BY JEFF YODER

DEC. 1, 2023 | SUBSCRIBE | WEB VIEW

Happy Friday 🙌

Welcome to December, team. The month ahead features the Heisman Trophy, bowl season, the NBA In-Season Tournament and much, much more. We’re using today’s weekend primer to hyper-analyze the Heisman race before two finalists go head-to-head.

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CFB

The Heisman Race 🏆

Image via Joe Stella / Media Mobilize

Conference Championship Weekend Is Upon Us, And It’s The Last Showing for Heisman Hopefuls

As college football enters conference championship weekend, two things are up for grabs: CFB Playoff spots and the Heisman Trophy. It’s the last chance for Heisman hopefuls to make a statement before the presentation of college football’s illustrious prize next weekend (Saturday, Dec. 9), and it’s likely coming down to three names. While there are stat-stuffers and superstars at many positions — like TE Brock Bowers (UGA) or WR Marvin Harrison Jr. (OSU) — 19 of the last 22 Heisman winners have been quarterbacks. That trend will continue this season. Five QBs top the boards of the oddsmakers with four of those five vying for conference titles or playoff bids in the next 24-36 hours. LSU’s Jayden Daniels can only watch as Oregon, Washington, Georgia and Alabama put their QBs on display.

Updated Heisman Finalists & Odds

1. QB Bo Nix (ORE): -160 Odds

2. QB Jayden Daniels (LSU): +130 Odds

3. QB Michael Penix Jr. (WASH): +1500 Odds

4. QB Jalen Milroe (ALA): +10000

5. QB Carson Beck (UGA): +15000 Odds

6. WR Marvin Harrison Jr. (OSU): +15000 Odds

The odds are usually a good starting point for tracking the voters' intentions as the Heisman Trophy ceremony nears. We agree that three players stand head-and-shoulders above the field — Bo Nix (ORE), Jayden Daniels (LSU) and Michel Penix Jr. (WASH). The problem for Daniels is that he’s out of runway, and his team boasts the lowest win total of all five odds-leaders. That leaves Nix and Penix Jr., who will go head-to-head for the Pac-12 title in (likely) the last Pac-12 game ever played. Talk about high stakes.

Heisman Scenarios: A stellar performance from Nix and a win for Oregon this weekend would likely send them into the CFB Playoff, and it might tie a bow on his Heisman nod. But another win for Penix Jr. would mean beating the Ducks (and Nix) for a second time this season, and Washington's unbeaten record could be the difference in a Heisman honor. As for Daniels? He’s on the shelf hoping the Oregon-Washington game is a turnover-filled nightmare for both offenses.

The Heisman Race

1. QB Bo Nix (Oregon)

Stats: 4,055 Total Yards | 43 Total TDs | 2 INTs | 78.6 Completion % | 91.1 QBR | Record: 11-1
Oregon Heisman Winners: 1 (Last: QB Marcus Mariota, 2014)

2. QB Jayden Daniels (LSU)

Stats: 4,946 Total Yards | 50 Total TDs | 4 INTs | 72.2 Completion % | 95.6 QBR | Record: 9-3
LSU Heisman Winners: 2 (Last: QB Joe Burrow, 2019)

3. QB Michael Penix Jr. (Washington)

Stats: 3,899 Total Yards | 35 Total TDs | 8 INTs | 65.6 Completion % | 82.8 QBR | Record: 12-0
Washington Heisman Winners: 0

When the season began (August), the three projected Heisman leaders were: QB Caleb Williams (USC), QB JJ McCarthy (Michigan), and QB Quinn Ewers (Texas). Oh, how far we’ve come.

It’s college football’s conference championship weekend on the way! Catch the full schedule in today’s must-watch list.

NBC Sports: Heisman Odds: Bo Nix Jumps Jayden Daniels as Latest Favorite

NCAA: College Football Teams With the Most Heisman Trophy Winners in History

NFL

Cowboys Keep Clicking 🤠

Photo: Ron Jenkins / Getty Images

Cowboys Outlast Seahawks in Shootout (41-35) for 4th Straight Win, Keep Pressure on Philly in NFC East Race

A critical NFC battle for playoff seeding was a welcome surprise on Thursday Night Football. A number of recent TNF games haven’t been worth the watch, but last night was a different story. The Cowboys and Seahawks dueled in a back-and-forth shootout that saw 76 points on the scoreboard. Both offenses were electric with wide receivers D.K. Metcalf (Seahawks) and CeeDee Lamb (Cowboys) making highlight plays all over the field. Metcalf hauled in three touchdowns, but Dak Prescott and Dallas scored 14 in the 4th quarter to earn the win. Dak hit TE Jake Ferguson for the go-ahead score inside four minutes (38-35) before tacking on a late field goal. Micah Parsons sealed the win with a QB pressure on 4th down for Seattle.

