Good Morning! Today is Monday, December 23. Here’s what happened over the weekend in the world of sports.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Look, I’ll get to the scores of the games in a moment. But are we really surprised that a higher-seeded home team won a college football game by multiple scores? First of all, the lopsided losses shouldn’t take anything away from the great seasons of Indiana, SMU, Clemson, or Tennessee. In seasons past, they would be playing one another in the Holiday Bowl or the Pop-Tart Bowl and be content with whatever outcome. The current playoff system is imperfect and the games this weekend were not very entertaining. Oh well. That’s how college football goes. We’ve still got eight teams remaining and three rounds left to crown a champion. Until then (and in case you missed it this weekend) here are the scores from round one:

• On Friday, Notre Dame beat Indiana 27-17 in a game that was never really in doubt. Running back Jeremiyah Love got things started with this 98-yard touchdown run, and the Fighting Irish never looked back.

• Saturday began with Penn State walloping SMU 38-10. Mustangs quarterback Kevin Jennings threw two pick-sixes and was perpetually uncomfortable against the stout Nittany Lion defense.

• Perhaps the best game of the weekend was in Austin, where Clemson battled back from a 31-10 deficit and cut the score to just seven points in the fourth quarter. But Texas ran away with this one– literally– with 292 rush yards and a 38-24 victory.

• And lastly, even the vaunted SEC was not immune to a first-round blowout. Tennessee was outclassed in every aspect of their game against Ohio State, falling 42-17. You have to wonder where this Buckeyes team was against Michigan… but never mind that, absolutely no one wants to play them going forward. Sorry Oregon!

NFL

On to the NFL, where the playoff picture is really taking shape. Let’s recap the action from week 16:

• We had two games on Saturday... First, Patrick Mahomes looked completely healthy after his reported sprained ankle from a week ago. Mahomes and the Chiefs beat the Houston Texans 27-19. And in game two, the Baltimore Ravens won a crucial game against AFC North rival Pittsburgh, beating the Steelers 34-17. Two huge turnovers by Russell Wilson were the difference in this one.

• There were more important games yesterday, but first let’s take a moment to celebrate Jonathan Taylor. A week after a supremely embarrassing goal-line fumble cost the Colts the game, JT rebounded with 218 yards and three touchdowns. Indy beat Tennessee 38-30.

• Now to the NFC West, where this crowded division race finally sorted itself out. The Rams took care of business against the Jets, beating New York 19-9, while Arizona was stunned in overtime against the suddenly competent and entertaining Carolina Panthers. Those two results eliminated the Cardinals from the playoff race. Meanwhile, Seattle lost a fantastic game against the dancing Minnesota Vikings (see below for an awesome highlight), and are now one game back of LA in the division. San Francisco, who was already eliminated, lost to the Miami Dolphins.

• The Tampa Bay Buccaneers fumbled a huge opportunity on Sunday Night Football. Facing Cooper Rush and the Dallas Cowboys, Tampa Bay trailed all evening. Even still, the Bucs had the ball with under two minutes remaining and a chance to win the game. But a crazy play ended in Dallas cornerback DaRon Bland stripping Rachaad White, and the Cowboys won 26-24. Although they’ll miss the playoffs, Dallas is 7-8 and has salvaged their season. Tampa, meanwhile, now finds themselves tied with Atlanta (but losing on a tiebreaker) in the NFC South.

• If you want to smile, watch the Lions pull of this trick-play. Yes, they choreographed this fake stumble:

• Last but not least we have the game of the day, where Philadelphia needed a win against Washington to clinch the NFC East. Even after QB Jaylen Hurts left the game with a concussion, the Eagles were in control. Saquan Barkley finished the game with 150 rushing yards and two touchdowns, and the Philly defense forced five Washington turnovers. Somehow, Jayden Daniels and the young Commanders team stayed in the game. Down five with less than two minutes remaining, the presumptive rookie of the year led his team down the field and found Jamison Crowder for his fifth passing touchdown of the day. What a fantastic win for Washington:

NCAA BASKETBALL

Quick! Some notable scores from around college hoops:

• (2) Auburn crushed (16) Purdue 87-69

• Ohio State upset (4) Kentucky 85-65

• UNC came back from a 16-point deficit to upset (18) UCLA 76-74

• And this happened in the Battle of New Jersey:

But the best game of the weekend was on the women’s side. (7) USC traveled east to take on (4) UConn, and the stars came to play. JuJu Watkins led the Trojans with 25 points and Paige Bueckers had 22 for the Huskies as two of the most talented teams in the country dueled for four intense quarters. Despite blowing a large lead, USC was able to hold on for a 72-70 victory. Here’s to hoping these two meet again in the tournament– this was a fun game to watch.

NBA

A lot of basketball happened over the weekend, but there’s just one main story you should know about. Most of the NBA community is worried because of a significant drop in TV ratings this season. One of the potential problems that critics are pointing towards as the reason for the decline is the incredible rise in volume of three-point shooting. To put the increase of the three-point shot in perspective, Victor Wembanyama has reached 200 career three-pointers in less games than each of the top three-point shooters in NBA history (Steph Curry, James Harden, and Ray Allen). There’s no denying that Wemby is an unbelievable talent. But is this the new normal in the Association? Food for thought this holiday season…

MLB OFFSEASON

I’m not sure what was in the water this weekend, but it felt like every team in the big leagues made a move for a first baseman. Here’s a recap of the notable names who changed uniforms:

• First, the Houston Astros signed former Diamondback Christian Walker. Arizona responded by trading for Cleveland first baseman Josh Naylor. Suddenly in the market for a new slugger, the Guardians signed veteran Carlos Santana. The Yankees got in on the action by signing Paul Goldschmidt to a one-year deal. And finally, the Washington Nationals acquired Nathaniel Lowe from Texas. I told you it was a lot!

• Elsewhere, the Reds traded for Yankee catcher Jose Trevino. And the big move of the weekend came in the NL East, where the Phillies sent top prospects to Miami for starting pitcher Jesus Luzardo.

• Finally, the Mets continued their off-season spending by re-signing starter Sean Manaea.

GOLF

They may have lost in a playoff at the PNC Championship, but Tiger and Charlie Woods stole the show. The younger Woods had the moment of the tournament yesterday, recording his first-ever hole-in-one. Take a look as the father-son duo celebrate yet another legendary shot on a golf course:

NOTEWORTHY NEWS

North Carolina is hiring University of Washington defensive coordinator Steve Belichick in the same position on their new coaching staff. You may recognize that last name– yes, he’s Bill’s son.

Congratulations to Penn State on winning the national championship in volleyball! It’s their eighth title in the sport, but first in over a decade. Penn State’s Katie Schumacher-Cawley became the first woman head coach to win a national championship in collegiate volleyball.

Sadly, we end today with the passing of MLB legend Rickey Henderson. One of the most electrifying and entertaining athletes in sports, Henderson is best known as the all-time leader in stolen bases. A 10-time all-star, two-time World Series champion, and the 1990 AL MVP, the Hall of Famer played 25 seasons in the big leagues for nine different teams. It wasn’t just Henderson’s on-field play that captivated fans, but his confident persona off the field, too. The reactions to his passing from friends and colleagues in the world of baseball will tell you just how much Rickey will be missed.

TODAY’S BIG GAMES (all times Eastern)

MYRTLE BEACH BOWL: Coastal Carolina vs UTSA, 11 AM on ESPN

FAMOUS IDAHO POTATO BOWL: Northern Illinois vs Fresno State, 2:30 PM on ESPN

NFL: Saints @ Packers, 8:15 PM on ABC

“Today, I am the greatest of all-time” –Rickey Henderson