🏈 NFL Weekend Recap, Rivalry Week in College Football, + More!

Good Morning, Blitzers!

Hope you had a great Thanksgiving holiday! Welcome to December where we have conference championship games in college football, playoff pushes in the NFL, and the NHL and NBA start kicking things into full gear. Get your holiday shopping done early so you can focus on what’s important this month: sports.

WTF Stat: Ryan Day and the Buckeyes should still make it into the playoffs and be a strong contender, but losing to rivals in college football always sting:

🏈 A lot of college football coaching changes:

Purdue has fired head coach Ryan Walters after two seasons, ending his tenure with a 5-19 record. The Boilermakers had a winless Big Ten record and an 11-game losing streak, capped by a 66-0 defeat to Indiana.

West Virginia has fired football coach Neal Brown after six seasons, following a disappointing 6-6 season and a 52-15 loss to Texas Tech. Brown, who had received a contract extension after a nine-win season in 2023, finished with a 37-35 record at WVU.

Freddie Kitchens has been named interim head coach at North Carolina following the decision to part ways with Mack Brown after his tenure ended with a 35-30 loss to NC State. Kitchens, who has been with the Tar Heels as the run game coordinator and tight ends coach for the past two seasons, will lead the team in its upcoming bowl game.

🏈 Veteran safety Jamal Adams has signed with the Detroit Lions' practice squad, with plans to be elevated to the 53-man roster. Adams, 29, was recently released by the Tennessee Titans after a brief stint, playing just 20 snaps in three games. Previously, he spent four seasons with the Seattle Seahawks, where injuries limited his playing time. Adams was a standout with the New York Jets, earning three Pro Bowl selections and All-Pro honors, before being traded to Seattle in 2020.

NFL Week 13

What You Missed

→ Steelers win in AFC North shoot out - Something that we’re all taught from a young age as football fans is that AFC North games will be low scoring slug fests. These games are typically for people that like defensive battles and key special teams plays. Well, that may no longer be the case as we saw 895 yards of offense as the Steelers beat the Bengals 44-38 (Russell “The Muscle” Wilson is officially back, 414 yards passing, 3 TDs). The Bengals now move to 4-8 and are pretty much out of the playoff hunt, while the Steelers move to a division best 9-3.

→ Eagles and Bills are the best teams in the NFL - Eagles started the year off slow but they’re starting to hit their stride at the right time. Since their bye week, in week 5, their defense has only allowed 14.5 points/game, and they are doing it against some of the best offenses. The Eagles went into Baltimore and beat the Ravens 24-19 yesterday, winning their 8th game in a row. On offense RB Saquon Barkley continues to make his case for league MVP, it seems like every game he’s breaking a long run that either wins or seals the game.

The Bills dominated the 49ers 35-10 on Sunday Night Football in a winter wonderland, making it their 7th win in a row. QB Josh Allen and RB James Cook and company looked like kids having fun in the backyard, especially this play which was one of the coolest plays you’ll ever see:

→ Colts deliver gutsy win, playoffs in sight - Down a touchdown late in the fourth quarter the Colts had a 19-play (yes, you read that correctly), 80-yard drive ending in a touchdown. On the drive they converted three fourth down conversions. But they didn’t want to play for overtime, and decided to go for two and the win. Everyone knew what the play call would be, straight bully ball:

P.S. Patriots attempted a 68 yard field goal after this that was shockingly close.

→ Texans scrape another close win, Commanders blowout Titans - These are the two young teams that have us questioning ‘are they contenders?’ every week. Texans did nothing to dispel the idea that they’re just an average team by allowing the Jaguars to stick around in a 23-20 win even after they tried murdering QB Trevor Lawrence and took him out of the game (see below). Commanders crushed the Titans 42-19, they had everything working yesterday and it was good to see them get WR Terry McLaurin (8 receptions, 73 yards, 2 TDs) going early and often.

What We Learned

→ The 2024 Seahawks are different - The identity of past Seahawks teams has been great rushing attacks, great secondary, and unstoppable while playing in front of the “12th man”. This team is a little different. It’s their pass game behind QB Geno Smith that has moved the offense, their defensive line (Leonard Williams had a game yesterday) and linebackers have been the guys making plays on defense, and they’re now 4-1 on the road (7-5 in total). They showed a lot of grit in this game, being down 14-0 early and battling back to take the lead late in the 4th quarter to secure the 26-21 win.

→ Kirk Cousins is playing more like Jameis Winston than Jameis Winston - Rough game for Cousins in the 17-13 loss to the Chargers. He threw four costly interceptions, including a pick-6, and all four game on the Chargers side of the field. Cousins this season has been super streaky, the last three games he’s thrown 6 interceptions and 0 TDs, that was after throwing 7 TDs and 0 interceptions the two games prior. The Chargers offense couldn’t move the ball at all in the second half, but they didn’t need to as the Falcons kept giving it away.

