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Spread Offense 11/17/17: College Football Playoff Breakdown

By Pat Luhta, @PLuhta


So I'm here to switch up things a bit in my weekly college football article. Due to lack of marquee games this week, I'll be breaking down the college football playoff picture instead of doing a week 12 preview. But before I get to that, here's MY current top 10 ballot.


WEEK 12 TOP TEN

10. USC (last week: NR)
9. Notre Dame (last week: 4)
8. Ohio State (last week: NR)
7. Wisconsin (last week: 9)
6. Georgia (last week: 2)
5. Auburn (last week: 8)
4. Oklahoma (last week: 5)
3. Clemson (last week: 3)
2. Miami (last week: 6)
1. Alabama (last week: 1)


PLAYOFF PICTURE BREAKDOWN

There is currently only one team that has locked in a playoff spot, the Alabama Crimson Tide(barring a crazy upset by Mercer this weekend.) Alabama plays Auburn to end their regular season, if they win then they go on to the SEC championship game to face Georgia. If they lose, then Auburn goes to the SEC championship game. So there’s 3 scenarios for the Crimson Tide, they either win out, beat Auburn and lose to Georgia in SEC title game, or lose to Auburn and not qualify for the SEC title game. All 3 situations give Alabama a max of 1 loss, and they aren’t dropping them from #1 to out of playoffs over a loss to either Auburn or Georgia.
So Alabama is in, so where does that leave us as far as the other 3 playoff spots are concerned?

There are a total of 6 teams that currently control their own destiny, meaning if they win out then they are in. Miami, Clemson, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, Auburn and Georgia are the 6 teams vying for 3 remaining playoff spots, if they win out then they punch their ticket but if they lose than they are all but out of it, and a few teams may end up playing each other in what could amount to elimination games. Miami vs Clemson is set for the ACC title game, and there’s a possibility that Auburn vs. Georgia could meet in the SEC title game, so championship weekend could shape up to be a playoff weekend in itself.

Miami is the team that potentially has a “get out of losing a game” free card, but only if they lose to Clemson in the ACC title game. Losing to Virginia or Pitt could take destiny out of their hands, losing to either of those teams then following it up with a loss to Clemson and they are eliminated. The committee was skeptical of the Hurricanes up until the past 2 weeks, and after handily beating Virginia Tech and Notre Dame they have won their respect so Miami losing a game would not be as damaging as the other teams that control their destiny.

Clemson on the other hand, has to win out or else they are at the mercy of how other teams’ fare . They face the Citadel(haha ok then), at South Carolina in the Palmetto State rivalry and then Miami in the ACC title game, and while Tigers fans probably don’t want to hear this, Clemson’s only shot at losing a game and still making the playoffs is a loss to South Carolina. If they lose to the Citadel then they fall too far to make up the ground and if they lose to Miami in the ACC title game then the committee won’t be selecting a 2 loss team that didn’t win their conference. So Clemson needs to win out to ensure their spot, but if they lose to South Carolina then beat Miami to become ACC champs, then they still have a shot.

Georgia is somewhat in the same boat as Clemson is, but they need to tread very carefully these next two games. After their 40-17 loss to Auburn, the committee dropped them from #1 all the way to #7, so needless to say there’s now some skepticism. Another loss likely takes them out of the playoff race, but winning the SEC title might be enough to salvage their chances and get a playoff spot. The SEC championship is a must though, if Georgia beats both Kentucky and Georgia Tech but then loses to either Alabama or Auburn in the SEC title game, then they are out.

The other 3, Oklahoma, Wisconsin and Auburn, are all in a win out or be out situation.
Auburn has a shot to be the first ever 2 loss team to make the playoff. If they beat Alabama then go to the SEC championship game and beat Georgia(again) then there's no way that the committee can leave them out despite the 2 losses on their schedule. But at the same time, one loss the rest of the way and they are done so they would need to run the table and beat UL-Monroe, Alabama and then Georgia in order to get in.

Oklahoma has to run the table, because the committee has tipped their hands at how they feel about the Big 12. Aside from Oklahoma, only TCU and Oklahoma State remain in the top 25 so the Big 12 is not well represented at all, which puts Oklahoma in a must win situation despite only having 1 loss currently. Fortunately, Oklahoma has 2 very winnable games left in regular season with Kansas and West Virginia on their schedule and will likely be facing either TCU or Oklahoma State in the Big 12 championship game, 2 teams that they've already beaten. The opportunity is right there for them to take advantage of, but they have to take care of business or no playoffs for them.

As for Wisconsin, they are currently undefeated but sitting outside the top 4 playoff rankings. Their lack of schedule strength is what is holding them back, a 7-3 Northwestern team is their best win on the season. If they lose just 1 game then do not expect the committee to show mercy on them, they'll be dropped far enough that they won't be able to climb back up in time. Only possible chance for them to sustain a loss and make the playoffs would be for them to lose to Michigan but then beat Minnesota and win the Big Ten championship against Ohio State or Penn State, but even then it's a long shot.

This is the situation with Wisconsin and why I haven't given them much credit and still have them at #7 in my top 10 ballot, it's not so much their lack of schedule strength as it is their lack of impressive wins. I don't fault Wisconsin for their schedule for the most part, they can only control their non-conference schedule so the fact that the Big Ten schedule rotation got them to avoid Ohio State, Penn State and Michigan State while getting Michigan at home along with the B1G West being down right now is not on Wisconsin. The problem that I have with Wisconsin is that when they play these bad teams, they aren't really showing that dominance the other teams show when they play bad teams. 33-24 to Northwestern, 38-17 to Nebraska, 17-9 to Purdue, 38-13 to Maryland and 24-10 to Illinois doesn't jump out as a team that can take on an Alabama or Clemson and put up a fight for the national title. Their opportunity to show it is coming though, if they can run the table and end up 13-0 in a power 5 conference then there's no chance of them being left out.

Then there are a few teams that are still alive in the playoff hunt, but need to win out plus get some help in order to make the final 4. Ohio State, Notre Dame, Penn State and USC are all still in the running, but destiny is out of their hands.

