A Grip on Sports: We get a breather from college football’s upsets this weekend, a gap filled by hoops and a few key NFL games
A GRIP ON SPORTS • It’s been a long time, and about 60 degrees of temperature, since a weekend has popped up and the main focus isn’t on college football. But that’s the case today. Welcome to the real start of winter.
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• James Naismith was one smart dude, though I’m pretty sure no one called him a dude in 1891. He was a teacher. And he needed a way to keep his physical education students active when the snows of Massachusetts shut down the outside world.
His solution? Hang a couple peach baskets, grab a ball, a broom handle (to knock the ball out), a whistle and, voila, basketball.
The game has evolved, sure. Just check out the NBA’s TV ratings to prove that. But it is the perfect winter sport, even more so than ice hockey. Mainly because lacing up skates – and staying upright on them – is a lot harder than slipping into a pair of Jordans.
It is hoops that has our attention this weekend. And will dominate our TVs.
Thankfully, for the first weekend of 2025 – wonder how long it will take me to stop writing 2024 on the checks I still write – the powers that be in college basketball are giving us some great matchups.
It starts with four men’s games Saturday pitting schools both ranked in the Associated Press’ top 25. The best of which? No. 6 Florida, led by former USF head coach Todd Golden, at No. 11 Kentucky, coached by former BYU head man Mark Pope. The game highlighting the two West Coast Conference ex-patriots tips at 8 a.m. on ESPN. The other three? Top-ranked Tennessee hosting No. 23 Arkansas (10 a.m., ESPN); No. 25 Baylor at No. 3 Iowa State (11 a.m., CBS); and No. 12 Oklahoma at fifth-ranked Alabama (3 p.m., SEC Network).
That’s not all, of course. There are eight other games between now and Sunday night which feature one ranked team, including our pick for an upset, No. 15 UCLA at Nebraska (11 a.m. Saturday, Fox).
Don’t discount the women’s games either, with top-ranked UCLA (13-0) at Indiana (9 a.m., Fox) leading off Saturday’s coverage. There is also a trio of top 25 matchups Sunday, with No. 3 Notre Dame traveling to No. 17 North Carolina (10 a.m., ESPN), No. 9 Oklahoma visiting No. 15 Tennessee (noon, ESPN) and eighth-ranked Maryland headed to No. 23 Iowa (3 p.m., Big Ten Network).
• The NFL finishes up its regular season this week as well, though the Seahawks’ visit to Los Angeles (1:25 p.m. Sunday, Fox) means, well, nothing. The Rams have already clinched the NFC West and the Hawks will miss the playoffs for the second consecutive season.
However, there are a few games with playoff implications. If Baltimore defeats visiting Cleveland on Saturday (1 p.m., ABC), then Pittsburgh, already assured a wild card, can’t win the AFC North. And the Steelers’ opponent, Cincinnati (5, ABC) stays alive for a wild card spot with a win.
The best game Sunday is the final one, as 14-2 Detroit host 14-2 Minnesota (5:20, NBC) with the NFC’s bye on the line. Other than the Hawks’ game, every Sunday game televised in our area has a playoff berth in play.
• If warm climes are important to you, can I interest you in this weekend’s PGA tournament? Yep, real golf is back, with Hawaii as the backdrop as it always is in January. The Sentry, which is the PGA’s tournament of champions, is on NBC Saturday (1 p.m.) but on the Golf Channel the rest of the weekend.
• Due to the attack in New Orleans this week, the Sugar Bowl was played Thursday afternoon instead of Wednesday night. Which meant I missed Notre Dame’s 23-10 win over SEC champion Georgia. But it was impossible to miss the significance.
In the first year of a 12-team playoff, none of the five conference champions awarded a berth won a game. And the four quarterfinal winners – Ohio State, Penn State, Texas and the Irish – were the highest-ranked at-large schools.
The lesson here? The seeding has to be altered before next season’s playoffs, with the top four ranked teams seeded that way, regardless of conference affiliation or titles. And if the four teams receiving byes lose again – as happened this season – then expand the darn thing to 16 schools, eliminate byes and let the top eight seeds host first-round games.
In other words, level the playing field.
