July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.
College football highlights weekend
College football highlights weekend
As we all know by now, the extended Thanksgiving weekend has become one of the most jam-packed areas of the sports calendar.
There are all kinds of college basketball tournaments from Alaska to Hawaii to Puerto Rico and everywhere in between. There are pro basketball, two days of pro football, and three days of college football.
And for good measure this year, the IHSAA state championship football games will be televised as well.
In past years, this column has given a full overview of the weekend’s televised sports events. This year, it will take a slightly different tact.
Instead of trying to cover everything, the following paragraphs will pick out the major theme of each day and give fans a preview of what they will see. As always, the full scheduled of televised (and local) athletic events can be found in “Sports on Tap” below.
Today
NBA basketball
Miami Heat at Orlando Magic
7:30 p.m. - ESPN
Consider this the appetizer of your sports weekend.
When they got LeBron James and Chris Bosh to go along with all-star Dwyane Wade, the Heat were the talk of the NBA, and the sports world, in July. So far, the results have not been quite as good as the players, or the franchise had hoped.
Miami, without question, is one of the best teams in the East. But it lost to defending conference champion Boston in its season opener and currently sits at 8-6.
Orlando, which won the Southeast Division last season went to the NBA Finals in 2009, meanwhile, has continued its regular-season excellence. The Magic, despite a 96-70 loss to the Heat earlier this year, is off to an 9-4 start and have an 1.5-game lead over Miami in the division.
A victory by Miami would be a big help for the Heat in the three-way division race — Atlanta is also 8-6 — while Orlando could open up its advantage if it comes out on top.
Thursday
College Basketball
Old Spice Classic
Georgia at Notre Dame
7 p.m. – ESPN2
Neither team is ranked among the top 25 in the country, but both enter this contest undefeated.
Notre Dame (4-0) opened its year with a 37-point victory over Georgia Southern, and has won each game by 20 points or more. Georgia (3-0) has had a much more difficult time early on, eking out wins over Mississippi Valley State and St. Louis by just two points apiece.
Ben Hansbrough powers the Irish at 18 points and 5.8 assists per game. Tim Abromaitis is just behind him at 17.5 points per game, and Tyrone Nash adds 11.8 points and 8.0 rebounds.
The Bulldogs have three players averaging 15 or more points per game, led by 6-foot-4-inch guard Travis Leslie. He is shooting 53 percent from the field and 87 percent from the line for his team-best 18 points per game, and also leads Georgia with 8.3 rebounds per contest.
The winner will take on either No. 21 Temple or California in the second round Friday.
Following the Old Spice Classic in Orlando, Notre Dame will return home to play in-state rival Indiana State Nov. 30. Georgia, meanwhile, will visit UAB, which is led by former Indiana coach Mike Davis.
Friday
College Football
Auburn at Alabama
2:30 p.m. – CBS
Arizona at Oregon
7 p.m. – ESPN
Boise State at Nevada
10:15 p.m. – ESPN
College football fans would be hard-pressed to ask for a better triple-header.
Three of the top four teams in the BCS standings — No. 1 Oregon (10-0), No. 2 Auburn (11-0) and No. 4 Boise State (10-0) — all play ranked opponents. Each one needs to win, especially with third-ranked TCU (11-0) very likely to complete a perfect season when it takes on a one-win New Mexico squad Saturday.
If Oregon and Auburn both stay perfect, they will play for the national title. But neither is a shoo-in.
The Tigers and Heisman Trophy favorite Cam Newton (135-of-198 passing, 2,038 yards, 21 touchdowns; 1,297 rushing yards, 17 touchdowns) open play Friday against defending national champion Alabama, which started the year at No. 1. Although it has not quite lived up to expectations, the Crimson Tide is still 9-2 and features 2009 Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram (780 rushing yards, 10 touchdowns).
And even with a win Auburn would still have to survive the SEC championship game against South Carolina, the team that handed Alabama its first loss this year.
Take a break for dinner after the SEC battle and then sit back down for a trip out west as Oregon takes on 21st-ranked Arizona (7-3).
