Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — No. 12 Oklahoma has won its sixth Big 12 football championship in a row. Spencer Rattler threw a touchdown and ran for another one as the Sooners held on to beat No. 8 Iowa State 27-21 in the title game. That impressive title streak still probably won't be enough to get the 8-2 Sooners back in the College Football Playoff for the fourth year in a row. They have won seven games in a row since losing at Iowa State on October 3. Big 12 rushing leader Breece Hall ran for two touchdowns for the 8-3 Cyclones but was held to a season-low 79 yards.
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — Jalen Suggs scored 18 of his career-high 27 points in the first half and No. 1 Gonzaga held off a late rally to beat No. 3 Iowa 99-88. This was the Bulldogs first game since pausing activities in early December because of the coronavirus. Gonzaga showed little rust from not playing a game since Dec. 2. Suggs, the West Coast Conference freshman player of the week last week, entered the game against Iowa averaging 13.3 points per game. Luka Garza led Iowa with 30 points and 10 rebounds on 13 of 18 shooting.
MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — MaCio Teague had 23 points and 10 rebounds, Davion Mitchell scored 20 points and No. 2 Baylor beat Kansas State 100-69. Jared Butler had 14 points and 13 assists for his first career double-double with the Bears, and Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua scored 13 points. Antonio Gordon led the Wildcats with 23 points on 9-of-9 shooting, and Selton Miguel scored 14 points. This was the first game for Baylor in a week after the school paused team activity due to COVID-19 protocols.
STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) — Will Rogers threw for 295 yards and three touchdowns to lead Mississippi State to a 51-32 victory over Missouri. After weeks of floundering offensively, Mississippi State finally got many of their young weapons working in tandem. The Bulldogs racked up 446 yards of total offense in the game, including a season-high 151 yards on the ground. Missouri logged 342 yards of total offense, but many of them after the outcome of the game was already decided, and they turned the ball over four times. Conner Bazelak threw for 225 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions. Larry Rountree led all rushers with 121 yards and two touchdowns.
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP) — Myah Selland scored 19 points with 10 rebounds, six assists and four steals and South Dakota State defeated its third ranked team this season, upending No. 20 Missouri State 60-52. The Jackrabbits beat Iowa State and Gonzaga and jumped into the Top 25 before losing their last two games to Kansas State and Northern Iowa. Paiton Burckhard added 13 points for South Dakota State, which took the lead by scoring nine-straight points in the first quarter and turning that into a 14-2 run. The lead was 31-22 at the half. Brice Calip scored 13 points for Missouri State.
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP) — Gaige Prim had a career-high 26 points as Missouri State romped past Northwestern State 94-67. Carvell Teasett led the Demons with 14 points.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Josiah Allick scored 24 points in the first game and 20 in the in second as UMKC swept Kansas Christian in a rare basketball doubleheader, by scores of 98-42 and 95-36. The odd scheduling was a result of UMKC losing two games during the week to COVID-19 concerns. The games were thought to be the first doubleheader in modern Division I history, according to UMKC. The teams took a break of several hours between games. Vince Smith hit 16 points for Kansas Christian in the opener and 16 more in the nightcap.
Update on the latest sports
T25 COLLEGE FOOTBALL-SCHEDULE
Big wins for Ohio State, Clemson, A&M
UNDATED (AP) — Top-ranked Alabama, third-ranked Ohio State and No. 4 Clemson have staked their claims for a spot in the College Football Playoff semifinals. Now, second-ranked Notre Dame has to hope it's not overtaken by Texas A&M when the CFP selection committee releases its four choices on Sunday.
Najee Harris scored five touchdowns and Alabama advanced to the CFP with a perfect record, holding off No. 11 Florida in a 52-46 shootout for the SEC championship. Harris' record-setting performance will send coach Nick Saban to the playoff in search of his seventh national title.
After falling behind 35-17 by halftime, the Gators made a game of it with a pair of third-quarter scores. And Florida fought to the bitter end, adding two more TDs in the fourth quarter before finally running out of time.
Trey Sermon ran for a school-record 331 yards and two second-half touchdowns as the Buckeyes rallied for a 22-10 win over No. 15 Northwestern in the Big Ten championship game. Northwestern took a 7-3 lead on its first possession and stayed ahead until Sermon scored on a 9-yard run with less than three minutes to go in the third quarter. Sermon sealed the win with a 3-yard TD run late in the fourth. Northwestern quarterback Peyton Ramsey was 24 of 37 with 224 yards but turned the ball over three times in the second half.
Clemson avenged an early-season loss to Notre Dame by blasting the Irish, 34-10 in the ACC title game. Trevor Lawrence had 412 yards of offense and three touchdowns, including long scoring passes to Amari Rodgers and E.J. Williams in the first half. Lawrence also ran 14 times for 90 yards, with a 34-yard touchdown scamper. Travis Etienne ran for 124 yards and a score for the Tigers, who were without Lawrence in their last meeting with the Irish due to a positive COVID-19 test.
Fifth-ranked Texas A&M closed its case for inclusion in the CFP with a 34-13 victory over Tennessee. Kellen Mond threw for 281 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 59 yards and a score. Isaiah Spiller ran for 89 yards and a touchdown, and Ainias Smith scored once rushing and once receiving.
Top-ranked Alabama is taking on No. 11 Florida in the SEC title game.
In other top-25 games Saturday:
— Sixth-ranked Cincinnati took the American Conference championship by downing No. 20 Tulsa, 27-24 on Cole Smith's made a 34-yard field goal as time expired. Desmond Ridder passed for 269 yards and a touchdown and ran for a score to help the Bearcats move to 9-0. Tulsa tied it with 3:41 remaining on Zach Smith's 13-yard touchdown pass to JuanCarlos Santana.
— Spencer Rattler threw a touchdown and ran for another one as 12th-ranked Oklahoma won its sixth consecutive Big 12 title, 27-21 over No. 8 Iowa State. Rattler scored on a nine-yard keeper to give the Sooners a 24-7 lead just before halftime. Big 12 rushing leader Breece Hall ran for two touchdowns for the 8-3 Cyclones but was held to a season-low 79 yards.
— Nick Starkel completed 32 of 52 passes for 453 yards and three touchdowns to lead No. 25 San Jose State to its first Mountain West Conference championship, 34-20 over Boise State. Starkel broke former Fresno State star Derek Carr's title-game record of 404 yards passing set in 2013 in a victory over Utah State. The Spartans are 7-0 after losing all 14 previous meetings with the Broncos.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL-NEWS
AP source: Rose Bowl denied exemption to allow fans for CFP
UNDATED (AP) — The College Football Playoff semifinal scheduled to be played at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, on Jan. 1 is moving to the Dallas Cowboys' stadium in Arlington, Texas.
College Football Playoff executive director Bill Hancock says that the CFP management committee and Tournament of Roses mutually agreed to relocate the game because of the growing number of COVID-19 cases in Southern California.
The Rose Bowl was denied a special exemption from the state of California to allow a few hundred fans to attend the College Football Playoff semifinal Jan. 1, putting the game staying in Pasadena in serious doubt.
Also in college football:
— No. 13 Southern California has become the sixth Pac-12 team to opt out of a bowl game, citing a recommendation from team doctors and discussions with players. The Trojans would have been at risk of falling under the conference's minimum number of 53 available scholarship players because of positive tests for COVID-19 and injuries after playing their third game in 13 days. Coach Clay Helton also cited a desire by players to see family and friends during the holidays after being sequestered during the season.
— Bret Bielema (BEE'-leh-muh) is back in the Big Ten after being named the new head coach at Illinois. Bielema led Wisconsin to three conference championships and a 68-24 record in seven seasons with the Badgers before a disappointing run at Arkansas. He has spent the last three seasons as an assistant coach in the NFL, first with the Patriots and then the Giants.
NFL-SCHEDULE
Bills end division title drought
UNDATED (AP) — Josh Allen has led the Buffalo Bills to their first AFC East title in a quarter-century.
Allen threw for two touchdowns and ran for two more as the Bills hammered the Broncos, 48-19 in Denver.
The 11-3 Bills scored twice in a 17-second span of the third quarter to ice their fourth straight victory that officially ended the Patriots' 11-year reign atop the division. Allen threw for 359 yards, hitting Stefon Diggs 11 times for 147 yards before a foot injury in the fourth quarter. Cole Beasley had eight receptions for 112 yards.
In Saturday's other NFL game, Aaron Jones rushed for 145 yards and a touchdown as the Packers hung on to beat the Panthers, 24-16. Aaron Rodgers threw for a season-low 143 yards and a touchdown, and he also ran for a score to help the 11-3 Packers earn their fourth straight win.
The Packers built a 21-3 halftime lead by scoring on their first three possessions.
NFL-NEWS
Giants lose another coach for Browns game
UNDATED (AP) — The Giants have taken another coronavirus hit. Offensive assistant coach Stephen Brown has tested positive, with the team facing the Browns tomorrow. Offensive coordinator Jason Garrett and cornerback James Bradberry were already out due to COVID issues.
In other NFL news:
— The 49ers will finish out the regular season practicing and playing home games in Arizona after a ban on contact sports in their home county was extended into January. The Niners relocated to Arizona at the beginning of December due to COVID-19 restrictions in Santa Clara County.
— The Jets activated kicker Sam Ficken from injured reserve and he is expected to play Sunday at Los Angeles against the Rams. Ficken missed the last three games with a groin injury.
T25 MEN'S BASKETBALL-SCHEDULE
Gonzaga tops Iowa
UNDATED (AP) — Gonzaga has won a men's basketball matchup of top-3 teams.
