Weekly Update Jan 2, 2024 – First post of 2024!

Coming up this month – Jan 2024 edition

Basketball – NBA: This week in NBA. NBA Wed on ABC from now on.

Basketball – NCAAM: Only 3 top 25 losses all week!

Football – NCAAF: Bowl season ends. CFP begins and we have the natty set.

Football – NFL: All the NFL games and we have almost completed the playoff picture.

Olympic Sports: Shiffrin gets 92 and 93. Uganda runner stabbed.

Coming up this month:

PGA Tour season begins (Sentry) Jan 4, CFP National Championship Jan 8, NFL Playoffs Jan 13-Feb 11, Australian Open Jan 14-28

Basketball – NBA:

• This week in the NBA: Ja Morant helped his team with a game-winning alley-oop in OT to beat the Pelicans on Tuesday. The Thunder upset the Timberwolves and their powerhouse defense and put the beat down on them, winning by 23. The Trail Blazers also upset the Kings by 27 points on the same night, mainly due to De’Aaron Fox’s season-high 43 points. The Raptors beat the Wizards by 30 which is the largest margin of victory for the season. The 76ers won on Wednesday (not super noteworthy) but they did it without Embiid. Embiid was out for a sprained ankle and this is the team’s first win without him. They were 0-4 before that. On Thursday, Nuggets star Jokic went perfect from field and line, going 11 for 11 and hitting only 1 free throw and 3 for 3 from the line. That helped his team post their highest point total for the season with 142 to win over the Grizzlies. That was also Jokic’s 12^th triple-double, the 116^th of his career, making him the 4th in NBA history. The Spurs turn out their 5^th win after Wemby scored 30 points in less than 25 minutes to beat the Trail Blazers. On Monday, the Jazz had their first triple-double since 2008. This was accomplished by Jordan Clarkson who had 20 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds. They also beat the Mavs 127-90 – whoa!

• The Pistons’ hit the most consecutive losses of any team in NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL in modern history with 27. They then took the Celtics into OT on Thursday. That should’ve felt like a victory in itself however they were leading by 18 at halftime. So they lose in a heartbreaker OT to make it 28 losses. But it ends there! The Detroit team beat the Raptors on the 30^th to break the streak. Technically the 28 losses is tied for the most consecutive losses in the NBA but only because the 76ers split their record over 2 seasons (2014-2015/2015-2016). They were one shy of the all time, all leagues record during WWII which was set by the Chicago Cardinals.

Basketball – NCAAM:

• NCAAM: We had no upsets (and not a lot of games) until Friday. #13 Gonzaga lost to San Diego State by 10. I use upset loosely here as San Diego St was ranked earlier this season but the double digit loss was their biggest at home since 2012. #7 FAU may have reached their highest in school history but it is not likely to go much higher after they lost to Florida Gulf Coast. The Eagles have a losing record so this one was shameful. We then had a great Top 25 matchup between #10 Marquette and #22 Creighton. After a slow start, only scoring 28 in 1H, Marquette pull out a 44 point 2^nd half to win by 5. Sunday had only 1 upset but it was a shocker. #4 Arizona lost by 18 to 6-6 Stanford. The Cardinal put up 56 points in the 2H. It helps that they had a school record 16 3-pointers.
• Gonzaga is still ranked even after losing to unranked SD St. That takes their active ranked streak to 142 weeks consecutively. Purdue remains #1. Houston is still undefeated but only stayed #3. FAU fell to #17.

• Illinois G Terrance Shannon Jr has been charged with rape in Kansas, where the football team played in Sept and he went to watch. Illinois suspended Shannon on Thursday but he claims he is innocent. Apparently there was an incident at a bar which led to inappropriate touching of a woman.

