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

TV Weekend 12.9 - 12.10

By Raven Williams, @nevaRWilliams

Caught On Camera with Nick Cannon (FRI, NBC, 8pm)
Last Man Standing (FRI, ABC, 8pm)
Hell's Kitchen (FRI, FOX, 8pm)
MacGyver (FRI, CBS, 8pm)
The Vampire Diaries (FRI, The CW, 8pm)
New Japan Pro Wrestling (FRI, AXS TV, 8pm)
Dr. Ken (FRI, ABC, 8:30pm)

Madonna: Rebel Heart Tour (FRI, Showtime, 9pm)
Dateline NBC (FRI, NBC, 9pm)
Shark Tank (FRI, ABC, 9pm)
The Exorcist (FRI, FOX, 9pm)
Hawaii Five-0 (FRI, CBS, 9pm)
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (FRI, The CW, 8pm)
Z Nation (FRI, Syfy, 9pm)

Blue Bloods (FRI, CBS, 10pm)
Van Helsing, SEASON FINALE (FRI, Syfy, 10pm)
--

Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas (SAT, TBS, 7:30pm)
It's A Wonderful Life (SAT, USA, 8pm)
Mary Poppins (SAT, ABC, 8pm)
Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer (SAT, CBS, 8pm)
Frosty The Snowman (SAT, CBS, 9pm)
Frosty Returns (SAT, CBS, 9:30pm)
Saturday Night Live; John Cena, Maren Morris (SAT, NBC, 11:30pm)

======

30 For 30
"Catholics vs. Convicts": The back story of the infamous 1988 Notre Dame & Miami game (SAT, ESPN, 9pm)

NBA
Heat @ Cavaliers (FRI, FOX Sports Ohio, 7:30pm)
Rockets @ Thunder (FRI, ESPN, 8pm)
Suns @ Lakers (FRI, ESPN, 10:30pm)

Hornets @ Cavaliers (SAT, FOX Sports Ohio, 7:30pm)
Heat @ Bulls (SAT, NBA TV, 8pm)

COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Longwood @ Creighton (FRI, FOX Sports 1, 7:30pm)
Georgia Southern @ Minnesota (FRI, Big Ten, 9pm)

Temple @ DePaul (SAT, ESPNU, 11:30am)
Notre Dame vs. Villanova (SAT, CBS, 12pm)
Arizona @ Missouri (SAT, ESPN 2, 12pm)
Saint Peter's @ Maryland (SAT, Big Ten, 12pm)
Massachusetts @ Providence (SAT, FOX Sports 1, 12pm)
Rhode Island @ Houston (SAT, ESPNU, 1:30pm)

La Salle vs. Georgetown (SAT, ESPN 2, 2pm)
Wisconsin @ Marquette (SAT, FOX Sports 1, 2pm)
Tennessee Tech @ Michigan State (SAT, Big Ten, 2pm)
Penn State vs. Pittsburgh (SAT, CBS SportsNet, 2:30pm)
Nebraska @ Kansas (SAT, ESPN, 3:15pm)
Wichita State vs. Oklahoma (SAT, ESPN 2, 4pm)
Houston Baptist @ Indiana (SAT, Big Ten, 4pm)
Cincinnati @ Butler (SAT, FOX Sports 1, 4:30pm)

Oklahoma State @ Tulsa (SAT, CBS SportsNet, 5pm)
Duke @ UNLV (SAT, ESPN, 5:15pm)
Utah @ Xavier (SAT, FOX, 5:30pm)
Connecticut @ Ohio State (SAT, Big Ten, 6pm)
Long Beach State @ Texas (SAT, ESPN 2, 6pm)
Michigan @ UCLA (SAT, ESPN 2, 8pm)
Colorado @ BYU (SAT, ESPN 2, 10pm)

COLLEGE FOOTBALL
NCAA FCS, Quarterfinal: Sam Houston State @ James Madison (FRI, ESPN 2, 7pm)

Navy vs. Army (SAT, CBS, 3pm)