The Wildcats have been all over the place this year. Their opening four-game winning streak including a victory over No. 9 Iowa, but they have since lost three games in the PAC 10. They are coming off of back-to-back losses to No. 13 Stanford and USC. Receiver Juron Criner leads the team with 64 catches for 982 yards and six touchdowns this year.
Oregon will try to beat Arizona with its high-powered offense. Paced by LaMichael James (225 carries, 1,422 yards, 17 touchdowns), it had scored at least 40 points in every game before barely knocking off California 15-13 Saturday.
If the Ducks survive at home, they will try to finish off their undefeated regular-season with a trip to Oregon State.
The nightcap is the final challenge of the year for Boise State, one of two non-BCS conference schools hoping to break through the glass ceiling and play for a national championship.The Broncos, who face Utah State (4-7) in their regular-season finale, are on the outside looking in right now, but an impressive win over No. 18 Nevada (10-1) would be big if one of the top two teams suffer a loss. They have scored at least 30 points in every game this year, including 40 or more in each of the last seven, and have posted three shutouts. Quarterback Kellen Moore leads the attack, completing nearly 72 percent of his passes for 2,921 yards and 28 touchdowns.
Nevada, which has scored 50 or more points five times this year, will likely try to out-gun Boise State. The Wolfpack has a balanced offense, with quarterback Colin Kaepernick (19 passing TDs, 16 rushing TDs) and running backs Vai Taua (1,241 yards, 16 TDs).
Saturday
College football
Michigan at Ohio State
Noon – ABC
Notre Dame at USC
8 p.m. – ABC
These two rivalry games certainly don’t have as much riding on them as they have at times in the past — Ohio State is the only ranked team among them at No. 8 — but they are still two of the premier yearly match-ups in the sport.
If the Buckeyes (10-1) knock off their rivals, they’ll secure a spot in the BCS bowl for the sixth straight year.
The game features two of the most dynamic quarterbacks in college football — Terrelle Pryor of Ohio State and Denard Robinson of Michigan (7-4).
Robinson is already one of the best running quarterbacks in college history as he owns the single-season rush record for quarterbacks and is the only player in NCAA history with more than 1,500 yards rushing and 1,500 yards passing in a single season. He had 360 yards and four TDs in Saturday’s loss to No. 7 Wisconsin.
Pryor is dangerous through the air (2,331 yards, 23 TDs) and ground (590) yards as well. Ohio State has won six in a row over the Wolverines.
In the prime time game, neither team is what they have been in the past or what they want to be.
Notre Dame is just 6-5 and has losses to Navy and Tulsa in the last month. But they did come up with their best win of the season Nov. 13, dominating No. 14 Utah 28-3.
USC (7-4), which is ineligible for bowl play this year because of NCAA violations, is just .500 in the PAC 10. It is coming off of a 36-7 loss to Oregon State, but quarterback Matt Barkley is a future NFL prospect and has 25 TDs on the year.
Sunday
NFL football
San Diego at Indianapolis
8:20 p.m. – NBC
Nothing beats the Colts in Indiana, so it is only fitting that Peyton Manning and his teammates finish off the long holiday weekend.
Despite Sunday’s loss to New England, Manning has spent this year making lemonade out of lemons. Indianapolis has been battered by injuries on both offense — Javarris James, Jacob Tamme and Blair White have all at times been in key roles — and defense, and still tied for the division lead. Manning just keeps chugging along as he ranks third in the league in passing yards and has 20 touchdown passes compared to seven interceptions.
The Chargers have had what has becoming their typical slow start — in fact, 2-5 is their worst start under Norv Turner — but now they are on their typical upswing. They’ve won three in a row to pull within a game of Kansas City for the AFC West lead.
Phillip Rivers, despite being without hold-out Vincent Jackson all year had having lost Malcolm Floyd and Antonio Gates to injury, is on fire. He has 3,177 yards, on pass to break Dan Marino’s single-season record, and 23 touchdowns.
The winner of this game will be securely in the playoff hunt with five weeks to go. The loser will have an uphill battle.
