Cowboys get past Washington

The Washington Redskins traveled to AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas to take on the Dallas Cowboys. A Washington win means that the Eagles win the NFC East Division. A Cowboys win could give them the season series with Washington. Whoever wins this matchup can keep their dim postseason hopes alive. Who would come out on top in this rivalry matchup? Let's get to this! The Cowboys would start with the ball and go three and out on the opening series. The Redskins' opening drive would get a first down on a Perine 15 yard run on second and 9 but they would fail to get another first down and were forced to punt. The Cowboys would go three and out once again and give the ball back to the Redskins. The Washington drive would end in an interception by Heath and then would go three and out but the Redskins would fumble on the punt return and the Cowboys would recover but Dallas couldn't capitalize and would punt the ball back. The Redskins would go three and out then the Cowboys would go on an eleven play drive that ended with Dak Prescott going to Jason Witten for the score from eight yards out. The Cowboys would recover a fumble on the Washington drive that would result in a Dan Bailey 24 yard field goal to make it 10-0. The Redskins would go three and out once again and Switzer would go 83 yards on the punt return for the score and a 17-0 lead. The Redskins would come right back with a nine play drive ending with Kirk Cousins going to Ryan Grant for a 20 yard score. The Cowboys would get the ball before halftime but Dallas would fail to score as we headed to halftime with a 17-7 Dallas lead. The Redskins would start with the ball and faced a third and 16 and Cousins would go to Grant for 24 yards but that would be the only first down they would get as they would be forced to punt. Alfred Morris would go for three yards on second and three but that would be all the Cowboys could get and would be forced to punt. Perine would go for 7 on second and 7, then on second and 6, Cousins would find Grant for eight yards but the Redskins would punt the ball once again. The Cowboys would take over and Alfred Morris would go for two yards on second and 1 for a first down then on the next play, Prescott would find Terrence Williams for 11 then Morris would go for eight yards and second and 2. The Cowboys would face a third and 6 and Prescott would find Dez Bryant for 24 yards and the Cowboys would face a third and 5 as they entered the fourth quarter. First play of the fourth quarter would see Prescott going to Dez Bryant for the 13 yard touchdown to increase the lead to 24-7. The Redskins would go on a nine play drive that ended with Cousins going to Doctson for the 14 yard score to cut the lead down to 10. The Cowboys would answer on their next drive. They would go ten plays and Morris would score from one yard out. The Redskins would face a fourth and 10 and the pass would be tipped and intercepted by Anthony Brown. The Cowboys would get a one yard score by Rod Smith as the Cowboys took down Washington 38-14.

Championship Week

With only one District 2 football team remaining  in the Dunmore Bucks. The Bucks take on Southern Columbia in Danville for the unofficial PIAA Eastern Conference Championship and the right to make the 2A State Championship game. In college football, several conference championship games are this week and several teams will try and convince the College Football playoff committee that they belong in the Playoffs. Here what I believe should happen. I believe the SEC and ACC champions are in. Oklahoma is in if they win, Wisconsin is in if they win. Alabama could be in if Oklahoma or Wisconsin lose. If both Wisconsin and Oklahoma, could it possibly leave the door open for both ACC teams to get in or two loss Ohio State? We'll just have to see what the Committee has to say. With all that being, here are the game previews for the State Semifinal matchup and the conference championships that involve Top 25 teams.

High School Football State Semifinals
AA State Semifinal
Dunmore vs Southern Columbia
Fri 7 PM at Danville High School
Dunmore got here by knocking off Ligonier Valley. Southern Columbia is coming off a win over Neumann-Gorretti. This is a clash of powers in northeast and central Pennsylvania. Bucks QB Gavin Darcy has been fantastic. He's thrown for 1,468 yards and 27 touchdowns. RB Frank Damiano has rushed for 631 yards and 14 touchdowns. Wideout Nate Fangio has 26 catches for 658 yards and nine touchdowns. Tigers QB Stone Hollenback has thrown for 2,238 yards and 26 touchdowns. RB Gaige Garcia has rushed for 1,901 yards and 32 touchdowns. Wideout Julian Fleming had 58 catches for 1,283 yards and 18 touchdowns.

Prediction: Southern Columbia

College Football Conference Championship

PAC-12 Championship
USC vs Stanford
Fri 8 PM at Levi Stadium
USC is coming in with a 10-2 mark and Stanford has a 9-3 record. Trojans QB Sam Darnold has thrown for 3,462 yards and 24 touchdowns. Junior RB Ronald Jone II has rushed for 1,346 yards and 16 touchdowns and junior wideout Deontay Burnett has 73 catches for 966 yards and nine touchdowns. Cardinal sophomore QB KJ Costello has thrown for 1,169 yards and nine touchdowns. Junior RB Bryce Love has rushed for 1,848 yards and 16 touchdowns and junior wideout JJ Arcega-Whiteside has 41 catches for 633 yards and six touchdowns.

Prediction: USC

Conference USA Championship
North Texas at FAU
Sat 12 PM
North Texas and FAU come in with a record of 9-3 and looking for a Conference USA championship. NT Mean Green QB Mason Fine has thrown for 3,393 yards and 27 touchdowns. RB Jeffrey Wilson has rushed for 1,215 yards and 16 touchdowns. Wideout Jalen Guyton has 47 catches for 758 yards and nine touchdowns. Atlantic Owls QB Jason Driskel has thrown for 1,708 yards and 12 touchdowns. RB Devin Singletary has rushed for 1,630 yards and 26 touchdowns and wideout Willie Wright has 45 catches for 559 yards and four touchdowns.

Prediction: FAU

MAC Championship
Akron vs Toledo
Sat 12 PM at Ford Field
Akron comes in with a record of 7-5 and Toledo comes in with a record of 10-2. Zips senior QB Thomas Woodson threw for 1,742 yards and 14 touchdowns. RB Manny Morgan rushed for 342 yards and three touchdowns and junior wideout Kwadarrius Smith has 30 catches for 605 yards and six touchdowns. Rockets senior QB Logan Woodside threw for 3,451 yards and 24 touchdowns. RB Terry Swanson rushed for 1,139 yards and 12 touchdowns and wideout Diontae Johnson has 63 catches for 1,139 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Prediction: Toledo

American Athletic Conference Championship
Memphis vs UCF
Sat 12 PM
Memphis comes in with a record of 10-1 and UCF comes in undefeated with a record of 11-0. Tigers senior QB Riley Ferguson is throwing for 3,500 yards and 32 touchdowns. Sophomore RB Darrell Henderson is rushing for 1,045 yards and eight touchdowns and senior wideout Anthony Miller has 78 catches for 1,212 yards and 14 touchdowns. Knights sophomore QB McKenzie Milton has thrown for 3,301 yards and 30 touchdowns. Sophomore RB Adrian Killins Jr has rushed for 711 yards and nine touchdowns and junior receiver Tre'Quan Smith has 48 catches for 921 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Prediction: UCF

Big 12 Championship
TCU vs Oklahoma
Sat 12:30 PM at AT&T Stadium
TCU is coming in with a 10-2 record and Oklahoma is coming in with an 11-1 mark. The stakes are high for Oklahoma as with a win, they could punch their ticket to the College Football playoff. Horned Frogs redshirt senior QB Kenny Hill is throwing for 2,604 yards and 19 touchdowns on the year. With leading rusher sophomore Darius Anderson out with an injury, senior RB Kyle Hicks is the second leading rushed with 565 yards and four touchdowns and senior wide receiver Desmon White has 33 catches for 362 yards and four touchdowns. Sooners senior QB Baker Mayfield has thrown for 4,097 yards and 37 touchdowns. Sophomore RB Rodney Anderson has rushed for 867 yards and 11 touchdowns on the year and junior TE Mark Andrews has 51 catches for 848 yards and six touchdowns.

Prediction: Oklahoma

SEC Championship
Auburn vs Georgia
Sat 4 PM at Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Auburn comes in with a 10-2 record and Georgia comes in with an 11-1 mark. The SEC Champion should be guaranteed to make the College Football playoff. Auburn's two losses came to Clemson and LSU. Georgia's lone loss came to the same Auburn team. Tigers sophomore QB Jarrett Stidham has thrown for 2,682 yards and 16 touchdowns. RB Kerryon Johnson is expected to play despite being injured last week against Alabama. He has rushed for 1,276 yards and 17 touchdowns and junior wideout Ryan Davis has 69 catches for 703 yards and five touchdowns. Bulldogs freshman QB Jake Fromm has thrown for 1,990 yards and 19 touchdowns. Senior RB Nick Chubb has rushed for 1,098 yards and 13 touchdowns and senior receiver Javon Wims has 38 catches for 631 yards and six touchdowns.