The Streaks: Dak and the ‘Boys have won four in a row since their loss in Philadelphia to open November. The ‘Hawks, on the other hand, have lost three straight.

Fun Fact: DaRon Bland notched his league-leading seventh interception of the season. He’s taken five back for touchdowns with an NFL record five pick-sixes. The all-time INT record for a single season is 14 (Night Train Lane, 1952).

QB Comparison

D. Prescott (DAL): 29/41, 322 yards, 3 TDs

G. Smith (SEA): 23/41, 340 yards, 4 TDs, 1 INT

Other Top Performers

WR D. Metcalf (SEA): 6 receptions, 134 yards, 3 TDs

WR C. Lamb (DAL): 14 touches, 146 yards, 1 TD

RB Z. Charbonnet (SEA): 20 touches, 99 yards, 1 TD

RB T. Pollard (DAL) 23 touches, 83 yards, 1 TD

Records: Cowboys (9-3) / Seahawks (6-6)

Watch: Cowboys Outlast Seahawks in Shootout (41-35)

Athletic: How Cowboys Won a 41-35 Thriller Against Seahawks in Thursday Night Football’s Best Game of the Season

MLS PLAYOFFS

MLS Cup: The Final Four

Photo: Icon Sportswire / Getty Images

4 Teams Enter the MLS Cup Conference Finals, So Who Has the Edge?

We’ve let you down, MLS fans. Over the past month, other sports have stolen the highlights from the MLS Playoff coverage. That ends now with the semifinals just around the corner. Four teams enter the weekend with championship aspirations still very much alive. The Supporters’ Shield winners, FC Cincinnati, are the only #1 or #2 seed still in play. The rest of the underdogs are no slouches. Cincy will host the Columbus Crew in a battle of Ohio for the Eastern Conference bid. Out west, the reigning champions from LAFC are looking to complete the repeat, but Houston (Dynamo) stand in the way. It's FC Cincinnati's tournament to lose, but don't count out the underdogs. Here’s a history refresher of each team’s MLS Playoff legacy.

MLS Titles by Team

LAFC: 1 (2022)

Columbus Crew: 2 (2008 & 2020)

Houston Dynamo: 2 (2006 & 2007)

FC Cincinnati: 0

Players to Watch

Denis Bouanga (LAFC): 20 Goals, 7 Assists

Luciano Acosta (CIN): 17 Goals, 14 Assists

Cucho (COL): 16 Goals, 11 Assists

Amine Bassi (HOU): 10 Goals, 4 Assists

*Bouanga & Cucho Lead Playoff Scorers (4G Each)

MLS Playoffs Schedule (Semifinals)

#1 FC Cincinnati vs. #3 Columbus Crew (Sat. 6:00 pm)

#3 LAFC vs. #4 Houston Dynamo (Sat. 9:30 pm)

MLS Cup Finals: Saturday, December 9 (4:00 pm)

*Games on on Apple TV / All Times ET

MLS: Lucho or Cucho? Can Houston Stop LAFC? Conference Finals Mailbag

HIGHLIGHTS 🎥

🏀 NBA

Knicks def. Pistons (118-112)

*Jalen Brunson (42-8-6) Stars in the Garden

Warriors def. Clippers (120-114)

*GSW Wins Only 3rd Game in Last 11

Hawks def. Spurs (137-135)

*Trae Young (45 Points) Hands Spurs 13th Straight Loss

Heat def. Pacers (142-132)

*Jimmy Butler (36-11) & Tyrese Haliburton (44-10) Put on a Show

🏒 NHL

Maple Leafs def. Kraken (4-3, S/O)

*Mitch Marner Tallies Hat Trick for Leafs

Red Wings def. Blackhawks (5-1)

*Compher & Fabbri Score 2 Goals Each

Islanders def. Hurricanes (5-4, OT)

*Matthew Barzal (1G, 3A) Nets OT Winner

Wild def. Predators (6-1)

*Connor Dewar (3G, 1A) Tallies 4-Pt Night

Capitals def. Ducks (5-4)

*Tom Wilson Notches 1st Career Hat Trick in 700th Game

🏀 NCAAW

#1 South Carolina def. #24 North Carolina (65-58)

#7 LSU def. #9 Virginia Tech (82-64)

⛳️ Tiger Woods Back on the Course

Nothing like December golf, but it’s newsworthy when Tiger Woods is on the course. Woods (+3) had some bright moments in Round 1 of the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas on Thursday. His first drive was a monster, and he sunk a 48-foot birdie on the front.

