A Grip on Sports: With all the preliminaries – read, the regular season – finally done, we can settle in this weekend and watch as the College Football Playoffs begin

A GRIP ON SPORTS • Thank goodness it’s Friday. This Friday anyway. It’s actually possible to forget the doom and gloom of college football – here’s looking at you Pullman – and turn our sites on something completely different. The 12-team College Football Playoff.

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• Or, as I’ve heard it referred to on more than one sports broadcast, the ESPN Invitational.

Not that it matters who runs the darn thing. As long as there is a chance the national championship team will emerge from a field that, once again, has representatives from the Western part of the nation. All it took to increase the number was one of the most storied conferences in the country breaking into a bunch of pieces. And the number of teams invited growing as well.

But I digress, as always. The focus here is what’s on our TV this weekend. And the headline event has to be the expanded CFP’s first four games.

The kickoff game (5 p.m., ABC)? That would be in South Bend – appropriately. At seventh-seeded Notre Dame – appropriately. Matching the Irish, the greenest of college football’s green bloods, against … Indiana? Really? Ok, there is certainly something compelling about the most improbable in-state matchup in the CFP’s 12-team history. And yes, that’s a joke. So is the fact the Hoosiers are in the field. And were seeded 10th. They are 11-1 against a schedule that was not all that much better than Washington State’s. And the Cougars had to scramble to fill their slate after the bullies of the game kicked them to the curb.

But if the alternative was a three-loss Alabama or Mississippi or South Carolina team, I’m good with it.

I’m also good with getting up early Saturday morning to be better positioned to watch 11-2 SMU play at sixth-seed Penn State (9 a.m., TBS). And then settle in to watch surprise ACC champ Clemson, which did lose three times, try to win at fifth-seeded Texas (1 p.m., TBS). Or the eighth seed, Ohio State, host the ninth, Tennessee (5, ESPN) during the dinner hour.

Even with a couple NFL games on as the two pro leagues game battle over the Saturday before Christmas.

• Ya, I wrote that. College football is a professional endeavor these days. With unfettered free agency. It is the NFL’s minor leagues. In reality. And not just in the public’s minds as was the case 30, 40, even 50 years ago.

So why did the league schedule the Chiefs vs. Texans (10 a.m., NBC) and Pittsburgh at Baltimore (1:30, Fox) in a weird sort of counterprogramming? We’ll let the Statler and Waldorf of ESPN’s PTI debate that one, but it sure seems as if the NFL is trying to flex its muscle. As if in these modern times we can’t just watch both if we want.

Sunday’s NFL schedule, unopposed as always, includes in these parts the Seahawks’ next loss, at the hands of the visiting Vikings (1:05, Fox) as well as the Rams’ next win, at the Jets (10 a.m., CBS). The Sunday night game is a waste with America’s self-proclaimed team – so awful lately as to be not worth even rooting against – hosting no one’s favorite. Oh, maybe I better be clearer. Tampa Bay is playing Dallas (5:20, NBC). Whatever happened to flexing games?

• If you want to flex away from football anytime this weekend, college basketball is ready to help cleanse the palate. Heck, Eastern Washington’s women are on a national network tonight, hosting UC Santa Barbara at 6 on FS1.

That’s just a locally sourced appetizer. There is more, of course. The best? Our vote is for 18th-ranked UCLA at North Carolina on Saturday (noon, CBS) but maybe that’s just because I can still remember the two shades of blue playing for an NCAA title back in the day. If 56 years can be considered back in the day.

Actually, though, the weekend’s best matchup – by ranking – is No. 16 Purdue at second-ranked Auburn (1:30 Saturday, ESPN). The red-hot Tigers will probably romp, though, so take that into account.

• Otherwise? Not much. Though the FCS playoffs still hold our interest, if only to see if the Big Sky’s best, top-seed Montana State, can overcome a trio of Dakota schools and win the title. The Bobcats host South Dakota on Saturday afternoon (1, ABC) and, if successful, will get the winner of North Dakota State and South Dakota State (9 a.m., ABC) in January’s championship contest.