Prediction: Georgia

Mountain West Championship
Boise State vs Fresno State
Sat 7:45 PM
Both Boise State and Fresno State both come in with a record of 9-3. Broncos junior QB Brett Rypien is a three year starter and this year has thrown for 2,249 yards and 14 touchdowns. Sophomore RB Alexander Mattison has rushed for 1,024 yards and 11 touchdowns and senior receiver Cedric Wilson has 65 catches for 1,142 yards and six touchdowns. Bulldogs junior QB Marcus McMaryion is a transfer from Oregon State and has thrown for 2,212 yards and 14 touchdowns to only three interceptions. Freshman RB Jordan Mims has rushed for 590 yards and six touchdowns and junior receiver KeeSean Johnson has 64 catches for 860 yards and eight touchdowns.

Prediction: Boise State

ACC Championship
Miami (FL) vs Clemson
Sat 8 PM at Bank of America Stadium
Miami is coming in with a 10-1 mark and Clemson is coming in with an 11-1 record. The winner of the ACC Championship will make the college football playoff. Hurricanes junior QB Malik Rosier is throwing for 2,807 yards and 25 touchdowns. Sophomore RB Travis Homer is rushing for 861 yards and seven touchdowns and senior wideout Braxton Berrios has 45 catches for 583 yards and nine touchdowns. Tigers QB Kelly Bryant has thrown for 2,426 yards and 12 touchdowns. RB Travis Etienne has rushed for 720 yards and 12 touchdowns and wideout Deon Cain has 49 catches for 620 yards and five touchdowns.

Prediction: Miami

Big Ten Championship
Wisconsin vs Ohio State
Sat 8 PM at Lucas Oil Stadium
Wisconsin comes in undefeated with a record of 12-0. Ohio State comes in with a mark of 10-2. A Wisconsin win should get them into the college football playoff but Ohio State would need help to get in especially if TCU knocks off Oklahoma. Redshirt sophomore QB Alex Hornibrook has thrown for 2,157 yards and 21 touchdowns. Freshman RB Jonathan Taylor has rushed for 1,806 yards and 13 touchdowns and senior tight end has 38 catches for 471 yards and four touchdowns. Buckeyes QB JT Barrett has thrown for 2,717 yards and 33 touchdowns and has rushed for 683 yards and nine touchdowns. Freshman RB JK Dobbins has rushed for 1,190 yards and seven touchdowns and reshirt sophomore receiver KJ Hill has 51 catches for 519 yards and three touchdowns.

Prediction: Ohio State

Emerging Teams

As we head to December, several teams are beginning to emerge as Super Bowl contenders. Several teams will be tested as we head toward the postseason. Only three teams have been mathematically eliminated from the playoffs in the Browns, 49ers and Giants. Everyone else is mathematically alive but most teams only need to lose once to be eliminated. With all that being said, here is what happened in Sunday's action and the division standings, playoff positioning as well as scenarios. 

Falcons 34 Buccaneers 20
Julio Jones had 12 catches for 253 yards and two touchdowns and RB Tevin Coleman rushed for 97 yards and two touchdowns as the Falcons kept pace with the Saints with a win over Tampa Bay. Bucs RB Peyton Barber had two rushing touchdowns.

Bengals 30 Browns 16
RB Joe Mixon rushed for 114 yards and a touchdown and QB Andy Dalton threw for 214 yards and two touchdowns as the Bengals kept the Browns winless on the season. Browns QB DeShone Kizer threw for 268 yards and had a rushing touchdown in the loss.

Titans 20 Colts 16
QB Marcus Mariota threw for 184 yards and a touchdown and RB DeMarco Murray added a touchdown as the Titans got into a first place tie with Jacksonville as they took the road victory in Indianapolis. Colts RB Frank Gore rushed for 62 yards and a touchdown.

Bills 16 Chiefs 10
Tyrod Taylor threw for 183 yards and a touchdown and Stephen Hauschka kicked three field goals as the Bills upset the Chiefs at home. Chiefs QB Alex Smith threw for 199 yards and a touchdown. Kansas City has lost 5 of their last six games since they started 5-0.

Patriots 35 Dolphins 17
Tom Brady threw for 227 yards and four touchdowns and Dion Lewis rushed for 112 yards and Rex Burkhead added a touchdown as the Patriots knocked off the Dolphins to go to 9-2 on the season. Dolphins QB Matt Moore threw for 215 yards and a touchdown and Safety Rashad Jones returned a fumble for a touchdown.

Panthers 35 Jets 27
LB Luke Kuechly returned a fumble for a touchdown to turn the game around and Kaelin Clay returned a punt 60 yards for a touchdown as the Panthers got the road victory in the Meadowlands over the Jets. Jets QB Josh McCown threw for 307 yards and three touchdowns.

Eagles 31 Bears 3
Carson Wentz threw for 227 yards and three touchdowns as the Eagles improved to 10-1 on the year as they knocked off the Bears. TE Zach Ertz had 10 catches for 103 yards and a touchdown in the win. Bears QB Mitch Trubisky threw for 147 yards.

Seahawks 24 49ers 13
Seahawks QB Russell Wilson threw for 228 yards and two touchdowns and also added a rushing touchdown as Seattle took the road victory over San Francisco. TE Jimmy Graham had one of the two touchdown receptions. 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo made his debut with San Francisco and threw a touchdown.

Rams 26 Saints 20
QB Jared Goff threw for 354 yards and two touchdowns and Cooper Kupp had eight catches for 116 yards as the Rams snapped the Saints eight game winning streak with a victory. Saints RB Alvin Kamara had 87 yards rushing and a touchdown. He also had six catches for 101 yards and a touchdown.

Cardinals 27 Jaguars 24
QB Blaine Gabbert threw for 241 yards and two touchdowns and Ricky Seals-Jones had four catches for 72 yards and a touchdown as the Cardinals took down the Jaguars. Jaguars QB Blake Bortles threw for 160 yards and had two rushing touchdowns.

Raiders 21 Broncos 14
QB Derek Carr threw for 253 yards and two touchdowns and Marshawn Lynch rushed for 67 yards and a touchdown as the Raiders took down the Broncos. Broncos QB Trevor Siemian threw for 149 yards and two touchdowns in the loss.

AFC
AFC East
1 Patriots 9-2
2 Bills 6-5 3 GB
3 Jets 4-7 5 GB
4 Dolphins 4-7 5 GB

AFC North
1 Steelers 9-2
2 Ravens 6-5 3 GB
3 Bengals 5-6 4 GB
4 Browns 0-11 E

AFC South
1 Titans 7-4
2 Jaguars 7-4
3 Texans 4-7 3 GB
4 Colts 3-8 4 GB

AFC West
1 Chiefs 6-5
2 Chargers 5-6 1 GB
3 Raiders 5-6 1 GB
4 Broncos 3-8 3 GB

NFC
NFC East
1 Eagles 10-1
2 Cowboys 5-6 5 GB
3 Redskins 5-6 5 GB
4 Giants 2-9 E

NFC North
1 Vikings 9-2
2 Lions 6-5 3 GB
3 Packers 5-6 4 GB
4 Bears 3-8 E

NFC South
1 Saints 8-3
2 Panthers 8-3
3 Falcons 7-4 1 GB
4 Buccaneers 4-7 4 GB

NFC West
1 Rams 8-3
2 Seahawks 7-4 1 GB
3 Cardinals 5-6 3 GB
4 49ers 1-10 E

AFC
1 Steelers 9-2
2 Patriots 9-2
3 Titans 7-4
4 Chiefs 6-5

5 Jaguars 7-4
6 Bills 6-5

In the Hunt
Ravens 6-5
Bengals 5-6 1 GB
Chargers 5-6 1 GB
Raiders 5-6 1 GB
Texans 4-7 2 GB
Jets 4-7 2 GB
Dolphins 4-7 2 GB
Broncos 3-8 3 GB
Colts 3-8 3 GB

NFC
1 Eagles 10-1
2 Vikings 9-2
3 Rams 8-3
4 Saints 8-3

5 Panthers 8-3
6 Falcons 7-4

In the Hunt
Seahawks 7-4
Lions 6-5 1 GB
Packers 5-6 2 GB
Cowboys 5-6 2 GB
Redskins 5-6 2 GB
Cardinals 5-6 2 GB
Buccaneers 4-7 3 GB
Bears 3-8 4 GB

Scenarios:
Eagles can clinch the division with a win or a Cowboys loss to the Redskins on Thursday night.

