Screen Shots: December 11th-17th, 2025

Welcome to Screen Shots! This is where I tell you what sporting events you should watch on TV every week! Make sure you subscribe so it comes straight to your inbox! Have your own suggestions? Shoot me an email at [email protected]!

Well, the College Football Playoff Committee has done it again! Chaos, anger, and hilarity ensued after the playoff bracket was released. P.D. and I break it all down and put forth a sensible solution to save the sport. Tap in!

Now, to the sports!

Thursday, December 11th, 2025

• Men’s College Basketball: Iowa Hawkeyes @ #4 Iowa State Cyclones at 8:00 pm (ET) on FS1

Look, Iowa State has a squad, okay? They traveled to West Lafayette, Indiana to take on then-#1 Purdue last Saturday and absolutely drilled them. Milan Momcilovic and Joshua Jefferson lead the way for T.J. Otzelberger’s crew. This will be the first matchup between these two without Fran McCaffrey coaching the Hawkeyes since 2010. It felt like he was there way longer. I thought he retired, but turns out he’s coaching at Penn, so pray for those kids.

Friday, December 12th, 2025

• College Football: Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks @ Montana State Bobcats at 9:00 pm (ET) on ESPN

The FBS postseason is a mess and a half, so let’s turn our attention to the FCS Playoffs. The Lumberjacks have won 11 straight after dropping their first two games of the season. QB Sam Vidlak threw for 357 yards and 3 TDs in last week’s second-round win over Abilene Christian. They head to Montana to take on the Bobcats, who have also won 11 straight after dropping their first two games. Their QB, Justin Lamson, has thrown 17 TDs since his last interception.

Saturday, December 13th, 2025

• College Football: Villanova Wildcats @ Tarleton State Texans at 12:00 pm (ET) on ESPN

Okay, we’re two games into our FCS football fandom, and we’ve already learned that you can only play QB at this level if you have a name that sounds completely made up. The Tarleton State Texans, which sounds made up too, lead the FCS in scoring at 44.1 points per game. QB Victor Gabalis leads that attack. His name not fake enough for you? His counterpart is Pat McQuaide, who I swore was one of the aliases used in the 21 Jump Street franchise, but I was wrong. Just barely, though. The Wildcats survived a defensive battle against Lehigh last week, where neither team scored until the second half. I can’t imagine that will be the case in this game, but I just got here.

• College Football: South Dakota Coyotes @ Montana Grizzlies at 3:30 pm (ET) on ABC

Sir, a second Montana team has hit the playoffs. If you like running backs, you’re going to love this one! Grizzlies RB Eli Gilman is 8th in the nation in rushing yards per game. Incredibly, that makes him the second-most productive back in this matchup. That’s because South Dakota RB L.J. Phillips Jr. is 4th, including a monster 301-yard game against Northern Colorado earlier this season. Welcome back to 2002!

• Men’s College Basketball: Indiana Hoosiers @ Kentucky Wildcats at 7:30 pm (ET) on ESPN

They’re already sounding the alarm on the Mark Pope Era in Lexington. The Wildcats have lost all four of their top-25 matchups this season, including a 35-point drubbing at the hands of Gonzaga. Pretty big deal when you were ranked 9th in the preseason Top 25 yourself and have one of the biggest NIL budgets in the sport at your disposal.

They gave over $2 million to senior Otega Oweh, who looked like he had 2 million places he’d rather be during the Gonzaga blowout. After a loss earlier in the season, Oweh himself admitted that his issues are effort-related. Welp. Do I have any eligibility left? Where is Diego Pavia’s attorney? For that kinda money, they’ll still be sorry, but I’ll be hustling my ass off. The landscape is incredibly different, but these are still two of the sport’s bluebloods, so tap in for that alone. I’ll go warm up in case Kentucky needs me.

