Whatever Ryan Day said to his team after losing to Michigan obviously worked.

After calls to fire their head coach after Thanksgiving because of their fourth straight loss to the Wolverines – and this one easily the worst – the Buckeyes are off to the national championship after Friday night's 28-14 Cotton Bowl Classic win over Texas.

After Ohio State took a 21-14 lead with 7:02 to go (on a drive that included a huge 4th down conversion), Texas got down the field quickly in response, largely in part to a 34-yard catch by Gunnar Helm. After back-to-back defensive pass interferences in the end zone, the Longhorns had a fresh set of downs at the goal line. It was a matter of time before the game was tied, but then, a nightmare occurred for Texas.

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After getting stuffed on first down, Quintrevion Wisner lost seven yards on a second-down toss, putting Texas in trouble. The third down pass fell incomplete, and on fourth down, Ewers lost a fumble that was forced, and picked up, by Jack Sawyer, who took it 82 yards the other way for a touchdown.

In what seemed to be like another overtime game for the Longhorns, their season flashed before their eyes with the snap of a finger. In hopes of a miracle, Ewers threw a pick on their next drive, and just like that, it was all over.

The Buckeyes got on the board first, scoring a touchdown right after stopping Texas on 4th down. The Longhorns offense was stalled throughout the first half, but they tied the game with 29 seconds left in the half, and were ready to go into the locker room with the game knotted at seven.

Ohio State, though, was not. Right after a touchback, Will Howard dumped a pass off to TreVeyon Henderson, who got some blocks up front and scampered 75 yards to the house, giving the Buckeyes a 14-7 lead into the locker room. It's rather easy to point at the two plays that cost Texas their season, with hindsight being 20/20.

Both teams exchanged punts for most of the third quarter, but with just over three minutes to go, Ewers found Jaydon Blue for their second touchdown connection of the night, tying the game. But then came the Buckeyes score to make it 21-14.

Prior to the game, it was revealed the Ewers said he expected to be playing in the NFL next season, so it will be interesting to see if his plans change.

Now, it'll be the eighth-seeded Buckeyes against No. 7 Notre Dame on Jan. 20 – score one for the expanded playoff. 

Just like Ohio State, the Fighting Irish suffered an embarrassing loss of their own this season, dropping a contest at home to Northern Illinois back in September. But, it's been 13 straight wins since then. 

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Bill McCartney, a three-time coach of the year in the Big Eight Conference who led the Colorado Buffaloes to their only national football title in 1990, has died at the age of 84, his family announced Friday night.

Three days after ripping his team following a home loss to Michigan, UCLA coach Mick Cronin turned his disdain toward the officials after being ejected at Maryland.

The shorthanded Nets already brought a losing streak into their most daunting road trip of the season. Their slump promises to get a little longer. 

The 38-year-old Frenchman surpasses Roger Federer following his victory over Zizou Bergs.

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Dementia is also back on football agenda after Dean Windass diagnosis.

© PA Archive

Moyes has reportedly agreed a two-and-a-half-year deal with the Toffees.

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Jack Sawyer recovered a fumble and returned it 83 yards for a touchdown, and Ohio State defeated Texas 28-14 to advance to the CFP title game.

French veteran Gael Monfils, at 38 years and 132 days, became the oldest player to win an ATP Tour title after beating Zizou Bergs 6-3, 6-4 in Auckland on Saturday.

Previewing the national championship with X factors and keys to winning for each team.

Knicks fans were at least given something to cheer for during their brutal Friday loss to the Thunder.

Ohio State closed out its regular season with a disappointing win against rival Michigan, and whether that's been motivation or not, the Buckeyes have turned this around and not looked back.

The NBA has postponed two Saturday games -- Spurs-Lakers at Crypto.com Arena and Hornets-Clippers at Intuit Dome -- due to the ongoing wildfires in Southern California. The league and NBPA also have donated $1M to organizations aiding fire relief.

The Islanders defeated the Golden Knights 4-0 on Thursday.

Paolo Banchero, back in Orlando's lineup for the first time in almost 2½ months while recovering from a torn oblique muscle, gave his team a chance on Friday night, but the Magic fell to the Bucks 109-106.

For weeks now, St. John’s defense has flexed its muscles. 

The Blue Jays just acquired one of free agency's top relievers to boost their bullpen.

If the Knicks’ first Thunder test spiraled into a collapse, then this was a flop. A shellacking. And a drastic one, too.

Texas was dormant for almost all of the first half.

The Rose Bowl half-marathon and 5K scheduled for Jan. 19 has been postponed due to the wildfires in Southern California.

It is the fourth sporting event in the area to be rescheduled because of the fires. Kings and Lakers games were postponed, and Monday night's Vikings-Rams playoff game was moved to Arizona.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone impacted by the ongoing fires in and around the city of Pasadena and the greater Los Angeles area. … The well-being of our participants, volunteers and community is at the heart of every decision we make," the McCourt Foundation, which sponsors the race, said in a statement. 

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"We also hold deep respect for the emergency personnel and first responders who are working tirelessly to protect our community. We recognize that the postponement may come as a disappointment to some, and we truly appreciate your patience and understanding as we navigate these unforeseen and difficult circumstances.

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"At this time, we are actively working with our partners at the Rose Bowl on rescheduling the Rose Bowl Half Marathon & 5K, and while we do not yet have a new date, we will share updates with participants and the community via email, our website and social media as soon as they become available."

The race has been run since 2019. Runners race the Pasadena area near the legendary stadium before finishing the run on the field.

The fires have burned roughly 30,000 acres, destroyed over 10,000 buildings and claimed at least 10 lives.

Several celebrities, including Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick, have lost their homes.

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