UPDATED (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs are 10-6 and locked into the AFC's third seed. That means Patrick Mahomes won’t get a chance until next season to see if he can get his ninth win in 11 starts against the Chargers. Blaine Gabbert will be making his first start since 2018, when he was with the Tennessee Titans. This will be the 49th start for Gabbert, who has played for six teams in 12 seasons. The Chargers have dropped four straight and seven of their last eight. They are locked into a top-eight draft pick. The Bolts would like to close the season with a win for interim coach Giff Smith.
UPDATED (AP) — The College Football Playoff national championship game between No. 1 Michigan and No. 2 Washington is a contrast in styles and a matchup of strength versus strength. Michael Penix Jr. and Washington's prolific passing game faces a Wolverines defense that thrives on pressuring and stressing quarterbacks. On the other side of the ball, Blake Corum and Michigan should find success against a Huskies defense that has soft spots but has often come through in the clutch.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Former Kansas State quarterback Will Howard has announced his intention to transfer to Ohio State on social media. He will replace Kyle McCord, who started most of the season for the Buckeyes but is transferring to Syracuse. Howard also considered Miami and USC along with declaring for the NFL draft before choosing Ohio State. Kansas State has been expected to turn over its offense to five-star prospect Avery Johnson, and that was likely a factor in Howard's decision to enter the transfer portal. He's started 27 games and thrown for 5,786 yards and 48 touchdowns during his career.
NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — Ted Roof has been fired as Oklahoma's defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. His dismissal follows a season in which the Sooners' defense started strong but struggled down the stretch. Sooners coach Brent Venables said in a news release that he told Roof he was being let go as defensive coordinator, and that Roof declined an offer to remain on the staff in a different role. Roof spent two seasons as Oklahoma's defensive coordinator and the Sooners improved statistically this season. But Oklahoma finished 10-3 after a 6-0 start.
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) — Trey Kaufman-Renn scored a season-high 23 points, Lance Jones added 17 and top-ranked Purdue held off a late comeback bid to beat No. 9 Illinois 83-78. The Boilermakers won their seventh straight game as Zach Edey grabbed 15 rebounds to became the second player in school history with 1,000 in his career. Marcus Domask had 26 points while Quincy Guerrier finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds for the Fighting Illini, who had won four in a row. Purdue never trailed but Illinois cut a 21-point deficit to three in the waning seconds.
PROVO, Utah (AP) — No. 12 BYU is off to its best start since opening the 1987-88 season with 17 straight wins. The Cougars were picked 13th in the 14-team Big 12 media poll. They are finding success by imposing their will on both ends of the court. BYU is scoring 90.4 points per game with a 58.5% effective field goal percentage while allowing 61.5 points per contest. All three categories rank in the top 12 nationally. BYU guard Trevin Knell says “we believe this is who we are and it’s so fun to see.”
LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) — Texas Tech says basketball player Pop Isaacs is in good standing after a report of a civil lawsuit accusing the team’s leading scorer of sexual assault of a minor. ESPN has obtained a copy of a lawsuit accusing Isaacs of assaulting the 17-year-old girl when the Red Raiders were playing in a tournament in the Bahamas in November. The school says a Title IX investigation started soon after the incident was reported to coach Grant McCasland. The school says the investigation hasn't revealed any justification for keeping Isaacs from playing. The lawsuit was filed in Lubbock County by the 17-year-old girl's parents.
KAPALUA, Hawaii (AP) — Scottie Scheffler keeps motoring right along in the new year. He won his last event of 2023 in the Bahamas. Then he received the PGA Tour player of the year award for the second straight time. He had eight birdies and an eagle for a 64 on Friday at The Sentry. That gives Scheffler a one-shot lead going into the weekend at Kapalua. Low scoring is to be expected with minimal wind. Tyrrell Hatton is still recovering from jet lag from his trip from England. Hatton shot a career-low 62. He was one back along with Brendon Todd and Sungjae Im.
PUERTO PLATA, Dominican Republic (AP) — A judge in the Dominican Republic has ordered the conditional release of Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco. He is still facing allegations that he had a relationship with a 14-year-old girl and gave her mother a car and thousands of dollars in exchange for her consent, according to court documents obtained by The Associated Press. The 22-year-old All-Star is accused of commercial sexual exploitation and money laundering. The girl’s mother faces the same charges as Franco. She was placed under house arrest.
FRIDAY SCORES
TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Final (1)Purdue 83 (9)Illinois 78
Final (4)UConn 88 Butler 81
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Final Indiana 150 Atlanta 116
Final Boston 126 Utah 97
Final Cleveland 114 Washington 90
Final New York 128 Philadelphia 92
Final Brooklyn 124 Oklahoma City 115
Final L.A. Clippers 111 New Orleans 95
Final Minnesota 122 Houston 95
Final Chicago 104 Charlotte 91
Final Dallas 139 Portland 103
Final Phoenix 113 Miami 97
Final Orlando 122 Denver 120
Final Memphis 127 L.A. Lakers 113
Final Golden State 113 Detroit 109
Final Sacramento 135 Toronto 130
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Final Carolina 6 Washington 2
Final New Jersey 4 Chicago 2
Final Winnipeg 3 Anaheim 1