2016 Heisman Trophy Presentation (SAT, ESPN, 8pm)

NFL
Top 10: Interceptions (FRI, NFL Network, 8pm)
A Football Life: Charles Woodson (FRI, NFL Network, 9pm)

NHL
Blue Jackets @ Red Wings (FRI, FOX Sports Cincinnati, 7:30pm)
Rangers @ Blackhawks (FRI, NHL, 8:30pm)

Maple Leafs @ Bruins (SAT, NHL, 7pm)
Islanders @ Blue Jackets (SAT, FOX Sports Cincinnati, 7:30pm)

GOLF
Franklin Templeton Shootout, Final Round (SAT, FOX, 1pm)
PNC Father/Son Challenge, First Day (SAT, NBC, 4pm)

MMA & BOXING
UFC Prefight Show (SAT, FOX Sports 1, 6:30pm)
UFC 206: Holloway vs. Pettis - Prelims (SAT, FOX Sports 1, 8pm)
BOXING: Terrence Crawford vs. John Molina Jr. (SAT, HBO, 9:35pm)
BOXING: Jesus Andres Cuellar vs. Abner Mares (SAT, Showtime, 10pm)

SOCCER
English Premier League: Leicester City FC vs. Manchester City FC (SAT, NBC, 12:30pm)
MLS: Seattle Sounders FC @ Toronto FC (SAT, FOX, 8pm)

Spread Offense 9.12.16: College Football Week 2 Recap

By Pat Luhta, @PLuhta

Week 2's slate of games didn't quite add up to the big games that we had in week 1, but that didn't stop Saturday from delivering some big finishes and surprising results.

Let's get right to the big controversy of the day. With Oklahoma State leading 27-24 over Central Michigan, the Cowboys faced a 4th down with 4 seconds remaining in the game. Instead of punting it away, they opted to just snap the ball and throw it out of bounds in order to burn the final 4 seconds and win the game. The refs ruled it as intentional grounding, which was the correct call, but awarded Central Michigan the ball and an untimed down. The Chippewas tossed up a hail mary, which was caught inside the 10 yard line and as the receiver was being tackled, he flipped it to a teammate who then took it in for the game winning score. An absolutely stunning finish with Central Michigan coming away with the dramatic upset on the road against the #22 team in the country.

Central Michigan won on a bananas play, but it probably shouldn't have happened https://t.co/RXtPVr3bdg https://t.co/dER6MEMbuW

— SB✯Nation CFB (@SBNationCFB) September 10, 2016

One problem: the play should've never happened.

The correct NCAA ruling should have been that although there was a penalty on Oklahoma State for intentional grounding, the game should've been over instead of Central Michigan getting an untimed down. A huge gaffe by the referee crew that cost Oklahoma State not only the game, but likely a chance at the CFB playoffs. The NCAA has already stated that they are unable to overturn the result of the game, so the loss on Oklahoma State's record will stick.

So what to do going forward with Oklahoma State? How should the voters handle this "loss" when submitting their top 25?

Personally, while I sympathize with the Cowboys after hearing that the refs made an incorrect call, the fact that Central Michigan still needed a hail mary lateral in order to win should play a factor and ultimately trump the incorrect ruling. As far as Oklahoma State's playoff hopes are concerned, this is just one early season loss. The Cowboys still have Pitt, Baylor, Texas, TCU, and Oklahoma on their schedule meaning that they still control their own destiny and if they win the Big 12 then they will be in position to make the playoffs still.

In the other dramatic game of the week, Arkansas and TCU gave us all a thrilling game that went into double OT.

The visiting Razorbacks got out to an early  13-0 lead and took that lead into halftime. TCU then got their offense going a bit but still trailed 20-7 entering the 4th quarter. As pedestrian as the game had been after 3 quarters, the 4th quarter got the fireworks going. TCU starts rolling with 3 straight TD's to take a 28-20 lead, the last one coming with 2:05 left in the 4th. As it looked like TCU had this wrapped up, Arkansas drove 58 yards in just over a minute to score a touchdown. After adding the 2 point conversion to tie it at 28, the game looked destined for overtime. TCU had some other plans though as their speedy kick returner, Kavontae Turpin, took the kick all the way to the Arkansas 27 which put the Horned Frogs in field goal range. The game winning field goal was partially blocked though, and we are headed to OT after a crazy final 2 minutes.

