NCAAFB – College Football – Playoff Semifinals
Last Night
(7) Notre Dame vs. (6) Penn State, 7:30 p.m. Sports Radio 96.1/Sunny 101.5 6:30
Capital One Orange Bowl, Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, FL
Notre Dame 27, Penn State 24 – Notre Dame gets late pick and field goal to make title game with 27-24 win
A diving interception off an ill-advised pass set up Notre Dame’s trip to play for the program’s 12th national title after a thrill-a-minute 27-24 victory over Penn State on Thursday night in the semifinal at the Orange Bowl. Fighting Irish defensive back Christian Gray snared Drew Allar’s pass across the middle at the Nittany Lions 42 with 33 seconds left, then the Irish moved 19 yards to set up Mitch Jeter’s 41-yard winner with 7 seconds left. Notre Dame (14-1), seeded seventh in this, the first 12-team college playoff, will have a chance to bring its first title since 1988 back under the Golden Dome with a game Jan. 20 against the winner of Friday night’s Texas-Ohio State semifinal.
Tonight
(8) Ohio State vs. (5) Texas, 7:30 p.m.
Goodyear Cotton Bowl, AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX
NCAAFB – Notre Dame QB Riley Leonard gets injury scare, returns to rally Irish
Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard briefly went out of the game, then returned to find the end zone in the College Football Playoff semifinal against Penn State on Thursday night at the Orange Bowl. Leonard missed much of Notre Dame’s final drive of the first half while being evaluated for a concussion, Irish coach Marcus Freeman told ESPN. Leonard was “asymptomatic,” ESPN quoted Leonard as saying, and he started the second half. He led an eight-play, 75-yard drive and capped it with a 3-yard touchdown run that pulled Notre Dame into a 10-10 tie. Leonard went into the medical tent with about two minutes left in the half after a play where he was hit by Penn State’s Zane Durant and Dvon J-Thomas.
NCAAFB – Ohio State and Texas enter CFP semifinal seeking a chance to end title droughts
Ohio State and Texas are both seeking a chance to end national title droughts. The powerhouse programs meet in the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Cotton Bowl. The winner advances to the national title game to play Notre Dame on January 20. Ohio State is the only team to appear in four of the last six CFPs, but its last national title was 10 years ago. That was the first season of the four-team College Football Playoff, when the Buckeyes won the title at AT&T Stadium. That is where they play the in-state Longhorns on Friday night. Texas’ last national title was 19 years ago.
NBA – National Basketball Association
Last Night
Golden State Warriors 107, Detroit Pistons 104
Warriors 107, Pistons 104 – Hield scores 19, helps Warriors bounce back with 107-104 win over Pistons
Buddy Hield scored 19 points, helping the Golden State Warriors hold on for a 107-104 win over the Detroit Pistons on Thursday night. Golden State earned a much-needed victory after dropping two straight games at home, losing by 16 points to Miami and getting routed by 30 points against Sacramento. The Warriors led by as much as 18, but the Pistons cut their deficit to two points on Malik Beasley’s dunk with 23 seconds left. Beasley missed a 3-pointer just before the buzzer that could have sent the game to overtime.
Tonight
Golden State at Indiana, 7:00 p.m.
Washington at Chicago, 8:00 p.m.
Saturday
Toronto at Detroit, 7:00 p.m.
Tonight
Sacramento at Chicago, 3:30 p.m.
Indiana at Cleveland, 6:00 p.m.
NHL – National Hockey League
Tonight
Chicago Blackhawks at Detroit Red Wings,
Saturday
Edmonton at Chicago, 7:00 p.m.
Sunday
Seattle at Detroit, 3:00 p.m.
NCAAMBB – Men’s College Basketball
Last Night
(16) Michigan State 88, Washington 54
MSU 88, Washington 54 – Akins scores 20 points as No. 16 Michigan State overwhelms Washington 88-54
Jaden Akins scored 20 points and No. 16 Michigan State extended its winning streak to eight games by rolling past Washington, 88-54, on Thursday. Jeremy Fears Jr. recorded his first career double-double with 12 points and 10 assists for Michigan State (14-2 overall, 4-0 Big Ten), which pulled even with archrival Michigan for the conference lead. Jase Richardson had 12 points and Tre Holloman added 11 with six assists. The Spartans, who trailed for only nine seconds, led 42-13 at halftime.
Tonight
Central Michigan at Toledo, 8:00 p.m.
Saturday
Notre Dame at (4) Duke, 12:00 p.m.
Western Michigan at Miami-OH, 3:30 p.m.
Akron at Eastern Michigan, 3:30 p.m.
Sunday
(16) Michigan State at Northwestern, 12:00 p.m.
Washington at (24) Michigan, 2:00 p.m.
NCAAMBB – Power Four seek more control over NCAA policies, championship events
Yahoo Sports is reporting that a proposal from the nation’s four largest conferences would give them more authority over rule-making, policy decisions and postseason events such as March Madness. The proposal, described as a “working document” ahead of next week’s NCAA convention, would grant the SEC, Big Ten, Big 12 and ACC rights to manage postseason championships such as the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments. Those events, worth more than $1 billion in revenue to the 1,100 schools of the NCAA, have long been run by the association.
NFL – NFL moves Vikings-Rams playoff game to Arizona after wildfires in Los Angeles
The NFL has moved the Rams’ wild-card playoff game against the Minnesota Vikings to Arizona after days of devastating wildfires in the Los Angeles area. The playoff game will be played Monday night at State Farm Stadium, the home of the Arizona Cardinals, in suburban Glendale, Arizona. The league announced the decision Thursday, a few hours after yet another fire broke out in an area several miles from the Rams’ training complex in the Woodland Hills neighborhood. Los Angeles has been besieged by multiple wildfires all week following two days of extraordinary wind across the vast metropolitan area.
