ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Keionte Scott returned an interception 72 yards for a touchdown and No. 10 Miami shocked defending champion Ohio State 24-14 in the first College Football Playoff quarterfinal at the Cotton Bowl. The 12-2 Hurricanes never trailed after going into Wednesday night as 9 1/2-point underdogs. They have won two playoff games to get into football’s final four after needing an at-large berth to make the 12-team field. One more win and they will get to play for a national championship in their home stadium. Next up is a CFP semifinal at the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 8. Third-ranked Ohio State finished 12-2, with losses in the Big Ten title game and the Cotton Bowl after an undefeated regular season.
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — These Ohio State Buckeyes won’t win the first back-to-back national championships in school history and the College Football Playoff still doesn’t have a winner from teams with the first-round byes. No. 10 Miami held on for a 24-14 victory in the Cotton Bowl quarterfinal. The No. 3 Buckeyes were bounced a year after they won four CFP games on the way to the title. Ohio State trailed 14-0 at halftime, but was within three at 17-14 on Jeremiah Smith’s 14-yard touchdown catch on fourth-and-2 early in the fourth quarter. He finished with 157 yards on seven catches, but a shiny second half wasn't enough.
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Devon Dampier threw for 310 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 148 yards and three scores, and No. 15 Utah won the Las Vegas Bowl in Morgan Scalley’s first game as coach, beating Nebraska 44-22 on Wednesday in the Las Vegas Bowl. Scalley was expected to be the Utes’ coach beginning after this game, but Michigan hired Kyle Whittingham on Friday, prompting a quicker change. For Dampier, the question now is whether the junior will return to Salt Lake City or enter the transfer portal. It was an audition for Nebraska freshman quarterback TJ Lateef, who passed for 182 yards and had a touchdown each throwing and running. Utah (11-2) reached 11 victories for the fourth time. Nebraska finished 7-6.
ELPASO, Texas (AP) — Darian Mensah threw for 327 yards and four touchdowns to lead Duke to a 42-39 victory over Arizona State in the Sun Bowl on Wednesday. Mensah, named the game’s MVP, was 29 of 51 passing with an interception. He helped Duke to its fourth straight win and tied a Sun Bowl record for TD passes in a game. The Blue Devils (9-5) also won nine games for a second consecutive season — only the second time in program history they accomplished the feat. Arizona State (8-5) was led by quarterback Jeff Sims, who was 27 of 38 passing for 375 yards and three TDs.
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Arch Manning was just as potent with his legs as with his arms. That combination carried 14th-ranked Texas to a 41-27 victory over No. 18 Michigan in the Citrus Bowl. The game was tight until Manning broke it open with a 60-yard scoring run in the fourth quarter. He finished with 221 yards passing and two scores, and 155 yards rushing and two TDs on the ground. Michigan capped off a month the Wolverines would rather forget. Coach Sherrone Moore was fired for an extramarital affair with a staffer. New coach Kyle Whittingham watched from a coaching box.
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — As the Buffalo Bills bid farewell to their long-time home dubbed “The Ralph,” many cherished memories remain of the facility that opened in 1973. Bills vice president of security Chris Clark has had a front-row seat for just about everything that's taken place at Highmark Stadium. He began his career as an Erie County sheriff directing traffic for Bills games in the 1970s. His time goes beyond the stadium's construction on a site that was an abandoned farm field and former explosives testing and storage site. The Bills close their season by hosting the New York Jets on Sunday before opening the playoffs on the road. The team is moving to a new $2.1 million stadium set to open across the street next year.
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Aaron Rodgers isn't talking like someone ready to retire. The Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback, who recently turned 42, hasn't ruled out returning in 2026. Rodgers says he believes he'll have options if he wants to play a 22nd season. The four-time MVP has thrown for more than 3,000 yards with 23 touchdowns for Pittsburgh, which hosts Baltimore in the regular-season finale with the AFC North title on the line. Rodgers has been largely healthy this season, save for a broken left wrist that forced him to miss a game. Rodgers says he thinks his decision will be based entirely on his desire to play and not his ability to play.
WEDNESDAY SCORES
TOP-25 COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Final (10)Miami 24 (3)Ohio St. 14
Final (14)Texas 41 (18)Michigan 27
Final Iowa 34 (13)Vanderbilt 27
Final (15)Utah 44 Nebraska 22
TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Final (4)UConn 90 Xavier 67
Final (6)Duke 85 Georgia Tech 79
Final Virginia Tech 95 (21)Virginia 85
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Final Golden State 132 Charlotte 125
Final Atlanta 126 Minnesota 102
Final Orlando 112 Indiana 110
Final Cleveland 129 Phoenix 113
Final Chicago 134 New Orleans 118
Final San Antonio 134 New York 132
Final Denver 106 Toronto 103
Final Oklahoma City 124 Portland 95
Final Washington 114 Milwaukee 113
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Final Washington 6 N-Y Rangers 3
Final Nashville 4 Vegas 2
Final SO San Jose 4 Minnesota 3
Final OT Tampa Bay 4 Anaheim 3
Final Detroit 2 Winnipeg 1
Final New Jersey 3 Columbus 2
Final Buffalo 4 Dallas 1
Final Colorado 6 St. Louis 1
Final Calgary 5 Philadelphia 1
Final Boston 6 Edmonton 2