Seth's Saturday Watchlist: 12/6/24
There's so much sports and so little time, especially on Saturdays.
Saturdays are sacred. It's the one day of the week, especially in the fall and winter, when I am fully at peace. No work. No stress. Just sports.
During the college football season, I try to pack as many games into my viewing schedule as possible. That task is already difficult to manage, but once the chilly weather rolls around, it becomes almost impossible. The NFL, NHL, NBA, and college football all compete for my attention simultaneously. How in the world do I manage all that?
For the last several years, I've come up with a solution. Every Friday evening—around 11:30 PM—I craft a schedule for the following day in my head. The mental gymnastics usually go like this:
What am I watching in the early window? What’s on the primary screen, and what’s on the others? Wait, how many screens do I need? Crap, I don’t think I have enough screens. Will my Wi-Fi even be able to handle all that streaming? Wow, this is unorganized.
You're right, past me. It is unorganized. It's way too unorganized for the fine people who read this Substack. That's why I've created this post. Today is going to be a glorious day of sports, and it’s important to know what to watch and when to watch it. Without further ado, here’s what I’m watching today.
Note: All times are CST.
Early Window
Primary Screen: #16 Iowa State vs. #15 Arizona State (11 AM - ABC)
Secondary Screen: Ohio vs. Miami-OH (11 AM - ESPN)
Afternoon Window
Primary Screen: #5 Georgia vs. #2 Texas (3 PM - ABC)
Evening Window
Primary Screen: #17 Clemson vs. #8 SMU (7 PM - ABC)
Secondary Screen: #3 Penn State vs. #1 Oregon (7 PM - CBS)
Tertiary Screen: Marshall vs. Louisiana (6:30 PM - ESPN)
Keeping an eye on it:
Dallas Mavericks @ Toronto Raptors (6:30 PM - KFAA/NBA League Pass)
It's a shame that there are no more full college football Saturdays for a while, but this slate will do. Conference championship games have lost some of their luster due to the expanded playoff, but that doesn't mean the games can't be entertaining. I'm hoping every game is a classic.
I'm pumped for the evening slate. Clemson and SMU will be playing for their playoff lives, while Penn State and Oregon will duke it out in what is perhaps the most unorthodox Big Ten title matchup in years. Almost every one of these matchups is odd. Arizona State, Texas, Oregon, and SMU joined their new conferences less than a year ago and are now all favorites to win them. Everything about conference realignment has been somewhat surreal, but this fact might be the most surreal of all.
Once today is over, we'll have a clearer idea of what the college football postseason will look like. I can't wait.