My favorite holiday is Thanksgiving. I have yet to find a better combination than friends and family, food and football, fun and the fall. All alliteration aside, another great reason to love this holiday is the marathon of sports surrounding it. With only one day until break, I figured I would provide a little guide of televised sports for you to tune in to as you sit at home missing Virginia sports.
Like many college football fans, I have had Saturday, Nov. 18 marked down on my calendar since September. The reason: No. 1 Ohio State hosts archrival No. 2 Michigan at 3:30 p.m. in what will likely decide which Big Ten team represents the conference in the BCS, as well as the national title game. If this game proves to be as close as everyone hopes it is, count me in as one of those who think it should be a preview of the BCS Championship Game, even if Rutgers goes undefeated (which I don't think will happen since they have to play at West Virginia in a few weeks).
Later, No. 4 USC and No. 17 California play in what is essentially the Pac-10 championship game, now that both teams have one loss in conference play. USC is on the doorstep of the national title game, while Cal will be playing for the conference's automatic BCS bid.
Don't forget about U.Va., and Miami as well. With a win against the struggling Hurricanes, the Hoos would maintain an outside chance at a bowl bid. There are also two huge ACC games between ranked teams in No. 14 Wake Forest versus No. 19 Virginia Tech and No. 21 Maryland vs. No. 20 Boston College.
Switching gears, the remedy for missing college basketball for the months that follow March Madness is a barrage of non-stop games during the Thanksgiving break where many teams participate in early-season tournaments.
Two of the most popular preseason tourneys are the Maui Invitational (Monday through Wednesday) and the Great Alaska Shootout (Wednesday through Saturday). Of the eight-team field in Hawaii, four schools are nationally ranked and include a defending final four squad in No. 6 UCLA. The participants in Alaska are highlighted by Pac-10 sleeper Cal and mid-major enforcer Hofstra.
If that wasn't enough basketball for you, there will also be the final four (Thursday) and championship (Saturday) of the NIT Season Tip-Off, where, as of yesterday afternoon, No. 2 North Carolina, No. 24 Tennessee and Gonzaga were all still alive. Saving the best for last, the biggest NCAA basketball game of the break pits No. 1 Florida versus No. 3 Kansas in Las Vegas next Saturday on ESPN2.
With a full slate of NFL games this Sunday and next, there is also the obvious addition of two match-ups on Thanksgiving Day. This year the Lions take on the Dolphins at 12:30 p.m. on CBS and the Cowboys play the Buccaneers at 4:15 p.m. on FOX.
In a new wrinkle (that I don't particularly like), there is a third NFL game, as Denver and Kansas City square off on the NFL Network at 8 p.m. Dallas and Detroit hosting games on Thanksgiving is tradition and I don't like how the NFL is messing with the system just to promote its own channel.
No worries if you don't get the NFL Network, though, because after the Cowboys-Bucs game you can grab some pumpkin pie (I can't wait) and settle down to No. 20 Boston College at Miami at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN.
If you thought Friday might provide a break to recover, you were wrong. First, check in on the annual Texas
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