Ravens sneak past Texans

The Houston Texans traveled to Baltimore to take on the Ravens on Monday Night Football. The Texans needed a win to keep their dim playoff hopes alive. Tom Savage would start in place of DeShaun Watson, who is out for the season with a torn ACL. The Ravens have been up and down all season but look to get their second straight win and are currently on the outside looking in but would be tied with Buffalo for the final wild card spot. Who would come out on top in this Monday night matchup? Let's get into the game! The Ravens would start with the ball and would go three and out to start the game. The Texans would get the ball and go nine plays and end with a four yard touchdown run by Lamar Miller to make it 7-0 Houston. The next four possessions would result in punts by the Texans and Ravens as the first quarter came to an end with the Texans leading 7-0. The Ravens would go on a seven play drive that would end with a ten yard touchdown run by Allen to tie the game at 7. The drive was highlighted with punter Sam Koch going to Moore for 22 yards on the fake. The Texans drive would end with a Ravens interception by Ellington. The Ravens would capitalize with a five play drive that would end with Alex Collins going in from eight yards for the score to make it 14-7 Ravens. The Texans would go 13 plays and would end with a Fairbaim 25 yard field goal to cut the Ravens lead to 14-10 then the Ravens would get the ball before halftime and would end with a Justin Tucker 53 yard field goal to make 17-10 at halftime. The Texans would start with the ball in the second half and they would go three and out. The Ravens would take over and would face a third and 3 and the pass would fall incomplete but a defensive holding call would give the Ravens a first down but that was all the Ravens could muster and would be forced to punt. The Texans would face an early third and 7 and Tom Savage would find Hopkins for nine yards. Savage would find Miller for 14 on second and 11. On another third down, Alfred Blue would go for three yards. The drive would end with a 36 yard field goal by Fairbairn to cut the lead to 17-13. The Texans and Ravens would trade three and outs. The Ravens would face a third and 8 as we headed to the fourth quarter. Collins would go 12 on third and 8. On a third and 4, Joe Flacco would find Mike Wallace for 13. The Ravens would get a 31 yard field goal by Tucker to increase the lead to 20-13. Lamar Miller would get three yards on second and 2 then Savage would go to Hopkins for a 39 yard completion to the Ravens 25 yard line. The Texans would have to settle for a 37 yarder to make it 20-16. The Texans defense would cause a Ravens three and out and would take over down four, hoping to take the lead. The Texans would face a third and 3 and Savage would find DeAndre Hopkins for six but on the next play, Savage would fumble and the Ravens would recover. The Texans would get a stop but Tucker would make a field goal to make it 23-16 and were able to get the Texans to use their timeouts. On second and 1, Savage would be picked off by Levine before the two-minute warning. On second and 11 after the two minute warning, Flacco would keep it and go for 25 yards as the Ravens sealed the game and knocked off the Houston Texans 23-16.

Last Second Field Goal propels Steelers past Green Bay

The Green Bay Packers are hoping to keep their season alive as they traveled to Heinz Field in Pittsburgh to take on the Steelers. Brett Hundley makes his fifth start in replacement of Aaron Rodgers, who is out with a broken collarbone. The Steelers are currently on top of the AFC and are up three games in their division. Who would come out on top in this interconference on Sunday night football? Let's get into the game! The Steelers would start with the ball and on the first play, Ben Roethlisberger would go to Antonio Brown for 20 yards to the Green Bay 39 yard line. Next play, Le'Veon Bell would go for ten yards. They faced a third and 1 and Roethlisberger would find Bell for two yards to the Packer 18 yard line. They would then face a third and 6 and Roethlisberger would go to Jesse James for 10 to the Packers 4 yard line. They would face a fourth and goal at the one yard line and Roethlisberger would shovel pass to Xavier Grimble for the touchdown. The Steelers would miss the extra point and it would be 6-0 Pittsburgh. The Packers would take over and Jamaal Williams would go for six yards on second and 4. The Packers would face a third and 5 and the Steelers would get a sack but an illegal use of hands would give the Packers a first down. On second and 11, Brett Hundley would find Randall Cobb for a 39 yard touchdown to give the Packers a 7-6 lead. The Steelers would face an early third and 5 and Roethlisberger would find James for 17. They would face a third and 8 and Roethlisberger would get picked off by Demarius Randall and looked like it would be returned for a touchdown and after further review, the ruling on the field is that he was down by contact. On third and 9, Hundley would find Williams and he would go 54 yards for the touchdown for a 14-6 lead. After the Steelers and Packers traded punts, the Steelers would go on a five play drive that ended with Ben Roethlisberger going to Martavis Bryant for a 17 yard touchdown and Roethlisberger would go to Brown for the two point conversion to tie the game at 14. The Packers and Steelers would trade punts and the Packers would waste the clock as we headed to halftime tied at 14. The Packers would start with the ball and go six plays ending with Hundley going to Adams for a 55 yard score to give them a 21-14 lead. The Steelers' first drive would end in an interception by Martinez and the Packers would get it at the Steelers 45 yard line. The Packers would go seven plays and would try a 57 yard field goal by Mason Crosby and would miss. The Steelers would capitalize with a six play drive that would end with a one yard touchdown pass from Roethlisberger to Brown. The Packers would go three and out on their next drive. The Steelers drive would end with a fumble recovered by the Packers. The Packers would be unable to capitalize as they would go three and out once again. The Steelers would go seven plays that resulted in Roethlisberger going to Brown for a 33 yard touchdown pass to give the Steelers a 28-21 lead. The Packers would get the ball back and go 12 plays ending in a four yard touchdown run by Jamaal Williams to tie the game at 28, highlighted by Hundley finding Adams for eight yards for a first and goal. The Steelers would get the ball before the two-minute warning. Roethlisberger would find Brown for 13 after the two-minute warning on second and 4. Roethlisberger would find Bell for 10 to the Packers 46 yard line and would go out of bounds to stop the clock. The Steelers would face a third and 10 at the Packers 46 yard line and the pass would fall incomplete and they would punt with 1:33 left, plenty of time for the Packers but only have one timeout remaining. The Packers would take over at their own 18 yard line with 1:20 left. First play, Hundley would get sacked by TJ Watt. After a three yard pass to Jamaal Williams and would go out of bounds and they would go for a run play and the Steelers would call a timeout and would get the ball back. The Packers would be forced to punt and the Steelers would get the ball back with 17 seconds left and they would have two timeouts remaining and get the ball at their own 30 yard line. Roethlisberger would go to Brown and the pass would be called complete on the field and upon review and the ruling was confirmed on the field. It was a 25 yard pass to the Green Bay 47 yard line with 13 seconds left. Roethlisberger would find Brown once again for 14 yards to the Packers 33 yard line and after a Bell pass, Chris Boswell would attempt a 53 yard field goal and the kick is good and the Steelers would take the victory over the Green Bay Packers 31-28.

Thoughts on the game: What a game is all I have to say! The Steelers at the end of the game were just incredible especially Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown's first catch of the final drive. The Packers certainly looked better than they did last week. After getting shutout by the Ravens, they played great on the road and just came up short against the top team in the AFC North.

Only One Remains

Four teams played this weekend and now only one team remains in the State Playoffs and that would be Dunmore. Dunmore will take on Southern Columbia this Friday for the right to go to the State Championship game in Hershey. Two of the most promienent programs in Northeast and Central Pennsylvania will face off in Danville. In college football, several upsets occurred where now the college football playoff rankings could be very interesting. We're one week away from the final rankings and several teams will be playing for positioning in the conference championship games With all that being said, here is what happened in the High School Football state playoffs and in the college football top 25 games.

High School Football State Playoffs
4A State Playoffs
Imhotep Charter 41 Valley View 0
Imhotep RB Isheem Young rushed for 151 yards and a touchdown and Khadarius Sampson rushed for 87 yards and two touchdowns as Imhotep shutout Valley View to advance to the State Semifinals. Cougars RB Seth Vernon rushed for 99 yards in the loss.

3A State Playoffs
Middletown 35 Scranton Prep 0
Middletown's Brady Fox rushed for 85 yards and three touchdowns and Tre' Leach added 82 yards on the ground and a touchdown as Middletown took the battle of unbeaten and advanced to the State Semifinal. Cavaliers RB Matt Gilmartin rushed for 82 yards in the loss.

2A State Playoffs
Dunmore 23 Ligonier Valley 20
Bucks RB Cristian Buckley rushed for 54 yards and a touchdown and QB Gavin Darcy threw for 83 yards and a touchdown as Dunmore advanced to the State Semifinal where they will face Southern Columbia in Danville on Friday. Ligonier Valley QB John Caldwell threw for 144 yards and a touchdown.

5A State Playoffs
Archbishop Wood 41 Valley West 14
Archbishop Wood's Nasir Peoples rushed for 173 yards and two touchdowns and Adrian Lambert added 54 yards and two touchdowns as Archbishop Wood advanced to the semifinals with a victory over Valley West. Valley West's Rob Dwyer rushed for 93 yards and a touchdown.

College Football Playoff Top 25
Ole Miss 31 (14) Mississippi State 28
Rebels QB Jordan Ta'amu threw for 247 yards and two touchdowns and RB Jordan Wilkins rushed for 110 yards and two touchdowns as Ole Miss took down rival Mississippi State on Thanksgiving night. Bulldogs QB Keytaon Thompson had to come in replacement of Nick Fitzgerald due to an injury. He threw for 195 yards and a touchdown and also rushed for 121 yards and a touchdown.

(12) TCU 45 Baylor 22
TCU QB Kenny Hill threw for 325 yards and three touchdowns and RB Sewo Olonilua rushed for 71 yards and a touchdown as TCU advanced to the Big 12 Championship game with a victory over Baylor on Friday afternoon. Bears QB Charlie Brewer threw for 301 yards and two touchdowns.

