Though there are two NFL playoff games to watch today, there is only one real chance for an upset

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) leaps for a first down against Tennessee Titans inside linebacker Jayon Brown (55) during the second half of an NFL divisional round playoff football game, Saturday, Jan. 22, 2022, in Nashville, Tenn. (Mark Zaleski)

A GRIP ON SPORTS • Got anything on your plate today? Anything at all? Or are you going to spend it watching a couple of NFL playoff games that will either be blowouts or the most spectacular athletic events since 490 B.C.?

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• If the Bengals win today, I may run all the way to laundry room and, out of breath, whisper “rejoice, we conquer” or something like that. Hopefully I won’t fall down afterward.

Cincinnati is about the only underdog remaining in the NFL’s playoff hunt. Kansas City, with its title two years ago and last year’s runner-up finish, has to be the favorite. Los Angeles and San Francisco are each favorites in their own way, with the Rams the darling of the let’s-spend-a-bunch-of-money-now crowd and the 49ers one of the NFL’s blue bloods.

Which only leaves us the Bengals if we want to root for an outsider.

If we could envision a perfect pairing in the Super Bowl it would be the Bengals and the 49ers, a rematch of two previous championship games, 1981 and 1988.

Our hope is the Bengals’ offense will trot out on the So-Fi Stadium turf with about 3 minutes left, trailing 16-10. Joe Burrow will look into the stands, point at some random guy and ask tackle Jonah Williams, “Hey, isn’t that Zack Galifanakis?”

Then Burrow will drive the Bengals the length of the field for a game-winning toss to Ja’Marr Chase. Of such things are legends made.

• Speaking of tosses, the Gonzaga Bulldogs threw up 41 long-range ones last night in their West Coast Conference game with Portland. Eighteen of them found the bottom of the net – a McCarthey Athletic Center record – as the Zags rolled 104-72.

Portland coach Shantay Legans, who at this time last season was coaching at Eastern Washington, decided his team’s best shot was to entice the Bulldogs into casting away from long range. The thought was, better to get beat outside than to let Drew Timme, Chet Holmgren, Anton Watson and the Zags’ transition game fire way from point-blank range.

Maybe Gonzaga will be as cold as the anti-mask protesters outside. And give the Pilots a shot.

Nope. Maybe a month ago that strategy would have worked. But GU has dialed in from outside now, with Holmgren leading a surge that has seen the Zags improve their season accuracy from beyond the arc to 37.8%.

Besides, he and Timme also had their way inside, combing for 28 points and 21 rebounds.

• Washington State returns to Friel Court this evening – after the NFL games are over, if you still want to watch more competition – to host Colorado. The Buffs are vying with the Cougars for one not-to-often-sought-after label: Most up-and-down team in the conference.

With the Cougars coming off a rout of Utah and the Buffaloes fresh from a 60-58 loss in Seattle, all signs point to a Colorado win. That’s if, of course, the teams’ inconsistent play continues.

•••

Gonzaga: It was Jim Meehan’s turn to write the game story. … Theo Lawson took care of the difference makers and covered the protestors outside. … Tyler Tjomsland has the photo gallery. … The folks in the office supplied a recap with highlights. … The women played in San Diego, dominated the glass and defeated the Toreos 69-43. Jim Allen has that story. … Around the WCC, make it two consecutive road losses for BYU, though Saturday’s at undermanned Pacific will probably end up hurting more come Selection Sunday. … San Francisco held off Santa Clara in a tight contest on the Hilltop. … San Diego got past Loyola Marymount to continue its surprising season.

WSU: There will be a new quarterback in Pullman this fall. There will also be a new, but in an old-friend-like way, offensive system too. Colton Clark looks at the prospects for the Cougar offense. … The old quarterback? He will be fine in Tucson. … Elsewhere in the Pac-12 and college basketball, Washington had to go double overtime but the Huskies got past a staggering Utah team 77-73. The Utes suspended a player just before the game. … Oregon swept the season series with Oregon State with an easy 78-56 romp in Eugene. … UCLA used its defense to shoot down Stanford’s latest upset bid. … Isaiah Mobley had a career game leading USC past California. … Arizona and Arizona State’s rivalry basketball game was more like a rugby scrum in a rock-infested field. The Wildcats powered their way to a win. The Sun Devils have to be happy with the dreaded moral victory. … Last year’s national championship game participants, winner Stanford and runner-up Arizona, meet today at Stanford in the best women’s game of the season. … In football news, the Arizona State mess just seems to be getting worse. … What is going on with Caleb Williams and USC?

EWU: One former Eagle will play in the Super Bowl next month. That was assured when L.A. and San Francisco earned spots in the NFC title game today. Jim Allen has this story on Samson Ebukam and Cooper Kupp facing off in Los Angeles. … We also can pass along this photo gallery of the two over the years. … The Montana men hit two late free throws – one banked in – to hold off the Eagles 61-59 in Missoula. Dan Thompson has the game coverage. … Around the Big Sky, Portland State surged past Northern Arizona in Flagstaff. … Weber State finished up a road-trip sweep with a win at Sacramento State. … The game between Idaho State and Northern Colorado was postponed due to ISU’s COVID-19 issues. … In football news, there have been some allegations made against the Northern Colorado program.

Idaho: Andrew Blaser had a dream. He wanted to be an Olympian. He will accomplish it next month. Peter Harriman tells us how the former Idaho decathlete became the U.S. representative in the skeleton for 2022. … The men’s basketball team lost at Montana State.

Preps: Dave Nichols has a roundup of Saturday’s action.

Chiefs: The losing streak is over. Spokane defeated Tri-City 5-4 to snap the seven-game drought. Kevin Dudley has the story. … A former Chiefs’ captain, Jason Fram, will play for the Chinese Olympic hockey team at the Games.

UFC: Too many blows to the head? Perhaps.

Seahawks: Should Russell Wilson follow Tom Brady’s example and take less money to help the Hawks build their roster? Sure. If they put the money into the offensive line. … Has Brady decided to retire. Maybe. Maybe not.

Sounders: Nico Lodeiro is back and working his way back into the lineup.

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• My No. 1 wish from today’s NFL games? A Bengals win. I’m not holding out a ton of hope, though. Kansas City is too good and seemingly hitting its stride. As for the Rams, the team of my youth? If they win, great. But my dad rooted for the 49ers, so if they head back to Los Angeles in two weeks trying to win another title, I would be fine with that as well. Until later …

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