Thanksgiving Football

            For the first time in a long time, there are significant football games being played on Thanksgiving. That’s right; there will be something other than your crazy uncle to entertain the family. Along with the three NFL games on Thanksgiving, there are also plenty of tasty college football matchups to watch in the second to last week of the season.

Thursday

Green Bay Packers at Detroit Lions-12:30 on FOX. The Packers come in with the league’s best record (10-0) and the league’s best quarterback, Aaron Rodgers. The Lions (7-3) have one of the best defensive lines the NFL and they will need to bring their best game and put pressure on Rodgers.

Miami Dolphins at Dallas Cowboys- 4:15 on CBS. The Dolphins started 0-7 and appeared to be the Colts biggest competition for the number one draft pick. They then put in backup quarterback Matt Moore and have won three straight. The Cowboys have been up and down all year and come into this game with a 6-4 record. If quarterback Tony Romo can play at the same level he did against the Bills two weeks ago, the Cowboys should have no problem winning.

San Francisco 49ers at Baltimore Ravens- 8:20 on NFL. For the first time in NFL history, two brothers will go to face each other as opposing head coaches. Jim Harbaugh and the 49ers have stunned the world as they have become one of the best teams in the league, and have a 9-1 record. John Harbaugh continues to lead the superb Ravens, as they are currently on top of the AFC North and have a 7-3 record. This could be a preview of the Super Bowl.

#25 Texas Longhorns at Texas A&M Aggies- 8:00 on ESPN. These two teams have been playing each other for more than 100 years, but this will be the final game in the series. Both teams are bowl-eligible but aren’t playing for much more than pride.

UPDATE- Packers beat the Lions 27-15. Cowboys beat the Dolphins 20-19. Ravens beat the 49ers 16-6. Longhorns beat the Aggies 27-25.

Friday

Big East Conference games- This conference can be won by any of five teams, and every team in the conference can still become bowl-eligible. There are games Friday and Saturday and all should be fairly fun to watch.

#3 Arkansas Razorbacks at #1 LSU Tigers- 3:30 on CBS. This will be a game that has huge national title implications. If the Razorbacks win, that opens the door for them and Alabama to slide into the Top 2 in the BCS Rankings. If LSU wins, they win the SEC West and face Georgia next week for the SEC Championship. Arkansas has the best offense in the SEC, and LSU has the best defense in the country.

UPDATE- The Big East race got a little clearer. If Louisville wins next Saturday they win the conference and a BCS Bowl Bid. LSU beat Arkansas 41-17 and will play in the SEC Championship.

Saturday

Ohio State Buckeyes at #15 Michigan Wolverines- 12:00 on ABC. It isn’t a shocker that Ohio State comes in to this game as the underdog, and with a record of 6-5. However, Michigan being 9-2 and ranked 15^th is a huge surprise. Nobody expected new head coach Brady Hoke to turn the program around so quickly. Michigan has Denard Robinson on offense, and a pretty stout defense to back him up. They have lost to Ohio State eight straight times, so this will be a great opportunity to end that streak.

#2 Alabama Crimson Tide at #24 Auburn Tigers- 3:30 on CBS. Alabama has hopes of playing in the national title, but they have to get past Auburn first. Last year Alabama cruised to a huge lead, but Auburn came roaring back in the second half to win the game. This year Alabama is a much better team, and Auburn is a little worse. The Crimson Tide should have no problem beating the Tigers.

#5 Virginia Tech Hokies at Virginia Cavaliers- 3:30 ABC. Whoever wins the Commonwealth Cup will also win the ACC Coastal Division. That team also gets the chance to play Clemson for the ACC Championship.

#19 Penn State Nittany Lions at #16 Wisconsin Badgers- 3:30 on ESPN. Whoever wins this game wins the Big 10 Legends Division, and gets to play Michigan State next week for the Big 10 Championship. The Penn State has one of the best defenses in the country, but they will be tested by one of the most underrated offenses in the country. Penn State will need their offense to be productive if they expect to win.

Purdue Boilermakers at Indiana Hoosiers- 3:30 on the Big 10 Network- I will have a more detailed story of the Old Oaken Bucket later in the week.

#22 Notre Dame Fighting Irish at #4 Stanford Cardinal- 8:00 on ESPN. Same as the Purdue-Indiana game.

Other notable Saturday games: Iowa State at #9 Oklahoma, #13 Georgia at #23 Georgia Tech, #17 Clemson at #12 South Carolina, UCLA at USC.

UPDATE: Michigan beat Ohio State, Alabama blew out Auburn, Virginia Tech shutout Virginia, Wisconsin dominated Penn State, Purdue won by a touchdown, Stanford handled Notre Dame, Oklahoma beat Iowa State, Georgia beat Georiga Tech, South Carolina beat Clemson, and USC beat UCLA.

Sunday

Buffalo Bills at New York Jets- 1:00 on CBS. The Bills started 6-2 but have lost three straight. The Jets started 5-3 but have lost two straight. Both teams are desperate to get back on track and win. This game will also have big implications in the AFC Wildcard race as it’s unlikely either team will win the AFC East.

Chicago Bears at Oakland Raiders- 4:05 on Fox. The Bears have been demolishing opponents lately but their quarterback, Jay Cutler, got injured in the last game and could be out the rest of the season. That means their backup quarterback, Caleb Hanie, will get to start. The Raiders are on their third quarterback of the season with Carson Palmer after the starter and backup got injured. Both teams are playing great, but are flying under the radar as Super Bowl contenders.

Denver Broncos at San Diego Chargers- 4:15 on CBS. The Broncos, led by Tim Tebow, have won three straight to move to second in the AFC West. The San Diego Chargers are heading in the completely opposite direction. They have lost five straight and are third in the AFC West, just above the dismal Chiefs. If the Broncos win, they may put the nail in the Charger’s coffin for the 2011 season.

New England Patriots at Philadelphia Eagles- 4:15 on CBS.  Just when you think the 4-6 Eagles can be thrown out of the playoff picture, they get a much needed and improbable win against the Giants. I hate to say it, but if the Eagles can beat the Patriots they could still make the playoffs by running the table and finishing 10-6 to sneak into the playoffs.

UPDATE: Jets beat the Bills, Raiders beat the Bears, Broncos beat the Chargers, and the Patriots beat the Eagles. It's pretty to safe to say the Eagles are out of playoff contention and the Chargers are about to be too.

            It’s a great weekend to do nothing but eat food, hang with family and friends, and watch football. Have a great Thanksgiving weekend everybody!