Surprises

→ Bucs vs Panthers was one of the best games of the weekend - With so many big matchups, I was not expecting an unreal showdown between the Buccaneers and Panthers. Both QB (Bryce Young and Baker Mayfield) showed us why they were each the #1 overall picks, leading their teams on late scoring drives in the 4th quarter. Overtime included a long missed field goal, an unreal catch from Adam Thielen, a forced fumble, and ultimately a big Richaad White run to setup the game winning 30 yard field goal.

Standouts

→ CB Byron Murphy - Not really sure why QB Kyler Murray was doing on this one, as it looks like he just threw it up for grabs. This game wasn’t the most fun to watch, until the end. There were a lot of field goals attempts, not much rhythm, and some sloppy play, but the Vikings came back to win it 23-22. Murphy stood out racking up 5 tackles, 3 passes defended and an interception.

→ RB Kyren Williams - Williams went for 104 yards on 15 carries (6.9 ypc), and a TD in the Rams 21-14 win over the Saints. He’s quietly been a top 5 RB the last two seasons and a weapon for the Rams who now move to 6-6 only one game back in the crowded NFC West.

🏈 Tonight

The Browns @ Broncos @ 8:15 EST on ABC.

College Football Recap - Rivalry Week

The Shockers

#7 Georgia 44- Georgia Tech 42 (8OT): That is not a typo. 8 OTs! The Yellow Jackets had a golden opportunity to sting the Bulldogs leading late in the 4th quarter. Carson Beck threw two touchdown passes to Dominic Lovett to force OT. Yet another reminder that this isn’t the Georgia of the past two seasons, regardless, the win secured a playoff spot for Georgia even if they lose in the SEC Championship.

Michigan 13 - #2 Ohio State 10: Missed FGs. INTs. Planted flags. Elation. Disbelief. Pepper spray. The Game once again was pure chaos and for the fourth time in a row, the Wolverines ended up on top. I know it’s cliché to say, but Michigan did not win this game, Ohio State lost it. Head Coach Ryan Day may be the first coach to reach the playoff and still lose his job. The Buckeyes had the ball inside Michigan’s 10 twice in the 3rd quarter with nothing to show for it. Because they couldn’t handle business, the Buckeyes will miss out on a rematch with Oregon and instead will have to watch rival Penn State vie for a Big Ten title.

Syracuse 42 - #6 Miami 38: Not a historic rivalry, but a historic win for the Orange over Miami. While the Buckeyes floundered, the kid OSU fans chased out of town, Kyle McCord, threw for 380 yards and 3 TDs to lead Syracuse to a 9-win season and ejected Miami from the ACC title game. For the U, they still have a decent shot at the playoff (see below), but scoring 21 unanswered followed by giving up 21 answered and folding down the stretch on both sides of the ball against unranked Syracuse doesn’t look great on the resume.

Statement Games

#3 Texas 17 - #20 Texas A&M 7: The game itself was gross, but it was so nice to see this game back on the schedule. The Longhorns punched their ticket into the SEC Championship in its first season in the conference. The Aggies had some opportunities, but they turned the ball over on downs inside the Texas 10 twice. The second time was three straight runs up the middle on the one, which is a fireable offense for an offensive coordinator IMO.

#16 Arizona State 49 - Arizona 7: Picked to finish last in the Big 12, Arizona State finished off a surprising regular season with a blowout win over rival Arizona. Led by running back Cam Skattebo’s 177 yards and three touchdowns, the Sun Devils are dancing all the way to the Big 12 Championship game thanks to the win and TCU beating Cincinnati (tiebreak was opponents winning %). ASU hasn’t won a conference title since 2010.

#5 Notre Dame 49 - USC 35: This game was back and forth all game long until the Irish returned two INTs for TDs in the 4th quarter and hung on to win against a scrappy USC team at the coliseum. The result is that the Irish will be participating in the first 12-team playoff, they now get to sit back and watch the other teams play to see where they end up.

#15 South Carolina 17 - #12 Clemson 14: LaNorris Sellers cemented himself as a Palmetto Bowl legend with his 20-yard touchdown scamper on 3rd and 16 with just over a minute left in the game. Cade Klubnik will draw some Tiger groans throwing an INT in the red zone down only three points. However, both teams could end up winning, USC is making a solid case for a spot in the playoff with all the losses around CFB this week and Clemson snuck into the ACC Championship thanks to Syracuse upsetting Miami.

#10 Indiana 66 - Purdue 0: The only reason why this game is important is that it’s another example of Indiana not playing with its food. Other than the Michigan game and the OSU loss, the Hoosiers beat all of their opponents by double-digits. If this game was close, their playoff hopes would be up in the air, with this blow-out win, they should be one of the 12 teams dancing.

