What To Watch During Huge Sports Holiday Weekend
While you take in the new year, there will be plenty of sports on TV all weekend for you to sit back on the couch, grab some snacks and enjoy.
It starts right off the bat on New Years Eve.
This is, of course, the second year of the College Football Playoffs and it's finally time to stop the rhetoric about match-ups and just watch it play out.
By January 1st, the National Championship game will be determined, but the traditional New Years Day bowl games will still be on.
There is also plenty of NBA action on Saturday to get a quick basketball fix during the football loaded weekend.
To round the weekend off, NFL week 17 will play out with many playoff implications on the line.
Here are some of the top games to watch this weekend:
Orange Bowl- Oklahoma(4) vs. Clemson(1), Thursday @ 1 p.m. ESPN
Clemson comes into the playoffs as the only undefeated team, however, Oklahoma has been picked by many as the favorite to win this match-up.
This is also a rematch from last year's Russell Athletic Bowl. Clemson dominated all phases of the bowl game last year and beat Oklahoma 40-6.
Oklahoma's Baker Mayfield and Clemson's Deshaun Watson are two of the best quarterbacks in college football. Watson was a Heisman Trophy finalist, but Mayfield actually has five more touchdown passes this season than the Clemson quarterback.
The winner of this game will head to the National Championship game against Michigan State or Alabama.
Cotton Bowl- Michigan State(3) vs. Alabama(2), Thursday @ 5 p.m. ESPN
Alabama will be making its second straight appearance in the College Football Playoffs. The team lost to the eventual champions and Michigan State's Big Ten rival, Ohio State, in this round last season.
The Crimson Tide are heavy favorites to win this game over the Spartans.
Michigan State's main focus on defense will be to figure out a way to slow down Heisman Trophy winner Derrick Henry. The Alabama running back ran for almost 2,000 yards and 23 touchdowns.
On the other side, Michigan State has one of the top rated college football playoffs in Connor Cook. He could be one of the first quarterbacks off the board in the coming NFL Draft.
Rose Bowl- Stanford(6) vs. Iowa(5), Friday @ 2 p.m. ESPN
"The Granddaddy of them all!"
It's a New Years Day staple. You can kick back and watch the Rose Parade and then stay tuned for the Rose Bowl game between the Pac-12 Champion and the runner up in the Big Ten.
If there was just one player to pay attention for in this game, it's Christian McCaffrey. This player is one of a kind. He is explosive in the run game, punt return, and kick-off return. He set an NCAA record this season for most all-purpose yards.
Iowa is an all-around good team and only missed the College Football Playoffs because of a Big Ten Championship loss to Michigan State.
Phoenix Suns vs. Sacramento Kings, Saturday @ 2 p.m. NBA TV
Sacramento will play in one of the team's few national televised games on Saturday.
Both teams are both fighting to reach the eight spot in the Western Conference. It's a match-up of two teams who have under achieved through this point of the season.
You can also listen to the game on Sports 1140 KHTK.
New York Jets vs. Buffalo Bills, Sunday @ 10 a.m. CBS
Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Cleveland Browns, Sunday @ 10 a.m. CBS
These two games are put together because the Jets and Steelers are both fighting for the last playoff spot in the AFC.
If the Jets win, they're in. If they lose and the Steelers win, then Pittsburgh is in.
The Jets and Bills game should be a hard fought defensive battle, while the other game should easily be won by the Steelers.
San Diego Chargers vs. Denver Broncos, Sunday @ 1:25 p.m. CBS
Oakland Raiders vs. Kansas City Chiefs, Sunday @ 1:25 p.m. Fox
Other than these both being AFC West rivalry games, they will also determine the seeding for the Broncos and Chiefs.
Kansas City and Denver have already locked up a playoff spot, but there is a chance that the Chiefs could knock the Broncos off the top spot in the West.
If the Chiefs win and Broncos lose, Kansas City would then jump up into the first spot in the AFC West pushing Denver into a playoff spot.
The Broncos, New England Patriots, and Cincinnati Bengals are all fighting for home field advantage making each team's week 17 game a meaningful one.
Minnesota Vikings vs. Green Bay Packers, Sunday @ 5:30 p.m. NBC
This game is essentially the NFC North "Championship."
Both teams have locked up a playoff spot but are tied atop the division at a 10-5 record.
The team that wins this game will host the Seattle Seahawks in the Wild Card Round, while the loser will travel to Washington to play the Redskins.