NFL – National Football League – Wild Card Weekend
Saturday
Los Angeles Chargers at Houston Texans, 4:30 p.m.
Pittsburgh Steelers at Baltimore Ravens, 8:00 p.m.
Sunday
Denver Broncos at Buffalo Bills, 1:00 p.m.
Green Bay Packers at Philadelphia Eagles, 4:30 p.m.
Washington Commanders at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 8:00 p.m.
Monday
Minnesota Vikings at Los Angeles Rams, 8:00 p.m. at Glendale, Arizona
NCAAWBB – Women’s College Basketball
Last Night
(3) Notre Dame 100, Wake Forest 64
ND 100, WF 64 – Hidalgo scores 23 points as No. 3 Notre Dame overpowers Wake Forest 100-64
Hannah Hidalgo had 23 points and six steals as No. 3 Notre Dame overpowered Wake Forest 100-64. Liatu King scored 17 points, Sonia Citron scored 16 and Olivia Miles added 13 points and nine assists for the Fighting Irish.
Saturday
Toledo at Central, Michigan, 1:00 p.m.
Akron at Eastern Michigan, 1:00 p.m.
(25) Michigan at Purdue, 2:00 p.m.
Western Michigan at Northern Illinois, 2:00 p.m.
Sunday
Washington at (20) Michigan State, 2:00 p.m.
(3) Notre Dame at Clemson, 2:00 p.m.
MHSAA – Michigan High School Athletic Association
Last Night
Boys Basketball
SMAC
Lakeshore 58, Battle Creek Central 32
Portage Northern 50, St. Joseph 46
Portage Central 62, Mattawan 56 – OT
Kalamazoo Central 66, Gull Lake 46
Lakeland
Berrien Springs 69, Benton Harbor 51
Buchanan 65, Dowagiac 38
SAC
Bridgman 55, South Haven 53 – OT
Southwest 10
Centreville 72, Comstock 49
Lawrence 43, Decatur 36
Hartford 75, Cassopolis 45
White Pigeon 74, Bloomingdale 63
Non-Conference
Brandywine 75, New Buffalo 47
Kalamazoo Loy Norrix 47, Cadillac 37
Girls Basketball
Southwest 10
Marcellus 75, Bangor 45
Lawrence 44, Decatur 38
Non-Conference
Cadillac 58, Kalamazoo Loy Norrix 20
Howardsville Chr 49, Athens Factoryville Chr. 37
Tonight
Boys Basketball
Wolverine
Niles at Edwardsburg, 7:15 p.m.
Otsego at Plainwell, 7:15 p.m.
Vicksburg at Sturgis, 7:15 p.m.
Paw Paw at Three Rivers, 7:15 p.m.
BCS
Michigan Lutheran at Eau Claire, 7:30 p.m.
Covert at Our Lady of the Lake, 7:15 p.m.
River Valley at New Buffalo, 7:30 p.m.
Howardsville Chr. at Countryside, 7:30 p.m.
SAC
Watervliet at Coloma, 7:30 p.m.
Galesburg-Augusta at Gobles, 7:30 p.m.
Fennville at Allegan, 7:30 p.m.
Lawton at Parchment, 7:30 p.m.
Schoolcraft at Kalamazoo Christian, 7:30 p.m.
Delton-Kellogg at Martin, 7:30 p.m.
Holland Black River at Saugatuck, 6:00 p.m.
Southwest 10
Marcellus at Bangor, 7:30 p.m.
Non-Conference
Kal. Hackett at Traverse City St. Francis, 7:00 p.m.
Girls Basketball
SMAC
St. Joseph at Portage Northern, 7:00 p.m.
Lakeshore at Battle Creek Central, 7:00 p.m.
Mattawan at Portage Central, 7:00 p.m.
Kalamazoo Central at Gull Lake, 7:00 p.m.
Wolverine
Niles at Edwardsburg, 5:45 p.m.
Otsego at Plainwell, 6:00 p.m.
Vicksburg at Sturgis, 6:00 p.m.
Paw Paw at Three Rivers, 5:45 p.m.
BCS
Michigan Lutheran at Eau Claire, 6:00 p.m.
Covert at Our Lady of the Lake, 5:45 p.m.
Lakeland
Berrien Springs at Benton Harbor, 6:00 p.m.
Buchanan at Dowagiac, 6:30 p.m.
SAC
South Haven at Bridgman, 7:00 p.m.
Watervliet at Coloma, 6:00 p.m.
Galesburg-Augusta at Gobles, 6:00 p.m.
Fennville at Allegan, 6:00 p.m.
Lawton at Parchment, 6:00 p.m.
Schoolcraft at Kalamazoo Christian, 6:00 p.m.
Delton-Kellogg at Martin, 6:00 p.m.
Holland Black River at Saugatuck, 7:30 p.m.
Southwest 10
White Pigeon at Bloomingdale, 7:30 p.m.
Hartford at Cassopolis, 7:30 p.m.
Centreville at Comstock, 7:30 p.m.
Non-Conference
Brandywine at New Buffalo, 6:00 p.m.
Kalamazoo Hackett at Maple City Glen Lake, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday
Boys Basketball
Royal Oak Shrine at Our Lady of the Lake, 2:00 p.m.
Centreville at Constantine, 2:00 p.m.
Bridgman at Fennville, 5:00 p.m.
Portage Central at Battle Creek Lakeview, 3:00 p.m.
Girls Basketball
Kalamazoo Hackett at Onekama, 2:30 p.m.