Getting Ready For All The Football Games

You are not going to the mall. You are not going to get trampled by bargain-crazed mobs or hold the missus’ purse while she tries on gowns at Alma’s World of Elastic.

You just aren’t. You are going to put your heiner in the recliner, settle back with a plate of leftovers and a cold beverage, and you are going to watch football. If pressed, just say I told you to. This is downtime. You’ve earned it.

So pick and choose from the afternoon offerings, but Friday night do not miss No. 6 Oklahoma (10-1) at No. 9 West Virginia on ESPN at 8 p.m. ET. The Sooners still have a shot at squeezing into that top four for the College Football Playoffs while West Virginia’s loss to Oklahoma State pretty much dented the Mountaineers’ hopes.

Saturday is even more lovely. No. 4 Michigan (10-1) and No. 10 Ohio State (10-1) meet for the Big Ten East championship. OSU is an underdog at home for the first time since the Pleistocene Era. Noon, Fox.

As we always like to include a matchup to Top 20 teams, let us add No. 23 Utah State (10-1) at No. 25 Boise State (9-2). Anyone who can name anyone on either team is eligible for a free turkey leg in our next drawing. ESPN, 10:15 p.m.

NFL-wise, please check local listing for your home team on Sunday. One we like here is the Indianapolis Colts (5-5) hosting the Miami Dolphins (5-5). The Dolphins started fast and faded but QB Ryan Tannehill returns for the Fins; the Colts have won four straight. Nearly everyone in the AFC is 5-5 and in contention for a wild card. 4:25 p.m., CBS.

Somebody’s going to be wading in deep yogurt in the NFC Central Division and we will know who it is after the Green Bay Packers (4-5-1) play the Minnesota Vikings (5-4-1) at 8:20 p.m. on NBC. The Vikings come off a complete beating by the Chicago Bears while the Packers lost a close one to the Seattle Seahawks.

Don’t go shopping. Do your part for the retail economy by staying home and watching ads.

 
 
Post By: Larry Weisman, a longtime sportswriter for USA TODAY, blogs for Twistity.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrLarryWeisman