This Saturday is another great sports day in America. It's conference Championship weekend in college football. And the USMNT will face the Netherlands on Saturday morning at 10am. Last Friday was great with rivalry week in college football and the US taking on England in the World Cup. Saturday December 3rd might be better than what we got on Black Friday. The US England game was a great result for America. But it might have left something to be desired with the 0-0 score line. The US and Netherlands can not play to a draw on Saturday. There has to be a winner. It might take extra time or even penalty kicks (hopefully not). We won't be kissing our sister on Saturday morning.
The college football sleights is spectacular. Of the 4 Power-5 conference championship games, 7 of the 8 participants are ranked in the top-25. Purdue is the only non-ranked power-5 team n action this weekend. On top of the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, and SEC championship games, the AAC title game gives us another ranked vs ranked matchup. 22nd ranked UCF travels to New Orleans to take on the 18th ranked Tulane Green Wave. The only thing Saturday is missing is a 10:30pm kick that we can fall asleep to. College Football Playoff fallout is possible in the Pac12 title game on Friday night and the Big 12 title game on Saturday. If USC or TCU lose, Ohio State is waiting in the wings to take the 4th and final CFP spot. One this is for certain: Saturday is another great sports day.
USA vs Netherlands, 10am on FOX
Wrap the red, white, and blue in just about any competition, and we will watch. Saturday's full sleight kicks off from Qatar with the US Men's National Team taking on the Netherlands in the first knockout stage game of the World Cup. If this game is decided in regulation, then it will be over by the time the noon college football games start. If it goes to extra time this should end around 12:30pm. I BELIEVE THAT WE WILL WIN!
10 Kansas St vs 3 TCU; 12pm on ABC
TCU can get into the CFP with a win over the Wildcats. These two teams met on October 22nd in Tort Worth. The Horned Frogs got the win 38-28. Kansas State was on their 3rd string QB by the time the second half kicked off in that game. Starter Adrien Martinez is healthy for K State. Will he be enough to get the upset win, or will TCU punch their ticket to the College Football Playoff?
14 LSU vs 1 Georgia; 4pm on CBS
This game lost a little bit of it's luster after LSU lost to Texas A&M last weekend. However, this is still the SEC Championship Game, and the Georgia Bulldogs can't look past the LSU Tigers. We will never know if LSU could have gotten into the the CFP if they beat A&M last weekend, and the Dawgs this weekend. Even with a loss, Georgia will get into the CFP. Georgia is making their 5th SEC Championship Game appearance in the last 6 years. They're 1-3 in this game with all 3 losses coming to Alabama. No Tide this time.
22 UCF @ 18 Tulane; 4:00 on ESPN
The AAC Championship Game will mean a lot more on a national landscape once the CFP expands to 12 teams. But anytime there is a top-25 matchup, it is worth keeping an eye on. UCF beat Tulane a few weeks ago. Can the Knights take down the Wave twice in one season, or will Tulane be crowned kings of the AAC?
Purdue vs 2 Michigan; 8:00 on FOX
Michigan is riding high after beating Ohio State for the second time in as many years. Could this be a let down spot? I seriously doubt it. Good news for Boilermakers; Purdue is 2-0 vs Big Ten East opponents this year. But those wins came against Indiana and Maryland... not exactly power houses.
UNC vs Clemson; 8:00 on ABC
This game features 2 teams coming off loses. Clemson lost to South Carolina by 1 at home and the Tar hells lost to NC State in OT- also at home. These teams have played great games the last 2 times they met. In 2019 Clemson came into Chapel Hill and walked out with a 1 point victory after a failed 2-point conversion from UNC. In 2015 the Tar Heels were the victim of a horrendous offsides call on an onside kick that UNC recovered. Hopefully we can get another game that comes down to the wire.