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WSU: I’m actually not sure if any Cougar fans really care what Jake Dickert said in his introductory news conference at Wake Forest, but Greg Woods watched it. And passes along what the ex-Coug coach said. It’s amazing that Oregon and Boise State and, last year, Washington, were able to make the playoff field, seeing how bereft the Northwest is in talent. At least according to Dickert. … I’m in sure, however, they care about who will be available for next week’s Holiday Bowl – and what coaches are still around to run the show. Greg has that story as well. … Will Butch be there? Sure. Even though he thought about entering the portal like so many others. He sent the S-R a column outlining his angst over the whole process and how he came about making a decision. … Fret? That’s not what WSU fans are doing over Dickert’s departure. The response is more visceral than that. … John Canzano believes WSU is at the metaphorical crossroads. We agree with him, though our thoughts which path the school should take probably differs. …The women played their first West Coast Conference game last night at San Diego. And won easily, 65-42, paced by Tara Wallack’s 13 points. … One last Cougar-centric link. The flaws in John Mateer’s throwing mechanics don’t seem to be much a worry to the college football experts. … Elsewhere in the (current, old and future) Pac-12 and the nation, an injunction in a case involving Vanderbilt’s quarterback has the potential to change college athletics as much as any of the recent changes. It has to do with JC play and the eligibility clock. … A couple of key players are staying at Washington. That doesn’t mean others aren’t leaving. … Oregon State pulled a coveted quarterback from the transfer portal, something the Beavers seemed to need. … Colorado has found its next quarterback in the high school ranks. … Utah is revamping its offense through staff changes and portal additions. … Not all the roster news from USC is of the bad variety. Most, sure. But not all. Heck, Lincoln Riley even has a scapegoat. … The Arizona State offensive line has an NIL deal we would be eating up. … Thursday included more good roster news for Arizona. … Among the future Pac-12 members in the Mountain West, Ashton Jeanty is the first consensus All-American to ever play at Boise State. … Next year’s Utah State football team will be different in a lot of ways. … Fresno State has been a willing participant in portal recruiting. … San Diego State may have found its quarterback there yesterday. … Colorado State filled a position of need. … In basketball news, the Oregon women found a way to get past visiting UC Irvine last night. … Oregon State rolled in Maui. … Dana Altman is all in with junior college players becoming outside the NCAA’s control. Oregon has always mined the JC ranks.

Gonzaga: Did you know after 11 games last season, the Bulldogs were 8-3. That’s their record this year as well. Theo Lawson shares that tidbit in this story assessing how the Zags feel about their start. … Every time Bill Raferty broadcasts a GU game, the venerable analyst insists Mark Few belongs in the basketball Hall of Fame. His voice has been heard to some degree. Few is a first-time finalist for the 2025 class. Jim Meehan has that coverage. … The women’s tough season continues, as for the first time in seven years they lost their WCC opener. Greg Lee has the story of the 73-58 rout at USF.

Idaho: We mentioned this earlier this week. Jason Eck’s bank account was the real winner in his move to New Mexico. … Elsewhere in the Big Sky, we mentioned Montana State’s FCS semifinal above. The links we want to pass along are here, though. … Just who will return for Montana? … The Griz have also plucked a transfer quarterback from the portal. … An Idaho State defensive lineman decided to leave Pocatello. … Sacramento State may have settled on its new coach but the Hornets have yet to lock in UNLV’s offensive coordinator Brennan Marion. … In basketball news, Montana’s women were overwhelmed at Michigan State. … Montana State is off to a great start. … The Idaho State men faded down the stretch in a home loss to Utah Valley.  

Preps: A busy week in high school basketball rolled on last night with the granddaddy of all the spirit games in the Arena. Dave Nichols was there for a clean sweep by Lewis and Clark, both basketball games and the Tigers took home Chuck. … Colin Mulvany was also there and has a photo gallery. … Dave passes along a roundup as well.

Chiefs: The Boston Bruins waved former Spokane star Tyler Johnson on Thursday in what may mark the end of his long NHL career.

Seahawks: If you are wondering if the Hawks are better than last year, the numbers would say they are. Slightly. … It seems Geno Smith and Kenneth Walker III will play Sunday. … NFL players’ homes have been targets of break-ins while they play. … Tyler Lockett has to focus on the present even though his future is not clear. … Tyrice Knight is an overnight success years in the making.

Kraken: The moves meant to improve the offense need time to make an impact, as last night’s 3-1 loss in Chicago made clear.

Sounders: Seattle has a busy 2025 schedule.

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• We are right on time today. Early even. The dog seems to be settling in to our new world order and bugged me a lot less this morning. Resting up, I’m sure, for the weekend CFP games. Until later …