Sunday, December 14th, 2025

• Women’s College Basketball: #13 Baylor Bears vs. #2 Texas Longhorns at 1:00 pm (ET) on ABC

I’m still not quite sure what to make of this Baylor team, but I am certain that adding transfer Taliah Scott was a good move. The Bears haven’t had a perimeter scorer this explosive since Odyssey Sims was here. They’re going to need it as they take on a Texas team that’s been shutting everyone down. Madison Booker and Rori Harmon get most of the headlines, but Jordan Lee might be their most important player. The sophomore has nearly tripled her scoring output this year, and still provides the perimeter defense that was her calling card as a freshman.

• NFL: Green Bay Packers @ Denver Broncos at 4:25 pm (ET) on CBS

You know by now that I’m big on nostalgia. When I watched Marvin Mims Jr. hit the Mile High Salute after a punt return TD, I was immediately transported back to 1997 when Broncos star returner Darrien Gordon took 2 to the house against the Panthers. That Denver team, led by John Elway, ended up winning the Super Bowl. Who’d they beat? The Green Bay Packers. Bo Nix is probably not John Elway, but he does have today’s Broncos on a 10-game winning streak. I’m just as shocked as you are.

Monday, December 15th, 2025

• Holiday Movie of the Week: The Santa Clause (1994)

A heartwarming movie that imagines a life in which the homicide of one Kris Kringle is only litigated in civil courts. Tim Allen (who sucks in real life) plays Scott Calvin, a divorced dad who manslaughters Santa. Christmas can’t just stop, right? In true capitalist fashion, the OG Santa is replaced before most of the world has even opened their presents. They didn’t even have a memorial service or anything. Instead, Calvin has to pick up where old St. Nick left off, complete with weight gain and beard growth.

On top of that, he’s got to fulfill his fatherly duties, which he wasn’t great at even before taking on all of this responsibility. Oh, and his ex-wife and her new man think he’s schizophrenic as a result of all of his new, quirky behaviors. I used this movie as proof of Santa’s existence as a child. I knew Tim Allen wasn’t Santa, but the general premise made sense to me. I’m now 36 years old. I still enjoy the movie, though.

• NBA G-League: Valley Suns @ Salt Lake City Stars at 8:00 pm (ET) on Prime Video

Ever wonder what happened to former Kentucky star Oscar Tshiebwe? Well, you should be. Also, this is where the NBA tests out all of the rule changes it’s considering implementing. For instance, they have a target score for overtime. I would hate this at the NBA level, but it makes sense here. Past stars plus future rules. Tap in!

Tuesday, December 16th, 2025

• NBA: NBA Cup Championship @ 8:30 pm (ET) on Prime Video

If, like me, you’ve been slow transitioning over to the NBA this year, this is the time to jump in. This is as competitive as an early-season game will be, and then we’ve got the Christmas Day games right around the corner. The Knicks and Magic are playing to represent the East. The Suns, Thunder, Spurs, and Lakers are still battling it out for the West’s spot at the time of this writing.

Wednesday, December 17th, 2025

• College Football: Old Dominion Monarchs vs. South Florida Bulls at 5:30 pm (ET) on ESPN

It’s bowl season for the FBS, and it very well may be the last of its kind after Notre Dame’s tantrum. Let’s enjoy it, starting with the StaffDNA Cure Bowl. I’m going to be honest, I should have known things were getting to a dark place in college athletics when I stopped recognizing the sponsors. I will say this one has as altruistic a goal as you’ll find in such a money-hungry sport. Watch some football being played for a good cause!

• College Football: Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns vs. Delaware Blue Hens at 8:30 pm (ET) on ESPN

The 68 Ventures Bowl! What the hell is that? Well, as you may have guessed by the name, it’s an investment firm focused on the Gulf Coast region. An appropriate bowl game sponsor after news of the University of Utah’s athletic program partnering with a private equity firm that will almost certainly ruin college sports as we know them. A quick perusal of 68ventures.com shows quotes such as “We all come from different places, backgrounds, and walks of life,” and “We believe that God has a plan for our lives, but we must do our part,” that I find especially hilarious when after a slightly longer perusal of their site shows 38 employees, all of whom are white. If only God had planned for you to hire a single minority! There will be plenty on the field, so support them!

As always, thank you for reading! Make sure you’re subscribed so you get this in your inbox first thing Thursday mornings! And share with your friends! I’ll see you next week!