by Eric Fulton & Julian Spivey

*This conversation has been edited for grammar and clarity. ​

Julian Spivey: Let’s discuss some of the NFL Wild Card round games. It’s a new year, new coach, but the Chargers are evidently the same old Chargers based on their loss to the Houston Texans, something neither of us predicted. But are you surprised?

Eric Fulton: I am not surprised the Chargers lost the game, even though I picked them to win. However, I am astonished that they lost by 20 points. Justin Herbert played his worst game of the season. The Chargers' defense kept the team in the game, forcing multiple turnovers, but the Texans played exceptionally well in the second half. I thought CJ Stroud was great. The touchdown Houston scored just before halftime was the game's turning point.

JS: Yeah, Herbert threw more interceptions in this one game (4) than he had thrown all season (3). It’s outrageous. Has Herbert lost the right to be considered a top-tier QB in the league?

EF: I would put Herbert at the top of the second tier as far as quarterbacks. He is not better than the four AFC QBs still playing in the playoffs. He is probably not better than at least four or five QBs in the NFC. So, he is probably anywhere from 10-12. But with Coach Harbaugh on his side, he will get better. I would not sell Herbert's stock just yet.

JS: Well, I can’t believe in that guy until I see him win a playoff game.

EF: To finish your point on Herbert, I believe he will win a playoff game under Jim Harbaugh. The Chargers will improve their team in the offseason. So, we shall see what happens going forward.

JS: The Steelers looked like a dead team walking toward the end of the season, losing four straight. They didn’t have anything for Baltimore in Saturday night’s game. We both predicted the Ravens would win. Did anything surprise you from that game?

EF: No surprise with the Ravens-Steelers game. The message in Pittsburgh is stale and getting old. It is time for a new voice. Mike Tomlin is a good head coach, but he has not coached a winning playoff game in a long time, and the Steelers need a new voice. 

JS: The Bills/Broncos matchup wasn’t much of a game. However, I don’t think many expected it to be. The Broncos were the biggest longshot of the weekend, and though they came out quickly and scored, it was all Broncos the rest of the way. Was there anything about Buffalo’s performance that worries you?

EF: The only concern I have is that their receivers need to step up a little more, but I think they will play much better than they did when they played Baltimore earlier in the season.

JS: I was hoping things would be a bit closer in the NFC Wild Card games, but in the first, the Green Bay Packers just seemed too beat up to really keep up with the Philadelphia Eagles, even though the Eagles didn’t play their best game of the year. What did you think about this game?

EF: I am not surprised that the Eagles won. They are a good team. I will say Green Bay did play well on the defensive part. Jordan Love was not good. He had an elbow injury which did not help him. Saquon Barkley was great. Jalen Hurts is just coming off a concussion, but he should be fine for the next game.

JS: The second game on Sunday was the closest game of the first two days of the playoffs. The Commanders and rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels went to Tampa Bay and beat the Buccaneers. It’s Washington’s first playoff win in 20 years. Did this surprise you?

EF: This was the hardest game to pick out of all the games because these were two evenly matched-teams. I knew Washington would play better than they did in week one. I am not surprised Washington won the game. I am glad the Commanders are back to being good.

JS: It’s nice that Los Angelenos had something to celebrate and cheer for after such a horrific week of wildfires on Monday night with the Rams’ dominant performance over the Vikings.

EF: I agree with everything you said. Great performance by the Rams all the way around.

JS: The Vikings have to be the worst 14-3 team in NFL history, right?

EF: I don't know if I would say the worst, overrated for sure.

JS: So, who would you give Player of the Week honor to for the Wild Card round?

EF: Lots of choices. Not easy to pick. I know the stats probably don't wow a lot, everyone, but Jayden Daniels is to win his first playoff game on the road for a franchise that has not won a playoff game in a generation. He has instantly put Washington back to the respect category in the NFL.

JS: My answer for Player of the Week is cheating because I'm going with the entire Houston Texans defense. I just did not see them doing to the Chargers what they did. They made Justin Herbert look like the worst QB in the league. Four interceptions! He didn't even throw that many all season.

JS: All right, we've reached the Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs. I feel like right now there are five serious contenders to win the Super Bowl: Kansas City, Detroit, Buffalo, Philadelphia and Baltimore. At least one of those teams will go home this week. The first game this weekend will be the Houston Texans (do people in Houston all go to bed at 8 pm? Why are the Texans ALWAYS the early game?) @ the Kansas City Chiefs. That game is on Saturday, Jan. 18 at 3:30 p.m. (CST) on ESPN/ABC. Do the Texans have another surprise in them, or do the Chiefs come off the bye week rested and ready for the win?

EF: Houston played well in Kansas City in Week 16. I thought they would have a chance to upset the Chiefs, but it did not happen. I said it many times last year, and I will repeat myself. I will not bet against Kansas City in the playoffs. When Andy Reid has an extra week to prepare with Patrick Mahomes, Travis KelceSa and Chris Jones to rest and prepare their bodies for this grueling and challenging gauntlet in the playoffs, it is tough on the opponent. The Chiefs will be a little rusty out of the gate, but they will come through and rise to the challenge late and pull away with the win.