Football – NCAAF:

• We’re going to start with the best and most recent – the CFP semifinals were amazing and last night.
  • #1 Michigan vs #4 Alabama in the Grand Daddy of them all, the Rose Bowl. We have 2 straight punts. But when Michigan punted theirs, they muffed it and Bama recovered. So naturally, Alabama drew first blood with a TD. The Michigan comes right back. We then had a bunch of nothing possessions before Michigan scored again with 3:49 to go in the half but they missed the PAT. Bama got a FG and we go to the locker room 13-10 Michigan. We then wouldn’t have another score until the end of the 3Q, when Bama puts a TD on the board. Bama is now leading 17-13. But they fumble on their next possession. Michigan missed a FG from that fumble recovery. Bama gets another FG now up 20-13 in the final 5min. This is where I thought Bama had it. Michigan hadn’t scored since the 1H. But they only needed 8 plays to go 75 yards and they tie up the game. Bama punts it back after only 40 seconds and some wonky snaps. Michigan gets the ball with 54 seconds left. But Michigan punt returner muffs the kick, retreats back 5 yards to the 1 and now its looking like all Bama’s defense needs to do is get a safety. But the Wolverines give it to their big (and now healthy) RB Blake Corum who muscles through to the 2 and we go to OT for only the 3^rd time ever in a semifinal game. It only took Michigan 2 plays in OT, again running with Corum to get their TD. Then it’s Bama’s turn. They get to 1^st and goal but couldn’t do it. Michigan advances!

• • The Washington and Texas game was back and forth – literally we were tied at the end of 1Q and 2Q. Every time Washington looked like they were going to put it away and stomp on Texas’ throat. They couldn’t manage it. Like when they muffed a punt after a beautiful 3& out in the 1H, giving Texas a short field for a TD. Texas had success running the ball at the beginning of the first half but for some reason wanted to throw against Washington’s amazing throwing defense, even though their O Line was opening up holes for the run game. Washington looked to have this game put away in after the 3Q, the were leading by 13 with 14min to go in the game and got a fumble on the next possession. Everything was coming up Husky. However that’s when Texas found some of that magic they found so many times this year. The Horns went 72 yards in 10 plays scoring a TD. Wash up by 6. Washington then gets a FG, lead back to 9. Then Texas gets a FG, lead back down to 6. In the final 1:09 of the game when Washington RB Johnson went down for an injury that stopped the clock and gave Texas another time out so they had 45 seconds to drive down the field only down by 6, so a TD would win it all. Washington played soft and let them get down to the 12 with 15 seconds left. First down – complete for a loss of a yard. Next down was incomplete with a bad pass by Quinn Ewers. 3^rd down was almost a sack, but Ewers got it off in time to make it an incomplete. The clock actually ran and the score went final but the refs added one more second. And I thought this was it. They throw into the endzone where Washington’s passing defense slams it the ground.

 

• • Both Michigan and Washington looked like the better team in their games, but had their fair share of mistakes. It is anyone’s game in the natty on Monday where they will be playing in Houston Texas.

• Well that is it for bowl games this season and honestly, I wasn’t too impressed. The not so close games: Texas A&M played #20 Oklahoma St and it would’ve been a good game expect that the Aggies lost their QB on the 1^st play of the game. And that was already their 3^rd string QB. They still played relatively well but did ultimately lose 23-31. UNC beat badly by West Virginia in the Dukes Mayo Bowl. The Tar Heels lose by 20. Iowa did what they do best, not score. #21 Tennessee shutout #17 Iowa in the Cheez-It Bowl 35-0. Another route was the Sun Bowl where #16 Notre Dame opened a can of whoop ass on the #19 Oregon St Beavers. The Fighting Irish win 40-8.

• Thursday Dec 28^th was by far the best overall day for bowl games. The Fenway Bowl was a home game for Boston College who took on future ACC rival, SMU. The Mustangs were leading up until the 4Q when the Eagles put up 13 points. Rutgers/Miami was also a back-and-forth game for the Pinstripe Bowl. Rutgers did get the better of Miami though, winning by a TD. The Alamo Bowl is usually a shootout and this one kinda was. #14 Arizona vs #12 Oklahoma was the highest ranked matchup outside of the NY6. Arizona drew first blood (and the only) in 1Q putting up 10 points but the Sooners came back with the lead 24-13 going into the final 2 minutes of the 3Q. After that it was all Wildcats. They get a scoop and score to kick it off and add on another 10 points to beat the Sooners 38-24. The big story here was that OU had 6 turnovers in this game. 3 INT by their QB and 3 fumbles. You’re not going to win with that many as the Wildcats got 28 points from those turnovers. But the highlight (maybe of all of bowl season) was the new Pop Tarts Bowl of #25 K St vs #18 NC St. K St ended up winning 28-19 and both teams ended their season 9-4. But the best part was the edible mascot.