Pittsburgh 24 (2) Miami (FL) 14
Panthers freshman QB Kenny Pickett threw for 193 yards and a touchdown and added 60 rushing yards and two touchdowns as the Panthers upset Miami at home on Friday afternoon. Hurricanes QB Malik Rosier threw for 187 yards and two touchdowns. Miami will still be playing for the ACC Championship against Clemson next Saturday.

(15) UCF 49 USF 42
UCF's Mike Hughes returned a kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown with 1:28 left after South Florida tied the game as UCF completed an undefeated season with a win over USF on Friday. UCF QB McKenzie Milton threw for 373 yards and four touchdowns. USF QB Quinton Flowers threw for 503 yards and four touchdowns in the loss. UCF will play Memphis for the American Athletic Conference Championship next Saturday.

(7) Georgia 38 Georgia Tech 7
Bulldogs Freshman QB Jake Fromm threw for 224 yards and two touchdowns and RB Sony Michel rushed for 85 yards and a touchdown as Georgia took down Georgia Tech. Yellow Jackets QB TaQuon Marshall rushed for 72 yards and also threw a touchdown pass.

(19) Oklahoma State 58 Kansas 17
Cowboys QB Mason Rudolph threw for 438 yards and two touchdowns and RB La'Darren Brown rushed for 48 yards and two touchdowns as Oklahoma State blew out Kansas. Jawhawks QB Peyton Bender threw for 172 yards and two touchdowns in the loss.

(9) Ohio State 31 Michigan 20
Buckeyes RB JK Dobbins rushed for 101 yards and a touchdown and JT Barrett threw for a touchdown and rushed for a touchdown before leaving the game with an injury as Ohio State knocked off rival Michigan. Wolvernines RB Karan Higdon rushed for 55 yards and a touchdown.

(20) Memphis 70 East Carolina 13
RB Patrick Taylor Jr rushed for 127 yards and two touchdowns and Darrell Henderson added 122 yards and two touchdowns and QB Riley Ferguson threw for 299 yards and three touchdowns as Memphis blew away East Carolina. Pirates QB Gardner Minshew threw for 351 yards and two touchdowns.

(10) Penn State 66 Maryland 3
Tommy Stevens rushed for 113 yards and three touchdowns and also threw a touchdown pass and QB Trace McSorley threw for 237 yards and two touchdowns as Penn State blew out Maryland on the road. Terrapins QB Max Bortenschlager threw for 185 yards in the loss.

(5) Wisconsin 31 Minnesota 0
Badgers freshman RB James Taylor rushed for 149 yards and a touchdown and QB Alex Hornibrook threw for 151 yards and three touchdowns as Wisconsin finished the regular season undefeated as they shutout Minnesota. Golden Gophers RB Rodney Smith rushed for 82 yards in the loss.

Fresno State 28 (23) Boise State 17
Bulldogs QB Marcus McMaryion threw for 332 yards and two touchdowns and wideout KeeSean Johnson had six catches for 119 yards and two touchdowns as Fresno State upset No 23 Boise State. Broncos QB Brett Rypien threw for 278 yards and RB Alexander Mattison had a rushing touchdown.

(4) Oklahoma 59 West Virginia 31
Sooners RB Rodney Anderson rushed for 118 yards and four touchdowns and despite being benched, Baker Mayfield finished the game with 281 yards and three touchdowns as Oklahoma beat West Virginia. The Sooners will play TCU in the Big 12 title game. Mountaineers RB Kennedy McCoy rushed for 137 yards and three touchdowns.

(23) Northwestern 42 Illinois 7
Wildcats RB Justin Jackson rushed for 144 yards and a touchdown as Northwestern RBs had four touchdowns total as Northwestern knocked off Illinois. Illini QB Cam Thomas threw for 139 yards and rushed for 49 yards and a touchdown in the loss.

(16) Michigan State 40 Rutgers 7
Spartans QB Brian Lewerke threw for 222 yards and a touchdown and also added 56 yards on the ground and a touchdown as Michigan State knocked off Rutgers. Scarlet Knights QB Johnathan Lewis threw for 98 yards and a touchdown to Raheem Blackshear.

(18) LSU 45 Texas A&M 21
Tigers QB Danny Etling threw for 347 yards and three touchdowns and Derrius Guice rushed for 127 yards and a touchdown as LSU knocked off Texas A&M. Aggies QB Nick Starkel threw for 227 yards and two touchdowns.

(3) Clemson 34 (24) South Carolina 10
Tigers QB Kelly Bryant threw for 272 yards and two touchdowns as Clemson knocked off rival South Carolina. The Tigers will play for the ACC Championship next Saturday against Miami. Gamecocks QB Jake Bentley threw for 126 yards and a touchdown.

(21) Stanford 38 (8) Notre Dame 20
Cardinal QB KJ Costello threw for 176 yards and four touchdowns as Stanford knocked off Notre Dame. Stanford will play USC for the Pac-12 Championship. Fighting Irish QB Brandom Wimbush threw for 249 yards and two touchdowns.

(17) Washington 41 (13) Washington State 14
Huskies RB Myles Gaskin rushed for 192 yards and four touchdowns QB Jake Browning threw for 93 yards and had a rushing touchdown as Washington took down rival Washington State. Cougars QB Luke Falk threw for 369 yards and a touchdown.

Auburn takes Iron Bowl over Alabama

The Alabama Crimson Tide traveled to Auburn to face off against their rivals, the Tigers in the Iron Bowl. The SEC West title is on the line as well as a berth in the SEC Championship game next week. This game also looms big for both team's National Championship hopes, especially for Alabama, who is the number 1 ranked team in the playoff. Auburn can play spoiler and possibly play themselves into the playoff with a win and a win next week. Who would take this Iron Bowl matchup and have a chance at the SEC Championship? Let's get to this big rivalry game! The Tigers would start with the ball and Jarrett Stidham would find Ryan Davis for 11 for a first down but Auburn would fail to get another first down and would be forced to punt. Alabama would take over and Jalen Hurts would find Damien Harris for eight yards on second and 1 then Robert Foster would run for 12 yards on second and 10. However, that would be all the Crimson Tide could muster and would punt the ball away. The Tigers would take over at their own six yard line and Kerryon Johnson would go for 15 yards on second and 9 for a first down. The Tigers would face a third and 9 and Stidham would find Nate Craig-Myers for a 25 yard gain and a first down. Stidham would then find Darius Slayton for 23 to the Tide 25 yard line on the next play. The Tigers would face a third and 5 and Stidham would find Johnson for 10 yards to the Tide 10 yard line for a first and goal. On third and goal, Kerryon Johnson would throw to Craig-Myers for a three yard touchdown pass for a 7-0 Auburn lead. The Tide would take over and the drive would end with a fumble forced by Derrick Brown and recovered by Tre' Williams at the Tide 44 yard line. Stidham would start with a pass to Johnson for 11 to the Tide 33 yard line. On third and 4, Stidham would find Ryan Davis for 12 to Tide six yard line for a first and goal. Auburn would face a third and goal as the first quarter came to an end. On the first play of the second, the Tigers would fumble and recovered by Alab Da'Ron Payne at their own 9 yard line. The Crimson Tide would be unable to capitalize as they would go three and out. The Tigers would also go three and out on the next drive. Alabama would take over and on second and 5, Hurts would go for seven yards to the Tigers 48 yard line. They would face a fourth and 1 and Hurts would go for three yards. On the next play, Hurts would go to Jerry Jeudy for a 38 yard touchdown pass to tie the game at 7. The Tigers would take over and Stidham would go to Davis for 10 yards and then Johnson would go for 10 yards on the next play. Johnson would go for four yards on second and 3 but the drive would sputter and the Tigers would be forced to punt and they would down it at the Alabama two yard line. The Tide would go three and out and the Tigers would take over at the Alabama 49 yard line. The Tigers would face a three and out and Stidham would find Davis for 23 to the Alabama 22 yard line. The Tigers would have to settle for a Daniel Carlson 33 yard field goal and would make it for a 10-7 Auburn lead at halftime. The Crimson Tide would start with the ball and would go five plays that would result in a Bo Scarbrough 21 yard touchdown run to give Alabama a 14-10 lead. The Tigers would take over and would face a third and 3 and Stidham would go to Will Hastings for 20 to their own 48 yard line. After an illegal substitution penalty on Alabama, the Tigers would get a first and 5 and Stidham would find Davis for seven. On second and 14, Alabama would be called for a personal foul penalty for removing Stidham's helmet on the play. The drive would end with a 44 yard field goal by Carlson to cut the Alabama lead to 14-13. The Crimson Tide would go three and out on their next drive. The Tigers would take over at their own 31 yard line and would face a third and 5 early and Stidham would find Davis for 25 to the Tide 39 yard line. They faced a third and 7 and Stidham would go for nine yards for the first down. Stidham would go for 12 yards on second and 7 to the Tide 12 yard line. They would face a third and 1 and Johnson would go for two yards for a first and goal at the 1 yard line. One play later, Johnson would go in from one yard out to give the Tigers a 20-14 lead. After a Tide false start, on first and 15, Auburn would get called for pass interference for a first down. Josh Jacobs would go for five yards on second and 4. Alabama would settle for a field goal but the hold was botched and the Tigers would take over at their own 26 as we go to the fourth quarter. First play of the fourth quarter, on second and 7, Stidham would go to Davis for eight yards, then Johnson would go for 15 yards on the next play. Stidham would go to Davis for 25 yards to the Alabama 20 on second and 7. On second and 6 at the Tide 16 yard line, Stidham would run in from 16 yards out. The two point conversion would fail and it would be 26-14. The Tide would take over and would face a third and 2 early and Hurts would go for 10 yards on the play. They would face another third down from seven yards out and Hurts would go for 16 yards for a first and into Auburn territory. On third and 4, the snap would be botched and they would face a fourth and 9 and that snap would go over Hurts' head but the Tigers were called for too many men and the Tide would get one more chance and Hurts would find Foster but would be short and the Tigers would take over at their own 31. The Tigers would go three and out but the Tide would go offside on fourth and 3. After a Johnson loss of 5, he would go down with an injury. Then Kam Martin would go for 11 yards and he would go down with an injury. Stidham would only go for a yard on third and 4 and the Tigers would punt up 12. The Tide would take over at their own 16. Alabama would drive all the way to the Auburn 30 yard line. However, a false start and a sack would cause a third and 22 and the pass would fall incomplete and the pass would also fall incomplete on fourth down and the Tigers would take the Iron Bowl over Number 1 Alabama and heads to the SEC Championship game against Georgia.