JS: If there’s any year when the Chiefs look gullible in the postseason, it’s this year, which is wild considering they won 14 games, and one of their two losses was basically given away due to resting players in the final week. They play close, one-possession games nearly every week, it seems and often pull out wins in their final drive. If the Texans let them hang around, I’d fear KC doing it again. And that’s kind of what I expect. KC to keep it close and pull out the W at the end.

JS: The second game on Saturday has the Washington Commanders going to Detroit to play the 15-2 Lions coming off the bye. This game will be at 7pm (CST) on Fox. How do you see it playing out?

EF: This will be a wild, fun game. I believe this will be the first these two teams have played each other in the playoffs since 1991-92. But I am fired up watching this game. I do believe this is going to be a shootout. Washington is going into this with a ton of confidence and momentum. Detroit is coming into this rested but banged up. Both teams will be aggressive and go for it whenever they can. Having home field for the Lions is huge. I like both teams but I am going with the Lions to win a close, fun, exciting game.

JS: Yeah, I’m going to agree with you on everything you said. I think it’ll be a close, fun game and the Commanders may surprise some folks by keeping it close until the end. But the Lions have to pull this one out. A one-and-done playoff appearance in what’s been the team’s greatest season, at least of the Super Bowl era, would be devastating. The Lions win a close one.

JS: The first Divisional Round matchup on Sunday, Jan. 19 sees the Los Angeles Rams traveling to Philadelphia to take on the Eagles. That game will be on NBC at 2 pm (CST) and will be streaming on Peacock. The Eagles beat the Packers rather easily last weekend despite not looking their best. The Rams didn’t have much trouble with the Vikings. How do you see this one playing out?

EF: The Rams' defense has been the story lately. They have played really well lately after giving up over 40 points against the Bills. But I don't know if the Rams' offense can match the play of the Eagles' offense. LA is now just a lot of Stafford/Nakua and not much else, while Philly has Saquon Barkley, Jalen Hurts, and A.J. Brown to go along with a great offensive line. This could be the blowout of the weekend. I have Eagles big in this one.

JS: I’m not sure I’m as sold on it being a blowout as you are. I think the Rams are playing for more than just themselves right now, which might account for something. I still don’t think it’ll lead them to an upset. I don’t know what it is, despite Detroit having the better record. I’ve felt all season that Philly is the team to beat in the NFC. Maybe it’s they have more success in the postseason? But Philly wins against L.A.

JS: The final game of the divisional round is Sunday at 5:30 on CBS/Paramount+ between the visiting Baltimore Ravens and the home team Buffalo Bills. Earlier, I said I felt like five teams could win the Super Bowl and at least one would be eliminated this week. Well, this is that matchup. This is the game of the weekend, no doubt, and I’m struggling to pick who I think will win. Let me hear your pick first and the reasoning, and maybe it’ll sway me.

EF: This game is the hardest pick ever. These are two excellent teams, and it is a shame that they are only meeting for the right to go to the AFC Championship game. It is too hard.

JS: Well, it doesn’t seem like you’re all that ready to make a pick either. I know that the Bills had the better season overall. But the Ravens just seem to have the better squad with their league-leading nine Pro Bowlers. I’m going to take Baltimore on the road in this one.

EF: The Ravens did beat the Bills earlier in the season in Week 4. It was a 35-10 decisive win for Baltimore. I expect this game on Sunday to be much closer than that. The Ravens' defense had some trouble stopping teams earlier in the season, but they have improved greatly, and I think the pressure is more with the home team in this game. Two great quarterbacks. Two great running backs. Strong defenses. What more could you want? So far, the two of us have picked the three home teams. But I am going to agree with you and pick the Ravens to win.

by Eric Fulton
We are down to four teams in the first College Football Playoff in the Football Subdivision (FBS). And the remaining teams are all bedrock teams in college football. Two more common things that the final four teams have are none of the teams won their respective conference, and none were in the top four seeds going into the playoff. While I’m happy that four blue bloods are looking to win the national championship, the surprise is that the top four seeds are already out. I picked Texas, Penn State and Ohio State to win their games in the previous round. Even though Georgia was starting a backup quarterback, I thought they would still find a way to win the Sugar Bowl. Notre Dame was the better team that evening and they move on to the semifinals.
​
Now, it is time to look at both matchups. 

​No 7. Notre Dame vs. No. 6 Penn State - Capital One Orange Bowl (Miami Gardens, Fla.) - Thursday January 9th at 6:30 PM (CST) on ESPN

Notre Dame and Penn State meet in the first semifinal game of the College Football Playoff. Both teams feature a strong running game and a stingy defense. This is shaping up to be a low-scoring affair in which the team who has the ball last with the lead wins the game. Quarterback play will be critical in this game. Notre Dame’s Riley Leonard and Penn State’s Drew Allar are not the top quarterbacks in college football, but they can be effective when they work with the lead. What I do love most about the game is the coaching matchup. Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman and Penn State’s James Franklin have succeeded during their South Bend and Happy Valley tenures. Now, one of them will guarantee themselves to coach in the National Championship game on January 20th, in which if they win the Championship game, they will become the first Black head coach to win the FBS National Championship. It will be a close game, but I am leaning toward Notre Dame advancing to the National Championship game.

