KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs will host the Tennessee Titans in the AFC championship game. For Chiefs coach Andy Reid it's one more opportunity to return to the Super Bowl. That's something he's accomplished only once in his long career. For Titans counterpart Mike Vrabel it's an opportunity to make it back as a coach after winning three Lombardi Trophies as a player in New England. The game features the power running of the Titans' Derrick Henry and the aerial assault of the Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes in an intriguing matchup for a spot in Miami.
UNDATED (AP) — The Big 12 continues conference play with second-ranked Baylor trying to protect a perfect conference record. The Bears are 14-1 overall and 4-0 in Big 12 play. They visit Oklahoma State on Saturday. Elsewhere, sixth-ranked Kansas will try to keep pace when they visit Texas. On the women's side, No. 2 Baylor has a tough game against No. 17 West Virginia this weekend.
UNDATED (AP) — Pro Picks is surprised. Consider that the NFC title game is a matchup of the conferences's top two seeds. The spread favors host San Francisco over Green Bay by 7 1-2 points. In the AFC, it's the sixth-seeded Titans at No. 2 seed Kansas City, which would seem to be more of a mismatch. Yet the spread is also 7 1-2.
National Headlines
CLEMSON, S. C. (AP) — Two-time ACC player of the year Travis Etienne is returning to Clemson for his senior season after being projected as a second-round pick in the upcoming NFL draft. Etienne has gained a school-record 4,038 yards for the Tigers, breaking the mark by gaining 78 in Monday’s 42-25 loss to LSU in the CFP championship game. He gained 1,614 yards last season while also scoring 19 touchdowns, becoming the conference career leader with 56 rushing TDs.
WACO, Texas (AP) — Baylor has hired LSU defensive coordinator Dave Aranda as its new football coach. The deal was finalized three days after LSU beat Clemson for the national championship. He replaces Matt Rhule, who last week became head coach of the NFL's Carolina Panthers.
HOUSTON (AP) — Houston Astros owner Jim Crane expects to hire a new manager by Feb. 3. The Astros need a new manager and general manager after AJ Hinch and Jeff Luhnow were fired Monday, hours after both were suspended by Major League Baseball for a year for the team's sign-stealing scandal. Crane says his list is still pretty extensive and that he hopes to have it narrowed down by the end of next week.
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Lee Westwood has moved into a one-shot lead after the third round of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. Westwood carded a seven-under 65 to close in on what would be his 25th career title on the European Tour. He is one ahead of Bernd Wiesberger and second-round leader Francesco Laporta. The top-ranked Brooks Koepka recovered from a poor round on Friday by firing a two-under 70 and is tied for 48th. It's Koepka's first tournament since returning from a knee injury he aggravated in October.
Friday Scores
TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Final OT (13)Dayton 78 Saint Louis 76
Final (15)Michigan St. 67 Wisconsin 55
Final Iowa 90 (19)Michigan 83
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Final Philadelphia 100 Chicago 89
Final Indiana 116 Minnesota 114
Final Toronto 140 Washington 111
Final Memphis 113 Cleveland 109
Final Miami 115 Oklahoma City 108
Final Atlanta 121 San Antonio 120
Final Dallas 120 Portland 112