Hokies shutout Virginia, win 14th straight

The Hokies traveled to Charlottesville to take on rival Virginia in the battle for the Commonwealth Cup. Virginia Tech is looking for their 14th straight victory over Virginia. Virginia is already bowl eligible but is looking to get an above .500 record. Who would take the 2017 Commonwealth Cup? The Hokies or the Hoos? Let's get into the game! The Hokies would start with the ball and would face a third and 1 and Josh Jackson would get three yards for the first down. That would be the only first down they would get on that drive as they would be forced to punt. The Cavaliers would go three and out on their opening drive. On the Va Tech drive, Jackson would find Hezekiah Grimsley for 12 but once again would be forced to punt. The Cavaliers would face a third ad 8 and Kurt Benkert would go to Joe Reed for 23 yards but that was all they could muster and would once again punt the ball. On the first play of the Hokies drive, Cam Phillips would run for 10 yards but the drive once again would result in a punt. On a third and 4 during the Virginia drive, Benkert would find Andre Levrone for eight yards but after getting that first down, the drive would stop and result in a punt. The Hokies would face a third and 7 and Jackson would find Phillips for 23 yards as the first quarter came to a close with a scoreless tie. Deshawn McClease would go for 11 yards and a first down. McClease would get two yards on second and 1 then the Hokies would have to settle for a 30 yard field goal by Brian Johnson to give the Hokies a 3-0 lead. The Cavaliers and the Hokies would trade three and outs then the Cavaliers would face a third and 1 as Benkert would go to Olamide Zaccheaus for four and a first down but the drive would end in a punt. The Hokies would face a third and 5 and Jackson would get picked off by Juan Thornhill and the Cavaliers would take over at their own 41 yard line. The Cavaliers would go on an 11 play drive that would result in a missed 41 yard field goal as we headed to halftime with the Hokies leading 3-0. The Cavaliers would start with the ball and they would fumble and the Hokies' Reggie Floyd forced the fumble and recovered by Houshin Gaines. The Hokies would only go four plays ending in a Jackson touchdown pass to Chris Cunningham to make it 10-0 Hokies. The Cavaliers would go three and out and then the Hokies would go on a long drive that unfortunately would end in a punt. The Cavaliers would get a first down on second and 8 as Benkert found Zaccheaus for 28 yards but that would be all they would get as they would be forced to punt. The Hokies would face a third and 1 as we headed to the fourth quarter. Peoples would run for two yards and a first on third and 1. The drive would go 16 plays but would end up with a 32 yard field goal attempt and it would miss. The Cavaliers were unable to capitalize as an unsportsmanlike conduct on third down after the play moved them out of field goal range and would punt once again. The Hokies would have to punt and the Cavaliers would have one last chance to score and would have a fourth and 11 and Benkert would go to Terrell Jana but came up two yards short and the Hokies would run out the clock as Virginia Tech would take the Commonwealth Cup for the 14th straight year with a 10-0 victory over Virginia.

Redskins takes victory over Giants

The Washington Redskins are looking to make a strong push to the playoffs as they hosted the New York Giants on Thanksgiving night. The Giants are looking to spoil Washington's shot to make the postseason. Who would come out on top in this NFC East matchup on Thanksgiving night? Let's get to it! The Redskins and Giants would trade three and outs to start off the game. The Giants would get the first down of the game when Eli Manning went to Orleans Darkwa for nine yards on second and 8 but the drive would end in a punt for the Giants. The Giants defense would get another three and out. The Giants would go three and out on their next drive. As the Redskins took over, Washington would get their first first down of the game as Kirk Cousins went to Jamison Crowder for three yards on third and 1. Kirk Cousins would go to Perine for 50 yards on the next play. The Redskins would face a fourth and 1 and go for it and were unable to get the first and the Giants defense held as they would take over. Manning would find Evan Engram for 14 on second and 7 as the first quarter came to an end. The Giants would be forced to punt and give the ball back to the Redskins. The Redskins would go three and out once again. The Giants would go on a 16 play drive that result in an Aldrick Rosas 30 yard field goal for the first points in the game. The Redskins would move the chains once but they would be forced to punt and the Giants would take over. The Giants would be able to increase their lead as they went three and out once again. The Redskins would take over at the Giants 48 and go five plays that would result in a 28 yard field goal by Nick Rose to tie the game at 3 as we headed to half. The Redskins would start with the ball and would end with a punt. The Giants would go three and out on the next drive. The Redskins would go on a six play drive that would result in the first touchdown of the game when Cousins would find Jamison Crowder for a 15 yard touchdown. The Redskins defense would get a three and out. Kirk Cousins would find Crowder for 25 yards on second and 13 then on third and 18, Cousins would be intercepted by Janoris Jenkins and return in 53 yards for the touchdown to tie the game at 10. The Redskins would start the fourth quarter with a punt but the Giants would not be able to capitalize as they would go three and out. The Redskins and Giants would trade three and outs as the Redskins would take over and go on a nine play as Cousins would find Josh Doctson for a 14 yard touchdown to take the lead at 17-10. The Giants would face a fourth and 3 and Junior Gallette would sack Manning to give Washington the ball back and would get a field goal to give the Redskins a 20-10 lead. First play of the next Giants drive, Manning would be intercepted by Fuller as the Redskins would take the 20-10 victory over the New York Giants.


Here is the other action from today's matchups.
Vikings 30 Lions 23
Case Keenum threw for 282 yards and two touchdowns and also added a rushing touchdown as the Vikings won their sixth straight game with a victory in Detroit. Lions QB Matthew Stafford is throwing for 250 yards and two touchdowns.

Chargers 28 Cowboys 6
Philip Rivers threw for 434 yards and three touchdowns and Desmond King returned an interception 90 yards for the touchdowns as the LA Chargers took down the Cowboys. Dallas RB Rod Smith rushed for 41 yards and their lone touchdown of the game.

Final Four

With the State Quarterfinals upon us, only four District 2 teams are alive for a chance for a State Title. The College Football unofficial end of the regular season is this week and several teams are looking to punch their ticket to the College Football Playoff in January. Several are looking to get into a bowl and some are looking to be bowl eligible. With all that said, let's get into the District 2 State Playoff games and the College Football Top 25 games.

High School Football State Playoffs
AA State Quarterfinals
Ligonier Valley vs Dunmore
Sat 12:30 at Hersheypark Stadium
Ligonier Valley is the District 6 champion and knocked off Bishop McCort to get to the State quarterfinals. Dunmore is the District 2 Champion and knocked off Newport to get to this point. LV QB John Caldwell has thrown for 1,361 yards and 19 touchdowns to only one interception. Bucks RB Frank Damiano has rushed for 578 yards and 14 touchdowns on the year.

Prediction: Ligonier Valley

AAA State Quarterfinals
Middletown vs Scranton Prep
Fri 7 PM at Bethlehem Stadium
Middletown is the District 3 and beat Wyomissing in the District Championship game. Scranton Prep is the District 2 Champion and knocked off Loyalsock in the first round of the state playoffs. Middletown RB Brady Fox rushed for 207 yards in the District final. Cavaliers QB Leo O'Boyle threw for 1,462 yards and 22 touchdowns on the season.