No. 8 Ohio State vs. No. 5 - Texas Goodyear Cotton Bowl (Arlington, Texas) – Friday, January 10th at 6:30 PM (CST) on ESPN

The Longhorns and Buckeyes are scheduled to meet on August 30th to kick off the 2025 College Football Season. But first, they will meet for a spot in the National Championship game. This has the potential of being a high-scoring affair at AT&T Stadium. Quarterbacks Will Howard (Ohio State) and Quinn Ewers (Texas) occasionally make mistakes, but when they get things going, many points can be scored. Texas had to come back to beat Arizona State in double overtime in the Peach Bowl. I don't think they have a defense that can stop Ohio State's excellent offense. Meanwhile, Ohio State's defense is playing their best football through the first two games of the playoffs. We've seen Texas' offense struggle against good teams (twice against Georgia). I can see this game going two ways: a shootout or one team dominating from kickoff to the end. Either way, I am going with Ohio State with all of the momentum they have been carrying during this playoff run. 

Julian Spivey: The NFL Playoffs are set!

The postseason begins this weekend with the Wild Card round. The Kansas City Chiefs won the No. 1 seed in the AFC, and the Detroit Lions won the No. 1 seed in the NFC, so they each have byes for this weekend.

The opening round of the playoffs kicks off on Saturday, Jan. 11, with the Los Angeles Chargers (11-6) traveling to Houston to take on the AFC South champion Texans (10-7). The game can be seen on CBS and Paramount+ at 3:30 p.m. (CST).

Eric, who do you give the edge in this matchup?

Eric Fulton: It is a tradition for us to talk about the NFL playoffs in this dialogue. It is also a tradition that the Houston Texans are opening the NFL playoffs. It is always great to talk about the playoffs. I am excited about it. I am unsurprised that the L.A. Chargers are in the playoffs in coach Jim Harbaugh's first year. The Chargers have always had good players but have not been able to put it all together. Maybe it has taken the right coach to get there? I will not say they are my pick to win the Super Bowl. However, they are going in the right direction. This is a good draw for the Chargers in the first round against a reeling Texans team that has lost two of its top wide receivers due to injury. Yes, they won the division, but the AFC South is the worst division in football. With their injuries and the massive target on their backs, I think Houston will lose at home. The last time we saw Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert in the playoffs, he and the Chargers lost a considerable lead. I don't see it happening again. The Chargers are playing with a ton of confidence, and I think the confidence will pay off in this game.

JS: I agree with you. I see the home team going down in the first game of the postseason. The Texans feel like a team that made the playoffs mainly because someone in the AFC South had to. Half their wins came in their own division this year, meaning they were only a 5-6 team outside the division.

The second game on Saturday is one of the greatest rivalries in the NFL - if not the greatest active rivalry - Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Baltimore Ravens - with the Steelers traveling to Baltimore. The Steelers, a Wild Card, were 10-7 this season. The AFC North champion Ravens were 12-5. These teams have matched up twice already this season, splitting the series. The Steelers won 18-16 in mid-November, and the Ravens won a few weeks back 34-17. The Steelers have been struggling mightily over the last portion of the season after a hot start, losing their last four games of the season. The teams know each other very well, which will help Pittsburgh, but I think Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, running back Derrick Henry and co. will be too much for them to handle. I have Baltimore here. How about you?

EF: I agree with you. The Ravens are the better team in this matchup. Since this is one of the better rivals in the NFL, I believe it will be a battle late until the end. The Steelers will hang around, but I think Jackson and Henry will take over afterward, and the Ravens will pull it out late.

JS: That Steelers/Ravens game is on Prime Video at 7 p.m. (CST). It's the first playoff game to be streamed on Prime Video, I believe.

There are three games on Sunday. The first sees the AFC Wild Card Denver Broncos (10-7), the last team into the playoffs, traveling to Buffalo to take on the AFC East champion Bills (13-4). The game is on CBS and Paramount+ at Noon (CST).

Will this one even be close, Eric?

EF: I think the Broncos will hang in there early, but afterward, I fully expect Buffalo to finish strong and pull ahead to win. The Broncos making the playoffs under rookie quarterback Bo Nix is a great story. It's hard to believe this is Denver's first playoff appearance in nearly a decade. It is good to see them back in the playoffs, but all the pressure in this game is on Buffalo, and I think the Bills will rise to the challenge.

JS: Yeah, this is the game during Wild Card weekend that I think could be in blowout territory. Bills win.
The second game on Sunday will have the NFC Wild Card Green Bay Packers (11-6) go to Philadelphia to take on the NFC East champion Eagles (14-3). That game will be broadcast on Fox at 3:30 p.m. (CST). The Packers had some injuries in the season's final game that might impact this game, including quarterback Jordan Love. Love suffered an elbow injury and had to leave that game. Wide receiver Christian Watson ended his season with a torn ACL. He was the team's third-leading receiver. I think the Eagles were probably going to win this game anyway, but that certainly doesn't help Green Bay.