Enjoy the games.[[In-content Ad]]
There are all kinds of college basketball tournaments from Alaska to Hawaii to Puerto Rico and everywhere in between. There are pro basketball, two days of pro football, and three days of college football.
And for good measure this year, the IHSAA state championship football games will be televised as well.
In past years, this column has given a full overview of the weekend’s televised sports events. This year, it will take a slightly different tact.
Instead of trying to cover everything, the following paragraphs will pick out the major theme of each day and give fans a preview of what they will see. As always, the full scheduled of televised (and local) athletic events can be found in “Sports on Tap” below.
Today
NBA basketball
Miami Heat at Orlando Magic
7:30 p.m. - ESPN
Consider this the appetizer of your sports weekend.
When they got LeBron James and Chris Bosh to go along with all-star Dwyane Wade, the Heat were the talk of the NBA, and the sports world, in July. So far, the results have not been quite as good as the players, or the franchise had hoped.
Miami, without question, is one of the best teams in the East. But it lost to defending conference champion Boston in its season opener and currently sits at 8-6.
Orlando, which won the Southeast Division last season went to the NBA Finals in 2009, meanwhile, has continued its regular-season excellence. The Magic, despite a 96-70 loss to the Heat earlier this year, is off to an 9-4 start and have an 1.5-game lead over Miami in the division.
A victory by Miami would be a big help for the Heat in the three-way division race — Atlanta is also 8-6 — while Orlando could open up its advantage if it comes out on top.
Thursday
College Basketball
Old Spice Classic
Georgia at Notre Dame
7 p.m. – ESPN2
Neither team is ranked among the top 25 in the country, but both enter this contest undefeated.
Notre Dame (4-0) opened its year with a 37-point victory over Georgia Southern, and has won each game by 20 points or more. Georgia (3-0) has had a much more difficult time early on, eking out wins over Mississippi Valley State and St. Louis by just two points apiece.
Ben Hansbrough powers the Irish at 18 points and 5.8 assists per game. Tim Abromaitis is just behind him at 17.5 points per game, and Tyrone Nash adds 11.8 points and 8.0 rebounds.
The Bulldogs have three players averaging 15 or more points per game, led by 6-foot-4-inch guard Travis Leslie. He is shooting 53 percent from the field and 87 percent from the line for his team-best 18 points per game, and also leads Georgia with 8.3 rebounds per contest.
The winner will take on either No. 21 Temple or California in the second round Friday.
Following the Old Spice Classic in Orlando, Notre Dame will return home to play in-state rival Indiana State Nov. 30. Georgia, meanwhile, will visit UAB, which is led by former Indiana coach Mike Davis.
Friday
College Football
Auburn at Alabama
2:30 p.m. – CBS
Arizona at Oregon
7 p.m. – ESPN
Boise State at Nevada
10:15 p.m. – ESPN
College football fans would be hard-pressed to ask for a better triple-header.
Three of the top four teams in the BCS standings — No. 1 Oregon (10-0), No. 2 Auburn (11-0) and No. 4 Boise State (10-0) — all play ranked opponents. Each one needs to win, especially with third-ranked TCU (11-0) very likely to complete a perfect season when it takes on a one-win New Mexico squad Saturday.
If Oregon and Auburn both stay perfect, they will play for the national title. But neither is a shoo-in.
The Tigers and Heisman Trophy favorite Cam Newton (135-of-198 passing, 2,038 yards, 21 touchdowns; 1,297 rushing yards, 17 touchdowns) open play Friday against defending national champion Alabama, which started the year at No. 1. Although it has not quite lived up to expectations, the Crimson Tide is still 9-2 and features 2009 Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram (780 rushing yards, 10 touchdowns).
And even with a win Auburn would still have to survive the SEC championship game against South Carolina, the team that handed Alabama its first loss this year.
Take a break for dinner after the SEC battle and then sit back down for a trip out west as Oregon takes on 21st-ranked Arizona (7-3).
The Wildcats have been all over the place this year. Their opening four-game winning streak including a victory over No. 9 Iowa, but they have since lost three games in the PAC 10. They are coming off of back-to-back losses to No. 13 Stanford and USC. Receiver Juron Criner leads the team with 64 catches for 982 yards and six touchdowns this year.
