kansas and beyond. We’re always thankful to hear his voice.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1737038548828.jpeg" alt="Wyatt Thompson, voice of the Kansas State University Wildcats, is the former voice of the Fort Hays State University Tigers. Photo courtesy K-State" />
 <figcaption>Wyatt Thompson, voice of the Kansas State University Wildcats, is the former voice of the Fort Hays State University Tigers. Photo courtesy K-State</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="mailto:rwilson@ksu.edu" target="_blank">By RON WILSON </a>K-State Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development “Voice of the Wildcats.” That title belongs to the legendary sportscasters who have broadcast Kansas State University football and basketball games through the years.Wyatt Thompson is the current and longtime Voice of the Cats, which he especially appreciates because of his roots in rural Kansas. Thompson became Voice of the Wildcats in 2002. He grew up in rural Kansas near Solomon.Among his interests was livestock judging in high school FFA, which included two elements: One, placing a class of livestock in the desired order; and two, stating oral reasons to a judge to describe the reasons for that placing.This process required him to make quick judgments and to state his observations articulately and accurately. In a sense, those skills also serve him well as a sportscaster.Thompson continued livestock judging at Colby Community College but found himself drawn to sports broadcasting. He made the change. In 1976, he began his career, spending time at radio stations in Great Bend and Abilene. He was recognized with the Kansas Association of Broadcasters Play-by-Play Award in 1982.From 1985 until 1989, Thompson worked at KAYS in Hays where he was the play-by-play voice at Fort Hays State. He won the Oscar Stauffer Sportscaster of the Year Award in 1989.Then Thompson moved to Denver. He was the play-by-play voice for Colorado State's football and men's basketball teams for five years. In addition to his duties at CSU, Thompson was also a sports reporter on radio and host of the Countdown to Kickoff show for the Denver Broncos.Thompson won the Colorado Broadcasting Association award for best play-by-play announcer in 2000.In 2002, he moved to K-State to become the Voice of the Wildcat, a position he still holds today. In doing so, he followed in the footsteps of legendary broadcasters who have previously served as Voice of the Wildcats:&nbsp;Dev Nelson, Mitch Holthus, Steve Physioc and Greg Sharpe.Today, Thompson is senior director of broadcasting for the K-State Athletic Department as well as Voice of the Wildcats. He&nbsp;serves as host of the Chris Klieman and Jerome Tang coaches’ shows on television and radio. In addition, he is heavily involved in various Catbacker Club, alumni and athletic department functions, frequently serving as a keynote speaker.In an era of NIL -- Name, Image, Likeness -- and the transfer portal, it seems remarkable that he is observing local players from Kansas making an impact for their home state team. For example, in football, he sees Sam Hecht from Shawnee snap the ball to Avery Johnson, who went to Maize, who then might hand off the ball to Dylan Edwards from Wichita or D.J. Giddens from Junction City – and they just might be led by a block from Hadley Panzer of Lakin.An estimated 55 Kansans are on the K-State football roster – far more than any other state.It is especially exciting to see such in-state talent perform well. According to the K-State athletic department, since 1990 K-State’s all-conference selections have come from 37 cities in Kansas.“I love broadcasting K-State sports for so many reasons,” Thompson said. “At the top of the list would be the amazing coaches and players that I get to work with daily.”He also relishes the game day experience. “You can just feel the excitement for each game, and the love this fan base has for Kansas State University and the Cats,” Thompson said.Thompson won the Hod Humiston Award for sports broadcasting from the Kansas Association of Broadcasters in 2011. Over the course of his career, Thompson has been named the Kansas Sportscaster of the Year six times. He ranks second all-time among K-State broadcasters in awards won, and fourth all-time among broadcasters in the state of Kansas.In 2022 he was inducted into the Kansas Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame.It's an impressive record for a farm kid from the rural community of Solomon, population 993 people. Now, that’s rural.Voice of the Wildcats. We commend Wyatt Thompson for making a difference by sharing the excitement of Power 4 football and basketball with fans across Kansas and beyond. We’re always thankful to hear his voice.

Wyatt Thompson, Voice of the Wildcats, former Voice of FHSU Tigers

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes threw for 177 yards and a touchdown, most of it going to best buddy Travis Kelce, and the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Houston Texans 23-14 on Saturday to advance to the AFC championship game for the seventh consecutive season.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-kansas-city-chiefs-houston-texans-468b074fb9dc4f03b743593670ffdf86">With girlfriend Taylor Swift watching</a>&nbsp;alongside WNBA star Caitlin Clark from a suite, Kelce had seven catches for 117 yards and a score, helping the Chiefs (16-2) keep alive their dream of winning an unprecedented third consecutive Super Bowl title.

The Chiefs are the fourth team in NFL history to follow back-to-back Lombardi Trophies by advancing to the conference title game, and the three previous lost. They will try to change that trend at Arrowhead Stadium next weekend against the Bills or Ravens, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ravens-bills-offseason-changes-4dde27a6add38d33f319b9331fbb5aa3">play on Sunday in Buffalo</a>&nbsp;for a shot at dethroning the defending champs.