STORYLINES

🏈 NFL Assistants Rising

The NFL’s annual purge of underperforming head coaches has already begun — Frank Reich and Josh McDaniels. More are in jeopardy as the season wraps up, but there are promising assistant coaches who will be coveted by teams. (FOX Sports)

🏀 Early-Season NBA Awards Favorites

The 2023-24 NBA season isn't even a quarter of the way complete. Any idea how all of the award races will pan out yet? Oddsmakers have an early hunch. And they might be spot-on with some of them. (Bleacher Report)

⚾️ MLB Free-Agent Tracker

Another top pitcher has signed a new contract. Luis Severino is heading across town from the Yankees to the Mets on a one-year deal. He joins Sonny Gray (Cardinals) and Kenta Maeda (Tigers) as the latest pitcher on the move. See all the deals. (CBS Sports)

NEWS 📰

WEEKEND SCHEDULE 🗓️

The Weekend Must-Watch List

It's a doozy! College football is front and center, but there's a little bit for everyone this weekend, including some live-action Tiger Woods! Enjoy.

🏈 CFB Conference Championships

Pac-12: #5 Oregon vs. #3 Washington

(Fri. 8:00 pm ET, ABC)
Big 12: #18 Oklahoma State vs. #7 Texas

(Sat. Noon ET, ABC)

SEC: #1 Georgia vs. #8 Alabama

(Sat. 4:00 pm ET, CBS)

Big Ten: #2 Michigan vs. #16 Iowa

(Sat. 8:00 pm ET, FOX)

ACC: #14 Louisville vs. #4 Florida State

(Sat. 8:00 pm ET, ABC)

🏈 NFL (Sunday)

Broncos at Texans (1:00 pm, CBS)

49ers at Eagles (4:25 pm, FOX)

Chiefs at Packers (8:20 pm, NBC)

Full NFL Schedule

🏀 NBA

76ers at Celtics (Fri. 7:30 pm, ESPN)

Nuggets at Suns (Fri. 10:00 pm, ESPN)

Warriors at Clippers (Sat. 4:00 pm)

Pacers at Heat (Sat. 8:00 pm)

Full NBA Schedule

🏒 NHL

Lightning at Stars (Sat. 2:00 pm, NHLN)

Bruins at Maple Leafs (Sat. 7:00 pm, NHLN)

Capitals at Golden Knights (Sat. 10:00 pm, ESPN+)

Avalanche at Kings (Sun. 8:00 pm, ESPN+)

Full NHL Schedule

⚽️ Soccer

EPL: Newcastle vs. Man. United (Sat. 3:00 pm)

EPL: Man. City vs. Tottenham (Sun. 11:30 am)

SPA: Barcelona vs. Atletico Madrid (Sun. 3:00 pm)

ITA: Napoli vs. Inter (Sun. 2:45 pm)

WOM: USWNT vs. China (Sat. 3:00 pm, TNT)

MLS: FC Cincinnati vs. Columbus Crew (Sat. 6:00 pm)

MLS: LAFC vs. Houston Dynamo (Sat. 9:30 pm)

🏀 NCAAB

M: #4 Uconn at #5 Kansas (Fri. 9:00 pm, ESPN)

M: #3 Marquette at Wisconsin (Sat. 12:30 pm, FOX)

W: #1 South Carolina at Duke (Sun. 1:00 pm, ABC)

W: #11 UConn at #10 Texas (Sun. 3:00 pm, ABC)

⛳️ Golf

Hero World Challenge (All Weekend, NBC/Peacock)

Download The Sportsletter's Must-Watch Calendar

THE TEAM

Writer & Editor: Jeff Yoder

Product Manager: Matthew Cahill

Lead Designer: Joe Stella

Assistant Writer: Marissa Kasch

Social Media: Aaron Yorke

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