Notre Dame might end up being the biggest long shot of the 4 to make the playoffs simply because they do not have a conference championship game. They play Navy this week and Stanford in the regular season finale, then they have to sit back and wait while all other playoff contending teams play the following weekend. The Fighting Irish need to hope that it goes chalk with Alabama, Miami and Oklahoma winning out, Wisconsin to lose a game and not win the Big Ten, and the B1G East winner to lose a regular season game but beat Wisconsin. That’s basically what Notre Dame is up against, so that loss to Miami last Saturday could very well have been a playoff eliminator.

Remember when I said that Notre Dame might be the biggest long shot? Well Penn State just said “hold my beer” on that statement. The Nittany Lions need to win out, but due to the Big Ten tiebreakers, they also need Ohio State to lose both of their games and Michigan State to lose at least 1 of their remaining 2 games. The Problem? Ohio State is hosting Illinois, who is currently a 41 point underdog to the Buckeyes, and Michigan State hosts Maryland and then goes to Rutgers. In that scenario, then Penn State would have 2 conference losses while OSU and MSU would end up with 3, and if then they would either have the tiebreaker with Michigan if the Wolverines beat both Wisconsin and OSU or if Michigan loses to Wisconsin then they would sit alone top the B1G East division. Even after all of that, they would need some chips to fall their way with teams that control their destiny losing. It all starts this weekend though, Penn State needs to be rooting for Illinois big time, because if the 41 point underdog can somehow pull this game off then doors begin to open, but if they lose to Ohio State then that door is slammed shut.

USC is already in their conference championship game, so all they can do is win out by beating UCLA then whoever they face in the Pac-12 title game. The best case scenario is for them to face Washington State, who is currently in a 3 way tie in the North division, so they can avenge one of their 2 losses on the season and make a case to the committee that to not look at the 3 point loss on the road but rather a neutral site win is more indicative of USC. From there they’ll just have to wait it out, hope for some upsets and see how it plays out. They’ll really want Ohio State and Auburn to lose, those 2 schools are ranked the highest of all 2 loss teams so USC will need them to lose in order to jump them in the rankings(Penn State is also ranked higher but a conference championship for USC will leapfrog them over PSU). Right now, all USC can do is win out and use their Pac-12 title as a bargaining chip incase some chaos were to happen.

As for the Ohio State Buckeyes, well let's just say that Ohio State fans are going to be required to do some things that will make them feel a little disgusted about. This is going to be tough for me to write since I am a Buckeyes fan but...here goes...Ohio State needs to be HUGE Alabama Crimson Tide fans the rest of the way. I know, I know, "yuck!" comes to mind here but OSU cannot afford to have 2 teams from the SEC make it so they need Alabama to first knock out Auburn in week 13 then knock out Georgia in the SEC title game. Aside from wanting Alabama to win out, and fortunately this isn't a guaranteed necessity, OSU may also want to pull for Michigan this Saturday against Wisconsin. I'm almost positive that 1 loss eliminates Wisconsin(meaning OSU beating an undefeated Wisconsin team in B1G title game knocks them out), but Wisconsin losing once before the title game and OSU handing them their 2nd loss will remove all doubt. Miami losing once before the ACC title game means that automatically either the Hurricanes or Clemson will suffer the 2nd loss, but if they are still undefeated heading into the ACC title game then they need to beat Clemson. If that happens then Alabama, Miami(or Clemson/Miami winner if Miami loses before ACC title game), Oklahoma and Ohio State are the 4 teams, that's what the Buckeyes need to get in. So Ohio State needs to run the table and win the Big Ten, and root for Alabama(big time), Michigan(possibly) and either Clemson or Miami to be a 2 loss non conference champ along the way.

So there you have it, a complete breakdown of what teams need in order to make the playoffs. The playoff picture is becoming clear, but knowing college football means knowing to expect chaos these next few weeks.

Spread Offense 11/2/17: College Football Week 10 Preview

By Pat Luhta, @PLuhta


WEEK 10 TOP TEN

10. Wisconsin (last week: 10)
9. Oklahoma State (last week: NR)
8. Penn State (last week: 2)
7. Miami (last week: 6)
6. Oklahoma (last week: 9)
5. Notre Dame (last week: 8)
4. Clemson (last week: 7)
3. Ohio State (last week: 5)
2. Georgia (last week: 2)
1. Alabama (last week: 1)

Two of the top 5 teams went down last Saturday, and as the first college football playoff ranking of the season are released this week, my top 4 is who I currently would have in.

While the SEC isn’t what it used to be, the conference does account for the top 2 teams in the country now as Georgia jumps up to 2nd after a dominating win over Florida coupled with a Penn State loss. Penn State was well on their way to making a statement against Ohio State, but a big 4th quarter comeback by the Buckeyes lead to a thrilling 39-38 OSU win, catapulting the Buckeyes up to #3 while dropping Penn State to #9. And Iowa State’s victory over TCU moved the needle for 2 teams in the top 10, 1 obviously being TCU who fell out of the top 10 after the loss. The other being Oklahoma, who lost earlier in the season to Iowa State, who at the time we all thought the Cyclones were average at best. Well that Iowa State team is now 6-2 and tied for the Big 12 conference lead, so maybe that loss to them wasn’t such a terrible loss overall, although the way they lost was somewhat unacceptable(up 24-13 at halftime and at home.) Knowing what we know now about ISU, Oklahoma gets a slight bump in the rankings since they really don’t have a "bad loss" after all.

I typically hate the "pat me on the back" kind of fan, so naturally I’m going to do that here. Leading up to their game against USC, I ranked Notre Dame at #9 (AP/coaches poll had them #13) and said that it’s time to start believing in this team. Well after a beat down of USC followed by another beat down of #14 North Carolina, looks like the rest of the country is joining me in buying in to this Notre Dame team. They’re good and should definitely be a team to watch going forward this season.

Wisconsin yet again remains at #10, their 24-10 win over a 2-6 Illinois team just wasn’t enough to convince me to move them up at all.


HEISMAN WATCH

5. J.T. Barrett, QB, Ohio State
4. Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma
3. Bryce Love, RB, Stanford
2. Josh Adams, RB, Notre Dame
1. Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State

Saquon Barkley all but had the Heisman trophy wrapped up after the 1st quarter against Ohio State. He returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown and followed it soon after with a 36 yard touchdown run. After that though, he was stuffed all game and finished with just 44 yards on 21 carries in which 9 of those 21 carries went for negative yards and he also only had 4 receptions for 23 yards. His 2.1 YPC looks bad especially since OSU came back and won the game, take away his lone touchdown run and that’s 20 carries for 8 yards even so he became a non-factor in a game that his team needed him the most.