Austin Allen trucks his way through TCU's defense to give #Arkansas the win!! #ArkvsTCU pic.twitter.com/0NHiRgAbaU

— Chat Sports (@ChatSports) September 11, 2016

After the 1st OT in which both teams scored a touchdown to send it into a 2nd OT, TCU had to settle for a FG to go up 38-35. Arkansas QB Austin Allen ended the game on a 5 yard run to give the Razorbacks the 41-38 victory. Big win for Arkansas, tough loss for TCU.

In Other Games: Both Clemson and Georgia struggle with inferior opponents, Louisville might be a serious team to worry about for those who have them on their schedule, Alabama "sleep walks"to a  38-10 win over Western Kentucky, the top Big Ten teams(Ohio State, Michigan, Nebraska, Iowa, Wisconsin) completely dominate, and Tennessee starts slow but gets their offense rolling to a 45-24 win over Virginia Tech in front of over 150,000 at Bristol Motor Speedway.



MY TOP 10 TEAMS

10. Wisconsin
9. Texas
8. Louisville
7. Stanford
6. Houston
5. Michigan
4. Clemson
3. Ohio State
2. Florida State
1. Alabama


MY TOP 5 HEISMAN CANDIDATES

5. Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville
4. J.T. Barrett, QB, Ohio State
3. Deshaun Watson, QB, Clemson
2. Dalvin Cook, RB, Florida State
1. Christian McCaffrey, RB, Stanford

Leadoff with Lee 12.13.15 #UFC194 #McGregor #Heisman #Bucks

By @cleeverizon

Derrick Henry from Alabama added another piece of hardware to his trophy case. After winning the Doak Walker and Maxwell awards Thursday night, Henry becomes the 81st winner of the Heisman Trophy. He has been compared to Eddie George, who in 1995 averaged 6.0 yards per rush, 152.2 rushing yards per game and 23 rushing touchdowns. This year in 2015, Derrick Henry averaged 5.9 yards per rush, 152.8 rushing yards per game and also scored 23 touchdowns.

First Place votes: Derrick Henry 378, Christian McCaffrey 290, Deshaun Watson 148, Baker Mayfield 34

- The 116th Army vs. Navy game took place yesterday, with the Navy Midshipman defeating the Army Black Knights 21-17. QB Keenan Reynolds of Navy scored his 85th career rushing touchdown. Most all time in DIV I history(FBS-FCS). Reynolds tied the previous record set by Adrian Peterson. He tied Peterson's record with a 58 yard touchdown run in the first quarter. In the second quarter he secured the record on a one yard scamper. Reynolds also set the school record for career passing touchdowns with 30.

- Penn State hired former Fordham head coach Joe Moorhead as their new offensive coordinator. Moorhead will replace John Donovan, who was fired the day after the team lost its season finale tat Michigan State.

- The Philadelphia 76ers are discussing adding Mike D'Antonio as associate head coach. D'Antonio could join the staff sometime within the next week or so.

- The Milwaukee Bucks snapped the 24 game win streak of the Golden State Warriors, defeating them 108-95. The two longest winning streaks in the NBA history (1971-72 Lakers 33, Warriors 28) were both snapped by the Bucks. The Warriors scored a season-low of 95 points. This was also the 1st game scoring less than 100 points this season and the Warriors average 13 three pointers a night were just 6 of 26 from behind the arc. Greg Monroe led Milwaukee with 28 points.

- Jose Aldo entered UFC 194 at 25-1 (7-0 UFC), and made his 8th defense of the UFC featherweight title and had a 18-fight win streak. But it was Conor McGregor who left as the new undisputed featherweight champion with a victory in just 13 seconds.

