January 3, 2025 4:35 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Steelers will try to generate some positive momentum for the playoffs when they host Cincinnati in their regular-season finale. The Steelers have dropped three straight to lose their grip on the AFC North. Pittsburgh needs a win and an unlikely loss by Baltimore against struggling Cleveland to win the division title. The Bengals have ripped off four wins in a row to keep their flicking postseason hopes alive. Cincinnati needs to top the Steelers on Saturday night and then hope Denver and Miami lose on Sunday to reach the playoffs for the third time in four seasons.
January 3, 2025 4:32 am
Nine Baltimore Ravens, including two-time NFL MVP Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry, were selected for the Pro Bowl Games. The Detroit Lions are next with seven players and the Minnesota Vikings and Philadelphia Eagles each have six players on the NFC roster. Patrick Mahomes wasn’t selected to the AFC roster for the first time since becoming Kansas City’s starting quarterback in his second season. Mahomes, a three-time Super Bowl MVP and six-time Pro Bowl pick, wasn’t among five Chiefs chosen. Travis Kelce made it for the 10th time.
January 2, 2025 2:35 am
PASADENA, Calif. (AP) — Ohio State roared into the College Football Playoff semifinals with a 41-21 victory over top-seeded Oregon in the 111th Rose Bowl. Jeremiah Smith caught two of Will Howard’s three long touchdown passes while eighth-seeded Ohio State went ahead 34-0 in a sensational first half. Howard passed for 319 yards, Emeka Egbuka also caught a long TD pass and TreVeyon Henderson made a 66-yard touchdown run in a redemptive Rose Bowl for the Buckeyes, who emphatically blew out the CFP’s No. 1 seed. Ohio State is headed to the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 10 to face No. 5 Texas for a berth in the national title game.
January 2, 2025 2:11 am
ATLANTA (AP) — Texas avoided the first big upset of the College Football Playoff, hitting a fourth-and-long touchdown pass to keep the game going and beating Arizona State 39-31 in double overtime when an interception by Andrew Mukuba finally ended a Peach Bowl quarterfinal classic. The teams traded touchdowns on their first overtime possessions, and Quinn Ewers put Texas ahead with a 25-yard touchdown pass to Gunnar Helms, followed by a 2-point conversion pass to Matthew Golden. The fifth-seeded Longhorns finally put No. 4 Arizona State away when Mukuba picked off Sam Leavitt’s pass at the 3 to end the game. The Sun Devils were two-touchdown underdogs.
January 2, 2025 2:35 am
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The College Football Playoff quarterfinal in New Orleans has been postponed a day after a truck plowed into a New Year’s crowd about a mile away from the site of the Sugar Bowl between Georgia and Notre Dame. Ten people were killed in the attack early Wednesday in the French Quarter. The game originally was scheduled for Wednesday night at the 70,000-seat Superdome. Sugar Bowl CEO Jeff Hundley says all parties agreed that it was in the best interest of public safety to push the game back 24 hours to Thursday night.
January 2, 2025 4:41 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Steelers and their star-laden defense have struggled during a three-game slide that has them limping toward the playoffs. The Steelers are giving up more than 400 yards per game during their slide heading into the regular-season finale against Cincinnati. Several players, including safety DeShon Elliott and linebacker Alex Highsmith, have publicly expressed frustration over mental mistakes and a lack of “want to.” Coach Mike Tomlin downplayed their angst, saying it stems from their passion for the game. Either way, Pittsburgh will have to try and regain its confidence by slowing down the Bengals, who have won four straight to keep their postseason hopes alive.
January 2, 2025 4:39 am
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Saquon Barkley will sit out the Philadelphia Eagles final regular-season game Sunday, denying the running back his chance at breaking Eric Dickerson’s NFL single-season rushing record. Barkley will finish the season with 2,005 yards rushing, just 101 yards shy of breaking Dickerson’s record of 2,105 yards set with the the Los Angeles Rams in 1984. The Eagles clinched the NFC East and the No. 2 seed in the conference, leaving little to play for in Sunday’s home game against the New York Giants. Barkley also set the Eagles record for yards rushing in a single season and set a season franchise record for scrimmage yards.
January 1, 2025 3:54 am
DETROIT (AP) — J.T. Compher scored the go-ahead goal on the power play with 5:34 remaining and the Detroit Red Wings beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-2. The win gave Todd McLellan his 600th head coaching victory. McLellan, who replaced Derek Lalonde last week, is now 2-1 as Detroit’s coach. Patrick Kane, who reached the 1,300-point mark against Washington on Sunday, also scored a power-play goal for the Red Wings. Jonatan Berggren and Dylan Larkin with an empty-netter also scored for Detroit while Alex Lyon made 23 saves. Drew O’Connor had the second multi-goal game of his career for Pittsburgh. Alex Nedeljkovic made 21 saves.
January 1, 2025 3:52 am
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Drew Allar threw three touchdown passes and No. 6 Penn State bottled up Heisman Trophy runner-up Ashton Jeanty for a 31-14 win over No. 3 Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl, earning a spot in the College Football Playoff semifinals. The Nittany Lions opened their first CFP berth with a blowout win over SMU and appeared headed toward the latest lopsided victory in the new 12-team format by jumping out to a 14-0 lead against the Broncos. Boise State fought back, pulling to 17-14 on Matt Lauter’s 53-yard touchdown catch midway through the third quarter. Penn State shut down the Broncos from there, earning a spot in the Jan. 9 Orange Bowl. Jeanty had 104 yards on 30 carries, leaving him 27 yards short of Barry Sanders’ single-season NCAA record.
January 1, 2025 3:56 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — It hasn’t taken long for Pittsburgh Steelers rookie center Zach Frazier to hit his stride. The second-round pick has been a fixture in the middle of the offensive line this season for the Steelers. Frazier was pressed into a starting role in Week 1 after an injury to veteran Nate Herbig and has thrived. Frazier is part of a young line that includes second-year tackle Broderick Jones and fellow rookie Mason McCormick. Next up for Frazier and the playoff-bound Steelers is a meeting with rival Cincinnati in Week 18.