Josh Adams on the other hand, closed the gap big time with his 202 yard performance against North Carolina State. The Notre Dame RB carried the ball 27 times with a 7.4 YPC and helped the Fighting Irish overwhelm the #14 ranked Wolfpack. He’s right there in discussion now for the Heisman and may very well take over as the favorite with Wake Forest, Miami, and Stanford left on their schedule.

Bryce Love’s best case for the Heisman might have came last Thursday, in a game that he didn’t play in. Without him, the Cardinal struggled against Oregon State and needed a costly turnover by the Beavers to pull out the win, 15-14. In his absence, Stanford looks like a middle of the road team, not the #21 ranked team that could win the Pac-12 North division.

And J.T. Barrett makes his way on the list after an incredible performance against Penn State. Barrett has been playing excellent ever since the Oklahoma loss, but it was against lesser competition so he really needed to show it against a top team before he could be considered a Heisman candidate. 33-39 for 328 yards and 4 TD’s against Penn State, he completed his final 16 passes, went 13-13 with 3 TD’s in the 4th quarter alone, which included the game winning TD pass with under 2 minutes left in the game.
With Barkley’s stumbling and Adams and Barrett on the rise, this Heisman trophy is wide open for the taking now.




#7 Penn State at #24 Michigan State - 12:00 PM

A meeting between two teams coming off very emotional losses last Saturday. Penn State traveled to Columbus in attempts to put their stamp down on Big Ten dominance, got up 35-20 in the 4th and then a big comeback by the Buckeyes happened which ended in a 39-38 Penn State loss. Michigan State was at Northwestern hoping to remain unbeaten in conference play, the game went into triple OT where MSU needed a touchdown to match Northwestern but an interception sealed the deal for the Wildcats and MSU suffered it's first conference loss. This game will be about how each team bounces back from that loss, could see both teams firing on all cylinders in a rage or could see them have the "hangover" effect, or one of each which will make for a lopsided game. Penn State just needs to stick with what they have been doing, which is getting the ball to Saquon Barkley while mixing in some read option QB runs and an occasional deep pass. Michigan State needs to find some offense, they only scored 14 points on 5 turnovers against Michigan, 10 points against Indiana and 17 points in regulation against Northwestern. Their defense is stellar but even the best defense will give up 14+ points to Penn State so they'll need to be able to answer those scores if they want a shot at this.

PREDICTION: Penn State 27-14


#21 Stanford at #25 Washington State - 3:30 PM

This game has a lot of variables going into it. The main variable is Stanford RB Bryce Love and if he's playing this week. Love sat out last week with an ankle injury and the Cardinal offense looked bad without him. The Heisman candidate is their main key to success on offense, so him being able to not only play but be effective will be huge for Stanford in getting a win here. The other variable is Washington State QB Luke Falk, who was benched last week due to his poor performance as the Cougars lost 58-37 to Arizona. Falk was once a Heisman candidate as well, but has been off ever since their loss to Cal and head coach Mike Leach saw enough last week to finally bench him. This can either motivate him to get back to playing like he was earlier in the season or could rattle his confidence and make him play just as bad, if not worse. This game really is a wait and see type game, a lot of factors will be going into this one to see which team will be able to get the win.

PREDICTION: Stanford 37-20


#4 Clemson at #20 North Carolina State - 3:30 PM

Clemson had a nice bounce back game against Georgia Tech, the Tigers defeated the Yellow Jackets in their first game back since suffering their first loss of the season. Their defensive line looked as good as ever, stifling the GT triple option running attack and controlling the tempo all game. They'll need that again this week as they go up against a NC State offense that's capable of putting a lot of points up on the board. The Wolfpack have a balanced offense, led by QB Ryan Finley and RB Nyheim Hines, they'll look to chip away at the Clemson defense with sustaining drives and tiring the defense out. Also, look for NC State DE Bradley Chubb to be all over QB Kelly Bryant, getting pressure and disrupting the Clemson QB will be a priority for one of the best defensive ends in the country. This is going to be a close game, they mimic each other in a lot of ways but Clemson may just have a little more talent here. The homefield advantage could even things out though, NC State will be building momentum off of that and looking to get a big win here in front of the home crowd.

PREDICTION: Clemson 27-21


#5 Oklahoma at #11 Oklahoma State - 4:00 PM

Get ready, because it is time for the Bedlam game. This matchup here is as even as it gets, both teams averaging close to the same amount of points, total yards, rushing yards and passing yards while on defense they are similar in points allowed and passing yards allowed (Oklahoma State has a slightly bigger edge in rushing defense.) The Sooners put together a complete game last week after struggling the previous 4 weeks and beat Texas Tech 49-27. If that teams shows up then it could be bad news for Oklahoma State, but the Sooners also struggled to beat Baylor, Texas and Kansas State while losing to Iowa State so it's a toss up on how the Sooners will play. Oklahoma State has also been up and down this season, they are capable of putting up a lot of points but also have some games where their offense just isn't clicking. 2 weeks ago against Texas for example, after beating Texas Tech 41-34 they were barely able to score on the Longhorns and squeaked out a 13-10 victory. So both teams are a bit of a wildcard here, we could have a shootout on our hands or see a defensive game while the offenses struggle. Both teams have the Big 12 championship and a playoff spot well within reach, the loser of this game though will all but be eliminated from playoff contention and will need help reaching the Big 12 championship game.

PREDICTION: Oklahoma 38-33


#13 Virginia Tech at #10 Miami - 8:00 PM

The battle for the top spot in the ACC Coastal division is right here. Miami has struggled to score points in their last 4 games, escaping with a win in every one of those 4 games. Their struggle started right around the time that RB Mark Walton went down with a season ending injury and the offense shifted to QB Malik Rosier. While Rosier throws for a lot of yards, his inaccuracy tends to kill drives, as he is over 50% completion percentage in just 2 of his last 4 games and is just 56% on the season. He'll need to be a lot more fluid and sustain drives if Miami wants to win this one, that may be a tough task though as the Hurricanes face a Virginia Tech team that only allows 11.5 points per game. If Virginia Tech can continue their dominance on defense and get their normal offensive output then that should be enough to take this win back home. The offense, led by QB Josh Jackson, loves spreading it out and playing fast so expect them to put up 24+ points in this game, leaving the onus on Miami to score with them. The Hokies have bounced back after losing to Clemson, they've won their last 3 and look to build off that here to take over the division lead.

