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- Screen Shots: January 9th-15th, 2025
Screen Shots: January 9th-15th, 2025
My birthday, NFL Playoffs, and a showdown between assholes!
Insert Joke Here
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]!
As promised, I did make my return to the microphone! If you missed it, I talked about the discourse surrounding the NBA’s product. Is it really as bad as social media would have you believe? Also, I crossed the 300-subscriber mark on YouTube! Go check out the episode and hit that subscribe button if you haven’t already!
Now, to the sports!
Thursday, January 9th, 2025
College Football Playoff: #7 Notre Dame Fighting Irish @ #6 Penn State Nittany Lions at 7:30 pm (ET) on ESPN
Two programs that became known for underachieving during the 4-team playoff era. The winner advances to the national championship game. I guess college football really is different! The last time either team won a title was in the late ‘80s. As an ode to those glory days, they utilize the popular playing styles from that era. However, much to my dismay, it has worked! Much respect to these Steve Winwood’s “Higher Love”-ass offenses!
Friday, January 10th, 2025
College Football Playoff: #8 Ohio State Buckeyes @ #5 Texas Longhorns at 7:30 pm (ET) on ESPN
The 2nd semifinal matchup! Longhorns QB Quinn Ewers started his career with the Buckeyes. If he chooses not to enter the NFL Draft, he could be on the move again as rumor has it that he’s been offered $6 million in NIL money from another school. I would take that. Meanwhile, the Buckeyes regrouped after yet another embarrassing loss to Michigan to boat race both of their playoff opponents so far. In fact, if Ryan Day could neuralyze that loss away from our memories, Ohio State would probably be the overwhelming favorite to win the national championship. I’m expecting fireworks in this one.
Saturday, January 11th, 2025
This is my birthday! Here I am recording my very first podcast back in 1993.
“The Houston Rockets WILL be NBA champions this season!”
Anyways, back to the sports.
NFL Wild Card: Los Angeles Chargers @ Houston Texans at 4:30 pm (ET) on CBS
In his first season as head coach, Jim Harbaugh took the Chargers’ scoring defense from 24th to 1st. With a talent like Justin Herbert at QB, they should have earned a bye, but 1) they have the misfortune of playing in the same division as the Chiefs and 2) Harbaugh hates seeing his own team put up points almost as much as he hates seeing opponents do it. The Texans managed to win their division despite being equal parts inconsistent and injury-prone because well, just go look at the starting QBs in the AFC South. These two actually match up really nicely with each other so it should be close.
NFL Wild Card: Pittsburgh Steelers @ Baltimore Ravens at 8:00 pm (ET) on Prime Video
Somehow, this will be just their 3rd meeting of the season. The Steelers got here despite their best efforts. They lost 4 in a row to end the regular season. Remember when they were winning games even though their offense looked absolutely terrible? Turns out that it doesn’t work out quite as well when your schedule gets tougher. Speaking of things getting tougher, Derrick Henry finished the season on a tear, including a monster 162-yard game in the Ravens’ 34-17 Week 16 win over this Steelers’ team. He had 1,921 rushing yards and 18 total TDs this season. I’m working on a take that compares him and Lamar Jackson to Shaq and Kobe. Please remember that you heard it here first!
Sunday, January 12th, 2025
Women’s College Basketball: #5 Texas Longhorns @ #2 South Carolina Gamecocks at 1:00 pm (ET) on ESPN
This was the matchup most people had circled when preparing for the Longhorns to join the SEC. As Lo Dreher pointed out in the SEC preview we did, Texas coach Vic Schaefer knows how to succeed in this conference, having made back-to-back Final Four appearances in 2017 and 2018 when he was at Mississippi State. His squad heads to Columbia to take on a Gamecocks team that has a 65-game winning streak at home. Ol’ Vic knows a thing or two about ending streaks though. During that run at Mississippi State, they ended UConn’s 111-game winning streak in dramatic fashion. Will history repeat itself?
NFL Wild Card: Denver Broncos @ Buffalo Bills at 1:00 pm (ET) on CBS
“Rookie QB Bo Nix led the Broncos to their first playoff appearance since 2015” is simply not a sentence I ever thought I’d have to type, but here we are. Unfortunately, they have to run face-first into the buzzsaw that is the Buffalo Bills. But, hey, they might have found their quarterback!
NFL Wild Card: Green Bay Packers @ Philadelphia Eagles at 4:30 pm (ET) on Fox
Both starting QBs are currently listed as questionable, but their coaches are talking like they’ll play. However, tune in either way because Packers backup QB Malik Willis led the team to 2 wins when he started for an injured Jordan Love earlier this season, and the Eagles have Saquon Barkley. As a matter of fact, Nick Sirianni should just start Saquon at QB if Jalen Hurts can’t go and eliminate the middleman.
NFL Wild Card: Washington Commanders @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers at 8:00 pm (ET) on NBC
As good as Bo Nix has been in Denver, Jayden Daniels is the most exciting rookie quarterback. Remember the last time a rookie QB led Washington to the playoffs? Let us pray that things go differently this time.
Monday, January 13th, 2025
NFL Wild Card: Minnesota Vikings @ Los Angeles Rams at 8:00 pm (ET) on ESPN
The Vikings had the opportunity to earn a bye and chill this week. Instead, Sam Darnold remembered who he was (derogatory). Now, they have to play a road playoff game against a team that won 5 straight before resting their starters during the season finale. This one will be much closer than their records would lead you to believe.
Tuesday, January 14th, 2025
Men’s College Basketball: #14 Mississippi State Bulldogs @ #2 Auburn Tigers at 7:00 pm (ET) on SEC Network
What in the Dontae’ Jones is going on in Starkville?!? Led by guard Josh Hubbard, the Bulldogs have clawed their way into the Top 15. They could climb even higher as this is the second game in a 6-game stretch where they play four Top-10 teams. On the other side, Auburn needs to win to take over as the #1 team in the nation after Tennessee fell flat on their face against Florida.
Wednesday, January 15th, 2025
NBA: Miami Heat @ Los Angeles Lakers at 10:00 pm on ESPN
An unstoppable force meets an immovable object! If Pat Riley versus Jimmy Butler was a sporting event, I’d dedicate an entire Screen Shots post to it. They are both wildly stubborn and allergic to both shame and tact. If Jimmy ever suits up for this team again, there’s a non-zero chance he’ll attempt to play while holding a cup of Big Face Coffee. Even crazier, Riles might let him. Dwyane Wade sacrificed money and knee cartilage to bring 3 rings to South Beach. When it came time to reward him for doing so, Pat didn’t even call him. For better or worse, you can get away with being an asshole if you are good enough at what you do. As great as both of these guys have been at what it is they do, neither is good enough to pull this shit now. But I love drama so I appreciate them doing it anyway.
As always, thank you for reading! Make sure you come back next week!