A GRIP ON SPORTS • Did you take pleasure in your day off? Silly query, I do know. Everyone enjoys a day off work. But we’re not speaking about that. The query was aimed toward the day off from a crowded sports schedule. Our one-day respite is only one of the objects on our overflowing plate at the moment.
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• OK, so watching the Rams lose in Atlanta would have been fun. If anybody truly thought it was a risk. Even when the Falcons constructed their 24-3 – anybody discover if Arthur Blank was dancing on the sidelines? – and Matthew Stafford was two-thirds of the means by means of throwing his interceptions, the concept the Falcons would win nonetheless appeared a little international.
But they did, due to Zane Gonzalez’s 51-yard discipline purpose with 21 seconds remaining. L.A., anointed as the Super Bowl favorite a couple weeks in the past, had come all the means again with three fourth-quarter touchdowns. And nonetheless misplaced.
The NFC West is in the Seahawks arms. Or the 49ers. Not simply by file, as was the case heading into Monday. Saturday’s winner may also be the peoples’ champion, if by individuals you imply America’s speaking heads. And we do.
• As is the case typically the latter third of the calendar yr, the NFL sport was principally the solely main occasion on the Monday slate. Today the crowded race to 2026 actually begins.
Bowl video games galore. The CFP pushing its means into the image Wednesday evening. College basketball shifting full-bore into the convention seasons. And, of course, the ultimate, decisive weekend of the NFL simply on the different facet of the 2025/26 demarcation line.
There are two old school bowl video games on the TV at the moment, beginning with a Big Ten (Illinois) vs. SEC (Tennessee) mid-major matchup. They meet in the Music City Bowl, which simply occurs to be in Nashville (2:30, ESPN).
That’s adopted by (former) Pac-12 normal bearer USC, ranked sixteenth, vs. TCU in the Alamo Bowl, one other bowl sport being held in the similar state as one of the contributors. That one, additionally on ESPN, kicks at 6.
• Speaking of Texas, it appears an applicable place for Trojan coach Lincoln Riley to saddle up his excessive horse and attempt to bulldog the narrative round the demise of the best nonconference rivalry in the sport. USC vs. Notre Dame isn’t simply a sport, it’s a historical past lesson in cleats. You can illustrate the main adjustments in the sport by means of the groups’ shared historical past, one that started with Knute Rockne and ended with Pete Bevacqua.
Who’s that once more? Ya, I do know. The Irish athletic director won’t ever maintain the similar place in faculty soccer lore as Rockne. Or even Rudy Ruettiger. But if you’d like a faculty soccer villain for the mid-2020s, Bevacqua is your man. Heck, you could possibly restrict it to the final month and he would match.
The man was gob-smacked by the CFP committee leaving his college out of the playoffs, one thing foreshadowed the ultimate 4 weeks of the season. The man who blamed the ACC for that, despite the fact that the convention was good sufficient to crown a champion that had no likelihood of making the 12-team discipline. And the man who deserves a lot of the blame for destroying an interstate rivalry like no different.
But for Riley, who has but to appear like nothing greater than a mercenary throughout his USC stint, to be the guy calling out the Irish is wealthy. Yes, the blood of the collection’ demise is on Notre Dame’s arms. But there’s a bit of karma for the Trojans as nicely. After all, they wielded the knife that ended up in the Pac-12’s again.
• Enough of that. Let’s get again to the schedule. New Year’s Eve is packed. Four bowl video games, the finest of which can be the cheesiest. No. 13 Texas vs. No. 18 Michigan in Orlando’s Cheez-it Citrus Bowl (midday, ABC). This one is further toasty, due to the Wolverines’ self-induced points that have led them to hiring a 66-year-old Kyle Whittingham as their subsequent coach.
But even that sport has to yield the stage for the first of the CFP’s quarterfinals. Second-seed Ohio State, the defending champion, and Tenth-seed Miami, a first-round upset winner, dealing with off in the Cotton Bowl (4:30, ESPN). Maybe they’ll play a seven-overtime basic that doesn’t pop its cork till after ball drops in Times Square.
New Year’s Day is reserved for the three different playoff video games. At three historic bowl websites. The Orange Bowl, which traditionally was New Year’s late-night sport, kicks off the trio at 9 a.m. from Miami. Then the Rose Bowl begins an hour sooner than standard (1 p.m.) earlier than the Sugar Bowl tops off the day at 5. All of the video games are on ESPN.
Oh, wait. Forgot to listing the matchups. No. 5 Oregon vs. No. 4 Texas Tech in the first one. Ninth-seeded Alabama in opposition to top-seeded Indiana – historical past compelled me to test that seeding – in Pasadena. And the SEC battle between sixth-seeded Ole Miss and No. 3 Georgia.
• Of course we’re . But that doesn’t imply our consideration received’t be divided. There is faculty hoop this week. Not ranked matchups, certain. Not at the moment anyway. Rather a lot of convention video games. ACC. Big East. Mountain West. And, for native followers, West Coast Conference battles.
Though the phrase battle is relative. Seventh-ranked Gonzaga is at San Diego, favored by greater than 4 touchdowns. Washington State is at WCC newcomer Seattle U., although the sport is in Climate Pledge Arena. The Redhawks are a 4.5-point favourite. Considering their information – WSU is 6-8, Seattle is 11-3 with wins over Washington and Stanford – it may have been a bigger unfold. But as is claimed, the pattern is your buddy – and the Cougars’ current defensive enhancements have led to a three-game profitable streak.