How do you see this game playing out?

EF: These two teams met in week one in Brazil in a game won by the Eagles. Philadelphia has some injury concerns on its own. Quarterback Jalen Hurts has been dealing with a concussion and missed the last two weeks of the season, but the Eagles didn't need him as they clinched the NFC East. You mentioned the injuries that Green Bay is dealing with, and I think there are some major concerns. The Packers have lost their last two games, and I think that with the returning Hurts and running back Saquon Barkley at full strength for Philly, the Eagles will move on pretty easily.

JS: Yeah, I think the Eagles' only real competition in the NFC will be the Lions.

The final game on Sunday is between the Washington Commanders (12-5) and the NFC South champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-7) in Tampa. That game will be on NBC and streaming on Peacock at 7 p.m. (CST). The Commanders have been one of the season's pleasant surprises, led by rookie quarter Jayden Daniels, who might have a tight Rookie of the Year vote with Nix of the Broncos. Daniels does have some leg soreness, and you always wonder how a rookie will do in the postseason - it's something you don't often see – but I'm going to take Washington here. It should be a close game.

What do you think?

EF: This is another matchup that happened back in week one. Tampa Bay controlled the game that day. I fully expect Washington to play with a better effort this time around. It was Daniels’ first professional start, and he played OK. For the Bucs, quarterback Baker Mayfield had a career year, and it helps when you have a great receiver like Mike Evans. Bucky Irving is an excellent young running back. This is going to be a shootout and probably going to be the best game of the weekend. This is our first disagreement. I am taking Tampa Bay at home. Daniels is a great story. He likely will win Offensive Rookie of the Year, but the Mayfield-Evans matchup will be enough for the Buccaneers to come out on top.

JS: That leaves us with the Monday Night Football game of Wild Card weekend - aka my least favorite time of the week to watch football. But I digress. This game sees the 14-3 Minnesota Vikings forced to travel to Los Angeles to play the 10-7 Rams, who won the NFC West. That seems wild, but those are the perks of winning your division. I don’t suspect home-field advantage will help the Rams much this week. The Vikings have been the better team all season, and I think they will be this weekend too.

What do you think?

EF: I don't like how the Rams have played down the stretch. Yes, they won the NFC West, but something is off about them. We will have another matchup of teams that met during the regular season. The Rams beat the Rams in Los Angeles on a Thursday night. It’ll be a fairly good game, but Minnesota is the better team. They will be motivated to win this game and possibly get revenge on the Lions should they meet in the divisional round. I will take the Vikings on the road.

JS: Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold will certainly have to look more like he did most of the season than he did on Sunday night with the NFC North on the line.

That game, by the way, is on ESPN Monday at 7 pm (CST).

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was up to his usual bullshit as the NFL’s regular season came to an end on Sunday (Jan. 5) with the Cowboys playing the Washington Commanders in a meaningless game for both teams. The Cowboys had already been eliminated from the postseason, and the Commanders had wrapped up an NFC Wild Card berth.

It wasn’t a meaningless game for Cowboys quarterback Cooper Rush, though. Rush, who took the quarterback position over earlier in the season when starting QB Dak Prescott went down with an injury, had a stipulation in his contract that he would receive $500,000 in incentives if he played 55 percent of the Cowboys offensive snaps this season.

Going into Sunday’s game, Rush had played 52.5 percent of the team’s offensive snaps. Had he played most of the game, he likely would’ve eclipsed the 55 percent mark. He had already earned an extra $250,000 for reaching the 45 percent mark.

Rush had played in 12 games this season and started eight following Prescott’s season-ending hamstring injury in Week 9. There was no reason to believe Rush wouldn’t be the starter for the season's final game. But come Sunday, he was benched in favor of his backup, the team’s original third-string QB, Trey Lance — the same Lance who threw seven passes all season in mop-up duty at the end of two blowouts.

There’s little doubt as to why this change took place at quarterback. The Cowboys and Jones found a way to save themselves $250,000.

Yes, Jones, who’s worth a reported $16.1 billion, according to Forbes, apparently became the billionaire he is by being a cheap bastard. His team, valued as the most valuable sports franchise in the world at $5 billion by Forbes, apparently felt the need to save that minuscule amount when in the grand scheme of what it’s worth.

The worst part of it all is the lying bullshit Jones told reporters after the game on Sunday when asked about Rush’s contract incentives.

“I didn’t even know about it,” Jones said. “I didn’t even know about it until I read about it, so nothing at all.”

Does anybody believe this?

Keep in mind that Jones isn’t merely the owner of the Cowboys. He’s also the team’s general manager. It would seem incredibly unlikely for a general manager not to know the terms of a contract for one of the team’s players, as among the duties of a GM are managing free agent transactions, contract negotiations and team finances.