Prediction: Middletown

AAAA State Quarterfinals
Imhotep vs Valley View
Fri 7 PM at Northern Lehigh HS
Imhotep is the District 12 Champion and beat Cardinal O'Hara for the District Title. Valley View is the District 2 Champion and knocked off Berwick in double overtime for the Championship. Imhotep QB Jalen Sutton-Christian has thrown for 1,491 yards and 20 touchdowns on the year. Cougars RB Seth Vernon is rushing for 1,491 yards and 26 touchdowns on the year.

Prediction: Imhotep

5A State Quarterfinals
Archbishop Wood vs Valley West
Sat 1 PM at Northern Lehigh HS
Archbishop Wood is the District 12 Champion and beat Simon Gratz in the District final. Valley West is coming off a victory over Whitehall in the District 2/11 Subregional Final. Archbishop Wood and Virginia Tech commit Nasir Peoples rushed for 174 yards in the District final. Valley West RB Sean Mikovitch has 1,351 yards and 14 touchdowns on the season.

Prediction: Archbishop Wood

College Football Top 25 games

Ole Miss at (14) Mississippi State
Thurs 7:30 PM
Ole Miss is coming off a loss to Texas A&M. Mississippi State is coming off a close victory over Arkansas. Ole Miss wideout has 69 catches for 1,085 yards and 10 touchdowns. Bulldogs QB Nick Fitzgerald is throwing for 1,770 yards and 15 touchdowns. He is also rushing for 968 yards and 14 touchdowns.

Prediction: Ole Miss

Baylor at (12) TCU
Fri 12 PM
Baylor is coming off a loss to Iowa State. TCU is coming off a victory over Texas Tech. A win by TCU gives them a spot in the Big 12 Championship game. Bears wideout Denzel Mims has 59 catches for 1,061 yards and eight touchdowns. Horned Frogs RB Darius Anderson is rushing for 768 yards and eight touchdowns.

Prediction: TCU

(2) Miami (FL) at Pittsburgh
Fri 12 PM
Miami Is coming off a victory over Virginia. Pittsburgh is coming off a loss to Virginia Tech. Hurricanes QB Malik Rosier has thrown for 2,620 yards and 23 touchdowns. Panthers QB Ben Dinucci has thrown for 1,091 yards and five touchdowns.

Prediction: Miami

USF at (15) UCF
Fri 3:30 PM
USF is coming off a victory over Tulsa. UCF is coming off a victory over Temple to stay unbeaten. Both teams are looking to get into the AAC Championship game. Bulls QB Quinton Flowers has thrown for 2,097 yards and 17 touchdowns. He has also rushed for 870 yards and nine touchdowns. Knights QB McKenzie Milton has thrown for 2,928 yards and 26 touchdowns.

Prediction: UCF

(25) Virginia Tech at Virginia
Fri 8 PM
Virginia Tech is coming off a victory over Pittsburgh. Virginia is coming off a loss to Miami. Hokies freshman QB Josh Jackson is throwing for 2,600 yards and 18 touchdowns on the year. Cavaliers wideout Olamide Zaccheaus has 76 catches for 794 yards and five touchdowns.

Prediction: Virginia

(7) Georgia at Georgia Tech
Sat 12 PM
Georgia is coming off a victory over Kentucky. Georgia Tech is coming off a loss to Duke. Bulldogs freshman QB Jake Fromm is throwing for 1,766 yards and 17 touchdowns. Yellow Jackets wideout Ricky Jeune has 23 catches for 507 yards and five touchdowns.

Prediction: Georgia

Kansas at (19) Oklahoma State
Sat 12 PM
Kansas is coming off a loss to Oklahoma. Oklahoma State is coming off an upset loss to Kansas State. Jayhawks wideout Steven Sims Jr has 50 catches for 770 yards and five touchdowns. Cowboys wideout James Washington had 61 catches for 1,317 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Prediction: Oklahoma State

(9) Ohio State at Michigan
Sat 12 PM
Ohio State is coming off a victory over Illinois. Michigan is coming off a loss to Wisconsin. Ohio State is guaranteed a spot in the Big Ten Championship game. Buckeyes senior QB JT Barrett is throwing for 2,698 yards and 32 touchdowns. Wolverines RB Karan Higdon is rushing for 874  yards and 10 touchdowns on the year.

Prediction: Ohio State

East Carolina at (20) Memphis
Sat 12 PM
East Carolina is coming off a victory over Cincinnati. Memphis is coming off a victory over SMU and is guaranteed a spot in the AAC Championship game. Pirates QB Gardner Minshew is throwing for 1,789 yards and 14 touchdowns. Tigers QB Riley Ferguson is throwing for 3,201 yards and 29 touchdowns.

Prediction: Memphis

(1) Alabama at (6) Auburn
Sat 3:30 PM
Alabama is coming off a victory over Mercer. Auburn is coming off a victory over UL Monroe. This matchup determines who will win the SEC West and the spot in the SEC Championship game. Tide QB Jalen Hurts is throwing for 1,828 yards and 14 touchdowns. Tigers RB Kerryon Johnson is rushing for 1,172 yards and 16 touchdowns.

Prediction: Alabama

(10) Penn State at Maryland
Sat 3:30 PM
Penn State is coming off a victory over Nebraska. Maryland is coming off a loss to Michigan State. Nittany Lions QB Trace McSorley is throwing for 2,991 yards and 24 touchdowns. Terrapins QB Max Bortenschlager is throwing for 1,128 yards and 10 touchdowns on the year.

Prediction: Penn State

(5) Wisconsin at Minnesota
Sat 3:30 PM
Wisconsin is coming off a victory over Michigan and is guaranteed a spot in the Big Ten Championship game. Minnesota is coming off a loss to Northwestern. Badgers QB Alex Hornibrook is throwing for 2,006 yards and 18 touchdowns. Golden Gophers RB Rodney Smith is rushing for 895 yards and three touchdowns.

Prediction: Wisconsin

(23) Boise State at Fresno State
Sat 3:30 PM
Boise State is coming off a victory over Air Force. Fresno State is coming off a victory over Wyoming. Broncos wideout Cedrick Wilson has 58 catches for 1,008 yards and six touchdowns. Bulldogs QB Marcus McMaryion is throwing for 1,880 yard and 12 touchdowns.

Prediction: Boise State

West Virginia at (4) Oklahoma
Sat 3:45 PM
West Virginia is coming off a loss to Texas. Oklahoma is coming off a win over Kansas. Mountaineers QB Will Grier is throwing for 3,490 yards and 34 touchdowns on the year. Sooners wideout Marquise Brown has 44 catches for 830 yards and five touchdowns.

Prediction: Oklahoma

(22) Northwestern at Illinois
Sat 4 PM
Northwestern is coming off a shutout win over Minnesota. Illinois is coming off a loss to Ohio State. Wildcats RB Justin Jackson is rushing for 1,010 yards and eight touchdowns. Illini wideout Ricky Smalling has 29 catches for 495 yards and two touchdowns.

Prediction: Northwestern

(16) Michigan State at Rutgers
Sat 4 PM
Michigan State is coming off a victory over Maryland. Rutgers is coming off a loss to Indiana. Spartans QB Brian Lewerke is throwing for 2,358 yards and 16 touchdowns. Scarlet Knights RB Gus Edwards is rushing for 703 yards and six touchdowns.

Prediction: Michigan State

Texas A&M at (18) LSU
Sat 7:30 PM
Texas A&M is coming off a victory over Ole Miss. LSU is coming off a victory over Tennessee. Aggies QB Kellen Mond is throwin for 1,375 yards and eight touchdowns. Tigers RB Derrius Guice is rushing for 1,026 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Prediction: LSU

(3) Clemson at (24) South Carolina
Sat 7:30 PM
Clemson is coming off a victory over The Citadel and is guaranteed a spot in the ACC Championship game. South Carolina is coming off a victory over Wofford. Tigers QB Kelly Bryant is throwing for 2,154 yards and 10 touchdowns. Gamecocks QB Jake Bentley is throwing for 2,429 yards and 15 touchdowns on the year.

Prediction: Clemson

(8) Notre Dame at (21) Stanford
Sat 8 PM
Notre Dame is coming off a victory over Navy. Stanford is coming off a win over California. Irish RB Josh Adams is rushing for 1,337 yards and nine touchdowns. Cardinal RB Bryce Love is rushing for 1,723 yards and 16 touchdowns.

Prediction: Stanford

(13) Washington State at (17) Washington
Sat 8 PM
Washington State is coming off a bye week but beat over Utah on November 11th. Washington is coming off a victory over Utah last week. Cougars QB Luke Falk is throwing for 3,224 yards and 29 touchdowns. Huskies QB Jake Browning is throwing for 2,451 yards and 18 touchdowns.

