Coach Jim Harbaugh will lead the Chargers into the playoffs against the Ravens, Steelers or Texans but first the season finale comes at the Las Vegas Raiders. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) Jim Harbaugh doesn’t care for complicated playoff scenarios. With teams still vying for divisional titles and playoff seeding, the Chargers coach, whose team clinched its first postseason …

Penn State may be the favorite in Tuesday night’s Fiesta Bowl against Boise State, but that wasn’t about to persuade a two-ton rhinoceros with its pick in this year’s College Football Playoff quarterfinal. Chutti the rhino resides in the Phoenix Zoo and has weighed in on the outcome of the Fiesta Bowl. Chutti was given a couple of boxes to …

The Detroit Lions will try to become the first team since 2020 to go 8-0 on the road when they take on the San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football. The last team to accomplish that was the 2020 Kansas City Chiefs, who went 14-2 overall. The Lions (13-2), who have set a franchise record for wins, defeated the Chicago …

LOS ANGELES — Will Howard sat, helmeted head in his hands, having slid to a stop at Oregon’s 26-yard line. What was supposed to be a heroic scramble by Ohio State’s quarterback to set up a possible game-winning field goal 2 ½ months ago on the road was, in fact, a disaster that has lingered. As an Autzen Stadium field …

NFL reveals date, time for 49ers-Cardinals Week 18 matchup originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area The 49ers’ final game of the 2024 NFL season officially is set. After Sunday’s slate of Week 17 games, the NFL announced dates and times for the Week 18 matchups, including San Francisco’s season finale against Arizona at State Farm Stadium. The 49ers will …

Wisconsin basketball (10-3, 0-2 Big Ten) will enter 2025 and its full conference schedule unranked in the USA TODAY Sports Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll. The latest release of the poll saw the Badgers drop out of the ‘receiving votes’ section. The team sat idle during the week — its Dec. 22 win over Detroit Mercy is its only result since …

The Detroit Lions franchise is in an unfamiliar position as the 2024 season winds down. Next Sunday, they’ll take on the Vikings for all the NFC (regular-season) marbles in the first-ever in-season matchup of 13-plus-win teams. But before that home sendoff to the season, they’re in San Francisco Monday night to take on a 49ers team that has limped through …

No. 11 Alabama faces off against Michigan in the 2024 ReliaQuest Bowl, which serves as a rematch of the 2024 Rose Bowl Game. When these teams last played, Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy diced Alabama to the tune of 221 yards and three touchdowns to win 27-20 in overtime en route to a national championship. Both teams are quite different than …

DeForest Buckner lit up the Indianapolis Colts on Monday. After they fell to the New York Giants on Sunday, which officially eliminated them from the postseason race, it’s easy to understand why. “I’m going to be honest, as the entire team, we s**t the bed another year and it’s frustrating,” he said, via the Indianapolis Star. “I can see what …

Dec 21, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns kicker Bert Auburn (45) against the Clemson Tigers during the CFP National playoff first round at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Chip Brown of 247 Sports confirmed on Monday that Texas senior kicker Bert Auburn will remain with the Longhorns for his additional year of eligibility. …

The New York Giants came into Week 17 with the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, on a 10-game losing streak, and sitting as the lowest-scoring team in the league. They somehow pulled out one of the best quarterback performances of the season and put up the ninth-most points in a game this year, defeating the Indianapolis Colts, …

LSU travels to the Lone Star State to face off against Baylor in the 2024 Texas Bowl. The Tigers experienced a three-game losing streak in the second half of the season to ruin any postseason dreams they had in a disappointing season. LSU failed to win 10 games for the first time under coach Brian Kelly.  To the contrary, Baylor …

49ers make series of roster moves to reinforce trenches vs. Lions originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area SANTA CLARA — Undrafted rookie center Drake Nugent likely is to make his NFL debut on “Monday Night Football.” The 49ers elevated the former Stanford standout to be in uniform for when San Francisco faces the Detroit Lions at Levi’s Stadium. The …

Texas football has returned to Atlanta, Georgia on a different task with the same ultimate goal: winning the College Football Playoff national championship. The Longhorns’ plane arrived Sunday, giving the team time to prepare for the Peach Bowl against Arizona State. This is their second consecutive year playing in a New Year Six bowl game, having played the Sugar Bowl …

The NFL released the playoff scenarios for Week 18, determining which teams can secure a No. 1 seed — which comes with a first-round bye and home-field advantage — a division title or a playoff berth this week.  In the AFC, the Buffalo Bills (13-3) have clinched the AFC East and the conference’s No. 2 seed, the Houston Texans (9-7) have clinched the AFC …