So, not only does Jones and the Cowboys look cheap by intentionally keeping a player from a bonus, but Jones also comes off as a liar, or at least someone ignorant of things he should be knowledgeable about.

Maybe Jones can spend the offseason reviewing the ins and outs of the team’s contracts and finances. He’s going to have all this extra time, after all.  

According to Philadelphia Eagles coach Nick Sirianni, running back Saquon Barkley is one of the Philadelphia Eagles starting players listed as doubtful for Sunday’s regular-season finale against the New York Giants.

The Eagles (13-3) have already clinched the NFC East and the No. 2 seed in the conference and have little to nothing to play for in the season finale.

Barkley, however, did have something to play for. He is 101 yards shy of breaking the NFL single-season rushing record, set by Eric Dickerson with the Los Angeles Rams in 1984.
Sirianni told the press: “It wasn’t the easiest decision to go through.”

It’s likely a tough decision for Barkley, but it's wise for the organization to ensure the health of its best player going into a postseason in which the team has a good chance of winning the second Super Bowl in franchise history.  

I’m thankful the Eagles have made this decision because the idea of Barkley breaking Dickerson’s record in one extra game—the league now plays 17 games a season, compared to the 16 in Dickerson’s era—didn’t sit well with me.

I hate to be that curmudgeon, but I prefer things to be fair and equal, and having an extra game to accomplish something doesn’t fit those parameters. It’s not Barkley’s fault, but it doesn’t mean I have to sit back and root for the record to be broken.

Many will tell you that records are meant to be broken, and I wholeheartedly agree with that sentiment when things are equal. But I believe in the sanctity of sports records and Barkley breaking the record, which he very likely would do if he played on Sunday – he’s averaged 125 yards per game this season, and the Giants are one of the worst teams in the league – wouldn’t feel much like a record merely an athlete who benefited from a different set of rules.

Barkley’s 2,005 yards and eighth place all-time in a single season in NFL history feels like his rightful place.

I know everybody reading this is thinking: “O.J. Simpson rushed for 2,003 yards in a 14-game season in 1973.” Yes, and that’s a valid point. If you want to claim that Simpson is the true single-season rushing king, I don’t know that I have much of a leg to stand on in arguing against it.

My biggest issue is with the NFL and other sports leagues. The changes they make for money or to build an audience have major impacts on the history of sports. Because of this, records could become extinct in pro sports. Eventually, all NFL records will likely be broken because of the extra games players today and in the future will have over those in the past.

And the NFL isn’t even the most significant issue. Other sports, like Major League Baseball and the NBA, are considering the prospect of shortening seasons, ensuring that no single-season records are ever broken again (and would make career records hard to achieve).

Times change. There’s no denying that. But one of the most incredible things about sports is being able to watch the pursuit of records – both in a single season and all-time. I worry that those times are coming to an end. So, for now, I’ll be glad to see Dickerson hold on to one of the most outstanding records in sports for at least another year.

​The first round of the College Football Playoff didn’t have a whole lot of drama as far as the games were concerned. The real drama occurred when fans and coaches of teams that did not make the playoff complained that their teams should have been in over the ones that made it. Anyone can whine and moan about who got in and who didn't, but the truth was played on the field for about 12 weeks, and the right 12 teams deserved to be in their spots. 

What I loved about the opening weekend of the College Football Playoff was the atmosphere of all four games being on campus. Yes, it was December, and it was cold in three of the games, but you can't deny the excitement displayed in South Bend, Happy Valley, Austin and Columbus. The opening weekend proves that December football on college campuses is better than any neutral site.

I am not surprised that all four home teams won. The biggest surprise was that all the games were not competitively close. Clemson performed the best from a losing standpoint, but it felt like Notre Dame, Penn State, Texas and Ohio State were going to protect their home fields from the get-go, and the visitors did not have a chance. I went 3-1 on picking the first round, and now it is time to start breaking down the quarterfinal games.

No. 6. Penn State vs. No. 3 Boise State (Vrbo Fiesta Bowl - Glendale, Ariz) – Tuesday, Dec. 31 at 6:30 p.m. CST on ESPN

After blowing out SMU in the first round, No. 6 Penn State returns to Arizona and the Fiesta Bowl. The Nittany Lions are 7-0 all-time in the Fiesta Bowl, including a national championship win in 1987. Their defense set the tone against SMU, scoring two touchdowns off interception returns. They look to ride their wave of momentum against the Broncos. Boise State is also undefeated in the Fiesta Bowl, going 3-0. Their biggest win occurred at the Fiesta Bowl, 43-42 over Oklahoma in 2007. The Mountain West champions will look to their star running back to lead the way over Penn State. Ashton Jeanty, who finished second in the Heisman Trophy race, is having the greatest season by a running back in college football since Barry Sanders’ historic season in 1988. Jeanty currently has 2,497 yards and is less than 300 yards from breaking Sanders' record. He also leads FBS in scrimmage yards, rushing touchdowns and scoring. For Penn State to win the Fiesta Bowl, they must stop Jeanty and Nittany Lions quarterback Drew Allar has to play a better game than he did against SMU. Boise State has always been a great story and while Jeanty is a special player and will have a ton of success at the next level, I believe Penn State is more of a complete team than Boise State. Penn State is my pick.

