This week in sports we saw the college football playoff be finalized, multiple powerhouse match up take place, and MLB free agents sign with their new teams.

NFL

The Pittsburgh Steelers won on the road against the Atlanta Falcons 19-16. The Steelers only had one touchdown during this game and it was caught by Connor Heyward. The play was significant for the Heyward family because their father, Craig “Iron Head” Heyward, played some of his career for the Atlanta Falcons after starring at Pitt in college. The Steelers continue to show development as they closed out another close game. Their upcoming schedule will be huge for them with two games against the Ravens and playoff hope still in line.

The Cleveland Browns defeated the Houston Texans 27-14 in the return of quarterback Deshaun Watson. The Browns’ offense was not the spotlight of this game as their defense and special teams scored three touchdowns. The Browns are a team who are not completely out of the playoffs with a record of 5-7. I think their season will depend on the quarterback play because they have a talented roster with an elite run game.

The Miami Dolphins were defeated by the San Francisco 49ers 33-17 in a game with two powerhouses. The 49ers lost their quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to a season-ending foot injury. The Niners had to put in this year’s last pick of the draft or “Mr. Irrelevant,” Brock Purdy. Purdy played well in his first appearance passing for 210 yards, including a pair of touchdowns and an interception. I definitely would not panic with the loss of Garoppolo because this team is too talented to revolve around one player. I think Purdy will be fine even with little experience because of the people that surround him.

The Kansas City Chiefs took a tough loss to the Cincinnati Bengals 27-24. This was the first loss for quarterback Patrick Mahomes in November or December in his NFL career. Also the Chiefs have now made it clear that the Bengals have their number when it comes to recent match ups. I still think the Chiefs are still the top team in the AFC but when the playoffs come around, there could be worry in Kansas City if they match up against the Bengals. I think if Kansas City wants to get out of the AFC, they need to go through Cincinnati.

College Football

USC was upset by Utah for the second time this season in the PAC-12 championship game. USC QB Caleb Williams was injured and never looked right in the game.  Utah ran away with the game in the fourth, and captured the title 47-24. The loss eliminated USC from playoff contention, which opened the door for Ohio State to get in.

TCU came up just short to Kansas State in the Big 12 championship game, losing 31-28 in OT. TCU had a chance in OT, but were stuffed on the goal line on two straight run plays by the Wildcat defense. They then got the ball and kicked a field goal to win the title.

Michigan and Georgia took care of business in their conference championship games, both winning by 20 or more.

The committee came out with their rankings on Sunday, and there were a lot of speculations going around. Some felt that TCU should be kicked out, and Alabama should get in. I felt like Ohio State deserved the 3 spot, and TCU should stay in and be the 4. Georgia came in at the 1 spot to no one’s surprise. Michigan also stayed at number 2, and deservedly so. Then came the controversial spots. TCU stayed at 3, which I have no problem with. They lost their title game in OT, and have been an excellent team all year. Ohio State came in at the 4 spot.

They will have the task of playing the best team in the country, but I think the Buckeyes have the best chance of any of the other 2 to win. They have a high powered offense, and if the defense can stop the ground attack, I think CJ Stroud could lead an upset. I think Michigan will take care of business against TCU. It may start close, but I think Michigan will pull away late and win by two possessions.

Major League Baseball

The MLB off-season started to kick off with many new player signings. The major player signings were Jacob deGrom to the Texas Rangers, Justin Verlander to the New York Mets, Trea Turner and Taijuan Walker to the Philadelphia Phillies, Josh Bell to the Cleveland Guardians, Cody Bellinger and Jameson Taillon to the Chicago Cubs, Clayton Kershaw stayed with the Los Angeles Dodgers, and Mitch Haniger to the San Francisco Giants. But, the biggest free agent was Aaron Judge, who resigned with the Yankees.