PREDICTION: Virginia Tech 31-17


#19 LSU at #2 Alabama - 8:00 PM

Here's a game that always tends to be a big time defensive slugfest. Alabama may be playing with a chip on their shoulder now that the college football playoff rankings were revealed and they came in at #2 instead of their assumed spot at #1. The main thing for the Crimson Tide in this is to control the line of scrimmage and not turn the ball over, if they accomplish both of those things they should cruise to a victory. LSU needs to find some offense here, RB Derrius Guice will be keyed on so the Tigers will need QB Danny Etling to get the passing game going in order to open things up on offense. LSU's front 4, which includes projected top 10 pick Arden Key, will need to win the battle in the trenches and not let RB's Damien Harris and Bo Scarborough run all over them. If they can stop the run and put it in the arm of QB Jalen Hurts then they have a chance at forcing some turnovers and controlling time of possession.

PREDICTION: Alabama 27-6

Spread Offense 9/28/17: College Football Week 5 Preview

By Pat Luhta, @PLuhta


Week 4 certainly was fun, let's get right to my top 10 ballot and discuss further.


WEEK 5 TOP TEN

10. Ohio State (last week: 10)
9. TCU (last week: NR)
8. Michigan (last week: 9)
7. Washington (last week: 8)
6. USC (last week: 5)
5. Georgia (last week: 6)
4. Oklahoma (last week: 4)
3. Penn State (last week: 3)
2. Alabama (last week: 2)
1. Clemson (last week: 1)


The big change of the week is TCU joining the top 10 after their big win at Oklahoma State. Oklahoma State had been dominate on both sides of the ball all season and I was really buying in to them, but TCU overwhelmed them and brought home a lopsided 44-31 victory. QB Kenny Hill managed the game well and RB Darius Anderson could not be stopped, TCU were the big winners of the weekend and they have a top 10 ranking to show for it.

If you haven't started believing in the Georgia Bulldogs, then right now is a good time to start. The Georgia offense has so many weapons and their defensive line is one of the best in the country, they took on a Mississippi State team that just throttled LSU the week before and drilled them, 31-3. They flip flopped with USC after the Trojans yet again struggled to win convincingly against a team that they should've had no problems beating.

And we had 2 close calls in the night cap as both Penn State and Oklahoma avoided big upsets. Oklahoma struggled to win against a winless Baylor team, Baylor even recovered an onside kick in the final minute to give them a shot to tie the game but ultimately Oklahoma prevailed 48-41. And Penn State, while they dominated Iowa on the stat sheet, needed a touchdown on the last play of the game in order to defeat the Hawkeyes. It was truly a thrilling finish, that whole last drive was edge of your seat type feeling and QB Trace McSorley came up with the big throw when he needed to most and Penn State got the walkoff touchdown to remain undefeated.


HEISMAN WATCH

5. Luke Falk, QB, Washington State
4. Sam Darnold, QB, USC
3. Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville
2. Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State
1. Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma

Baker Mayfield remains in the #1 spot for the Heisman trophy, for now. RB Saquon Barkley showcased just how great he is on Saturday, shredding the Iowa defense in both rushing and receiving. Penn State even put him in on kick returns, that's how much they relied on him to bring home the win for the Nittany Lions and they needed every last one of those yards. Mayfield is still the choice, but it's very close now.

QB Luke Falk makes his debut on the Heisman watch as well. I know Mike Leach and the Washington State Cougars love throwing the ball, but 14 touchdowns to only 1 interception on a 4-0 team cannot be ignored. Add in his 1,378 yards and 76% completion percentage(yes, 76%) and we have the makings of a darkhorse candidate.



WEEK 5 PREVIEW



#5 USC at #16 Washington State - Friday 10:30 PM

We get treated to a big game on Friday night here in week 5 with the backend of an ESPN doubleheader(Miami-Duke before this is also a good game to tune in for) as USC heads to Pullman, WA to take on the Washington State Cougars. This one will be a battle of the QB's, both USC's Sam Darnold and WSU's Luke Falk are Heisman candidates and have been putting up big numbers this season. So in a battle of QB's, it always comes down to the defense and which team will be able to get the stops. This favors USC, as does a lot of other positions as their skill players on offense are also a bit better than WSU's. But USC has a knack for being a team that doesn't bust out it's full potential and flirts with losing a game that it should win based on talent level. Being on the road could be a factor as well for the Trojans, the Cougars have a big chance to make a statement here and come away with a huge home win. Knowing the way USC is though, after 2 weeks of sandbagging this will likely be a week in which they wake up and play like they are capable.

PREDICTION: USC 44-31


#7 Georgia at Tennessee - 3:30 PM

At 3:30 PM on Saturday, an old SEC rivalry kicks off. Tennessee had a heartbreaking loss to Florida 2 weeks ago and followed it up with a "hangover" game where they barely beat UMass, 17-13. Tennessee's offense looked stagant through 3 quarters against the Gators, but QB Quinten Dormady and RB John Kelly finally started getting a rythym down and put themselves in a position to win the game by scoring 17 4th quarter points, They'll need to find that rythym again and a lot sooner this game against Georgia, who boasts one of the top defensive lines in the country and hasn't given up more than 19 in a game all season. Georgia also boasts a pretty good offense, they are starting a 3 RB by committee approach and may have QB Jacob Eason back for this game as well. Tennessee hasn't beaten a top 10 SEC team at home since 1999 and this will be very tough to break that skid here against Georgia.

PREDICTION: Georgia 26-13


#24 Mississippi State at #13 Auburn - 6:00 PM

Last week, we were all trying to figure out if Mississippi State was for real or not. After a 31-3 beating by Georgia, how real they are remains in doubt. They came in with the #1 ranked offense and defense in the SEC, but Georgia was way too much for them and they didn't show that offense or defense out there. Auburn was beat down by Clemson earlier this season, luckily for them it wasn't a conference loss which makes it a better loss than the one Mississippi State took to Georgia. Mississippi State is clinging for the SEC West title hopes and needs this one big time, and will turn to their QB Nick Fitzgerald to lead the way for them. Auburn also has a pretty good QB in Jarrett Stidham and Auburn can remain right atop the SEC West, along with their rival Alabama, with a big win at home here.