No 5. Texas vs. No. 4 Arizona State (Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl - Atlanta, Ga.) – Wednesday, Jan. 1st at Noon CST on ESPN

The most surprising team in the college football playoff is Arizona State. They were predicted to finish last in their first year in the Big XII conference, but they ended up in the Big XII Championship game and defeated Iowa State. The real test will come against a Texas team trying to prove they are the nation's best. Although the Longhorns did not beat Georgia twice in the regular season, they have looked like a contender throughout the season. I thought they played well against Clemson. The Longhorns’ defense must control Sun Devils running back Cam Skattebo, and Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers must continue to play well for Texas to move on to the semifinals. My concern for Arizona State and all the top four teams in the playoff is the long layoff. I think Texas will capitalize on Arizona State's long rest and dominate this game from start to finish.

No. 8 Ohio State vs. No. 1 Oregon (Rose Bowl Game presented by Prudential - Pasadena, Calif.) – Wednesday, Jan. 1st at 4:00 PM CST on ESPN

The Ohio State Buckeyes and Oregon Ducks gave us one of the best college football games of the season in October when Oregon prevailed 32-31 in Eugene, Ore. We all thought these two teams would meet again in the Big Ten Championship Game, but Ohio State lost to arch-rival Michigan on Thanksgiving Weekend, thus sending Penn State to take on Oregon in the Big Ten Championship Game. After their blowout win over Tennessee in the first round, the Buckeyes get their rematch against the Ducks in the "Granddaddy of them All." Oregon will lean on Heisman Finalist quarterback Dillion Gabriel, as they have all year long. The Ducks put up numbers against an excellent Buckeyes defense, but Oregon's defense did get exposed against an outstanding Ohio State offense. The biggest key for Ohio State is for quarterback Will Howard to play even better than he did against Tennessee and continue to limit the mistakes. This is a good matchup for Ohio State, and I believe it favors the Buckeyes over the Ducks, having played more recently. While Oregon is ranked No. 1 going into the playoffs and deservingly so, I can see this game being a shootout, and if Oregon can't limit the Buckeyes on defense, Ohio State can win this game. Oregon is good, but I think Ohio State will win this one.

No. 7 Notre Dame vs. No. 2 Georgia (Allstate Sugar Bowl - New Orleans, La.) – Wednesday, Jan. 1 at 7:30 P.M. CST on ESPN

Notre Dame started the college football playoff with a win over in-state opponent Indiana. While the final margin was 10 points, the Irish were clearly the better team for much of the game. Now they take on the No. 2 and SEC champion Bulldogs in New Orleans. Georgia is coming off an overtime win over Texas in the SEC Championship game. Georgia's defense once again made plays by limiting Texas' offensive chances. One key factor in the game for Georgia is quarterback; as Carson Beck will not play for the Bulldogs due to an injury, he sustained in the SEC Championship game. Gunnar Stockton will make his first career start for Georgia. Stockton played well in relief, leading Georgia on a game-winning drive in overtime. Having that extra time to prepare Stockton for this game will be key in developing how the game will go for him and the Georgia offense. For Notre Dame, I thought quarterback Riley Leonard had a good game, but he would need his absolute best against an excellent Georgia defense in order for the Irish to move on to the semifinals. This could be a close, low-scoring game, as both teams have very good defenses. I think Georgia wins a very tight and good game.

by Eric Fulton
A new era for college football kicks off this weekend with a new format to determine a national champion. On Friday (Dec. 20) and Saturday (Dec. 21), there will be four games in the opening round of the College Football Playoff. Seeds 5-12 will play the first four games. Then, in late December, the top four seeds will play in the second round against the winners of the first round.

​The four teams with a bye for the first round of the College Football Playoff are Oregon, Georgia, Boise State and Arizona State.

For this article, we will solely focus on the first-round matchups. 

​10. Indiana @ 7. Notre Dame – Friday, Dec. 20 at 7 pm (CST) - ABC/ESPN
A rare matchup between two in-state schools kicks off the inaugural 12-team playoff. Although these two in-state schools first played each other in 1898, Indiana and Notre Dame have met only 29 times, with the last meeting coming in 1991. Notre Dame has a record of 23-5-1 all-time against Indiana.  While the Fighting Irish is Indiana's big, powerful football school, the Hoosiers are having a special year, going 11-1 under first-year head coach Curt Cignetti. While Notre Dame is the heavy favorite, this would be the biggest win in program history for Indiana. As special a win as it would be for Indiana, I will have to go with the experience of Notre Dame.

11. SMU @ 6. Penn State – Saturday, Dec. 21 at 11 am (CST) - TNT/Max
SMU and Penn State will kick off the tripleheader of playoff games on Saturday in Happy Valley. Both teams lost their perspective conference championship games and are looking for a huge bounce-back. Offense will be key in this game, as both teams like to score. So, it could come down to whoever scores last. I like Penn State to defend Beaver Stadium's home grounds.