All I can say is, it was a two hit fight, McGregor hit Aldo and Aldo hit the ground. McGregor's 15-fight win streak is intact and hasn’t lost since November 2010. Aldo hadn’t lost for 10 years, since losing a lightweight fight in Brazil in 2005, and he was widely regarded as the sport’s best fighter. But there is going to be a new entrant in that discussion.

Leadoff with Lee 12.12.15

By @cleeverizon

Former Cleveland Cavaliers forward John "Hot Rod" Williams passed away from prostate cancer yesterday. He was 53.

He was selected by the Cavs in the 2nd round (45th overall) of the 1985 draft out of Tulane. His stint in the NBA lasted 13 years playing for the Cavs (1986-1995), Phoenix Suns (1995-1998) and the Dallas Mavericks in 1999. His best season in the NBA was in 1989 when he averaged 16.8 points, 8.1 rebounds and 2.04 blocks. He was the Cavaliers' all time leader in blocked shots with 1,200 until he was surpassed by Zydrunas IIgauskas.

- Cavaliers guard Iman Shumpert made his season debut following wrist surgery last night against the Orlando Magic. He played 25 minutes he scored 14 points while shooting 5-7 from the field and 2-3 from 3 point land. Head coach David Blatt said "Shump looked like he didn't miss a beat, he has worked so hard to get himself ready."

-

Former Rutgers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Greg Schiano has accepted associate head coach and defensive coordinator at Ohio State and will replace Chris Ash who accepted the head coaching job at Rutgers. Schiano will run the defense with co-coordinator Luke Fickell, who has been on the Buckeyes staff since 1999.  Schiano hasn't been a defensive coordinator since 2000 with The U (Miami),but his defense ranked 5th in the country in points per game allowed that season.                

- Adolphus Washington's career at Ohio State has officially come to the end. A school spokesperson confirmed yesterday that Washington has been suspended for Fiesta Bowl after he was charged with soliciting prostitution.The Buckeyes will practice for their matchup with Notre Dame on today, but Washington will no longer be part of their plans. His career at Ohio State with 142 tackles, 13.5 sacks, in 36 games for the Buckeyes. Prior to his arrest he was projected as a late first round pick in the 2016 NFL draft.

- BROWNS ON THE BENCH: Joe Haden Justin Gilbert & Andrew Hawkins ruled out with concussions Sunday against the 49ers. Gary Barnidge, Travis Benjamin and Brian Hartline were limited in practice yesterday and all are listed as questionable for Sunday's game.

- The New York Supreme Court ordered DraftKings and FanDuel to shut down operations in New York state. Both companies immediately appealed and sought an emergency stay. New York appellate judge granted the stay Friday afternoon allowing both companies to continue with business as usual. New York appellate judges now must rule to continue to be in effect or lifted until their appeal is heard. In the meantime,daily fantasy sports is legal in New York for at least 3 more weeks, & if full appellate court agrees in January, at least several more months.

- The Heisman Trophy winner will be announced tonight on ESPN at 8pm. Thursday the College Football Awards were presented to the nations best players at their position.

The winners are as follows:                                                  

-Lou Groza Award (Outstanding Place Kicker): Ka'imi Fairborn, UCLA                    
-NCFAA Contributions Award Winner: Barry Switzer, Oklahoma                          
-Wuerffel Trophy Winner (Community Service): Ty Darlington, Oklahoma
-Jim Thorpe Award (Best Defensive Back): Desmond King, Iowa
-John H. Outland Award Winner (Nation's Best Lineman:) Joshua Garnett, Stanford  
-Doak Walker Award Winner (Nation's Best Running Back): Derrick Henry, Alabama
-Disney Spirit Award Winner: Hank Goff, California
-Home Depot Coach of the Year: Dabo Swinney, Clemson                                      
-Ray Guy Award (Nation's Top Punter): Tom Hackett, Utah                                      

- Lastly, UFC 194 is tonight with the main event being Jose Aldo vs Connor McGregor. Here is the Tale of the Tape for the Featherweight title match.                