Prediction: Washington State

Falcons survive in Seattle

The Atlanta Falcons traveled to Seattle on take on the Seahawks on Monday Night Football. The defending NFC Champions are 5-4 and a game back of a wild card spot with the Seahawks. The Seahawks could get into a first place tie with the Los Angeles Rams and would have the tiebreaker as they beat them earlier in the season. Big playoff implications loom as we head to this matchup. Who would come out on top in this Monday night matchup? Let's get to the game, my friends! The Falcons would start with the ball and Roberts would return the ball to their own 48 yard line and they would face a third and 5 and Matt Ryan would find Hardy for nine yards for a first down. They would face another third down from a yard out and Sanu would run for three yards. A pass interference would give the Falcons the ball at the one yard line. On the next play, Tevin Coleman would go in from one yard out for the touchdown and a 7-0 lead. On the Seahawks first drive, Wilson's pass was intercepted by Desmond Trufant and the Falcons would go seven plays and would end with a Matt Ryan pass to Sanu for a 14-0 lead. The Seahawks would answer with a nine play drive that ended with Russell Wilson going to Jimmy Graham for the score and cut the lead to 14-7. The Seattle defense would respond with a forced punt by the Falcons. On the next drive, Wilson would fumble and the Falcons' Adrian Claiborne would recovered and return 10 yards for the score to make it 21-7. The Seahawks would go on an 11 play drive that would result in a Blair Walsh 30 yard field goal to cut the Falcons' lead to 21-10. On the kickoff, the Falcons would muff the kickoff and the Seahawks would get the ball back and it would cost the Falcons as Russell Wilson would score from one yard out on fourth and goal to make it 21-17. The Falcons would answer with a nine play drive that would result in a 44 yard field goal for Matt Bryant to make it 24-17. The Seahawks would get it before the half and would go seven plays and the Seahawks would try for a field goal but they would go for a fake, but it would be unsuccessful and the Falcons would lead 24-17 at halftime. The Seahawks would start with ball in the second half and go on a seven play drive that ended with a 37 yard field goal by Walsh to cut the lead to 24-20 in favor of the Falcons. The Falcons would answer with an eight play drive that ended with Matt Ryan going to Toilolo for a 25 yard score to make it 31-20. The Seahawks offense would go on an eleven play drive that resulted in a 46 yard field goal by Walsh to make it 31-23. The Seahawks defense would force an Atlanta punt and then the Atlanta defense would force a three and out as we entered the fourth quarter. The Falcons would go on a nine play drive that would result in a field goal that made it 34-23. The Seahawks would score quickly as they go on a five play drive where Wilson went to Doug Baldwin for a 29 yard score and the two-point conversion would make it 34-31. The Falcons would go three and out and the Seahawks would get the ball with 1:46 left. Wilson would start with a pass to Graham for 11 yards. The Seahawks would face a third and 5 and Wilson would run for 10 to the Falcons 49 yard line. On third and 3, Wilson would find Paul Richardson for eight yards and Wilson would spike the ball with seven seconds left. Blair Walsh would attempt a 52 yard field goal and the kick would fall short and the Falcons would take the road victory.

Turkey Day

As we hit the holiday season, it usually means a few things. The NFL is close to ending and the playoffs are closing in as teams prepare for the stretch run and get to the playoffs and hopefully make a run to Minneapolis for the Super Bowl. With all that being said, here is what happened this past week in the NFL and what the standings and the playoff picture looks like.
 
Lions 27 Bears 24
Matthew Stafford threw for 299 yards and two touchdowns and Marvin Jones caught four passes for 85 yards and a touchdown as the Lions knocked off the Bears. The Bears' Jordan Howard rushed for 125 yards and a touchdown in the loss.

Ravens 23 Packers 0
Joe Flacco threw for 183 yards and a touchdown and the defense forced five turnovers as the Ravens pitched a shutout on the road against Green Bay. The Packers' Brett Hundley threw for 239 yards.

Jaguars 19 Browns 7
Blake Bortles threw for 154 yards and a touchdown and the Jaguars defense forced four turnovers as Jacksonville kept the Browns winless as they improved to 7-3. Browns QB DeShone Kizer threw for 179 yards and a touchdown.

Texans 31 Cardinals 21
Tom Savage threw for 230 yards and two touchdowns and DeAndre Hopkins had four catches for 76 yards and a touchdown as the Texans took down the Cardinals. Cardinals QB Blaine Gabbert threw for 257 yards and three touchdowns in the loss.

Vikings 24 Rams 7
Latavius Murray rushed for 95 yards and two touchdowns and Case Keenum threw for 280 yards and a touchdown as the Vikings took down the Rams in a matchup of division leaders. The Rams' Todd Gurley scored the lone touchdown.

Saints 34 Redskins 31 (OT)
Drew Brees threw for 385 yards and two touchdowns and Mark Ingram rushed for 134 yards and a touchdown as the Saints overcame a 15 point deficit to force overtime and won it on a 28 yard field goal by Wil Lutz. Redskins QB Kirk Cousins threw for 322 yards and three touchdowns.

Giants 12 Chiefs 9 (OT)
Orleans Darkwa rushed for 74 yards and a touchdown and Aldrick Rosas kicked a 23 yard field goal as the Giants got their second win of the season over the Kansas City Chiefs. Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker kicked three field goals in the loss.

Buccaneers 30 Dolphins 20
Ryan Fitzpatrick threw for 275 yards and two touchdowns and Mike Evans had five catches for 92 yards as the Buccaneers took the victory over the Miami Dolphins. Dolphins QB Matt Moore threw for 282 yards and a touchdown.

Chargers 54 Bills 24
The Chargers defense picked off five passes and returned a fumble for a touchdown and QB Philip Rivers threw for 251 yards and two touchdowns as the Chargers blew out the Bills at home. Bills RB LeSean McCoy rushed for 114 yards and a touchdown.

Bengals 20 Broncos 17
Andy Dalton threw for 154 yards and three touchdowns and wideout AJ Green had four catches for 50 yards and a touchdown as the Bengals took a close victory over the Broncos. Broncos QB Brock Osweiler threw for 254 yards and a touchdown.

Patriots 33 Raiders 8
Tom Brady threw for 339 yards and three touchdowns and Bradin Cooks caught six passes for 149 yards and a touchdown as the Patriots improved to 8-2 with a victory over the Raiders. Raiders QB Derek Carr threw for 237 yards and a touchdown.

Standings
AFC
AFC East
1 Patriots 8-2
2 Bills 5-5 3 GB
3 Dolphins 4-6 4 GB
4 Jets 4-6 4 GB

AFC North
1 Steelers 8-2
2 Ravens 5-5 3 GB
3 Bengals 4-6 4 GB
4 Browns 0-10 E

AFC South
1 Jaguars 7-3
2 Titans 6-4 1 GB
3 Texans 4-6 3 GB
4 Colts 3-7 4 GB

AFC West
1 Chiefs 6-4
2 Chargers 4-6 2 GB
3 Raiders 4-6 2 GB
4 Broncos 3-7 3 GB

NFC
NFC East
1 Eagles 9-1
2 Cowboys 5-5 4 GB
3 Redskins 4-6 5 GB
4 Giants 2-8 E

NFC North
1 Vikings 8-2
2 Lions 6-4 2 GB
3 Packers 5-5 3 GB
4 Bears 3-7 5 GB

NFC South
1 Saints 8-2
2 Panthers 7-3 1 GB
3 Falcons 6-4 2 GB
4 Buccaneers 4-6 4 GB

NFC West
1 Rams 7-3
2 Seahawks 6-4 1 GB
3 Cardinals 4-6 3 GB
4 49ers 1-9 6 GB

Playoff Picture
AFC
1 Steelers 8-2
2 Patriots 8-2
3 Jaguars 7-3
4 Chiefs 6-4

5 Titans 6-4
6 Ravens 5-5

In the Hunt
Bills 5-5
Dolphins 4-6 1 GB
Jets 4-6 1 GB
Bengals 4-6 1 GB
Texans 4-6 1 GB
Chargers 4-6 1 GB
Raiders 4-6 1 GB
Colts 3-7 2 GB
Broncos 3-7 2 GB
Browns 0-10 5 GB

NFC
1 Eagles 9-1
2 Vikings 8-2
3 Saints 8-2
4 Rams 7-3

5 Panthers 7-3
6 Falcons 6-4

In the Hunt
Lions 6-4
Seahawks 6-4
Packers 5-5 1 GB
Cowboys 5-5 1 GB
Redskins 4-6 2 GB
Cardinals 4-6 2 GB
Bears 3-7 3 GB
Giants 2-8 4 GB
49ers 1-9 5 GB