12. Clemson @ 5. Texas – Saturday, Dec. 21 at 3 pm (CST) - TNT/Max
The Tigers and Longhorns will square off in the battle of orange in Austin. Clemson, who won the ACC Championship, has been playing well behind quarterback Cade Klubnik as of late and will come into the matchup against Texas with a ton of momentum. Despite losing to Georgia in the SEC Championship game, the Longhorns are still an excellent team led by quarterback Quinn Ewers. While this game will be another close game early, I think Texas will pull this one out late in the fourth quarter and move on to the second round.

9. Tennessee @ 8. Ohio State – Saturday, Dec. 21 at 7 p.m. (CST) – ABC/ESPN
This is the best matchup of all the first-round games in the College Football Playoff. These two teams have a rich tradition in college football. The Volunteers and Buckeyes could go on a deep run if they play well. If they won the Big Ten Championship, Ohio State would have had an inside track to have a higher seed, possibly the number one overall. However, the Buckeyes' loss to Michigan on November 30th was a significant cause for concern, thanks to their conservative style of play on offense. I expect a better game from Ohio State with the time off. However, I can see Tennessee go to Columbus and play exceptionally well, even though the game time temps will be around the 20s. I say Tennessee takes this one, and they will have a date against Oregon in the second round.

These four first-round games should be very exciting and fun to watch. The National Championship game will be held on Monday, January 21st, in Atlanta. 

​4. Cam Ward, Quarterback, Miami (FL)
Season statistics: 4,123 passing yards, 40 combined touchdowns (36 passing/4 rushing), 67.4% completion percentage

Ward, a transfer from Washington State, is the first Miami Hurricane named a finalist for the Heisman Trophy since Ken Dorsey in 2001. He would become the third Hurricane to win the Heisman Trophy (Vinny Testaverde won in 1986 and Gino Torretta won in 1992). He led Miami to 10 wins this season, but Ward’s chances of winning the Heisman Trophy might take a hit with the Hurricanes not playing in the College Football Playoff.

3. Dillion Gabriel, Quarterback, Oregon

Season statistics: 3,558 passing yards, 35 combined touchdowns (28 passing/7 rushing), 73.2% completion percentage

Dillion Gabriel may not have as many passing yards and total touchdowns as Cam Ward, but he has done something Ward did not do in 2024 by leading his team to the College Football Playoffs. Gabriel led the Ducks to the Big Ten Championship in Oregon’s first year in their new conference and finished the regular season undefeated and number one heading into the playoffs. He needs three more passing touchdowns to become college football’s all-time passing touchdowns leader. Gabriel would become the second Oregon Ducks player to win the Heisman Trophy (Marcus Mariota, 2014). If he finishes in the top three in the final voting, he will become the fifth Ducks player to achieve the mark.

2. Travis Hunter, Cornerback and Wide Receiver, Colorado

Season statistics: 92 catches, 1,152 yards, 15 combined touchdowns (14 receiving/1 rushing), 31 tackles, 11 pass breakups, 4 interceptions, 1 forced fumble

Having the ability to be a game-changer on both offense and defense is rare these days in football. Travis Hunter shows people that football players can still excel playing both ways. Michigan’s Charles Woodson was the last defensive player to win the Heisman in 1997. Alabama’s DeVonta Smith was the last wide receiver to win the Heisman in 2020. Hunter is a legit contender to win because of Colorado’s win total. The Buffaloes went 4-8 in Deion Sanders’ first year in 2023. This year, they went 9-3 and finished the regular season in the top 25. Hunter has been the biggest reason why Colorado is back on the college football map. Hunter would be the second Colorado player to win the Heisman (Rashaan Salaam, 1994) if chosen.

1. Ashton Jeanty, Running Back, Boise State

Season statistics: 344 carries, 2,497 rushing yards, 29 rushing touchdowns, 20 catches, 116 receiving yards, 1 receiving touchdowns
 
The Boise State Broncos have been college football’s biggest underdogs for the past two decades. They have had decent players during that time. Quarterback Kellen Moore was the first and only Heisman finalist (2010) until Jeanty came into the picture in 2024.  Jeanty would be the first running back to win the Heisman Trophy since Alabama’s Derrick Henry won it in 2015. His 2,497 rushing yards in the regular season trail only Barry Sanders’ 2,628 yards in 1988 for most in a college football season.
Jeanty is my pick to win the Heisman because of his yardage and the fact that he is doing it at Boise State, not a school from a major conference. However, I would not be surprised if Hunter wins the Heisman because he has been great on both offense and defense. 

by Julian Spivey

Team of the Year: Kansas City Chiefs (NFL)
There’s only one dynasty currently in professional sports: the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs have won three of the last five Super Bowls, including two in a row, and they’ve been to four of the previous five Super Bowls. Led by coach Andy Reid, quarterback Patrick Mahomes, tight end Travis Kelce, and defensive standout Chris Jones, this Chiefs squad has clinched a spot, in my opinion, as one of the five greatest teams in NFL history. And they’re poised to potentially add on this season with a current 11-1 record and have clinched a playoff berth already. Now, I understand they may not look like the best team currently in the NFL, but they always seem to find ways to pull out a victory, and that’s what winning teams do, even when they aren’t at their best.  