• The actually entertaining games: Unranked USC played #15 Louisville in the Holiday Bowl and it was basically a coming out party for Trojan QB Miller Moss who threw for 6 TDs (a holiday bowl record). USC did their work in the 2Q, scoring 21. Every other Q, both USC and Louisville put up 7. USC wins 42-28. The Gator Bowl was also a great game. We had an ACC/SEC clash between #22 Clemson and Kentucky. Kentucky was leading into the 4Q but then we had 42 points scored in that Q. 28 of them by Clemson to take the win by 3.

• Some odd ones: Kansas vs UNLV was decent. The Jayhawks won 49-36 after their back-up QB went off. He threw 6 TDs for 449 yards although 3 INT. KU was also called for 18 penalties during that game alone when they had only been called for 55 all season. That was also KU’s first bowl game win since 2008. Sticking with streaks, Minnesota won their bowl game against Bowling Green 30-24. That was their 7^th straight win – the longest record in the FBS. I can honestly say the Barstool AZ Bowl was the weirdest game I have ever watched – broadcast wise. It was not well done. But the game was good. It came down to the final second as Toledo was winning the entire game with an odd score of 15. Wyoming didn’t get their first TD until 8:37 left in the game. They then got the ball back one more time where they got into FG range (with some penalties and their own recovered fumble) and kicked the 24 yarder to win their HC’s final game with the team.

• NY6: To no one’s surprise, #8 Oregon destroyed #23 Liberty. Granted it was closer than I thought for 1Q when Liberty was leading but in 2Q, Oregon scored 28 points. They ultimately won 45-6. Even the Cotton Bowl between #9 Mizzou and #7 Ohio St was boring! Ohio St got a FG first and that was their ONLY score! That’s the lowest score ever by the Buckeyes in the Ryan Day era. Mizzou wouldn’t put up any points until the 4Q. There were 16 punts and no 65 yard FG attempts. The Peach Bowl was good but not great. #11 Ole Miss was only up by 3 at half but they controlled the game. #10 Penn St would get beat 38-25.

• In the Orange Bowl, #6 Georgia killed #5 Florida St by 60 point in the Orange Bowl. This should NOT be a justification on why Florida St shouldn’t have made the CFP though as of the 57 TDs scored by the Noles this season, only 8 were by players that actually played in this game. Georgia had 1 opt out (that I noticed and heard about).

Football – NFL:

• TNF was a good showing by the Browns who have had a miraculous turnaround and are now eligible for playoffs. Joe Flacco threw 3 TDs for 309 yards to win 37-20 over the Jets.

• We had a special session of MNF but on a Saturday between the Cowboys and Lions who were both above 10 wins and already in the playoffs so it was going to be a great matchup. We were tied 10-10 going into the 4Q. Then the ending got crazy. Dallas scored a TD to go up 17-13 in the final 7:20. Then Detroit was driving in the final 2:32 but threw an INT so it looked like that night be game. Then the Cowboys tacked on another FG to go up by 7. Jared Goff then had 1:41 to go the full length of the field, needing a TD to tie it up. They manage to go 75 yards in 9 plays. But they don’t settle for a tie, they go for the win and 2-point conversion. Goff throws the ball to OT Taylor Decker who catches it in the endzone. However, that play was called back for a penalty (ineligible touch because Decker did not declare as a receiver). So they try again 5 yards back. Then a Dallas player jumped offsides so free play (unsuccessful) so we go again. And finally third time is the charm, Goff threw a pass and it was low and incomplete so Dallas gets the W. The night was CeeDee Lamb’s as he gets 200 yards alone and becomes the franchise record holder for the most receptions and most receiving yards in a single season for any Cowboy. They are still unbeaten at home this season. That opens up Dallas to win the division with an Eagles loss.

• So let’s start with that. The Eagles did in fact lose in a huge upset to the 3-12 Cardinals. They were winning 21-6 at half and were dominating but then they stalled and the AZ team turned it on. They scored 29 points in the 2H and their 15 points in the 3Q were the only points scored in that Q. Then the final 5 minutes of the game had 3 scores but only an Eagles FG and that cost them. Arizona wins by 4 and the Eagles have lost 4 of their last 5 games.

