Friday, November 29, 2024

NFL Week 13

Here are the top ten teams in the NFL, according to ESPN:

1.  Detroit:  10-1
2.  Kansas City:  10-1
3.  Philadelphia:  9-2
4.  Buffalo:  9-2
5.  Minnesota:  9-2
6.  Green Bay:  8-3
7.  Pittsburgh:  8-3
8.  Baltimore:  8-4
9.  San Diego:  7-4
10.  Denver:  7-5

No byes this week, but not that many great matchups either.  The Game of the Week is the 3:25 Central game on Sunday with the Number-3 Eagles hosting the Number-8 Ravens.  That should be a cracker.  There are also reports that the Sunday night game (49ers at Bills) could feature snow.

For a college football fan like me, this weekend -- in which most college football teams are playing their final game of the regular season -- is the end of the true football season.  Of course, we still have a lot of playoffs ahead of us -- and the NFL has five weeks left in its regular season.  But this is the last weekend where you can go to a high school game on Friday night (the KHSAA semi-finals are this weekend), watch college games all day Saturday, and watch pro games all day Sunday.  I have enjoyed this season enormously -- as I have enjoyed almost every football season since 1971 -- and I am looking forward to the weekend.

144 comments:

  1. Tonight's KHSAA semi-finals feature two games in which teams from Eastern Kentucky have traversed the Commonwealth. In Class 3A, Union County will host Belfry. In Class 4A, Paducah Tilghman will host Corbin.

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  2. Eric, which drive is better: Belfry to Union Co., or Corbin to Tilghman?

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    1. This is very nice of you to ask.

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    2. So, as you can see from the links embedded in those comments, they are really quite different trips, both of which would be wonderful in their own ways. I would choose based on weather if I had all of the time in the world to do either. If it was a clear, sunny day, I'd go the southern-Kentucky route because there is nowhere prettier for my money than southern Kentucky and precisely southwestern Kentucky on a clear, sunny day. However, if it was cold and overcast, I'm going the northern-Kentucky route because there's nothing homier for me than finding pork-tenderloin sandwiches in river-town taverns on cold, gray days.

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  3. So we begin in Boise, Idaho, where the Boise State Broncos (10-1) are likely on their way to the playoff. It's 27 degrees, it's 10 o'clock in the morning (Mountain time), and the Broncos are about to host the Oregon State Beavers (5-6) on their blue field.

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  4. Spare a thought for the Beavers, who should be getting ready to host the Number-One team in the nation -- Oregon -- in their annual Civil War. Instead, Oregon crushed Oregon State 49-14 back in September, and now the Beavers are in Idaho.

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  5. Boise State takes an early 7-0 lead. Meanwhile, I have started listening to the Firestone Christmas albums from the 1960's. I particularly recommend Volumes 4, 5, and 6.

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  6. I have switched to a meaningless game (Minnesota at Wisconsin) because I don't want to watch the blue field.

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  7. The Chicago Bears have fired Coach Matt Eberflus. It looks as though the Giants are going to fire everyone. It's interesting to realize that the two teams I watched on "Hard Knocks" over the summer turned out to be a pair of train wrecks.

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  8. I'm not surprised about the Giants -- their "Hard Knocks" had real Dunder-Mifflin energy, and it was hard to see them succeeding. But I liked the Bears and their coaching staff, and thought they might make a run.

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  9. I'm now listening to "The Sounds of Christmas" by Fred Waring and the Pennsylvanians. This is a great album, with an excellent version of "Rise Up Shepherds."

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    1. As best as I can tell, this album was released in 1959.

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  10. I never get enough of "Rise Up Shepherds" and "Children, Go Where I Send Thee." And they are back-to-back on this Fred Waring album.

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  11. I miss the 20th Century every day, but I miss it the most during Christmas time.

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  12. Now they're doing "I Wonder as I Wander." That's another song I think should get more attention.

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    1. Hang out with the Disciples ministers coming out of Vanderbilt in the 1990s, and you'll get all the "I Wonder as I Wander" as you can stand.

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  13. Fred Waring's big ending is built around "O Holy Night." I have two Fred Waring albums, and they both build up to "O Holy Night," which seems to have been the alpha Christmas song in the 1950's.

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  14. Mario Lanza also has a version of "O Holy Night" -- also from the 1950's -- that will knock your socks off.

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  15. By the way, the U.C.F.C. will not be in the playoffs this year. The U.C.F.C. went from Michigan (the defending national champs) to Texas, then from Texas to Georgia, then from Georgia to Ole Miss, and then from Ole Miss to Florida. Florida certainly won't be going to the playoffs.

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  16. Finals from College Football:

    (11) Boise St. 34 - 18 Oregon St.
    Colorado 52 - 0 Oklahoma St.
    Wisconsin 7 - 24 Minnesota
    E. Carolina 20 - 34 Navy

    The Naval Academy is 8-3 going into its Big Game with Army. Great year for the Mids!

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  17. Now I'm listening to Fred Waring's "The Meaning of Christmas."

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  18. As of right now, Ken Pomeroy has UK (6-0) ranked number 13 in the country in men's college basketball. UK ranks 136th in luck. Arkansas (52) is ranked 42d, and is number 206 in luck.

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    1. We're all cray-cray in Kentucky for Coach Pope right now.

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    2. After the Clemson game, UK is number 11 on Ken Pom, but number 261 in luck. Arkansas is number 41 on Ken Pom, and number 141 in luck.

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    3. Kansas is number 6 overall, and number 58 in luck.

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  19. On the other hand, UK is ranked fifth in the Classic SEC, behind Auburn (number 1), Tennessee (number 2), Alabama (number 7), and Florida (Number 11). The top five teams in the Classic SEC have a combined record of 33-1, with wins over Houston (twice), Iowa St., N. Carolina, Louisville, Baylor, Illinois, and Duke.

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  20. Meanwhile, the Classic SEC is struggling in football. As of now, it looks like only Georgia and Tennessee will make the playoffs -- and neither would make the playoffs if the playoffs included only four teams instead of 12.

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  21. Now we have "The Song of Christmas" from Fred Waring and the Pennsylvanians. You see, there's an album called "The Meaning of Christmas." On Side A, you get a medley of songs covering a whole bunch of secular things that Christmas means to most people -- toys, snow, sleighs, reindeer, Santa Claus, even the wassail bowl. But then on Side B, Fred Waring tells us that for all people of good will, Christmas means Christ. And then the Pennsylvanians do a medley of religious Christmas songs. This medley builds up to "O Holy Night," as you would expect, and it's a humdinger.

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    1. I don't know this album, but I love all of both sides.

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  22. I think this album was released in 1961.

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  23. In my opinion, the modern American Christmas was effectively invented between 1947 (Miracle on 34th Street) and 1970 (Santa Claus is Comin' to Town TV special).

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    1. I'm so glad they had it mostly ready by the time I was invented in 1968.

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  24. In 1982, George Winston released "December," and in 1984, Mannheim Steamroller released its legendary Christmas album. I think those are the two most significant additions to the Christmas canon in my lifetime.

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  25. Now I'm listening to the Mannheim Steamroller album. Sometimes I save all these albums until later in the season, but this year I've decided to start with a bang.

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  26. Every track on this Mannheim Steamroller album is great, but I am particularly fond of their version of "We Three Kings." That song doesn't normally get the credit it deserves. Mario Lanza has a great version of this song as well.

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  27. Of course, the real masterpiece on this album is their two-part rendition of "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen," which is not only the best version of that carol, but one of the best versions of any Christmas carol ever performed.

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  28. In every December from 1984 through 1990 -- seven Decembers in a row -- I was either taking final exams or preparing for final exams. The result was levels of stress that I have never experienced at any other time in my career. And then there would come a point where I would leave school, put my stuff in the car, and head back to Kentucky. At some point during this trip, I would listen to this version of "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen." And for me, that was the one thing that could distract me from worrying about finals and help me focus on Christmas, and home. Thank you, Mannheim Steamroller.

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    1. This is excellent.

      My daughter had her first college finals week, and it kicked off with a chem at 8 a.m. yesterday, followed by a trig. She studied in the backseat of the car on the way to Thanksgiving in Bowling Green, in the kitchen Friday morning while she baked pumpkin cookies before Thanksgiving at our house in Madisonville, until after midnight Saturday night ... poor thing. It looked rough.

      Anyway, I'm hopeful she finds her own version of your Mannheim Steamroller practice, and I can't wait to see her again Thursday.

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  29. Gen-X people sometimes exaggerate how great things were in the 1980's. But after you got home from college, and you didn't have to worry about school for several weeks, and you could sit on the couch and watch Pat Summerall and John Madden call NFL games, and CBS would play Mannheim Steamroller Christmas music during the commercial breaks, and the next day you could go shopping at the mall -- these were really fantastic times to anyone who had lived through the 1970's, and there isn't anything exactly like it now. And it's not just because we were young then -- it's because most of the grownups really did believe that things were getting better in a way that, as it turns out, is quite rare in American history.

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  30. Anyway, it's interesting to compare Fred Waring and Mannheim Steamroller. Fred Waring ends his Christmas albums with a bang -- usually it's that big rendition of "O Holy Night." You can imagine him ending his show the same way, and the audience knowing that they've had a treat.

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  31. Now the big ending on the Mannheim Steamroller album is obviously "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen." That's the one to leave them dancing in the aisles. But then Chip Davis ends the album with a very quiet version of "Silent Night" (in his 1980's liberal arts way, he calls it "Stille Nacht.") In other words, while Fred Waring ends his album on a bang, Chip Davis leaves you with a peaceful encore at the end -- much like Natalie Merchant would encore with "Verdi Cries." It's extremely satisfying, which is one of the reasons that album was such a monster hit.

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  32. At halftime of the Egg Bowl, Ole Miss leads Mississippi State 17 to 14. This game should always be played on Thanksgiving night.

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  33. In Kansas City, Taylor Swift's favorite team edges the Raiders 19 to 17 in one of the strangest endings that long rivalry has ever seen.

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  34. Meanwhile, Ole Miss leads the Egg Bowl 20-14 with 4 minutes left in the 3d quarter.

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  35. Ole Miss wins the Egg Bowl 26 to 14. The Rebels finish 9-3 overall and 5-3 in the SEC. The Bulldogs finish 2-10 overall and 0-8 in the SEC.

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    1. My brother-in-law, a Mississippi native and Ole Miss grad who is married to a UK fan, is mad that the Wildcats ruined both of their football seasons.

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  36. Now we head to Athens, Georgia for the Georgia-Georgia Tech game.

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  37. Georgia has won 30 home games in a row.

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  38. For the record, a lot of folks made fun of Deion Sanders in the offseason. But this year he went 9-3 overall, and 7-2 in the Big XII.

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  39. Wisconsin had been to bowl games 22 years in a row. Oklahoma St. had gone 18 years in a row. This year, neither of them will play in a bowl game.

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  40. One interesting development I've noticed this year is that I genuinely do not care as much about the S.E.C. versus the other conferences any more. The S.E.C. I rooted for no longer exists, and I can't trick myself into thinking otherwise. All things considered, therefore, I would just as soon have Georgia Tech win this game over Georgia.

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  41. Whatever argument we S.E.C. fans were having with the rest of the country prior to this season was effectively won, and we are now living in a different era. So it doesn't make any sense to keep fighting the same old battles.

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  42. Tonight, KenPom expected Kentucky to beat Georgia State 90 to 66 in men's basketball. That's a 24-point margin. The Cats actually won by 29; the final score was 105 to 76. UK scored 105 points despite going only 7-26 from 3-point range.

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  43. This concludes the warmup phase of the season for UK. They are 7-0 for the first time since the 2016-17 season. But now it gets very tough: their next two games are at Clemson and against Gonzaga in Seattle.

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  44. Meanwhile, in Athens, Georgia Tech leads 17-0 at the half. I'm not sure Georgia has ever trailed Georgia Tech by 17 points in Athens since I've been alive.

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  45. Georgia has already clinched a spot in the S.E.C. Championship, so even if they lose tonight, I think they can guarantee a spot in the playoffs by winning the S.E.C. title.

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  46. In seven games this season, Mark Pope's UK Wildcats have scored at least 100 points on four different occasions.

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    1. The Cats are playing at the fourth-fastest tempo in the country.

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  47. Meanwhile, we are starting to get finals in the KHSAA Semi-Finals (home teams listed first):

    Class 6A:
    Ryle 35 - 7 Great Crossing

    Class 4A:
    Franklin Co. 14 - 10 Cov. Catholic

    Class 1A:
    Sayre 35 - 14 Campbellsville

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  48. Class 1A:
    Kentucky Country Day 0 - 14 Raceland

    1A Final (at 11 A.M. Central in Lexington on December 6):
    Raceland v. Sayre

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  49. Class 6A:
    Lou. Trinity 17 - 0 Lex. Frederick Douglass

    Class 3A:
    Christian Academy-Louisville 50 - 14 Lex. Catholic

    6A Final (at 3 P.M. Central in Lexington on December 7):
    Ryle v. Lou. Trinity

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  50. With 9:53 left in the 3d quarter, Georgia scores to make the score 17-6 for Tech. The Dawgs go for two but do not make it.

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  51. Class 5A:
    Cooper 61 - 23 Ft. Thomas Highlands

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  52. With 14:17 left in the 4th quarter, Georgia Tech kicks a field goal to go up 20 to 6.

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  53. Class 3A:
    Union Co. 43 - 21 Belfry

    Class 2A:
    Beechwood 44 - 24 Lex. Christian

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    1. I saw a woman in a fantastic Union County Braves sweatshirt on Saturday, and I figured that meant they had won their game.

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    2. Actually, though, then I did have a second thought that maybe it meant the Braves lost. On the Monday after UAB upset UK in the 1981 NCAA tournament, I wore a UK T-shirt to Heath Middle School to indicate my unwavering support for the Wildcats. This was admiringly noted by a girl on whom I had a crush on at the time, and I spent pretty much the rest of the school day wondering how many children we were going to have and how we would figure out when to go Thanksgivings with her family vs. mine.

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  54. Class 3A Final (at 11 A.M. Central in Lexington on December 7):
    Christian Academy-Louisville v. Union Co.

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  55. Georgia drives the length of the field and scores to make it Jackets 20, Dawgs 13. There are 8 minutes and 18 seconds left in the game. If the Jackets do not score on their next possession, you really have to like Georgia's chances.

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  56. Class 2A:
    Owensboro Catholic 27 - 14 Somerset

    Class 2A Final (at 3 P.M. Central in Lexington on December 6):
    Owensboro Catholic v. Beechwood

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  57. But the Jackets do score! They go 75 yards on six plays, as their running game has simply worn down the UGA defense. Check out these numbers from Tech QB Haynes King:

    21 of 28, 239 yards and 1 TD
    20 carries for 103 yards and 2 TD's

    Tech has 464 total yards to 267 for the Dawgs.

    Tech leads 27-13 with 5:37 left in the game.

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  58. There has been nothing subtle about Tech's game plan -- they have simply hammered UGA's defensive line all night, which has allowed them to dominate yardage and time of possession. So far, Tech has had the ball for 34 1/2 minutes, compared to just under 20 minutes for UGA.

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  59. But UGA isn't finished! They race down the field and score in less than two minutes. I think they've scored a touchdown every time they've had the ball in the second half. Tech leads 27 to 20 with 3:33 left in the game.

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  60. On 1st and 10, Tech is called for a false start. So they will have 1st and 15 from their own 17 yard line. The UGA fans can feel it now.

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  61. In the game of the day, Bowling Green holds off South Warren 31 to 28.

    5A Final (at 7 P.M. Central in Lexington on December 7):
    Cooper v. Bowling Green

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  62. On 3d and 1, Tech goes to the well once too often. They send King up the middle for the umpteenth time, and this time he fumbles. Georgia takes over at the Tech 31 with 2 minutes left, and it surely won't be long before they score again.

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  63. And finally, we have the results from the Jackson Purchase, where Paducah Tilghman crushes Corbin 31 to 14.

    4A Final (at 7 P.M. Central in Lexington on December 6):
    Franklin Co. v. Paducah Tilghman

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  64. On 2d and 7, Tech is called for pass interference. So UGA has a first down at the Tech 14 with 1:54 left.

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  65. On first down, Georgia's QB scrambles for 1 yard. On second down, Tech bats down his pass. UGA now faces 3d and 9 on the Tech 13 with 1:13 left.

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  66. On 3d down, the UGA QB scrambles for ten yards and a first down at the 3.

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  67. And on the next play, UGA throws a touchdown pass. If they hadn't gone for two a long time ago, the Dawgs could now take the lead by kicking the extra point. But instead, they tie the game at 27 to 27 with 1:01 left.

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  68. This is surely Tech's last chance -- their defense is done, and they will have no chance of stopping UGA in overtime.

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  69. ABC tells us that in both 1978 and 2013, Tech led UGA 20-0 at the half and lost both times.

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  70. Tech doesn't see it the way I do, because they are running out the clock. They spend 36 seconds to run two plays, and they are at their own 45 with 25 seconds left.

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  71. Two incomplete passes later, Tech is at its own 45 with 13 seconds left.

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  72. A nine-yard pass take the ball to the UGA 46 with 7 seconds left. 4th down and 1.

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  73. Tech is in an interesting position here. If they go for it and don't make it, UGA (which has two timeouts) would have a chance to get into field goal range and score themselves. On the other hand, I think Tech is doomed if this game goes to OT.

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  74. For the record, I have a policy of not watching overtime in college football unless the teams are in a playoff for the national championship or are playing for the U.C.F.C. So I'm done after this drive.

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  75. Tech goes for it, but their pass is knocked down at the line of scrimmage. UGA takes over with 4 seconds left.

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  76. Kirby Smart takes his last time out, so he's giving up on the field goal. He will either throw a Hail Mary or take a knee.

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  77. He goes for the Hail Mary, but a Tech player forces a fumble. UGA falls on the fumble, and that's it: 27-all in regulation.

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  78. Of course, Georgia won that game, 44 to 42 in eight overtimes. Now Texas A & M is hosting Texas to see who will meet Georgia for the SEC title. So far it's been all Longhorns, as Texas leads 17-0 at the half.

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  79. The Big 10 title game will feature Oregon and Penn State, as Ohio State lost at home to Michigan, 13 to 10.

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  80. The ACC title game will be Clemson versus S.M.U., as Miami's loss to Syracuse today knocked them out of the running.

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  81. The Big XII title game depends on a bunch of complicated scenarios, all of which turn on what happens tonight with Iowa State/Kansas State and BYU/Houston. BYU doesn't kick off until 9:15 Central, while Iowa State is leading K-State 24-14 at the half.

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  82. In Bowling Green today, Western Kentucky kicked a field goal on the last play of the game to beat Jacksonville State 19 to 17. That means that Western and Jacksonville State will meet again next week -- in Jacksonville, Alabama -- for the C-USA championship. Jacksonville State went 7-1 in conference, while Western went 6-2. The Hilltoppers tied with Sam Houston State, who also went 6-2, but Western won the tiebreaker by beating Sam Houston 31-14 back on October 16.

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    1. It was amazing. That kicker, Lucas Carneiro, has been fantastic for us all season. He already had a 50-yarder earlier in the game, one of four field goals he kicked. He now has the program record for consecutive made field goals. He made the game winner at 6:35 Saturday evening, and I pretty much immediately posted "WKU" on Facebook. It had "likes" from seven other WKU grads within seconds, and I was thrilled to have shared the experience with them.

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  83. Vandy lost to Tennessee and finished 6-6. Kentucky got annihilated at home by U of L and finished 4-8.

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  84. The NCAA college football playoff will begin on Friday, December 20 at 7 P.M. Central. There will be one first round game played Friday night, and then three more first round games will take place on Saturday, December 21 -- at 11 A.M. Central, 3 P.M. Central, and 7 P.M. Central.

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  85. The winners of the first round games will advance to the quarterfinals, where they will meet the top four seeds. There will be four quarterfinal games:

    12/31: Fiesta Bowl
    1/1: Peach Bowl
    1/1: Rose Bowl
    1/1: Sugar Bowl

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  86. The winners of the quarterfinals will advance to the semi-finals:

    1/9: Orange Bowl
    1/10: Cotton Bowl

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  87. The Championship game will be played on Monday, January 20, at 6:30 P.M. Central Time at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

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  88. I'm very excited about the first round games and the quarterfinal games, and I imagine that I will manage to watch the semi-finals and final as well.

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  89. Meanwhile, the UK men's basketball team remains at number 13 on Ken Pom. Pomeroy thinks that the Cats will finish 11-7 in the S.E.C. and 22-9 overall. As of now, there are 24 games left on UK's schedule. Pomeroy ranks 17 of them as "A" games, 3 of them as "B" games, and only 4 of them as regular games. He has UK going 7-0 in the B and regular games, and going 8-9 in the A games.

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  90. This may be the best year in the history of the Classic S.E.C. for men's basketball. As of now, Pomeroy ranks the Classic S.E.C. teams like this:

    1. Auburn: 7-0
    2. Tennessee: 7-0
    8. Florida: 8-0
    9. Alabama: 6-1
    13. Kentucky: 7-0
    28. Mississippi St: 6-1
    41. Mississippi: 6-1
    45. Georgia: 7-1
    49. Louisiana St: 6-1
    71. Vanderbilt: 7-1

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    1. Obviously, I've never seen the classic SEC with the top two rankings, or with four teams in the top ten, or with five teams in the top 15. These look like the type of rankings you would see for the Big East or the ACC back in the 1980's.

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  91. By contrast, it looks as though Georgia and Tennessee will be the only Classic SEC teams in the football playoffs, unless Alabama squeezes in thanks to Clemson's loss to South Carolina today.

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  92. Texas rolls to an easy 17-7 win over Texas A & M, so the SEC Championship game will feature Texas and Georgia.

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  93. Arizona State has clinched a spot in the Big XII Championship Game. If BYU beats Houston, the Sun Devils will play Iowa State. If BYU loses to Houston, the Sun Devils will play Colorado.

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  94. BYU beat Houston, so the Big XII Championship Game will feature Arizona State and Iowa State.

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  95. Atlanta 13 - 17 San Diego (end of 3d quarter)
    Cincinnati 21 - 27 Pittsburgh (5:30 left in 3d)
    Minnesota 6 - 19 Arizona (4:37 left in 3d)
    New England 16 - 17 Indianapolis (14:55 left in 4th)
    N.Y. Jets 21 - 16 Seattle (5:01 left in 3d)
    Washington 28 - 10 Tennessee (7:56 left in 3d)
    Jacksonville 6 - 13 Houston (8:04 left in 3d)

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  96. Atlanta 13 - 17 San Diego (F)
    Cincinnati 24 - 41 Pittsburgh (8:58 left in 4th)
    Minnesota 16 - 22 Arizona (3 minutes left in 4th)
    New England 24 - 17 Indianapolis (31 seconds left in 4th)
    N.Y. Jets 21 - 19 Seattle (5:40 left in 4th)
    Washington 35 - 13 Tennessee (8:38 left in 4th)
    Jacksonville 6 - 23 Houston (10:06 left in 4th)

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  97. With 12 seconds left, Indy scores on 4th and goal from the 2 -- and then makes a 2-point conversion to take a 25-24 lead.