Athlete of the Year: Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets)
Over the last few years, my Athlete of the Year has been baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani, who I’ve often called a unicorn because he can do everything. While Ohtani was undoubtedly a candidate this year, winning the National League MVP, my pick is another rare unicorn of sorts in sports – Nikola Jokic, three-time NBA MVP center of the Denver Nuggets. The guy can do everything on the basketball court and does it while looking like the least athletic guy on the court. I don’t understand it. But you can’t argue with all-time great numbers. This year, Jokic has the opportunity to do something that has never been done in NBA history – lead the league in scoring, rebounding, and assists. He’s currently 4th in scoring, second in assists and first in rebounding. More likely is the opportunity to join Oscar Robertson and Russell Westbrook as the only players to average a triple-double in a season. 

Coach of the Year: Andy Reid (Kansas City Chiefs)
Remember when people thought Andy Reid couldn’t win the big game? Now he’s a three-time Super Bowl-winning coach of the Kansas City Chiefs, including the last two consecutively. This year, he’s led his team to a ridiculous amount of come-from-behind or close last-minute victories to an 11-1 record, and there is still more than a month left in the season. There were certainly coaches who did a more surprising job in 2024, but I have to give it to the living legend. 

​Game/Event of the Year: USA vs. Serbia (Olympic Basketball Semifinal)
The most exhilarating sporting event I saw this year was the Olympic Men’s Basketball semifinal game between the United States and Serbia. Serbia was in control almost the entire game, with dominant performances from Bojan Bogdanovic and Nikola Jokic. They looked to stun Team USA, which is always considered close to a lock to win the Olympic Gold Medal with its roster of NBA All-Stars. Late in the game, Stephen Curry got hot, and when Curry gets hot, we’ve seen from history that it could be the death knell for the opponent. Curry went 12-19 from the field, including 9-14 from three, scoring 36 points and leading Team USA to a thrilling comeback and victory. Team USA would go on to win the Olympic gold medal in another tight matchup against the home country of France. 

Best Broadcaster: Rowdy Gaines & Lewis Johnson (NBC)
This year being an Olympic year reminded us all how great Rowdy Gaines is as an Olympic swimmer analyst. He has the perfect combination of enthusiasm (without being over-the-top) and knowledge of the sport; he’s a three-time Olympic gold medalist and likely would have won more had the U.S. not boycotted the 1980 Moscow Games.

I was so impressed by one particular moment from Lewis Johnson as a sideline reporter for the Olympic track and field events, in which he was widely hammered on social media for his performance, that I wrote an entire article about it in August. It may not have been popular among the masses when Johnson held the U.S. track and field men’s relay team to the fire, but as a journalist, it’s your job to get answers, and Johnson refused to back down. 

Legend of the Year: Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal, one of the three-headed monster with Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic that dominated the greatest era of men’s tennis, hung up his tennis racket this year. Nadal’s 22 Grand Slam titles are the second most in men’s tennis history, behind Djokovic’s 24. His 14 French Open wins are the most in that tournament’s history and for any Grand Slam tournament in tennis history, clinching Nadal’s status as the greatest clay tennis player ever. He’s also one of only three men’s tennis players to win the Golden Grand Slam career, winning all four Grand Slam titles plus an Olympic gold medal (Andre Agassi, Djokovic). Tennis is going to miss Nadal. 

The farce that was the Jake Paul/Mike Tyson boxing match on Netflix on Friday, November 15, was the perfect sporting event for modern America.

The fight pitted Paul, a 27-year-old Internet personality turned boxer who rarely ever boxes actual professional boxers, against former heavyweight boxing champion and convicted rapist Tyson, who is more than 30 years Paul’s senior.

It was a complete joke for money and viewers all along, and somehow, Americans turned it into one of the most anticipated and watched sporting events of the year – those who could actually view it, that is, as the Netflix live event was maligned throughout its broadcast due to streaming issues showing that Netflix, which is set to air an NFL Christmas Day doubleheader in just over a month, isn’t ready for live sporting events.

And because Paul is such a nuisance (among other things – there have been sexual assault allegations against him, too), many watching the event were actually rooting for the convicted rapist.

But, hell, that shouldn’t be all that surprising in an America that voted to elect a likely rapist (among other things) to the highest office in the land the week prior.

America wants spectacle.

In the end, they didn’t even get that.

The fight was embarrassing. Tyson looked like he was only in it for the $20 million payday. Paul defeated Tyson on points. He couldn’t even knock out a 58-year-old has-been. He didn’t even look particularly good against the elderly has-been. All that really happened for Paul is he proved he’s merely a circus act. The geek eating the live chicken.

Netflix, Paul and Tyson made a lot of money and in the end nobody really had any fun but them – the rich getting richer and the dumb getting dumber.

Ain’t that America.