Jose Aldo W-L: 25-1, Height: 5'7, Reach: 70", Stance Orthodox, Weight: 145lbs
Connor McGregor W-L: 18-2, Height: 5'9, Reach: 74", Stance Southpaw, Weight: 145lbs 

TV Weekend 12.11-12.12

By @nevaRWilliams

Undateable Live (FRI NBC, 8pm)
Last Man Standing (FRI, ABC, 8pm)
The Amazing Race (FRI, CBS, 8pm)
MasterChef (FRI, FOX, 8pm)
Reign (FRI, The CW, 8pm)
New Japan Pro Wrestling (FRI, AXS TV, 8pm)
Truth Be Told (FRI, NBC, 8:30pm)
Dr. Ken (FRI, ABC, 8:30pm)

Grimm (FRI, NBC, 9pm)
Shark Tank (FRI, ABC, 9pm)
Hawaii Five-0 (FRI, CBS, 9pm)
World's Funniest (FRI, FOX, 9pm)
New Japan Pro Wrestling (FRI, AXS, TV, 9pm)

Blue Bloods (FRI, CBS, 10pm)
The Knick (FRI, Cinemax, 10pm)
Z Nation (FRI, SyFy, 10pm)
Satisfaction (FRI, USA, 10pm)

------

Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer (SAT, CBS, 8pm)
Da Vinci's Demons (SAT, STARZ, 8pm)

The Flight Before Christmas (SAT, CBS, 9pm)
Ash vs Evil Dead (SAT, STARZ, 9pm)

30 For 30: "Four Falls Of Buffalo": The Buffalo Bills Of The 90s (SAT, ESPN, 9:30pm)

Saturday Night Live: Chris Hemsworth, Chance The Rapper (SAT, NBC, 11:30pm)

======

COLLEGE FOOTBALL
NCAA FCS, Quarterfinal: Charleston Southern @ Jacksonville State (FRI, ESPN 2, 8pm)

NCAA FCS, Quarterfinal: Northern Iowa @ North Dakota State (SAT, ESPN, 12pm)

Army vs Navy (SAT, CBS, 3pm)

2015 Heisman Trophy Presentation (SAT, ESPN, 8pm)

NBA
Cavaliers @ Magic (FRI, FOX Sports Ohio, 7pm)
Heat @ Pacers (FRI, ESPN, 7pm)
Lakers @ Spurs (FRI, ESPN, 9:30pm)

Spurs @ Hawks (SAT, NBA TV, 8pm)

COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Ohio State @ Connecticut (SAT, CBS, 12pm)
Delaware State @ Michigan (SAT, ESPNU, 12pm)
Bryant @ Providence (SAT, FOX Sports 1, 12pm)
Marquette @ Wisconsin (SAT, ESPN 2, 1:30pm)

Tennessee @ Butler (SAT, FOX Sports 1, 2:30pm)
Arizona State @ Kentucky (SAT, ESPN, 3:15pm)
Utah @ Wichita State (SAT, ESPN 2, 3:30pm)

IUPUI @ Creighton (SAT, FOX Sports 1, 5pm)
North Carolina @ Texas (SAT, ESPN, 5:15pm)
Cincinnati @ Xavier (SAT, FOX, 5:30pm)
Florida @ Michigan State (SAT, ESPN 2, 6pm)

Oregon @ Boise State (SAT, CBS SportsNet, 7pm)
Oregon State @ Kansas (SAT, ESPN 2, 8pm)
UCLA @ Gonzaga (SAT, ESPN 2, 10pm)

NHL
AHL: Chicago Wolves @ Lake Erie Monsters (FRI, STO, 7pm)

Islanders @ Blue Jackets (SAT, FOX Sports Ohio, 7pm)
AHL: Chicago Wolves @ Lake Erie Monsters (SAT, STO, 7:30pm)
Capitals @ Lightning (SAT, NHL Network, 7pm)