Top-ranked Gonzaga remains unbeaten following a 99-88 win over No. 3 Iowa.
Jalen Suggs scored 18 of his career-high 27 points while the Bulldogs were building a 51-37 halftime lead. Suggs finished 7 of 10 from 3-point range.
The Zags led by 20 with 13 minutes to play. The Hawkeyes got within nine with under two minutes left before Gonzaga hung on.
Luka Garza led Iowa with 30 points and 10 rebounds, shooting 13 of 18. Joe Wieskamp (WEES'-kamp) added 20 points and nine rebounds for the Hawkeyes.
In other top-25 action:
— Macio Teague had 23 points and 10 rebounds as second-ranked Baylor slammed Kansas State, 100-69. Jared Butler had 14 points and 13 assists as the Bears easily won their first game since the school paused team activity due a week ago due to COVID-19 protocols.
— Jeremiah Robinson-Earl scored 25 points and Caleb Daniels had 19 in seventh-ranked Villanova's 88-68 romp over Saint Joseph's. Robinson-Earl played with a protective mask after breaking his nose in Wednesday's win against Butler. The game was scheduled after Virginia had to cancel its meeting with the Wildcats at Madison Square Garden.
— Micah Potter scored 20 points and Aleem Ford added 12 to lead 12th-ranked Wisconsin to an 85-48 assault on No. 23 Louisville in the rescheduled ACC/Big Ten Challenge game. It was the Badgers' largest margin of victory ever against a ranked team, and the Cardinals' most lopsided loss since 1956.
— Brandon Mahan scored 26 of his career-high 32 points in the second half and freshman Isaiah Adams added 22 in UCF's 86-74 upset of 15th-ranked Florida State. Mahan shot 10 of 13 from the floor and 10 of 10 from the line as UCF stopped the Seminoles' 27-game home winning streak.
— Duane Washington Jr. hit two free throws in the final minute and finished with 14 points to guide No. 20 Ohio State past UCLA, 77-70. Zed Key had 11 points and six rebounds for the Buckeyes, who trailed by six with 12 1/2 minutes left.
— Armando Bacot scored 11 of his team-high 14 points in the second half and No. 22 North Carolina rallied from a double-digit deficit to beat Kentucky 75-63. Kentucky has lost five in a row for the first time since John Calipari took over the program in 2009.
NBA-WIZARDS-BRYANT FINED
NBA fines Bryant
NEW YORK (AP) — The NBA has fined Washington Wizards center Thomas Bryant $45,000 for repeatedly making inappropriate contact with an official.
The league says Bryant was aggressively attempting to confront Detroit Pistons forward Blake Griffin, who had committed a Flagrant Foul 1 against Bryant on the play. Bryant received a technical foul as part of the incident, which occurred with 8:42 remaining in the third quarter of Washington's 97-86 preseason loss to Detroit on Thursday night.
MLB-PAYROLL
MLB payrolls plummet
NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball payrolls plunged to $1.75 billion during the pandemic-shortened season from $4.22 billion.
The World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers led with $98.6 million, the smallest for the top spender in 20 years.
Base wages for 40-man rosters tumbled to $1.54 billion, according to information sent from Major League Baseball to teams on Friday night and obtained by The Associated Press. That was down from $3.99 billion in 2019.
The Yankees, at $83.6 million, were No. 2 for the second straight season. The Mets were third at $83.4 million in their final season of ownership by the Wilpon and Katz families, up from 12th.
In other major league news:
— Right-hander Anthony DeSclafani agreed to defer half his $6 million salary with the Giants. DeSclafani will receive four payments of $750,000 each in 2022 on Jan. 15, Jan. 31, Feb. 15 and March 1. He went 1-2 with a 7.22 ERA in 33 2/3 innings over nine games with Cincinnati last season, starting seven times.
LPGA-TOUR
Sei Young Kim takes 1-shot lead in LPGA Tour finale
NAPLES, Fla. (AP) — Sei Young Kim is in now position to defend her title in the CME Group Tour Championship, take player of the year honors, win the money title and possibly even move to No. 1 in the world.
Kim fired a 5-under 67 that leaves her 13 under through 54 holes and one stroke ahead of current No. 1 women's golfer Jim Young Ko. Georgia Hall was third at 10 under after a 68.
Kim will take over as No. 1 with a victory if Ko finishes 10th or worse.
GOLF-PNC CHAMPIONSHIP
Tiger's son makes TV debut and looks just like he's at home
UNDATED (AP) — The 11-year-old son of Tiger Woods more than held his own in the PNC Championship. Charlie Woods is the youngest competitor in the 25-year history that pairs major players with family members.
Charlie Woods made eagle using his own ball in the scramble format and walked in a birdie putt. Woods says he has seen this all before when he plays with his son at home. They had a crowd of about 250 people. It was on national TV. And none of it seemed to bother Charlie Woods.
They were at 10-under 62, four shots behind Matt Kuchar and son.