PREDICTION: Auburn 27-17


#3 Clemson at #12 Virginia Tech - 8:00 PM

First off, if you want to see one of the best, if not the best, college football entrances then make sure you tune in a bit early for the pregame here as it doesn't get much better than Virginia Tech's. In a rematch of last year's ACC Title game, the Hokies look to avenge that loss to Clemson and make a big statement on Saturday night. This game will be a big step for redshirt freshman Josh Jackson, whose QB play has put the Hokies in ACC championship contender discussion. His 11 TD's on the season to only 1 interception has gotten some early Heisman buzz, and he can also do it on his feet which he showed off in the season opener against West Virginia where he rushed 11 times for 101 yards and 1 touchdown. Clemson also starts a redshirt freshman at QB, and Kelly Bryant is now not a stranger to big night games on the road. The Tigers went on the road to Louisville and came away with a big 47-21 victory, where Bryant threw for over 300 yards. The big key though, as always with Clemson, will be their defensive line. They have been bullying every team so far and have shut down the best players in the country, even defending Heisman trophy winner Lamar Jackson. If the defensive line can keep this up then it could make for a long night for Josh Jackson and the Hokies, so Virginia Tech will need to find a way to get him open looks in the passing game and some room to run as well. This should be a stellar game which we could see again later on in the ACC title game, here's to a fun Saturday night involving these two teams.

PREDICTION: Clemson 37-27

Spread Offense 9/21/17: College Football Week 4 Preview

By Pat Luhta, @PLuhta

Week 3 is in the books and we definitely learned a lot about some teams, and my top 10 ballot shows those lessons.


WEEK 4 TOP TEN

10. Ohio State (last week: NR)
9. Michigan (last week: 8)
8. Washington (last week: 7)
7. Oklahoma State (last week: 10)
6. Georgia (last week: 6)
5. USC (last week: 2 )
4. Oklahoma (last week 4)
3. Penn State (last week: 3)
2. Alabama (last week: 1)
1. Clemson (last week: 5)

There is a new #1, and the defending champs rightfully deserve the top spot. I had my reservations about Clemson this season, figuring that a young, inexperienced QB would haunt them with Auburn followed by Louisville in weeks 2 and 3 since it usually takes a few weeks to really get comfortable in there. But after shutting down Auburn in week 2, Clemson went to Louisville on Saturday night and absolutely destroyed the Cardinals. That defensive front is no joke and their offense hasn't missed a beat from last season. They are the defending champs and what's scary is that they are better this season than they were last season.

USC dropped from 2 to 5 because once again, you just can't trust this team. They went from struggling against Western Michigan to blowing the doors off of Stanford(who just lost to San Diego State so that win doesn't look so great now) to needing OT to beat a Texas team that had 51 points put up on them by Maryland in week 1. If they continue to be this Jekyll and Hyde team then eventually it'll show up at the worst time and they will lose.

Oklahoma State might have a very good defense, which is not good for opposing teams considering they always have one of the top offenses in the country. They are putting up a lot of points and not giving up many, they could be the best team in the Big 12 when it's all said and done.

WEEK 4 HEISMAN WATCH

5. Josh Rosen, QB, UCLA
4. Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State
3. Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville
2. Sam Darnold, QB, USC
1. Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma

We also have a new current leader for the Heisman trophy, Baker Mayfield has been excellent this season which includes a win at Ohio State in which he ripped their secondary to shreds. Coming right behind him is Sam Darnold, who had another great game and the team needed everything from him in order to remain undefeated.

Lamar Jackson slides from 1st to 3rd now after a less than stellar performance (to say the least) against Clemson. Jackson was bottled up for the most part as the Clemson defense made him look very human last Saturday night. He only completed 50% of his passes and had 3.4 yards a carry when running the ball, he did have 3 TD passes but 2 of those came when the game was way out of reach (Clemson won 47-21.) Still plenty of time for Jackson to climb back to the top, but a blowout loss like this is definitely a setback for the reigning Heisman trophy winner.


WEEK 4 PREVIEW


#16 TCU at #6 Oklahoma State - 3:30 PM

Oklahoma State has been rolling this season, putting up points in bunches while showing that they can also get stops on defense. QB Mason Rudolph has been leading this team and they are now looking down the road to a Big 12 title and possible playoff berth with the way they have been playing. Their first test comes to Stillwater this Saturday as QB Kenny Hill and the TCU Horned Frogs also look to remain undefeated and pull off a big upset here. TCU looks like a "surprise" team this season, as they were not ranked at the beginning but after 3 straight wins everyone seems to be buying in. Oklahoma State will put up points, but if TCU can slow them down a bit along with being able to break OKSU's defense then they have a chance to pull off the upset. That will be a tough task though, Oklahoma State will be ready and it will take a mistake free game in order for the Horned Frogs to come away with a win.

Prediction: Oklahoma State 44-21


#17 Mississippi State at #11 Georgia - 7:00 PM

The team with the best offense and defense in the SEC currently is, shockingly enough, the Mississippi State Bulldogs. MSU put everyone on notice with a 37-7 thrashing of LSU last Saturday, and now has another big test in front of them. With a top ranked defense though and a QB in Nick Fitzgerald leading the team, MSU looks like they will be ready for any and all comers. Georgia will again start freshman QB Jake Fromm as QB Jacob Eason is just getting back to practice, so look for UGA to utilize their run game and generate their offense from there. Georgia's defensive line will also be the key here, DL Trenton Thompson is one of the best in the country and the Georgia line will look to rattle MSU's Fitzgerald and shut down a team that is currently averaging over 40 points per game. The battle of the Bulldogs and the battle of undefeated teams, should be a stellar game between the hedges.

