Screen Shots: December 18th-24th, 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]!

What was supposed to be a quiet week in college football got pretty nuts! P.D. and I braved the cold temperatures to talk about Sherrone Moore’s crash out, Diego Pavia’s fall from grace, and the first round of the College Football Playoff!

Now, to the sports!

Thursday, December 18th, 2025

• NFL: Los Angeles Rams @ Seattle Seahawks at 8:15 pm (ET) on Prime Video

I’m a big enough person to admit that I did not have the Seattle Seahawks being right in the thick of the gauntlet that is the NFC West this late in the season. Their best player is the NFL’s leading receiver, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who we don’t hear nearly enough about because people are afraid to navigate the pronunciation of his name. This is going to be a very bowl-heavy newsletter, so go check out his 2022 Rose Bowl performance. It was the greatest game I’ve ever seen by a college wide receiver.

Friday, December 19th, 2025

• College Football: Kennesaw State Owls vs. Western Michigan Broncos at 11:00 am (ET) on ESPN

Okay, yes, we have too many bowl games, but don’t you want to see kids trying to knock each other’s heads off their shoulders during brunch time in South Carolina’s armpit? I will not apologize for being an unabashed fan of the Myrtle Beach Bowl. Even better that it features the champions of the two conferences nice enough to give us mid-week football during the regular season in the Conference USA and the MAC. High chance of chaos here, so tap in!

• College Football: #9 Alabama Crimson Tide @ #8 Oklahoma Sooners at 8:00 pm (ET) on ABC

Slightly higher stakes than the Myrtle Beach Bowl as the College Football Playoff kicks off. This is a rematch of the Sooners’ 23-21 win last month. That game was a perfect microcosm of each program’s season. The Crimson Tide looked like the better team, but was unable to avoid the kinds of mistakes we didn’t see from them during the Nick Saban Era. Oklahoma’s defense was the star of the show, reinforcing Brent Venables’ belief that you can win football games even if you ignore the offensive side of the ball. This is probably the most even matchup of the opening round.

Saturday, December 20th, 2025

• College Football: #10 Miami Hurricanes @ #7 Texas A&M Aggies at 12:00 pm (ET) on ABC

Or maybe this one is! Time to determine which of Notre Dame’s losses was actually more impressive. Two of the most ridiculous fanbases in the country. Hurricanes’ fans are mentally stuck in an era that ended when I was in middle school. Aggies’ fans are mentally stuck in an era that hasn’t happened yet. We’re lucky we can watch this on TV instead of having to be around these people.

• College Football: Montana Grizzlies @ Montana State Bobcats at 4:00 pm (ET) on ABC

We’re sticking with the FCS playoffs. It’s semifinal time! How about a little in-state rivalry matchup to see who gets to play for a national title? The Bobcats handed the Grizzlies their only loss of the season nearly a month ago. Neither team has really been tested in the postseason. That will almost certainly change in this one. Make sure your remote has fresh batteries…

• College Football: Harding University Bisons vs. Ferris State Bulldogs at 4:00 pm (ET) on ESPN2

…because we’re crowning a Division II national champion at the same time. It takes extraordinary circumstances for me to double-up on start times, but that certainly applies here. These two have combined to win the last 4 championships, and they both enter this matchup undefeated. The Bisons have rushed for more yards this year than any football program at any collegiate level ever. If I were Ferris State, I’d probably focus on stopping that. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs lead all divisions in scoring. If I were Harding, I’d probably focus on stopping that. I’m one cheating scandal away from getting hired to coach somewhere.

• College Football: Illinois State Redbirds @ Villanova Wildcats at 7:30 pm (ET) on ESPN2

The second of our FCS semifinals. North Dakota State looked primed to win its 11th FCS national championship since 2011. They were so dominant that they received votes in the AP Top 25 that’s typically reserved for FBS schools. Then, this Redbirds team pulled off an upset for the ages, overcoming a two-touchdown deficit and converting the game-winning two-point conversion instead of going for the tie. Now, they’re a win away from playing for their own championship.

To get there, they’ll have to defeat a Wildcats team that survived its own insane finish. Last week, Tarleton State appeared to have taken the lead with less than two minutes left on an insane 4th down touchdown. The replay booth correctly determined that didn’t happen by the slimmest of margins, so here we are.

Sunday, December 21st, 2025

• College Volleyball: National Championship Match at 3:30 pm (ET) on ABC

Kentucky, Wisconsin, Pittsburgh, and Texas A&M will face off to see who plays in this one. The Aggies upset top-seeded Nebraska to get here in a five-set thriller. As we touched on in the CFP entry, this is not a fanbase that deserves nice things. They, along with Pitt, have never won a national title. Kentucky and Wisconsin won it all in 2020 and 2021, respectively.

• Women’s College Basketball: #19 Southern Cal Trojans vs. California Golden Bears at 8:30 pm (ET) on ESPN

Lindsay Gottlieb’s current team faces off against her former one. The Golden Bears’ NCAA Tournament appearance last year was their first since Gottlieb left in 2019. SEC transfers Mjracle Sheppard and Sakima Walker are trying to help them make it back-to-back appearances. As for Gottlieb’s Trojan squad, they’re adjusting to life without JuJu as well as can be expected. G Jazzy Davidson is a frontrunner for National Freshman of the Year.

Monday, December 22nd, 2025

• College Football: Washington State Cougars vs. Utah State Aggies at 2:00 pm (ET) on ESPN

If you can’t get fired up for the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, check your pulse! I don’t feel confident making predictions on anything because I’m not entirely sure which players are participating. It’s billed as the nation’s longest-running cold-weather bowl game, and I’m not sure if that’s meant ot be a good thing.

Tuesday, December 23rd, 2025

• College Football: Western Kentucky Hilltoppers vs. Southern Miss Golden Eagles at 5:30 pm (ET) on ESPN

A lot of my decisions based on whether or not to check out a bowl game depend on things completely unrelated to football. This is a great example. I’ve recently become obsessed with making Cajun food. I watched way too many TikToks on the subject and decided to give it a shot myself. So far, so good. Well, this is the New Orleans Bowl. I’m guessing ESPN will provide food to the announcers as a way to showcase the culture of the game environment. I’d very much like to see it. I hope you’ll join me.

• NBA: Denver Nuggets @ Dallas Mavericks at 8:00 pm (ET) on NBC

Cooper Flagg is doing a pretty good job of living up to the hype. This past Monday, he became the first 18-year-old ever to score 40+ points in a game. Not bad considering some of the talent that came into the league when you could enter the draft straight from high school. As you may have guessed, the previous recordholder for the youngest player to score 40+ was a 19-year-old LeBron. Interested to see how he reclaims his record and protects his legacy!

Wednesday, December 24th, 2025

• Holiday Movie of the Week: Frosty The Snowman (1969)

Yet another Christmas classic about the evils of capitalism. A discarded magician’s hat brings Frosty to life so he can bring joy to children. Unfortunately, joy can’t be found on a balance sheet. When the magician finds out what has happened, he’s determined to monetize it. But first, he must catch Frosty and his friends!

• College Football: California Golden Bears vs. Hawai’i Rainbow Warriors at 8:00 pm (ET) on ESPN

Cal QB Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele had an under-the-radar, exciting season. He was the second true freshman ever to pass for 200+ yards in his first 11 games. Sagapolutele’s numbers look better than Cal’s starting QB last year, Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza. I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to put unnecessarily high expectations on this kid. He wraps up his impressive season in his home state against his home state’s school in the appropriately named Hawai’i Bowl.

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