• There were 7 close games including the 2 we just talked about. The Giants gave the Rams a surprising run for their money, considering they are 5-10. The game was back and forth with literally only 1 score being back-to-back for the Giants and that was a 94-yard punt returned for a TD. How often do you see that in the NFL? The NY team attempted the 2-point conversion to go for the win but it failed. The Rams then went 3&out and punt it back to the Giants, who went 29 yards to get sorta into FG range. Their K missed a 54 yard FG to win. Rams escape. The Bills also escaped the Pats who managed to score 21 points for the 4^th time all season. Bills win by 6. The Colts had a close one as well with the Raiders. In another game that was backup QBs no one knows, Jonathan Taylor got the better of Aidan O’Connell. Taylor was the leading rusher with 96 yards to help the Colts win 23-20. The Steelers put away the Seahawks by a TD. The Seattle team is now 8-8. As are the Broncos who beat the Chargers 16-9. There was only 1 TD in this game and it was by the Broncos, which was enough to win even with Russell Wilson getting benched for this game. The Chargers only managed to score 3 FGs.

• The Panthers were shutout by the Jags, losing 26-0. Yikes! The Texans also put on an impressive performance with the return of their QB, CJ Stroud. They beat the Titans 26-3. The Saints put away the Bucs early, leading 20-0. The Bucs did score 13 points but all in garbage time (final 8 minutes of the game). The Bears came out hot, putting up 21 in the 1H and never let it get close. CHI wins over the Falcons by 20. The Commanders only scored 10 points all game, losing to the 49ers 27-10. The Packers handled the Vikings, putting up 23 points in the 1H. They won 33-10 with the only MN TD coming in the 4Q. But the most impressive route of the weekend was a huge surprise. The Dolphins/Ravens game was supposed to be a good match up as both teams have won 11+ games. The Ravens had other ideas. They put up 56 points to the Dolphin’s 19 to win by 37. That secures the Baltimore team the #1 seed in the AFC.

• The struggling Chiefs were trailing at halftime, 17-13 to the Bengals. But the Bengals were done scoring in the 1H and the Chiefs were not. KC added 4 FGs to win 25-17. That W secures them the AFC West.

Olympic Sports:

• Mikaela Shiffrin won her 92 and 93^rd title this week. Her 92^nd was in the Giant Slalom, her first win of the season in that discipline. She built a big lead in the first run that she coasted in the 2^nd run to still win. Her time on the 2^nd was literally 17^th fastest it was that conservative. Her next title was the next day in her signature event, the slalom, and it looked like it. She won handily by 2.34 seconds over the next competitor. This was also her 7^th victory in her last 8 slalom starts.
• AUS track cycling world champion, Melissa Hoskins was killed in a car accident at the age of 32. She was a member of the 2012 and 2016 Olympic team as well as 2015 World Champion.
• Sticking with sad death news, UGA 3x Olympian steeplechaser, Benjamin Kiplagat, was found in his brother’s car stabbed to death. As of today, 2 people have been arrested, one of which had the murder weapon on him, for what is believed a robbery gone wrong.

What to watch this week

Basketball – NBA:

• Wed 1/3
  • Bulls at Knicks @ 7:30pm on ABC
  • Heat at Lakers @ 9pm on ESPN
• Thurs 1/4
  • Bucks at Spurs @ 6:30pm on TNT
  • Nuggets at Warriors @ 9pm on TNT
• Fri 1/5
  • Knicks at 76ers @ 6:30pm on ESPN
  • Grizzlies at Lakers @ 9pm on ESPN

Basketball – NCAAM:

• Tues 1/2
  • DePaul at 4. UConn @ 5:30pm on FS1
  • 1. Purdue at Maryland @ 6pm on Peacock
  • Norfolk St at 5. Tennessee @ 6pm on SEC
  • 8. UNC at Pitt @ 6pm on ESPN
  • East Carolina at 17. FAU @ 6pm on ESPN2
  • Iowa at 21. Wisconsin @ 6pm on BTN
  • Cornell at 18. Baylor @ 7pm on ESPN+
  • Northwestern at 9. Illinois @ 8pm on BTN
  • Syracuse at 14. Duke @ 8pm on ESPN
  • UPenn at 25. Auburn @ 8pm on SEC
  • New Mexico at 13. Colorado St @ 9:30pm on FS1
• Wed 1/3
  • Seton Hall at 23. Providence @ 5:30pm on FS1
  • 16. Clemson at Miami @ 7pm on ESPN
• Thurs 1/4
  • 15. Memphis at Tulsa @ 7pm on ESPN+
  • 19. JMU at Louisiana @ 7pm on ESPN+
  • Pepperdine at 24. Gonzaga @ 8pm on ESPN+
  • Colorado at 10. Arizona @ 8:30pm on ESPN
• Fri 1/5
  • 4. UConn at Butler @ 5:30pm on FS1
  • 9. Illinois at 1. Purdue @ 7:30pm on FS1
• Sat 1/6
  • 7. Marquette at Seton Hall @ 11am on CBSSN
  • 8. UNC at 16. Clemson @ 11am on ESPN2
  • 6. Kentucky at Florida @ 11:30am on ESPN
  • TCU at 2. Kansas @ 1pm on CBS
  • West Virginia at 3. Houston @ 1pm on ESPN+
  • 23. Providence at Creighton @ 1pm on FS1 – almost ranked vs ranked
  • 25. Auburn at Arkansas @ 1pm on ESPN2
  • Nebraska at 21. Wisconsin @ 1:15pm on BTN
  • 18. Baylor at Oklahoma St @ 2pm on ESPN+
  • 19. JMU at Southern Miss @ 2pm on ESPN+
  • 17. FAU at Charlotte @ 3pm on ESPN+
  • 22. Ole Miss at 5. Tennessee @ 5pm on SEC
  • Iowa St at 11. Oklahoma @ 5pm on ESPN+
  • 14. Duke at Notre Dame @ 5pm on ACC
  • Utah at 10. Arizona @ 7pm on Pac12
  • Texas Tech at 20. Texas @ 7pm on ESPN2
  • 13. Colorado St at Utah St @ 8pm
  • San Diego at 24. Gonzaga @ 8pm on ESPN+
  • Cincinnati at 12. BYU @ 9pm on ESPN2
• Sun 1/7
  • SMU at 15. Memphis @ 4pm on ESPN

Basketball – NCAAW: (only reporting ranked vs ranked)

• Wed 1/3
  • 12. UConn at 21. Creighton @ 6pm
  • 23. TCU at 6. Baylor @ 7pm on ESPN+
• Thurs 1/4
  • 22. Florida St at 3. NC St @ 6pm on ACCX
• Sat 1/6
  • 10. Texas at 24. West Virginia @ 1pm on ESPN+
• Sun 1/7
  • 3. NC St at 13. Vtech @ 11am on ACC

Football-NCAAF:

• Mon 1/8
  • CFP National Championship: 1. Michigan vs 2. Washington @ 6:30pm on ESPN
    • MICH +4.5 O/U 55.5

Football-NFL:

• Sat 1/6
  • Steelers at Ravens @ 3:30pm on ESPN & ABC
  • Texans at Colts @ 7:15pm on ESPN & ABC
• Sun 1/7
  • 6 games @ 12pm on CBS/FOX
    • CBS: Browns at Bengals, Jags at Titans, Falcons at Saints
    • FOX: Vikings at Lions, Jets at Pats, Bucs at Panthers
  • 7 games @ 3:25pm on CBS/FOX
    • CBS: Bears at Packers, Eagles at Giants, Chiefs at Chargers
    • FOX: Broncos at Raiders, Seahawks at Cardinals, Rams at 49ers, Cowboys at Commanders
  • Bills at Dolphins @ 7:20pm on NBC

Golf:

• Thurs 1/4
  • PGA Tour: Sentry – Round 1 @ 5pm on Golf Channel
• Fri 1/5
  • PGA Tour: Sentry – Round 2 @ 5pm on Golf Channel
• Sat 1/6
  • PGA Tour: Sentry – Round 3
    • @ 3pm on NBC
    • @ 5pm on Golf Channel
• Sun 1/7
  • PGA Tour: Sentry – Final Round
    • @ 3pm on NBC

Hockey:

• Tues 1/2
  • Capitals at Penguins @ 6:30pm on hulu
  • Malpe Leafs at Rangers @ 9:30pm on hulu
• Wed 1/3
  • Devils at Capitals @ 6:30pm on TNT
• Thurs 1/4
  • Penguins at Bruins @ 6pm on ESPN

Soccer:

• Tues 1/2
  • Premier League: West Ham vs Brighton @ 1:30pm on USA