Prediction: Georgia 27-23


#4 Penn State at Iowa - 7:30 PM

Penn State is another team that has just been rolling so far and looks to be in the playoff mix all season. RB Saquon Barkley has been leading the way for the Nittany Lions, leading the team in both rushing and receiving, and is definitely a Heisman candidate. QB Trace McSorley also brings a lot of talent to the table and is more than just a game manager, while the defense has been excellent so far this season. But do not let the fact that Iowa is unranked fool you, this team is pretty talented and has upset on their mind. Iowa QB Nate Stanley has already thrown 10 touchdowns in their first 3 games while only being intercepted once, and distributes the ball well with 6 different players catching touchdown passes. The biggest factor may end up being the home crowd, where Iowa is always a hostile environment. Ask Ohio State, ask Michigan, ask plenty of other top schools and they can tell you how humbling of an experience that Kinnick Stadium can be. A big crowd on a Saturday night could swing momentum real quick, and Penn State will need to jump out to a lead and control the game in order to take that crowd out of it.

Prediction: Penn State 30-17

Spread Offense 9/14/17: College Football Week 3 Preview

By Pat Luhta, @PLuhta

Plenty of statements were made in week 2, as there are definitely some shake ups in my top 10 after a week that featured 4 big games.


WEEK 3 TOP TEN

10. Oklahoma State (last week: NR)
9. Louisville (last week: 10)
8. Michigan (last week: 9)
7. Washington (last week: 5)
6. Georgia (last week: 8)
5. Clemson (last week: 6)
4. Oklahoma (last week: 7)
3. Penn State (last week: 4)
2. USC (last week: 3)
1. Alabama (last week: 1)

Clemson, Georgia, USC and Oklahoma all picked up some monster wins over the weekend. Clemson answered a huge test as they stifled Auburn, Georgia went on the road with a true freshman QB to squeak out a win over Notre Dame, USC showed their potential in an impressive showing against Stanford and Oklahoma got revenge on the Buckeyes to the tune of 31-16. So with all that happening last Saturday, the rankings are jumbled up from the previous week, with Alabama the only team that didn't move as they remain the #1 team in the country.

Ohio State was the big loser of the weekend, falling from 2nd to out of the top 10. The Buckeyes are probably at 11 or 12 to me and have as much talent as any team in the country, but the offensive struggles have carried over from last season and will need to show improvement before they can truly be considered an elite team. Taking their spot in the top 10 are the Oklahoma State Cowboys, whose offense can outscore anyone and they may be finding a pretty good defense to go along with that.

Washington moved down a bit only due to not playing a good team yet while others all proved a point that they should be in the top 5. Their time is coming soon though and we will find out about the Huskies down the road.


WEEK 3 HEISMAN WATCH

5. Josh Rosen, QB, UCLA
4. Saquan Barkley, RB, Penn State
3. Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma
2. Sam Darnold, QB, USC
1. Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville

After a slow week 1, the QB's all picked it up big time in week 2. Under normal circumstances, a big win on the road to the #2 ranked team in the country would bolster Baker Mayfield's Heisman hype, but Sam Darnold gashed a good Stanford defense for 4 TD's and 316 yards while Lamar Jackson put on a show against UNC with 3 passing and 3 rushing TD's.

Only change is UCLA QB Josh Rosen now making the list at #5, replacing UGA RB Nick Chubb. Rosen led a huge 34 point comeback win over Texas A&M in week 1 with a 491 yard and 4 TD performance, and followed it up with a 326 yard and 5 TD performance against Hawaii. This combined with UGA seemingly wanting to be a RB by committee team, as RB Sony Michel had more carries and rushing yards against Notre Dame, means that Rosen is in while Chubb is out.


WEEK 3 PREVIEW

#23 Tennessee at #24 Florida - 3:30 PM

One of the biggest rivalries in the SEC kicks off here, with the Tennessee Volunteers headed to Gainesville to take on the Florida Gators. Last season, Tennessee broke an 11 game losing streak to the Gators as they made a big 28 point comeback to win 38-28. Their season collapsed after that however, so this season they are really needing this one in order to be on the track of making the SEC title game. The Volunteers will look to their offense to put up the points, they've score 40+ in both outings this season. Florida has to figure something out at QB, they've only played one game due to last weeks game being cancelled, but they put up some atrocious numbers in their opener against Michigan. If Florida cannot find any consistency on offense then this could be a long game, and long season for them.

PREDICTION - Tennessee 28-16


#3 Clemson at #14 Louisville - 8:00 PM

This game has electric written all over it. Clemson passed their first big test last week, with a 27-6 win over Auburn. The offense still looks good and QB Kelly Bryant is finding his stride at QB. Louisville's defense has not been impressive this season so far, so Clemson has the ability to put up some big numbers in this game and put it out of reach. But the big matchup in this game will be Louisville QB Lamar Jackson against the front 7 of Clemson. The Tigers kept Auburn in check all last week, the defensive line especially dictated the entire game. They now face the most electric dual-threat QB in the country in Lamar Jackson, who is eyeing his 2nd Heisman trophy. If he is able to find a rhythm and beat the pressure that Clemson will be sending then this game will be going Louisville's way. The game will undoubtedly come down to who gets the better of who between Jackson and the Clemson front 7, expect this one to be a pretty high scoring affair.

PREDICTION - Clemson 37-33


Texas at #4 USC - 8:30 PM

This game is only a marquee match-up due to the programs involved and it's the first meeting between them since their epic game for the BCS national championship back in 2005. Texas is still in a growing pains period, and in week 1 they took a lopsided loss at home to Maryland by a score of 51-41. They followed it up with a 56-0 win over San Jose State, but they will be walking into the belly of the beast here Saturday night as they head to Los Angeles. The Trojans showed exactly what they are made of, and their championship talent was on display last Saturday. They took care of Stanford 42-24 with QB Sam Darnold leading the way with 4 TD passes, 2 of them to star WR Deontay Burnett, and they showed off their 2-headed RB tandem with both Ronald Jones II and Stephen Carr going over 100 rushing yards. Texas will need to play lights out here and hope that USC has an off game in order to possibly pull off the upset, again it's a cool game just based on the history of the programs but don't expect another instant classic between them here.

PREDICTION - USC 56-31

Spread Offense 9/6/17: College Football Week 2 Preview

By Pat Luhta, @PLuhta


WEEK 2 TOP TEN

10.Louisville
9. Michigan
8. Georgia
7. Oklahoma
6. Clemson
5. Washington
4. Penn State
3. USC
2. Ohio State
1. Alabama

Probably the first question upon reading this is where did Florida State go? I know that a loss to Alabama normally wouldn’t drop the #3 team in the country out of the top 10, but due to the QB position now up in the air, I’m taking a cautious approach to the Seminoles. QB Deondre Francois is out for the year, and freshman James Blackman now takes over as the starting QB, so FSU will have to earn back the trust before they are considered a top 10 team again.