Oregon will try to beat Arizona with its high-powered offense. Paced by LaMichael James (225 carries, 1,422 yards, 17 touchdowns), it had scored at least 40 points in every game before barely knocking off California 15-13 Saturday.
If the Ducks survive at home, they will try to finish off their undefeated regular-season with a trip to Oregon State.
The nightcap is the final challenge of the year for Boise State, one of two non-BCS conference schools hoping to break through the glass ceiling and play for a national championship.The Broncos, who face Utah State (4-7) in their regular-season finale, are on the outside looking in right now, but an impressive win over No. 18 Nevada (10-1) would be big if one of the top two teams suffer a loss. They have scored at least 30 points in every game this year, including 40 or more in each of the last seven, and have posted three shutouts. Quarterback Kellen Moore leads the attack, completing nearly 72 percent of his passes for 2,921 yards and 28 touchdowns.
Nevada, which has scored 50 or more points five times this year, will likely try to out-gun Boise State. The Wolfpack has a balanced offense, with quarterback Colin Kaepernick (19 passing TDs, 16 rushing TDs) and running backs Vai Taua (1,241 yards, 16 TDs).
Saturday
College football
Michigan at Ohio State
Noon – ABC
Notre Dame at USC
8 p.m. – ABC
These two rivalry games certainly don’t have as much riding on them as they have at times in the past — Ohio State is the only ranked team among them at No. 8 — but they are still two of the premier yearly match-ups in the sport.
If the Buckeyes (10-1) knock off their rivals, they’ll secure a spot in the BCS bowl for the sixth straight year.
The game features two of the most dynamic quarterbacks in college football — Terrelle Pryor of Ohio State and Denard Robinson of Michigan (7-4).
Robinson is already one of the best running quarterbacks in college history as he owns the single-season rush record for quarterbacks and is the only player in NCAA history with more than 1,500 yards rushing and 1,500 yards passing in a single season. He had 360 yards and four TDs in Saturday’s loss to No. 7 Wisconsin.
Pryor is dangerous through the air (2,331 yards, 23 TDs) and ground (590) yards as well. Ohio State has won six in a row over the Wolverines.
In the prime time game, neither team is what they have been in the past or what they want to be.
Notre Dame is just 6-5 and has losses to Navy and Tulsa in the last month. But they did come up with their best win of the season Nov. 13, dominating No. 14 Utah 28-3.
USC (7-4), which is ineligible for bowl play this year because of NCAA violations, is just .500 in the PAC 10. It is coming off of a 36-7 loss to Oregon State, but quarterback Matt Barkley is a future NFL prospect and has 25 TDs on the year.
Sunday
NFL football
San Diego at Indianapolis
8:20 p.m. – NBC
Nothing beats the Colts in Indiana, so it is only fitting that Peyton Manning and his teammates finish off the long holiday weekend.
Despite Sunday’s loss to New England, Manning has spent this year making lemonade out of lemons. Indianapolis has been battered by injuries on both offense — Javarris James, Jacob Tamme and Blair White have all at times been in key roles — and defense, and still tied for the division lead. Manning just keeps chugging along as he ranks third in the league in passing yards and has 20 touchdown passes compared to seven interceptions.
The Chargers have had what has becoming their typical slow start — in fact, 2-5 is their worst start under Norv Turner — but now they are on their typical upswing. They’ve won three in a row to pull within a game of Kansas City for the AFC West lead.
Phillip Rivers, despite being without hold-out Vincent Jackson all year had having lost Malcolm Floyd and Antonio Gates to injury, is on fire. He has 3,177 yards, on pass to break Dan Marino’s single-season record, and 23 touchdowns.
The winner of this game will be securely in the playoff hunt with five weeks to go. The loser will have an uphill battle.
Enjoy the games.[[In-content Ad]]
Top Stories
9/11 NEVER FORGET Mobile Exhibit
Chartwells marketing
September 17, 2024 7:36 a.m.
Events
250 X 250 AD