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.
AP-Scorecard
Here are the scores from yesterday's sports events:
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NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Final 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
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NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Final 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
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TOP-25 COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Final (6)Ohio St. 34 (3)Notre Dame 23
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TODAY'S SPORTS SCHEDULE
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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.
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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.
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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.
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