AP Sports SummaryBrief at 12:42 p.m. EST

Fans mourn Pelé at public viewing in Brazil stadium

SANTOS, Brazil (AP) — Thousands of mourners began paying their respects to Pelé in a solemn procession past his coffin at the Vila Belmiro Stadium in his hometown of Santos. The Brazilian soccer great died Thursday after a battle with cancer. The three-time World Cup winner’s coffin was placed on the field where he scored some of his best goals. Mourners walked past his casket in the midfield area of stadium. A Catholic Mass will be celebrated there Tuesday before his burial at a nearby cemetery. Stands were filling up with flowers placed by mourners and sent by clubs and star players — Neymar and Ronaldo among them — from around the world as loudspeakers played a song named “Eu sou Pelé” (“I am Pelé”) that was recorded by the Brazilian himself.

Analysis: NFC is wide open heading into final weekend of NFL

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Tom Brady again was at his best when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers needed him most. The 45-year-old, seven-time Super Bowl champion had one of the best statistical games of his 23-year career in a 30-24 victory over the Carolina Panthers that clinched Tampa’s second straight NFC South title. Another old quarterback who also wears No. 12 is one way win away from joining Brady in the playoffs. Aaron Rodgers and Green Bay Packers routed Minnesota 41-17 for their fourth straight win. One more next week at home against Detroit secures a wild-card spot that seemed improbable when the Packers were 4-8. On a day where the NFC’s top teams struggled, the Buccaneers and Packers proved they can’t be counted out despite mediocre records.

Bills, Bengals AFC showdown highlighted by Allen vs. Burrow

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — The Bills showdown at the Bengals on Monday night features the first of what’s expected to be many more quarterback matchups between Buffalo’s Josh Allen and Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow. The two have established themselves as being among the NFL’s top young stars and transformed their respective teams into contenders. The matchup alone is must-watch TV for many, with the outcome playing a big role in determining who finishes first in the AFC.

Martina Navratilova diagnosed with throat, breast cancer

NEW YORK (AP) — Tennis great Martina Navratilova says she has been diagnosed with throat cancer and breast cancer. The 18-time Grand Slam singles champion and member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame said in a statement released Monday that her prognosis is good and she will start treatment this month. The 66-year-old Navratilova said she noticed an enlarged lymph node in her neck while attending the season-ending WTA Finals in Fort Worth, Texas, in November, and a biopsy showed early stage throat cancer. While Navratilova was undergoing tests on her throat, the unrelated breast cancer was discovered.

Purdue at No. 1, Charleston ranked for 1st time in 20 years

Purdue solidified its No. 1 ranking in The Associated Press men’s college basketball poll following UConn’s first loss of the season while No. 23 Charleston moved into the rankings for the first time in 20 years. The Boilermakers remained No. 1 for the fourth straight week. They received all but one first-place vote from a 61-person media panel in the poll released Monday. No. 2 Houston and No. 3 Kansas each moved up a spot, and No. 4 UConn dropped two spots after losing to Xavier. Arizona rounded out the top five.

Alabama juniors Young, Anderson, Gibbs declare for NFL draft

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Alabama quarterback Bryce Young and linebacker Will Anderson Jr. are heading to the NFL, where both could contend for the top draft spot. Young, the 2021 Heisman Trophy winner, and the two-time unanimous All-American Anderson announced their decisions to skip their senior seasons two days after leading Alabama to a 45-20 victory over Kansas State in the Sugar Bowl. They endeared themselves to Crimson Tide faithful even more by not joining the ranks of bowl opt-outs among NFL prospects. Tailback Jahmyr Gibbs also is heading to the NFL and other players could follow.

Utah faces Penn State as the sun sets on a Rose Bowl era

PASADENA, Calif. (AP) — The sun is setting on an era of Rose Bowl history when No. 7 Utah faces No. 9 Penn State in an intriguing matchup. The 109th edition of the Granddaddy of Them All is the last that’s guaranteed to feature the game’s time-honored pairing of Pac-12 and Big Ten teams. The game’s status as a College Football Playoff semifinal next season and the expanded playoff in 2024 has put the future in flux for the sport’s oldest active bowl game. This matchup has everything it needs to go out with a bang.

No. 24 Mississippi State faces Illinois with heavy hearts

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Mississippi State players and staff felt they knew what Mike Leach would want them to do following the death of the Bulldogs coach due to complications from a heart condition. That would be play in the ReliaQuest Bowl against Illinois. Zach Arnett was promoted from  defensive coordinator to head coach and says there’s no better way to honor Leach than to line up and compete against the Illini. Illinois will be without running back Chase Brown. The nation’s second-leading rusher in the regular season with 1,643 yards has decided to enter the NFL draft and will not play in the game.

CFP thrillers draw largest non-New Year’s Day viewership

ESPN says the most competitive pair of semifinals in the nine-year history of the College Football Playoff drew the largest New Year’s Eve viewership for games by the network. Dramatic victories by TCU over Michigan in the Fiesta Bowl and Georgia over Ohio State in Peach Bowl on Saturday drew an average of 21.7 million viewers for ESPN. The seven-point combined margin was the smallest since the postseason system started in the 2014 season. ESPN says it was the third-most watched CFP semifinals, only surpassed by the first one played on Jan. 1, 2015 and the semifinals on New Year’s Day 2018.

Duggan vs. Bennett: 2 onetime underdogs fight for CFP title

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — TCU thought so much of Max Duggan at the beginning of the season that he lost his job. Georgia seemed like it spent years trying to give its starting quarterback job to anyone not named Stetson Bennett. If they gave out five stars for resiliency, these two guys would have been some of the highest-rated recruits in the country. Now the underdogs-turned-legends at their respective schools will fight it out for the national championship on Jan. 9 in Inglewood, California. No. 3 TCU upset No. 2 Michigan 51-45 and No. 1 Georgia rallied to beat No. 4 Ohio State 42-41 in a pair of semifinal games that were among the best the College Football Playoff ever has produced.