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    1. I thought the game ended on this play and immediately texted my brother, a Colts fan, congratulations. I heard nothing from him, and I knew I had to be mistaken.

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  98. With 1:13 left, the Vikings score a TD to take a 23-22 lead.

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  99. On the last play of the game, New England misses a 68-yard field goal. The Colts win 25-24.

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    1. It was really close. I thought he'd hit it. And I thought I might not hear from brother until Christmas.

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  100. Minnesota intercepts Kyler Murray, and the Vikings will beat Arizona 23 to 22.

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  101. Seattle comes from behind to beat the Jets 26 to 21.

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    1. We have a couple who moved into our neighborhood four years ago or so, and I've come to learn that one is a huge Seahawks fan and one is a huge Chiefs fan. They're both from California. They're retired, and they travel to games sometimes, and they often have family in for big watch parties. I find the whole thing very curious, and I want to learn more.

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  102. OK, it's time for the late afternoon games. I'm switching off the Red Zone so I can concentrate on the Eagles and the Ravens.

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  103. Finals from the noon Central games:

    Atlanta 13 - 17 San Diego
    Cincinnati 38 - 44 Pittsburgh
    Minnesota 23 - 22 Arizona
    New England 24 - 25 Indianapolis
    N.Y. Jets 21 - 26 Seattle
    Washington 42 - 19 Tennessee
    Jacksonville 20 - 23 Houston

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  104. I think the Eagles are going back to the Super Bowl. They went to Baltimore, spotted the Ravens a 9-0 lead, and have dominated ever since. They're up 21-12 with 5:21 left in the game, and they are just too good for Baltimore.

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  105. Philly closes out Baltimore 24 to 19. They held King Henry to 82 yards on 19 carries, and right now they look like the best team in the league.

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  106. I haven't been able to use my 1980's NFL pennants today, because I had the Titans against Washington in the noon Central slot, and then of course the Ravens were playing the Eagles in the 3 PM slot. Obviously, neither the Titans nor the Ravens existed in the 1980's. But for the Sunday night game we have the Bills and the Niners, so I've gone back to the 1980's pennants.

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  107. I went to western New York State this summer, and I really liked it. But I didn't get to Buffalo -- that's still on my list.

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    1. I once got off work in Herndon, Virginia, on a Friday night and drove straight to Jamestown, New York, to check out the 10,000 Maniacs haunts. I ended up going to a Little League baseball game while I was there.

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  108. This game looks beautiful in the snow, and I feel bad for all the kids who are having to do their homework on Sunday night and don't get to see it.

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  109. The Bills really are to the 2020's what the Oakland Raiders were to the 1970's. When you see them in the regular season, it seems impossible that they would ever lose a playoff game.

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    1. Lots of 1970s Raiders love at this blog these days.

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  110. I'm now 103-89 on the season with my pre-season predictions and my Buffalo vs Detroit Super Bowl is looking pretty good. The things I got terribly wrong this season: the Eagles, Cowboys, and WFT, I thought the Eagles would be where the Cowboys are and never expected this from Washington; the Bengals, I really thought their bad defense last year was just a blip, but someone needs to figure out what happened to Lou Anarumo; I never imagined the Vikings would be this good and thought Atlanta would find some consistency they've been lacking; I keep underestimating Tampa Bay; and thought the 49ers had at least one more year in that offense; lastly, I thought the Patriots would have a solid defense and be improved on offense.

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