Weekend Watchdog: Championship time
The best two teams in college football meet Monday.
The best of the college football playoff level meet Saturday afternoon.
Saturday and Sunday, the NFL starts its run to the Super Bowl.
It’s a good time to be a football fan.
New Orleans hosts two of the big games – a Saints playoff game and the BCS National Championship between LSU and Alabama. ESPN has coverage Monday at 8:30 p.m.
LSU enters the game as the top-ranked team in the nation, thanks to a 9-6 overtime win over Alabama in November. With other rivals dropping down the stretch, the Crimson Tide climbed back into the championship game rematch.
There’s a few more games before the Tigers and Tide battle. FOX has the Cotton Bowl Friday at 8 p.m., matching Kansas State and Arkansas. Saturday at 1 p.m., Pittsburgh faces SMU in the Compass Bowl on ESPN, and Sunday at 9 p.m. Northern Illinois plays Arkansas State in the GoDaddy Bowl.
The real Division I playoff concludes Saturday at 1 p.m. on ESPN2, with Sam Houston State playing North Dakota State. Read more
Weekend Watchdog: Chilly in Philly?
For the second straight year, the NHL brings its Winter Classic to Pennsylvania.
We’ll see if it will be chilly enough in Philly.
The Flyers host the Rangers Monday at 1 p.m. on NBC in the fifth Winter Classic. The fourth Classic, last year in Pittsburgh, had to be moved to the evening due to rain. Previous Classics in Buffalo, Chicago and Boston provided enough cold and thrills to make the contest a highlight of the schedule.
The festivities include an Alumni Game Saturday at 1 p.m. on Versus. Read more
Weekend Watchdog: Basketballs on Christmas Day
NBA fans got their Christmas presents a few weeks ago – a shortened season, but still a season.
The 2011-12 season starts Christmas Day with five games.
TNT begins the day at noon, with the Celtics visiting the Knicks.
ABC takes over at midway with a 2010 Final rematch between the Heat and Mavericks at 2:30 p.m. The Bulls play the Lakers at 5 p.m.
ESPN caps the day with a doubleheader, as the Magic travel to Oklahoma City at 8 p.m. The Clippers battle the Warriors at 10:30 p.m.
Your NFL weekend begins with the AFC South champion Texans at the 1-13 Colts on NFL Network Thursday at 8 p.m. Christmas Night, the Packers host Chicago on NBC while ESPN has its final Monday Night game with the Saints hosting the Falcons. Read more
Weekend Watchdog: First of 35
Saturday starts the college bowl season. Over the next 24 days, there will be 35 bowl games from New Mexico to New Orleans.
Only six days are quiet – and one is January 1. It’s a Sunday, so the NFL takes the field and bowls wait until January 2.
ESPN has the first three bowls of the season – starting at 2 p.m. with Temple facing Wyoming in the New Mexico Bowl. It’s off to the blue turf as Ohio plays Utah State at the Idaho Potato Bowl, then the day concludes with the New Orleans Bowl – San Diego State vs. Louisiana-Lafayette.
It’s a long way and a lot of games until LSU-Alabama Jan. 9. Read more