Michigan is the lone newcomer to the top 10. After a sound beating of the Florida Gators, the Wolverines make their debut at #9. All other teams just slid up 1 spot due to Florida State’s exit except for Louisville, who was dropped from #9 to #10. The Cardinals won an unflattering game against Purdue, so they slid just a little bit here but with 2 big contests in a row(at North Carolina, vs Clemson), they can easily make their way up the rankings.


WEEK 2 HESIMAN WATCH

5. Nick Chubb, RB, Georgia
4. Saquan Barkley, RB, Penn State
3. Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma
2. Sam Darnold, QB, USC
1. Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville

I kept this ranking the same mainly because it was week 1 and some Heisman candidates had an underwhelming performance so I gave them a pass for it. After week 2 we are bound to see some shake-ups though, some big games involving these players are slated for week 2.


WEEK 2 PREVIEW

Week 1 is in the books and while Saturday was rather lackluster in great games(the 2 biggest games, Michigan-Florida and Alabama-Florida State turned out to be no contests in the 2nd half), the games on Sunday and Monday made up for it. UCLA’s 34 point comeback against Texas A&M in the final 18 minutes of the game, Virginia Tech’s win over West Virginia in a back and forth battle and Tennessee’s thrilling OT victory by stopping Georgia Tech on a 2 point conversion in OT were the highlights of the weekend.

Week 2 is now here and we have some big time games coming up, every college football fan should be ready for what’s in store come Saturday night when we have 4 big games all kicking off within an hour and half of each other.


#13 Auburn Tigers at #3 Clemson Tigers - 7:00 PM

The big action of the night starts in Clemson as the defending national champs welcome the Auburn Tigers to Death Valley. Both teams looked very good last Saturday, although they played more of a tune-up game against 2 lesser opponents but got the practice they desired while coasting to a win. Auburn defeated Georgia Southern 41-7 as QB Jarrett Stidham was impressive for the Tigers while RB Kam Martin added 136 yards on 14 carries. Their defense was even more impressive, holding Georgia Southern to only 78 total yards and they look to bring that kind of tenacity this weekend. Clemson rolled over Kent State, 56-3 and many people are not hesitating to crown new Clemson QB Kelly Bryant as the next Deshaun Watson. That will be tested here big time, we will see if Bryant is picking up right where Watson left off or if he struggles in his first primetime game against a stout defense. Clemson's home crowd will definitely play a factor in this though as they are known to have one of the loudest stadiums in all of college football, could give them the big swing that's needed.

PREDICTION: AUBURN 24-20 - This will be a good, close game but the Tigers get it done on the road.


#15 Georgia Bulldogs at #24 Notre Dame Fighting Irish - 7:30 PM

The big news coming out of Georgia is that QB Nick Eason will not be playing in this game due to an injury. That means that freshman Jake Fromm will make the start for the Bulldogs as they travel to South Bend. The good news for Jake Fromm is that a lot of his duty as QB should be turning around and handing the ball off the RB Nick Chubb, who went for 96 yards on 18 carries with 2 TD's in UGA's 31-10 win over Appalachian State. Coming off a disastrous 4-8 season, the Fighting Irish started their season on a positive note as they rolled over Temple, 49-16. New ND QB Brandon Wimbush looked impressive and RB Josh Adams looked even better, if those two keep it up then Notre Dame could find themselves victorious in this game. Georgia is more battle tested and looks to have the better team, but the newcomers from Notre Dame and homefield advantage could keep them in the game, possibly even steal this one.

PREDICTION: Georgia 34-17 - Nick Chubb should wear the ND defense down and while the ND's offense looked good last week, this may be too tall of a task for them.


#5 Oklahoma Sooners at #2 Ohio State Buckeyes - 7:30 PM

Last season, Ohio State went to Oklahoma and brought home a 45-24 victory, and the Sooners are now looking to return the favor here. Ohio State's young secondary was tested last week against the passing attack of Indiana, and they will be tested again here against Heisman candidate QB Baker Mayfield. Mayfield brings the experience and talent needed to play against a defense like OSU's, and while they looked good last week against UTEP, the losses of Samaje Perine, Joe Mixon and Dede Westbrook is a lot to make up. They will need to be made up for though if Oklahoma wants to have a shot at this, because Ohio State will be putting up points as they have one of the more electric offenses in the country. The Buckeyes had a rough first half last Thursday against Indiana, but made some adjustments and got it rolling and beat Indiana 49-21. OSU will be led by QB J.T. Barrett and freshman RB J.K. Dobbins as the team hopes to have similar success as they did last season against Oklahoma.

PREDICTION: Ohio State 42-31 - The score may end up closer than the actual game, but Ohio State's ability to get to the QB will stop the Sooners from being able to score with the Buckeyes.


#14 Stanford at #6 USC - 8:30 PM

Pac-12 powerhouses clash in this primetime game here, with USC hosting Stanford. Stanford currently has a 3 game winning streak over the Trojans but USC has national championship hopes, and will need to get over the roadblock here for people really buy into them. USC has playmakers everywhere, Heisman candidate QB Sam Darnold, RB Ronald Jones II and Deontay Burnett gives this team a ton of firepower. Stanford had last weekend off as they played the weekend before, and dominated Rice 62-7. QB Keller Chryst is the Stanford QB once again and looked very good in that first game, and got a lot of help from RB Bryce Love, who had 180 yards on just 13 carries. Stanford's defense will be the difference maker in this, they are typically known for a strong, stringent defense and if they can hold USC in check then this game could be theirs. That is a tough task though, USC is looking to rebound after struggling to beat Western Michigan and should be coming out firing on all cylinders.

PREDICTION: STANFORD 20-17 - This one should come down to the wire, Stanford's defense will rise to the occasion at the end though and halt a USC drive to end the game.

Radio Show 1/11/17: On Browns/Gregg Williams, Deshaun Watson, Cavs, DeMarcus Cousins, NBA All-Stars

By Raven Williams, @nevaRWilliams

You can now download the latest episodes of "TripleThreatCLE.com's Radio Show"!