GOLF
Franklin Templeton Shootout, Final Round (SAT, FOX, 1pm)
PNC Father/Son Challenge, First Day (SAT, NBC, 4pm)

MMA & BOXING
The Ultimate Fighter 22 Finale: Edgar vs Mendes - Prelims (FRI, FOX Sports 1, 8pm)
The Ultimate Fighter 22 Finale: Edgar vs Mendes (FRI, FOX Sports 1, 10pm)
TruTV Knockout Boxing (FRI, TruTV, 10pm)

UFC 194: Aldo vs. McGregor - Prelims (SAT, FOX Sports 1, 8pm)
Premier Boxing Champions (SAT, NBC, 8:30pm)

SOCCER
AFC Bournemouth vs. Manchester United FC (SAT, NBC, 12:30pm)

OTHER SPORTS
Dew Tour: Breckenridge Men's Snowboard Pipe (SAT, NBC, 2:30pm)

Leadoff with Lee 12.8.15 #LeBron #Browns #Indians #Heisman

By @cleeverizon

After hanging out with Steve Sarkisian and Johnny Manziel, it's time to get back on the grind...

LEADOFF WITH LEE IS BACK!

- LeBron James has said, 'I'm Nike and Swoosh for the rest of my life'. LBJ and Nike agreed to a lifetime endorsement deal yesterday. Multiple media outlets have suggested James will receive up to $60M annually from his new Nike contract. Other shoe companies have offered lifetime deals such as Allen Iverson with Reebok, Adidas has David Beckham and Derrick Rose, this will be Nike's first lifetime contract ever offered in its 44 year existence. Maverick Carter will manage the deal, which was negotiated by Main Street Advisors' Paul Wachter, who has also negotiated the deal for John Henry to buy the Red Sox in 2002 and represented Beats By Dre in its $3 billion sale to Apple last May.

- The Browns placed guard Joel Bitonio on injured reserve with a ankle injury & sign OL Gabe Ikard to replace him on the roster. Ikard was signed as a undrafted free agent by the Titans in 2014. He was on their injured reserve list for his entire rookie season with a knee injury that he suffered in the preseason. In 2015, he was acquired by the Bills during final roster cuts and appeared in three games for Buffalo.

- BROWNS ON THE BENCH: Joe Haden, Andrew Hawkins, Taylor Gabriel, and Justin Gilbert remain in NFL's concussion protocol. RB Malcolm Johnson's groin injury seems to be severe and may be out for the rest of the season. WR Travis Benjamin is day to day with a shoulder injury. WR Marlon Moore is expected to play Sunday, but is day to day with rib injury.

- Mike Pettine didn't name a starter for Sunday's game against the 49ers, but it's expected that Johnny Manziel will get the start. From my perspective, no matter who the quarterback has been for the Browns they haven't been the problem. Maybe Johnny can bring back the Manziel Mafia and give the Browns a little magic.

- The Cleveland Indians announced Monday that it claimed OF Joey Butler off of waivers from the Tampa Bay Rays and placed him on the 40-man roster. In three seasons with the Rangers, Cardinals and Rays, Butler has compiled a .274 average with a .742 OPS, 8 HR and 31 RBI over 92 games. They designated pitcher Jayson Aquino for assignment to make room for Butler.

In other team news, the Indians have moved from 16th to 15th in first round of June draft because Arizona lost its No.1 pick by signing Zack Greinke.

- The Philadelphia 76ers have named Jerry Colangelo as the Special Advisor to the Managing General Partner and Chairman of Basketball Operations. Colangelo will serve as a adviser to team ownership. Colangelo made his reputation as a team builder after more than four decades of work with the Suns. More recently, he has helped rebuild USA Basketball after its bronze-medal finish in the 2004 Summer Olympics. The team has won consecutive gold medals (2008 and 2012) and FIBA World Championships (2010 and 2014) since he took over in 2006.  In 1992, Colangelo founded the Arena Football League's Arizona Rattlers and owned them until 2005. Under Colangelo's guidance, the Rattlers won Arena Bowl championships in 1994 and 1997. Wouldn't he be a great team president for the Browns?