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WSU: The Cougar women struggled shooting Thursday night and, as a result, Santa Clara handed them their first West Coast Conference loss, 68-62. … Elsewhere in the (current, old and future) Pac-12 and the nation, Jon Wilner delves into the CFP quarterfinal games’ winners and losers in the Mercury News. … The Rust Belt still plays college football? Well, yes. … Who wins the semifinals next weekend? Ohio State, which just happens to look like the best team? Notre Dame, which is the hottest? Penn State? Texas? … Washington freshman quarterback Demond Williams Jr. changes the calculus for the Huskies after his Sun Bowl performance. That is, if he stays in Seattle after next season. That’s always the case these days, isn’t it? … It was an awful few days for Oregon, not just its football program (see the basketball section below). But the Ducks also were done in a little by the CFP format. … Is it time for Colorado to rework Deion Sanders’ contract? … Arizona State’s Cam Skattebo spoke about his stomach issues during the Peach Bowl. … Among the future Pac-12 members in the Mountain West, Utah State is being sued again by a former athletic department employee. … The Aggies’ interim head football coach took another job. … Boise State’s offensive coordinator, Dirk Koetter, retired again and this time took some shots at the NIL rules. … Here’s one last look at Colorado State’s season. … In basketball news, Washington’s men scored a huge victory, upsetting Maryland 75-69 in Seattle. It is the Huskies first Big Ten triumph. … Ninth-ranked Oregon suffered the worst home loss any top 10 team ever has, losing 109-77 to No. 22 Illinois. … Boise State’s men understand what the football team is going through.
Gonzaga: The Zags played another home game in the Spokane Memorial Arena on Thursday and, like the first one this season, they rolled. In front of 9,022, Gonzaga ran Portland out 81-51, meaning that coupled with the Bulldogs’ season-opening win over Baylor, they were 68 points to the good in the Arena this season. Jim Meehan has the game story. … Theo Lawson has the buzzer beater notebook as well as a story on Michael Ajayi, who did not start. … Colin Mulvany has the photo gallery from this one as well. … The women were in Portland, facing a Pilot team that was coming off its first loss of the season, in overtime to visiting Oregon State. Gonzaga handed Portland another defeat, this one 76-71 in regulation. Greg Lee has the coverage. … Elsewhere in the WCC, the Oregon State men fell at Loyola Marymount while the Beaver women defeated the Lions in Corvallis in another close game.
EWU: One of the conference favorites, Montana, invaded Reese Court as Big Sky play began. The Griz pulled away late to earn a 92-81 win in Cheney. Dan Thompson has the game story. … The Montana women, led by former Central Valley standout MJ Bruno, also topped the Eagles in Missoula. … Elsewhere in the Big Sky, the Montana State band has raised the money. It will be attending the FCS title game in Texas. … In basketball, Dylan Darling scored 20 second-half points and Idaho State’s men rallied for a win at Northern Arizona. … Northern Colorado topped Weber State in Greeley. … The Idaho State women lost at home to Northern Arizona. … Weber State topped Northern Colorado.
Idaho: The Vandals also opened conference play, topping visiting Montana State 69-64. Peter Harriman has the game story.
Whitworth: The Pirates begin their quest for another Northwest Conference men’s basketball title tonight at home, hosting Pacific Lutheran. Ethan Myers preview the weekend for 9-0 Whitworth, which also hosts Puget Sound on Saturday.
Preps: Not a deep slate of basketball games Thursday but Dave Nichols does have a roundup.
Chiefs: Dave also has this story on Spokane’s trip to Portland, which ended in a 5-2 defeat at the hands of the host Winterhawks.
Seahawks: After Sunday’s game is finished, Mike Macdonald will have to decide if Ryan Grubb showed enough to remain as the Hawks’ offensive coordinator. … Sorry, but the Pro Bowl selections are a joke if Leonard Williams was passed over. He was. … Geno Smith has $6 million riding on reachable bonuses Sunday.
Kraken: A wild third period led to overtime and then a shootout. The Kraken lost, though, to Vancouver, partly because one of their big guns is in a scoring slump.
Mariners: We will find out today if Korean infielder Hyeseong Kim will sign with an MLB team. If he does, the M’s are considered the favorite.
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• The holidays are about over. Christmas lights will probably disappear to some degree this weekend. The January doldrums stand ready to envelop us. Which is why we want to thank Mr. Naismith once again. In this part of the world, winter wouldn’t be the same without basketball. Until later …