Good morning, I’m Dan Gartland. I’m off for the subsequent couple of days. SI:AM will return on Monday. Get pleasure from your vacation.
In in the present day’s SI:AM:
🔎 Analyzing the CFP rankings
😡 A rivalry renewed
🏀 Big win for Kansas
Thanksgiving weekend is maybe the perfect time of yr to be a sports activities fan. You’ve bought a number of nationally televised NFL video games, the ultimate day of faculty soccer’s common season and quite a few marquee matchups in school basketball on prime of all kinds of NBA and NHL regular-season motion. The Thanksgiving Day NFL matchups could also be underwhelming this yr (please, do your self a favor and skip the backup quarterback bonanza between the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants within the late afternoon window), however there’s lots else on provide this weekend that’s worthy of your consideration. Listed here are all essentially the most compelling video games, listed chronologically and with broadcast data.
No. 4 South Carolina Gamecocks vs. No. 15 Iowa State Cyclones (girls’s basketball, 1:30 p.m. ET Thursday on Fox)
South Carolina will look to bounce again in opposition to a great Iowa State group after having its 43-game winning streak snapped on Sunday in opposition to the UCLA Bruins. The sport might be performed in Fort Myers, Fla., as a part of the Fort Myers Tip-Off occasion.
The Cyclones, who reached the second spherical of the NCAA match final season, match up nicely in opposition to South Carolina. They’re led by 6′ 3″ sophomore heart Audi Crooks, a really bodily participant who bullies opponents within the low publish. That might be a problem for the Gamecocks, who’re nonetheless determining the right way to defend on the inside now that Kamilla Cardoso has graduated and gone on to the WNBA. South Carolina managed to include UCLA’s star ahead Lauren Betts in Sunday’s loss, however the remainder of the Bruins took benefit of the concentrate on stopping Betts.
Crooks had her method in opposition to the Drake Bulldogs in an 80–78 win on Sunday, scoring 33 factors on 15-of-25 capturing, however she isn’t the one participant South Carolina wants to fret about stopping. Sophomore ahead Addy Brown is averaging 16.2 factors per sport and is sixth within the Massive 12 with 8.7 rebounds per sport, and fifth-year senior Emily Ryan leads the nation with 9.0 assists per sport.
The sport marks the start of a tough closing three weeks of the nonconference slate for Iowa State, who will even play the No. 22 Iowa Hawkeyes (on the highway on Dec. 11) and No. 2 UConn Huskies (at dwelling on Dec. 17) earlier than tipping off Massive 12 play in opposition to the 6–0 Oklahoma State Cowgirls on Dec. 21.
Winnipeg Jets at Vegas Golden Knights (8:30 p.m. ET Friday on ESPN+)
The NHL is attempting to show Black Friday into what Thanksgiving is for the NFL. This yr, 28 of the league’s 32 groups might be in motion on the day after the vacation, together with a matchup that options two of the highest groups within the Western Convention.
The Jets bought off to a historic begin, successful 15 of their first 16 video games however have cooled off a little bit of late and are 3–3 over their final six. The Golden Knights have received three straight and are presently third within the West (tied on factors with the Minnesota Wild however with extra regulation losses).
Sparks may fly on this one, because it pits the highest offense within the league (Winnipeg) and the No. 2 scoring group (Vegas). And with the Golden Knights’ suspect protection (ranked twentieth in targets allowed), it might be a high-scoring affair.
Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder at Los Angeles Lakers (10 p.m. ET Friday on ESPN)
It’s tempting to have a look at this as a compelling matchup between the previous and way forward for the NBA, however each groups are lots related to the current of the league.
The Lakers could also be led by the NBA’s oldest lively participant (the practically 40-year-old LeBron James) and coached by a man who’d by no means coached aggressive basketball earlier than (JJ Redick) however they’re off to a solid start (10–7) after bowing out within the first spherical of the playoffs final season.
The Thunder opened the season wanting like title contenders after successful eight of their first 9 and out-scoring opponents by 15.4 factors per sport. However then star heart Chet Holmgren went down with a fractured hip. OKC is 5–3 since he bought harm (together with the loss to the Golden State Warriors during which he solely performed 5 minutes earlier than leaving with the damage). Holmgren remains to be on crutches and it’ll be some time earlier than he’s again on the court docket, though the group did say it expects him to have the ability to return this season. Meaning the subsequent few months might be about his teammates discovering methods to remain afloat whereas ready for him to come back again. Fortuitously, they will lean on the elite scoring duo of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams to hold the offense. In addition they bought an enormous increase with the debut of heart Isaiah Hartenstein, who missed the primary 15 video games of the season with a damaged hand.
Discover. FanSided Rivalry Week. FanSided’s 2024 School Soccer Rivalry Week Breakdown. darkish
Massive 12 soccer chaos (Friday and Saturday, verify your native listings)
Whereas most different school soccer conferences have a good suggestion of who might be of their title video games, the Massive 12 championship situations appear like Charlie Kelly’s bulletin board. The Arizona State Solar Devils, BYU Cougars, Colorado Buffaloes and Iowa State Cyclones are all tied atop the standings at 6–2. If all 4 groups win this weekend and stay tied, the 2 title sport spots would go to the Solar Devils and Cyclones. However there are additionally 5 groups with 5–3 convention information, solely two of whom are taking part in one another this weekend (the Baylor Bears and West Virginia Mountaineers). That implies that it’s potential we may have an eight-way tie for first within the convention at 6–3. The Massive 12 instructed CBS Sports activities that because it stands now, there are over 250 possible combinations of convention title sport contributors. The ultimate day of the common season may end in full anarchy.
No. 3 Texas Longhorns at No. 20 Texas A&M Aggies (7:30 p.m. ET Saturday on ABC)
The convention championship outlook is a complete lot clearer within the SEC, the place the Georgia Bulldogs have already clinched a fourth straight journey. The opposite spot will go to both Texas or Texas A&M. This would be the first assembly between the Longhorns and Aggies since 2011. And if the renewal of this basic rivalry wasn’t compelling sufficient, it now comes with the added stress of the winner incomes a spot within the convention title sport.
The Longhorns may nonetheless earn a spot within the 12-team School Soccer Playoff even when they lose, however the Aggies’ solely reasonable path to the Playoff begins with beating Texas. Even then, they’d most likely have to additionally knock off Georgia for the SEC’s automated bid in the event that they need to get in.
Final week’s loss in quadruple extra time to the Auburn Tigers was a catastrophe for A&M. Will the Aggies have the ability to get again on monitor in a pressure-packed sport in opposition to a extra proficient rival?
Arizona Cardinals at Minnesota Vikings (1 p.m. ET Sunday on Fox)
The Cardinals’ 16–6 loss final weekend to the Seattle Seahawks knocked them out of first place within the NFC West and so they’re at risk of shedding extra floor in a decent division race as they journey to face the 9–2 Vikings. A win right here could be equally vital for Minnesota, which is in search of to maintain tempo with the ten–1 Detroit Lions atop the NFC North.
Baltimore Ravens at Philadelphia Eagles (4:25 p.m. ET Sunday on CBS)
This can be a assembly of two groups which were steadily making a case that they need to be thought of the perfect of their respective conferences. Philadelphia has received seven in a row, whereas Baltimore has received 10 of its final 12. Neither group is elite sufficient you could comfortably name this a possible Tremendous Bowl preview, however they’re two excellent groups peaking on the proper time.
The actual purpose to look at, although, is to see what Eagles working again Saquon Barkley does. Not solely is Barkley main the league in speeding, he’s doing it with aptitude. He broke off two landing runs in Sunday evening’s win over the Los Angeles Rams that have been in extra of 70 yards. Each time he will get the ball, it’s best to cease no matter you’re doing and watch.
Boston Celtics at Cleveland Cavaliers (6 p.m. ET Sunday on NBA TV)
The Cavaliers may have a possibility to actual revenge on the Celtics after Boston snapped Cleveland’s 15-game season-opening win streak final week. These two have the perfect information within the NBA, with the Cavs now at 17–1 and the Celtics at 15–3, and this might very nicely be a playoff preview.
Final week’s sport was a great one. The Celtics stretched their result in as many as 21 factors within the third quarter earlier than Cleveland closed the quarter on a 30–14 run to chop the deficit to 5. Boston went on to win by simply three factors. It’s actually fairly unimaginable that the Cavs have been in a position to maintain it so shut when one in all their key gamers—level guard Darius Garland—had such a horrible evening. He scored simply eight factors on 3-of-21 capturing. Don’t count on him to be that ineffective on Sunday. However the Celtics will even be a special group. They simply bought heart Kristaps Porziņģis again from a leg damage that saved him out from the primary 17 video games of the season.
… issues I noticed final evening:
5. Alex Newhook’s consciousness to pounce on a loose puck close to the web and bang it dwelling for the Canadiens.
4. A really tough bucket by Austin Reaves.
3. Alperen Şengün’s “too small” taunt on Rudy Gobert.
2. A powerful dunk by Duke star freshman Cooper Flagg.
1. Bryce Eaton’s buzzer beater to carry Saint Peter’s over Fairleigh Dickinson in a matchup of current North Jersey March Insanity Cinderellas.