- The Heisman trophy finalists are Alabama running back Derrick Henry, Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey, and Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson. Henry led the nation with 23 rushing touchdowns and broke Herschel Walker's SEC rushing record with 1,986 yards. McCaffrey broke Barry Sanders record in all purpose yards in a season with 3,496. Watson finished the year with 3,512 yards passing and 30 touchdowns.

-NFL FLEX ZONE: Week 15 (12/20) The NFL flex schedule is as follows Cardinals vs Eagles moves to 8:30 PM ET on NBC & Bengals vs. 49ers to CBS at 4:25 PM ET. Bills vs Redskins 1:00 PM ET on FOX.

Leadoff with Lee 12.15.14 #Browns #Kobe #Kings #Mariota

By @cleeverizon

- Did we watch a bunch of UPS workers playing football or the Cleveland Browns?

Let's start here, Johnny Manziel made it to Cleveland Browns stadium at 10:57am. That's 3 minutes prior to the 11:00am time that Browns players are required to be at the stadium. So he was on time, he was tracked using his tracking number which is #2. All eyes were on Johnny as he came out to the field to warmup, but he was caught wearing Beats By Dre headphones. This is a violation of NFL rules barring players to wear them before or after games due to the partnership they have with Bose. So expect Manziel to get fined by the league.

In his not so hot debut, Johnny was 10/18 for 80 yards and 2 interceptions in the game. The defense didn't keep the Bengals offense off the field. Cincinnati held the ball for 39 minutes in the game, leaving the Browns only 21 minutes on offense and not being able to get into rhythm. The "Nati" rushed for a total 224 yards with rookie Jeremy Hill gaining 103 yards in the first half and finishing with total of 148 in the game. Despite the woes of the game, the biggest improvement you will see with a rookie quarterback is the progression he makes from his first game to his second game.

- In a stunner, late last night Michael Malone was fired as the coach of the Sacramento Kings. It's said that even though the team got out to a hot start, the team is currently at 11-13, which did not meet ownership's expectations. Malone was in his second season as Kings coach. After star center DeMarcus Cousins was removed from the lineup with viral meningitis, the Kings have gone 2-7 in their last nine games which led to Malone's end. Assistant Tyrone Corbin will take over as the interim coach. Corbin had a 112-146 record as the coach of the Utah Jazz.

- Kobe Bryant moves into 3rd place on the NBA scoring list passing Michael Jordan. Bryant now has 32,293 points. Only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,387) and Karl Malone (36,928) have more career points than Bryant.

- Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota won the 2014 Heisman trophy. He is the first player in school history to do so. Mariota had 788 first place votes and received the second highest percentage of possible points in Heisman trophy history behind Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith(2005). Mariota leads the league in passing rating (186.2) and 5th in average yards per game (342.5). The Oregon Ducks won this year's PAC-12 championship. Mariota has one more year of eligibility left and has not decided if he will declare for the 2015 NFL draft.

- Former Cavs player and #1 draft pick Andrew Wiggins won the NBA rookie of the month for November. He's averaging 11.6ppg (2nd among rookies), 3.7 rebounds, 1.13 steals in 15 games. In November, he was first in scoring, steals and minutes, along with being second in blocks and third in rebounds (among rookies).

- The New England Patriots clinched their 6th straight AFC East crown while Denver won their 4th straight AFC West title and the Colts clinched their 2nd straight AFC South crown. The NFC has no division winners as of yet.

TV Weekend 12.12-12.13

By @nevaRWilliams

WWE Friday Night Smackdown (Friday, SyFy, 8 PM)
Last Man Standing (Friday, ABC, 8 PM)
The Amazing Race (Friday, CBS, 8 PM)
Cristela (Friday, ABC, 8:30 PM)

Nas: Time Is Illmatic (Friday, Showtime, 9 PM)
Grimm (Friday, NBC, 9 PM)
Shark Tank (Friday, ABC, 9 PM)
Hawaii Five-O (Friday, CBS, 9 PM)

Constantine (Friday, NBC, 10 PM)
Blue Bloods (Friday, CBS, 10 PM)

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Peter Pan Live! (Saturday, NBC, 8 PM)
Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer (Saturday, CBS, 8 PM)

30 for 30: The U Part 2 (Saturday, ESPN, 9 PM)
Frosty The Snowman (Saturday, CBS, 9 PM)
Frosty Returns (Saturday, CBS, 9:30 PM)
Atlantis (Saturday, BBC America, 9 PM)

Saturday Night Live, Martin Freeman, Charli XCX (Saturday, NBC, 11:30 PM)

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NBA
Trail Blazers @ Bulls (Friday, ESPN, 7 PM)
Cavaliers @ Pelicans (Friday, FOX Sports Ohio, 8 PM)
Lakers @ Spurs (Friday, ESPN, 9:30 PM)

COLLEGE FOOTBALL
NCAA FCS, Quarterfinal: UT-Chattanooga @ New Hampshire (Friday, ESPN 2, 8 PM)

NCAA FCS, Quarterfinal: Coastal Carolina @ North Dakota State (Saturday, ESPN, 12 PM)
Army vs. Navy (Saturday, CBS, 3 PM)
2014 Heisman Trophy Presentation (Saturday, ESPN, 8 PM)

MMA & BOXING
UFC Fight Night (Friday, FOX Sports 1, 7 PM)
UFC Fight Night, A Champion Will Be Crowned (Friday, FOX Sports 1, 9 PM)

UFC Fight Night, dos Santos vs. Miocic (Saturday, FOX, 8 PM)
World Series of Fighting 16 (Saturday, NBC Sports, 9 PM)
BOXING: Amir Khan vs. Devon Alexander (Saturday, Showtime, 9 PM)
BOXING: Timothy Bradley Jr. vs Diego Chaves (Saturday, HBO, 10 PM)

COLLEGE BASKETBALL
North Carolina @ Kentucky (Saturday, CBS, 12 PM)
Radford @ Georgetown (Saturday, FOX Sports 1, 12 PM)
Morehead State @ Ohio State (Saturday, Big Ten, 1 PM)
Dayton @ Arkansas (Saturday, ESPN 2, 2 PM)
St. Mary's @ Creighton (Saturday, FOX Sports 1, 2 PM)
Oklahoma @ Tulsa (Saturday, CBS SportsNet, 2:30 PM)
Nicholls State @ Wisconsin (Saturday, Big Ten, 3 PM)
Kansas @ Utah (Saturday, ESPN, 3:15 PM)

Xavier @ Missouri (Saturday, ESPN 2, 4 PM)
Michigan @ Arizona (Saturday, ESPN, 5:15 PM)
Oklahoma State @ Memphis (Saturday, ESPN 2, 6 PM)
Northern Iowa @ VCU (Saturday, NBC Sports, 7 PM)
Florida State @ Notre Dame (Saturday, ESPN 2, 8 PM)
Gonzaga @ UCLA (Saturday, ESPN 2, 10 PM)

NHL
Penguins @ Blue Jackets (Saturday, FOX Sports Ohio, 7 PM)
Red Wings @ Maple Leafs (Saturday, NHL Network, 7 PM)
Blues @ Avalanche (Saturday, NHL Network, 10 PM)

GOLF
Franklin Templeton Shootout, Final Round (Saturday, FOX, 1 PM)
PNC Father/Son Challenge, First Day, (Saturday, NBC, 3 PM)

ACTION SPORTS
Dew Tour: Mountain Championships, Part 1 (Saturday, NBC, 1 PM)
ASP Surfing Maui Women's Pro (Saturday, ABC, 1 PM)

SOCCER
English Premier League: Arsenal FC vs. Newcastle United FC (Saturday, NBC Sports, 12:30 PM)