BC-AP Sports Preview Digest,1st Ld-Writethru

Eds: Updates with Bills nearing hiring of Rex Ryan.

Some of the sports stories The Associated Press is covering Sunday. A full Sports Digest will be sent at about 3 p.m. All times EST:

- GREEN BAY, Wis. - The Cowboys visit Green Bay for a playoff game for the first time since the famed Ice Bowl of 1967. Dallas went 8-0 on the road this year; the Packers went 8-0 at home. Game starts 1:05 p.m.

- DENVER - Luck vs. Manning, Part III. Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos face Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts, with the winner headed to New England for the AFC championship. Game starts 4:40 p.m.

- DALLAS - One's a perennial power, the other a relative newcomer to the championship. One has a Heisman winner, the other a third-string quarterback. Oregon and Ohio State meet for the title Monday night.

- BUFFALO, N.Y. - The Bills are closing in on hiring Rex Ryan as their coach. The team has offered the job to the former New York Jets coach, and the sides are negotiating final contract details, the AP is told.

- A lookahead to the AFC and NFC championship games. To be sent about 9 p.m.

- SEATTLE - The Seahawks bat aside the postseason trend of Super Bowl-champion flameouts with a bevy of big plays against Carolina.

- FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - Doubters pounced when the Patriots fell to 2-2 with a blowout loss. Then they won 10 of their next 12 games. So they weren't about to panic against the Ravens.

- DALLAS - Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota says the only thing he'd trade for his Heisman Trophy is a national championship. Monday night's game is expected to be his last with the Ducks.

- DALLAS - A year ago, Urban Meyer was fuming over his team's defensive play. Now, it's the defense that has carried the Buckeyes to the national championship game.

- KAPALUA, Hawaii - Zach Johnson and Jimmy Walker are part of a four-way tie going into the third round of the Tournament of Champions, the first PGA Tour event of the year.

- BRISBANE, Australia - Roger Federer gains his 1,000th career victory by winning the Brisbane International title. The only other men to reach the milestone are Jimmy Connors and Ivan Lendl.

- COLUMBIA, S.C. - The No. 1 South Carolina women face their toughest stiffest test yet when they play No. 10 Kentucky in an early showdown in the SEC.

- ANAHEIM, Calif. - The Ducks retire the jersey of Teemu Selanne. The Finnish Flash spent 15 of his 21 NHL seasons with Anaheim, retiring last summer. Ceremony starts 7:15 p.m.