Let the week actually start.
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WSU: Let’s start ourselves with Greg Woods’ preview of tonight’s Cougar men’s game. It can be a pocket book of kinds. … Yes, Greg has soccer too, in the kind of his transfer portal tracker. It has a new entry. … Elsewhere in the (present, outdated and future) Pac-12 and the nation, we linked Wilner’s mailbag from the Mercury News the different day. It is on the S-R site today. … He additionally has his basketball ranking of the future Pac-12 schools in the S-R. … One extra Wilner column, this one in the Mercury News. It covers the college football coaching carousel. The Big Ten was the huge winner. … John Canzano had a mailbag Monday. … Washington will be dipping into the portal to fill holes, like each different college. A new one opened Monday. … Oregon arrived in Miami yesterday. The Ducks have to fret about one of the nation’s best defenders this week. And the rest of the Texas Tech group, including its quarterback. … Oregon State is dropping a native linebacker to the portal. … USC is losing its defensive coordinator. D’Anton Lynn is headed back to his alma mater, Penn State. … Colorado has found an athletic director. The Buffs hired Fernando Lovo away from New Mexico. He has some robust duties forward. … They additionally lost a backup quarterback to the portal. … How was Utah’s football season? Other than the recent change, I imply. … UCLA’s new coach has introduced each coordinators with him from James Madison. … Arizona State may have its hands full with Duke in the Sun Bowl. … The Holiday Bowl with SMU beckons for Arizona.
• In basketball information, oftentimes, nonconference schedules for the better women’s teams are candy. As in most of the prime groups play too many cupcakes. … That is over, nevertheless. Washington welcomed Northwestern in for the dwelling Big 10 opener and received 94-73. … Oregon hosted eighth-ranked Michigan, fell behind, rallied, had a couple probabilities to win then finally fell 92-87 in double overtime. … No. 17 USC handed No. 20 Nebraska its first loss. … The Washington males ended nonconference by shutting down Utah in the second half for a 74-65 dwelling win. … No. 1 Arizona had one other breather earlier than Big 12 play, rolling over South Dakota State. The Wildcats are 13-0, with some of these wins coming in money-making neutral-site games. … Colorado has some defensive points. … Boise State has a robust activity. Bounce again from a loss in opposition to New Mexico. … San Diego State reset some issues over the Christmas break. … Colorado State, nonetheless missing its best player, hosts Nevada tonight. … Utah State is at Fresno State.
Gonzaga: Yes, the Zags play in San Diego this night. However, earlier than we will delve into the protection of that, we now have to cross alongside Theo Lawson’s look back at the win over Pepperdine. And what it meant for the Bulldogs. … What will tonight imply? Probably one other win, proper? Theo has a preview and the key matchup. … Jim Meehan and Richard Fox’s newest Zags Basketball Insiders Podcast is prepared. You can listen here if you happen to like. … Around the WCC, Portland’s longtime athletic director (and baseball coach) Joe Etzel died just lately at age 87.
EWU: The vacation season feels applicable for a Difference Makers story. Dan Thompson provides it. It is about Eastern football player Nolan Ulm and what he does off the discipline. … Elsewhere in the Big Sky, some colleges posted poor nonconference outcomes. Surprisingly, one of them is Montana. … Idaho State is trying to patch up its defense earlier than convention play begins. … Southern Utah and Utah Tech can be in the convention subsequent yr. They met final evening to open WAC play. Tech won 80-66. … In soccer information, Montana State is still holding out hope its finest defensive participant can be wholesome sufficient to play in the FCS title sport. … Cal Poly is already mining the portal. … Portland State’s new coach has some new sources, including a new general manager.
Preps: We had a likelihood to speak with our {golfing} buddy – we share video games that mirror one another’s – Dave Nichols final evening as he coated video games at the West Valley Holiday event. He makes use of that protection to guide off his roundup of Monday’s games.
Seahawks: Are the Hawks ok to win all of it, even with an up-and-down Sam Darnold at quarterback? Matt Calkins thinks so. … The Rams’ loss made Seattle’s playoff picture clearer. The NFC’s total? More mud-encrusted. … How is Rashid Shaheed doing along with his concussion? How about different injured players? … I’d moderately see the Hawks in the No. 2 or 3 spot in these energy rankings as they enter Saturday’s showdown. Maybe that’s simply me. … I additionally wish to see them start faster than their usual performance. And run the ball nicely.
Mariners: I linked Ryan Divish’s evaluation of the M’s offseason strikes when it ran in the Times. It is on the S-R site today. … The M’s built some memories in 2025, didn’t they? There continues to be another on the market to construct. Maybe two.
Kraken: Seattle’s profitable streak ended in a home shootout loss to the Canucks.
Sounders: A key piece is coming again. Or ought to I’ve stated a key local piece is coming back.
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• Only a couple days till my resolutions kick in. Yes, for one of the uncommon instances in my 69 years on this planet, I’ve a New Year’s decision. Not going to share it till subsequent yr is sort of over, although. But I’ll say this about it: I wish to flip 70 subsequent October with a bang. And that will take 9 months of arduous work. Rocky IV work. That is the one with him and the snow, proper? Until later …