Check us out every Wednesday night, 7pm EST, on NoStaticRadio.com or the Tune-In Radio app. Simply search "No Static Radio" or "Triple Threat CLE"

DOWNLOAD: On Browns/Gregg Williams, Deshaun Watson, Cavs, DeMarcus Cousins, NBA All-Stars (1/11/17)
PLAYLIST DOWNLOAD: Show Songs 1:11:17, Randy's Mix
Alternate Link
Stream Here

**PREVIOUS**

DOWNLOAD: On Browns Future, NFL Playoffs, CFB Playoff & More (1/4/17)
Alternate Link
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2016 Episodes of Triple Threat CLE Radio Show

On TV This Week 1/8/17 - 1/14/17

By Raven Williams, @nevaRWilliams

SUNDAY 1/8

NFL
NFC Wild Card: Giants @ Packers (FOX, 4:30pm)

NBA
Jazz @ Grizzlies (NBA TV, 8pm)
Cavaliers @ Suns (FOX Sports Ohio, 8:30pm)

NHL
Flyers @ Blue Jackets (FOX Sports Ohio/Cincinnati, 6pm)
Wild @ Ducks (NBC Sports, 8pm)

COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Wisconsin @ Purdue (CBS, 4:30pm)
Ohio State @ Minnesota (Big Ten, 7:30pm)
Stanford @ UCLA (FOX Sports 1, 8pm)
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The 74th Golden Globe Awards, hosted by Jimmy Fallon (NBC, 8pm)

MONDAY 1/9

COLLEGE FOOTBALL
CFP National Championship: #2 Clemson vs. #1 Alabama (ESPN, 8pm)

COLLEGE BASKETBALL
St. John's @ Georgetown (FOX Sports 1, 6:30pm)
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REPLAY: Showtime At The Apollo (FOX, 8pm)
Big Fan, PREMIERE (ABC, 10pm & 10:30pm)


TUESDAY 1/10

NBA
Celtics @ Raptors (NBA TV, 7:30pm)
Cavaliers @ Jazz (FOX Sports Ohio, 9pm)
Heat @ Warriors (NBA TV, 10:30pm)

NHL
Blue Jackets @ Hurricanes (FOX Sports Ohio/Cincinnati, 7pm)
Bruins @ Blues (NBC Sports, 8pm)

COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Xavier @ Villanova (FOX Sports 1, 7pm)
Kentucky @ Vanderbilt (ESPN, 7pm)
Baylor @ West Virginia (ESPN 2, 7pm)
Indiana @ Maryland (ESPN, 9pm)
Kansas @ Oklahoma (ESPN 2, 9pm)
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Being Mary Jane, PREMIERE (BET, 9pm)
Good Behavior, FINALE (TNT, 9pm)
Marvel's Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. (ABC, 10pm)
Taboo, PREMIERE (FX, 10pm)


WEDNESDAY 1/11

NBA
Grizzlies @ Thunder (ESPN, 8pm)
Cavaliers @ Trail Blazers (ESPN, 10:30pm)

NHL
Penguins @ Capitals (NBC Sports, 8pm)

COLLEGE BASKETBALL
North Carolina @ Wake Forest (ESPN 2, 8pm)
Butler @ Creighton (FOX Sports 1, 9pm)
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Are You The One?, PREMIERE (MTV, 9pm)
Wahlburgers, FINALE (A&E, 9:30pm)
Workaholics, PREMIERE (Comedy Central, 10pm)
Jeff & Some Aliens, PREMIERE (Comedy Central, 10:30pm)


THURSDAY 1/12

NBA
Pacers vs. Nuggets, in London (NBA TV, 3pm)
Bulls @ Knicks (TNT, 8pm)
Pistons @ Warriors (TNT, 10:30pm)

NHL
Canadiens @ Wild (NBC Sports, 8pm)

COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Ohio State @ Wisconsin (ESPN 2, 7pm)
Notre Dame @ Miami (ESPN, 7pm)
Arizona State @ Arizona (ESPN 2, 9pm)
SMU @ Cincinnati (ESPN, 9pm)
UCLA @ Colorado (FOX Sports 1, 11pm)
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The Great American Baking Show, FINALE (ABC, 8pm)
Taking The Stage: African American Music and Stories That Changed America (ABC, 9pm)
My Kitchen Rules, PREMIERE (FOX, 9pm)
Colony, PREMIERE (USA, 10pm)
Lip Sync Battle: Don Cheadle vs. Wanda Sykes (Spike, 10pm)
Caraoke Showdown, PREMIERE (Spike, 10:30pm)


FRIDAY 1/13

NBA
Celtics @ Hawks (ESPN, 8pm)
Pistons @ Jazz (ESPN, 10:30pm)
Cavaliers @ Kings (FOX Sports Ohio, 10:30pm)

BASKETBALL
Harlem Globetrotters: Southern California Special (ESPN 2, 9pm)

NHL
Blue Jackets @ Lightning (FOX Sports Ohio/Cincinnati, 7:30pm)

MMA & BOXING
Premier Boxing Champions (Spike, 9pm)
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The Vampire Diaries (The CW, 8pm)
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (The CW, 9pm)


SATURDAY 1/14

NFL
NFC Divisional Playoff: Seahawks @ Falcons (FOX, 4:30pm)
AFC Divisional Playoff: Texans @ Patriots (CBS, 8pm)

NHL
Blue Jackets @ Panthers (FOX Sports Ohio/Cincinnati, 7pm)

COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Duke @ Louisville (ESPN, 12pm)
Connecticut @ Georgetown (FOX, 12pm)
Georgia @ Florida (ESPN 2, 12pm)
Villanova @ St. John's (FOX Sports 1, 12pm)
Texas A&M @ Mississippi State (CBS, 1pm)

Florida State @ North Carolina (ESPN, 2pm)
Oklahoma State @ Kansas (ESPN 2, 2pm)
Xavier @ Butler (FOX Sports 1, 2pm)
Auburn @ Kentucky (ESPN, 4pm)
West Virginia @ Texas (ESPN 2, 4pm)

MMA & BOXING
Boxing: James DeGale vs. Badou Jack (Showtime, 9:30pm)
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Queen Boss (BET, 10pm)
Saturday Night Live: Felicity Jones, Sturgill Simpson (NBC, 11:30pm)