Getting Ready For An Action-Packed Weekend Of Sports

NASCAR’s seemingly endless season finally reaches its conclusion Sunday with the crowning of a champion. We can barely contain ourselves.

Joey Logano, Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr. and Kevin Harvick are the Championship Four drivers who can win the title; Truex is the defending champ.

The grand finale is at Homestead-Miami in what is formally called the NASCAR Monster Cup Energy Series Ford EcoBoost 400 (and Dinner Dance … nah, made that last part up). NBC shows the race at 3 p.m. ET.

As always, we look for matchups of ranked teams as we get closer to the selection of four finalists for the College Football Playoffs. A key one to start your Saturday viewing fest is No. 3 Notre Dame (10-0) at home against No. 12 Syracuse (8-2). The Orange can be dangerous. NBC’s got this one at 2:30.

Figure out how the remote works, because you will need picture-in-picture at 8 p.m. No. 24 Cincinnati (9-1) meets No. 11 UCF (9-0), which has won 22 consecutive games and considers itself the uncrowned champion of college football. While this plays out on ABC, the Longhorn Network carries No. 16 Iowa State (6-3) against No. 15 Texas (7-3). ISU has become one of those long shot darlings while the Longhorns have been slipping and sliding of late.

As always, check local listings for the team in your area when the NFL pops in to visit on Sunday. Beyond that, we’ve got two solid offerings.

If the Philadelphia Eagles (4-5) are going to come alive, what better time than against the NFL’s hottest team, the New Orleans Saints (8-1), winners of their last eight? Fox, 4:25 p.m. In the evening, there’s an NFC Central clash between the Minnesota Vikings (5-3-1) and the Chicago Bears (6-3). Are the Bears playing over their heads or are they for real? Good test here for both, and NBC has it at 8:20 p.m.

Let your heiner and your recliner meld. You will need your strength for the holiday week ahead.

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