Mahomes improved 16-3 in the playoffs, tying Joe Montana for the second-most wins in NFL history behind Tom Brady, and he is 7-0 in the divisional round. Mahomes also helped Andy Reid become the fourth NFL coach with 300 career wins.

Meanwhile, the Texans (11-8) still have never won in six divisional games. Twice they have lost to Kansas City.

Houston quarterback C.J. Stroud threw for 245 yards but was sacked eight times. Joe Mixon, who had been questionable to play with an ankle injury, caught a couple of passes while running for 88 yards and a touchdown.

Texans kicker Kai’imi Fairbairn missed a 55-yard field goal attempt, an extra-point try and had another field goal attempt blocked with 1:46 left, which would have kept Houston's comeback hopes alive by making it a one-possession game.

Patrick Mahomes threw for 177 yards and a touchdown, most of it going to best buddy Travis Kelce, and the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Houston Texans 23-14 on Saturday to advance to the AFC championship game for the seventh consecutive season.

The Chiefs are the fourth team in NFL history to follow back-to-back Lombardi Trophies by advancing to the conference title game, and the three previous lost. They will try to change that narrative at Arrowhead Stadium next weekend against the Bills or Ravens, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ravens-bills-offseason-changes-4dde27a6add38d33f319b9331fbb5aa3">play on Sunday in Buffalo</a>&nbsp;for a shot at dethroning the defending champs.

Texans kicker Kai’imi Fairbairn missed a 55-yard field goal attempt, a PAT try and had another field-goal attempt blocked with 1:46 left, which would have kept their comeback hopes alive by making it a one-possession game.

In truth, the Texans’ special teams were a mess right from the start. The Chiefs nearly opened the game with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texans-chiefs-kris-boyd-23137058a01f4e4d956656cc9c289b97">a kickoff return for a touchdown</a>, a bizarre sequence during which heated Houston cornerback Kris Boyd nearly shoved his own coach to the ground.

The Texans held Kansas City to a couple of field goals early, but their defense was unable to stop them late in the first half, when the bruising Kareem Hunt barreled into the end zone to give the AFC West champions a 13-3 lead.

Houston managed a 48-yard field goal through cold, swirling winds to make it a one-possession game at the break, and that late kick seemed to have revived the AFC South champions when they returned to the field for the second half.

Stroud deftly led them on a 15-play, 82-yard drive that soaked up most of the third quarter, picking up all four of their third-down conversions, including one in which the QB scrambled to the sideline and absorbed a wicked hit. Mixon finished the drive with a 13-yard run, but Fairbairn’s extra point that would have tied the game was blown wide right.

That miss just might have swung the momentum the other way.

Just as they have so often in winning their last eight playoff games, the Chiefs responded with a time-consuming drive of their own. Mahomes connected with Kelce four times on the 81-yard march, including the 11-yard touchdown pass to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-kansas-city-chiefs-houston-texans-468b074fb9dc4f03b743593670ffdf86">his trusty tight end</a>&nbsp;as the two-time NFL MVP was getting dragged to the turf by Houston's Mario Edwards Jr.

The Texans had two opportunities to drive for a tying touchdown. But the first drive ended when Stroud was sacked by George Karlaftis on fourth down near midfield with about 10 minutes left. The second was stopped when Stroud misfired on back-to-back passes and Houston was forced to punt the ball away with just over seven minutes to go.

Kansas City proceeded to drive inside the Texans 10 and Harrison Butker’s field goal with 4:32 left put the game away.

Texans: LB Azeez Al-Shaair hurt his knee in the first half. He had been questionable to play this week with a knee injury.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1737253012551.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) scrambles during the first half of an NFL football AFC divisional playoff game against the Houston Texans Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) scrambles during the first half of an NFL football AFC divisional playoff game against the Houston Texans Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes threw for 177 yards and a touchdown, most of it going to best buddy Travis Kelce, and the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Houston Texans 23-14 on Saturday to advance to the AFC championship game for the seventh consecutive season.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-kansas-city-chiefs-houston-texans-468b074fb9dc4f03b743593670ffdf86">With girlfriend Taylor Swift watching</a>&nbsp;alongside WNBA star Caitlin Clark from a suite, Kelce had seven catches for 117 yards and a score, helping the Chiefs (16-2) keep alive their dream of winning an unprecedented third consecutive Super Bowl title.The Chiefs are the fourth team in NFL history to follow back-to-back Lombardi Trophies by advancing to the conference title game, and the three previous lost. They will try to change that trend at Arrowhead Stadium next weekend against the Bills or Ravens, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ravens-bills-offseason-changes-4dde27a6add38d33f319b9331fbb5aa3">play on Sunday in Buffalo</a>&nbsp;for a shot at dethroning the defending champs.Mahomes improved 16-3 in the playoffs, tying Joe Montana for the second-most wins in NFL history behind Tom Brady, and he is 7-0 in the divisional round. Mahomes also helped Andy Reid become the fourth NFL coach with 300 career wins.Meanwhile, the Texans (11-8) still have never won in six divisional games. Twice they have lost to Kansas City.Houston quarterback C.J. Stroud threw for 245 yards but was sacked eight times. Joe Mixon, who had been questionable to play with an ankle injury, caught a couple of passes while running for 88 yards and a touchdown.Texans kicker Kai’imi Fairbairn missed a 55-yard field goal attempt, an extra-point try and had another field goal attempt blocked with 1:46 left, which would have kept Houston's comeback hopes alive by making it a one-possession game.Patrick Mahomes threw for 177 yards and a touchdown, most of it going to best buddy Travis Kelce, and the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Houston Texans 23-14 on Saturday to advance to the AFC championship game for the seventh consecutive season.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-kansas-city-chiefs-houston-texans-468b074fb9dc4f03b743593670ffdf86">With girlfriend Taylor Swift watching</a>&nbsp;alongside WNBA star Caitlin Clark from a suite, Kelce had seven catches for 117 yards and a score, helping the Chiefs (16-2) keep alive their dream of winning an unprecedented third consecutive Super Bowl title.The Chiefs are the fourth team in NFL history to follow back-to-back Lombardi Trophies by advancing to the conference title game, and the three previous lost. They will try to change that narrative at Arrowhead Stadium next weekend against the Bills or Ravens, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ravens-bills-offseason-changes-4dde27a6add38d33f319b9331fbb5aa3">play on Sunday in Buffalo</a>&nbsp;for a shot at dethroning the defending champs.Mahomes improved 16-3 in the playoffs, tying Joe Montana for the second-most wins in NFL history behind Tom Brady, and he is 7-0 in the divisional round. Mahomes also helped Andy Reid become the fourth NFL coach with 300 career wins.Meanwhile, the Texans (11-8) still have never won in six divisional games. Twice they have lost to Kansas City.Houston quarterback C.J. Stroud threw for 245 yards but was sacked eight times. Joe Mixon, who had been questionable to play with an ankle injury, caught a couple of passes while running for 88 yards and a touchdown.Texans kicker Kai’imi Fairbairn missed a 55-yard field goal attempt, a PAT try and had another field-goal attempt blocked with 1:46 left, which would have kept their comeback hopes alive by making it a one-possession game.In truth, the Texans’ special teams were a mess right from the start. The Chiefs nearly opened the game with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texans-chiefs-kris-boyd-23137058a01f4e4d956656cc9c289b97">a kickoff return for a touchdown</a>, a bizarre sequence during which heated Houston cornerback Kris Boyd nearly shoved his own coach to the ground.The Texans held Kansas City to a couple of field goals early, but their defense was unable to stop them late in the first half, when the bruising Kareem Hunt barreled into the end zone to give the AFC West champions a 13-3 lead.Houston managed a 48-yard field goal through cold, swirling winds to make it a one-possession game at the break, and that late kick seemed to have revived the AFC South champions when they returned to the field for the second half.Stroud deftly led them on a 15-play, 82-yard drive that soaked up most of the third quarter, picking up all four of their third-down conversions, including one in which the QB scrambled to the sideline and absorbed a wicked hit. Mixon finished the drive with a 13-yard run, but Fairbairn’s extra point that would have tied the game was blown wide right.That miss just might have swung the momentum the other way.Just as they have so often in winning their last eight playoff games, the Chiefs responded with a time-consuming drive of their own. Mahomes connected with Kelce four times on the 81-yard march, including the 11-yard touchdown pass to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-kansas-city-chiefs-houston-texans-468b074fb9dc4f03b743593670ffdf86">his trusty tight end</a>&nbsp;as the two-time NFL MVP was getting dragged to the turf by Houston's Mario Edwards Jr.The Texans had two opportunities to drive for a tying touchdown. But the first drive ended when Stroud was sacked by George Karlaftis on fourth down near midfield with about 10 minutes left. The second was stopped when Stroud misfired on back-to-back passes and Houston was forced to punt the ball away with just over seven minutes to go.Kansas City proceeded to drive inside the Texans 10 and Harrison Butker’s field goal with 4:32 left put the game away.<h2>Injuries</h2>Texans: LB Azeez Al-Shaair hurt his knee in the first half. He had been questionable to play this week with a knee injury.Chiefs: SS Bryan Cook missed most of the first half while being evaluated for a concussion but returned to the game. ... FS Justin Reid took a hard blow to the head breaking up a pass in the fourth quarter, but stayed in.<h2>Up next</h2>The Chiefs host the AFC title game a week from Sunday for the sixth time in seven years. They will play either the Bills, one of two teams to beat them in the regular season, or the Ravens, who lost in Kansas City in Week 1.