#18 Iowa State 29 - #24 Kansas State 21: The Cyclones just kept on trucking this season. Despite losing back to back games to Texas Tech and Kansas, Iowa State bounced back and now find themselves in the Big 12 Championship facing off against Arizona State for a spot in the playoff.

Championship Week

ACC

#12 Clemson vs. #9 SMU - Sat. 8 PM

Big Ten

#4 Penn State vs. #1 Oregon - Sat. 8 PM

Big 12

#18 Iowa State vs. #16 Arizona State - Sat. Noon

SEC

#7 Georgia vs. #3 Texas - Sat. 3:30 PM

Mountain West (Winner gets highest ranked Group of 5 Bid)

#22 UNLV vs. #11 Boise State - Fri. 8:00 PM

College Football Playoff Scenarios

There has been a fair amount of chaos in the last few weeks of the regular season and with chaos comes another C-word…confusion. While not even the committee really knows what they’re doing, I’ll try to make some high level sense of what to expect.

Auto-Bids - Four Power 4 Champs (ACC, B1G, Big 12, SEC) and 1 Group of Five

1 Seed (Bye Week): Goes to the highest ranked conference champion

2-4 Seeds (Bye Week): Goes to the next highest ranked conference champion

5 Seed (Home game 1st Round): Goes to lowest ranked conference champion

At-Large - Teams Chosen by the Committee

6-8 Seed (Home game 1st Round): Highest ranked at-large

9-12 Seed (Away game 1st round): Lowest ranked at-large

Solidly In Regardless of Championship Game Outcome

1. Oregon

2. Texas

3. Georgia

4. Ohio State

5. Penn State

6. Indiana

7. Notre Dame

Needs to Win Conference Championship

1. Clemson

2. SMU

3. Boise State

4. UNLV

5. Arizona State

6. Iowa State

Last Two In

1. Alabama

2. South Carolina

First Two Out

1. Miami

2. Ole Miss

The CFB Committee will release their rankings on Tuesday and will likely tip their cap as to what they’re prioritizing to make their decisions. If Championship Week is anything like rivalry week…buckle up!

Top NBA Games

Cavaliers 115, Celtics 111: Donovan Mitchell scored 35 points, including 20 in the fourth quarter, to lead the Cavaliers to a 115-111 victory snapping Boston's seven-game winning streak. The ending was a bit anticlimactic because the teams just traded fouls, and everyone was hitting their free throws. Jayson Tatum scored 33 points for the Celtics, who were missing Jaylen Brown and Derrick White.

Rockets 119, Thunder 116: Fred VanVleet scored a season-high 38 points to lead the Rockets to a 119-116 victory. With the game tied at 113, Dillon Brooks hit a crucial go-ahead jumper with 33 seconds left, and VanVleet made two free throws to extend the lead to 117-113. After Jalen Williams' 3-pointer brought the Thunder within 1, VanVleet sealed the win with two more free throws. The Rockets won their third straight game and fifth in their last six.

Lakers 105, Jazz 104: Anthony Davis scored 33 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, while LeBron James added 27 points and 14 assists to help the Los Angeles Lakers hold off the Utah Jazz 105-104. The Lakers, short-handed due to injuries and illnesses, got key performances from Davis in the third quarter and from James in the fourth. James hit a running left-handed hook with 41 seconds left, and the Lakers held on despite a late push from the Jazz.

Full NBA scoreboard here, and standings here.

Top NHL Games

Stars 3, Jets 1: Mason Marchment scored the winning goal with a spinning backhander to lift Dallas to a 3-1 victory. The goal, assisted by Jake Oettinger, came with 7:37 remaining in the game and broke a 1-1 tie. Oettinger also made 26 saves, maintaining a perfect 9-0-0 record at home this season.

Canucks 5, Red Wings 4: Jake DeBrusk scored a hat trick, including the overtime game-winner, as the Vancouver Canucks defeated the Detroit Red Wings 5-4. DeBrusk netted two power-play goals in a 43-second span in the second period and assisted on Erik Brannstrom's game-tying goal with 3:20 left in regulation. Goaltender Kevin Lankinen set an NHL record with his 10th consecutive road win to start the season, surpassing Glenn Hall and Cam Talbot.

Bruins 6, Canadiens 3: Charlie McAvoy and Charlie Coyle each scored twice as the Bruins defeated the Canadiens 6-3, marking the 100th anniversary of their first NHL game. The win was Boston's fourth in six games under interim coach Joe Sacco, who took over after Jim Montgomery's firing.

Full NHL scoreboard here, and standings here.

On this day in 1984, Dolphins QB Dan Marino breaks the NFL single-season touchdown passing record, throwing his 37th TD pass on the season. He broke Y. A Tittle 1963 record. Marino would go on to finish with 48 TD passes obliterating the record. What is interesting is that Marino would break the record in only his second season, he would pass for 44 TDs in his 4th season, but after that he would never throw more than 30 TDs in a season (averaging 21 TD passes over the next 13 seasons).