Eagles dominate in Dallas

The Philadelphia Eagles traveled to Arlington to take on the Dallas Cowboys. The Eagles currently have the best record in the NFL and hope to have the NFC East on lockdown. The Cowboys need a win here in order to stay alive for the NFC East. Which team would come out on top in this bitter rivalry on Sunday night football? Let's get into the game! The Cowboys would start with the ball and get a good start. The Cowboys returned the opening kickoff to the Eagles 37. The Cowboys would go three and out and Mike Nugent would kick a 48 yard field goal to give Dallas an early 3-0 lead. The Eagles first possession would result in a four yard touchdown run by Kenjon Barner to make it 7-3. The Cowboys would go on an 11 play drive that resulted in a 27 yard field goal to cut the deficit to 7-6. The next drive would result in a punt. Prescott would throw an interception to Rodney McLeod on the second play of the drive. The Eagles wouldn't be able to capitalize as Jake Elliott missed a 34 yard field goal. The Cowboys would go three and out with the start of the second quarter. Both teams would trade three and outs and another ended in a Prescott interception by Ronald Darby. The Eagles wouldn't be able to capitalize as they would go three and out. The Cowboys would go on a 15 play drive that would result in a 42 yard field goal by Nugent to make it 9-7 Dallas as we headed to halftime. The Eagles would start with the ball and they would go on an eight play drive that ended in a 11 yard touchdown run by Corey Clement and they would go for two and Clement went in to make it 15-9. The Cowboys would get one first down but the drive would end in a punt. The Eagles went on a five play drive that ended in a Carson Wentz pass to Torrey Smith and they would go for two as Wentz went to Jeffrey and it would be 23-9 Eagles. The Cowboys needed to try to get back into the game as Alfred Morris would go for nine on a second and 7 but the drive would end in a punt. As we entered the fourth quarter, the Eagles would face a third and 2 and Wentz would find Jeffrey for 10. They would face a fourth and 5 and Wentz would go to Jeffrey for a 17 yard touchdown. They wouldn't be able to get the two point conversion and the lead would 29-9. The Cowboys would face a third and 5 and the Eagles would sack Prescott and he would fumble and the Eagles' Nigel Bradham would return it 37 yards for a touchdown. They went for two and Wentz went to Burton for two and it would be 37-9 Eagles. The Eagles would get another interception on their next possession by Malcolm Jenkins. The Eagles would cruise to victory and knock off the Cowboys. The Eagles improved to 9-1, increasing their lead in the NFC East to four games with six games to play.

Winter Is Coming

As we head toward the end of November, it means a few things. State Football playoffs are in full force, HS winter sports practice has started and college football is coming to a close. Only four District 2 teams are alive for their quest for state glory. The college football playoffs can get really interesting if certain things were to occur next week. I will admit, I do not believe there will be much movement on the top this week as most of the teams won this week, but I could be wrong. With all that being said, here are the results of games that happened this past weekend.

Single-A State Playoffs
Williams Valley 44 Old Forge 25
Williams Valley's Nick Savage rushed for 113 yards and three touchdowns and Dylan Rabuck rushed for 168 yards and a touchdown as Williams Valley knocked off Old Forge. QB Levi Engle threw for 133 yards and two touchdowns. Blue Devils RB Brendan Mozeleski rushed for 142 yards and three touchdowns for Old Forge.

Double-A State Playoffs
Dunmore 35 Newport 6
Bucks RB Cristian Buckley rushed for 140 yards and Gavin Darcy threw for a touchdown and ran another in as Dunmore knocked off Newport and advanced to the State Quarterfinals. Frank Damiano scored two rushing touchdowns for the Bucks. Newport's Warner Hockenberry scored their lone touchdown.

Triple-A State Playoffs
Scranton Prep 31 Loyalsock 28
Cavaliers QB Leo O'Boyle threw for 100 and rushed for 84 yards and two touchdowns and RB Matt Gilmartin added 194 yards and a touchdown as Scranton Prep stayed undefeated and knocked off Loyalsock to advance to the State Quarters. The Lancers' Cole Cavanaugh rushed for three touchdowns on the game.

District 2 4A Championship
Valley View 24 Berwick 17 (2OT)
The Cougars Seth Vernon rushed for 93 yards and two touchdowns and Janaasah Boone sealed the game with an interception as Valley View took the District championship with a double overtime victory over Berwick. It was the Cougars' first District Championship since 2011.The Bulldogs' Owen Shoemaker rushed for 123 yards and two touchdowns.

District 2/11 5A Subregional Final
Valley West 32 Whitehall 21
The Spartans' Rob Dwyer rushed for 123 yards and two touchdowns and also added two catches for 37 yards and a touchdown as Valley West upset Whitehall on the road to advance into the state playoffs. Sean Mikovitch rushed for 73 yards and a touchdown in the win.

6A State Playoffs
State College 21 Delaware Valley 14
Lions QB Tommy Friberg helped State College overcome a 14 point deficit as they knocked off previously unbeaten Delaware Valley. Friberg threw for 215 yards and three touchdowns and wideout Brandon Clark had six catches for 117 yards and two touchdowns. Warriors RB Ryan Obiso rushed for 175 yards and a touchdown.

College Football Top 25
(1) Alabama 56 Mercer 0
Jalen Hurts threw for 180 yards and three touchdowns as he went 7 for 7 as the Crimson Tide shutout Mercer. RB Brian Robinson Jr had a rushing touchdown on the game. Mercer's Tee Mitchell rushed for 57 yards in the loss.

(16) Mississippi State 28 Arkansas 21
QB Nick Fitzgerald threw for 153 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 101 yards and a touchdown as Mississippi State took down Arkansas. RB Aeris Williams rushed for 71 yards and a touchdown in the victory. Razorbacks RB David Williams rushed for 75 yards and a touchdown.

(6) Auburn 42 UL Monroe 14
RB Kerryon Johnson rushed for 137 yards and a touchdown as Auburn tuned up for their matchup with Alabama and took down UL Monroe. QB Jarrett Stidham threw for 235 yards and a touchdown in the win. UL Monroe QB Garrett Monroe threw for 131 yards and a touchdown.

(12) TCU 27 Texas Tech 3
TCU QB Shawn Robinson threw for 85 yards and a touchdown and also added 84 yards on the ground as TCU knocked off Texas Tech on the road. Red Raiders QB Nic Shimonek threw for 137 yards and RB Justin Stockton rushed for 124 yards in the loss.

(23) Northwestern 39 Minnesota 0
Wildcats RB Justin Jackson rushed for 166 yards and Jeremy Larkin rushed for a touchdown as the Northwestern defense forced five turnovers in the shutout of Minnesota. Golden Gophers RB Rodney Smith rushed for 96 yards in the loss.

(5) Wisconsin 24 (24) Michigan 10
QB Alex Hornibrook threw for 143 yards and a touchdowns and Kendric Pryor added a rushing touchdown as Wisconsin added to their resume with a victory over Michigan at home. Wolverines QB Brandon Peters threw for 157 yards and Ben Mason had the lone touchdown.

(3) Miami (FL) 44 Virginia 28
Hurricanes QB Malik Rosier threw for 210 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for another as Miami knocked off Virginia. RB Travis Homer rushed for 96 yards and a touchdown. Cavaliers QB Kurt Benkert threw for 384 yards and four touchdowns in the loss.

(15) UCF 45 Temple 19
UCF QB McKenzie Milton had another impressive game, throwing for 208 yards and four touchdowns and also ran in for another score as UCF stayed undefeated with a victory at Temple. Owls QB Frank Nutile threw for 201 yards and two touchdowns.

(21) Memphis 66 SMU 45
Tigers QB Riley Ferguson threw for 320 yards and five total touchdowns and RB Darrell Henderson rushed for 147 yards and two touchdowns and Patrick Taylor Jr added 112 yards and two touchdowns as Memphis took a high scoring game over SMU. Mustangs QB Ben Hicks threw for 218 yards and four touchdowns.

(2) Clemson 61 The Citadel 3
Tigers QB Kelly Bryant threw for 230 yards and three touchdowns as Clemson blew away The Citadel. RB Travis Etienne rushed for 62 yards and two touchdowns in the win. Bulldogs QB Jordan Black threw for 61 yards in the loss.

(7) Georgia 42 Kentucky 13
Bulldogs RB Nick Chubb rushed for 151 yards and two touchdowns and Sony Michel rushed for 87 yards and three touchdowns as Georgia took the victory over Kentucky. QB Jake Fromm added 123 yards and a touchdown. Wildcats RB Benny Snell Jr rushed for 94 yards and a touchdown in the loss.

Kansas State 45 (13) Oklahoma State 40
Kansas State QB Skylar Thompson threw for 204 yards and three touchdowns and added 93 yards on the ground and a touchdown as the Wildcats upset Oklahoma State. Cowboys QB Mason Rudolph threw for 425 yards and three touchdowns and also added a rushing touchdown in the loss at home.

(4) Oklahoma 41 Kansas 3
Sooners QB Baker Mayfield threw for 257 yards and three touchdowns and wideout Mark Andrews had four catches for 42 yards and a touchdown as Oklahoma blew out Kansas. Jayhawks QB Carter Stanley threw for 123 yards.

(8) Notre Dame 24 Navy 17
Irish QB Brandon Wimbush threw for 164 yards and two touchdowns and also ran in for a score as Notre Dame took a close victory over Navy. Wideout Kevin Stepherson had five catches for 103 yards and two touchdowns. Midshipmen QB Zach Abey threw for a touchdown and also added 87 yards and a touchdown.

(9) Ohio State 52 Illinois 14
Buckeyes QB JT Barrett threw for 141 yards and two touchdowns and Mike Weber rushed for 108 yards and two touchdowns as Ohio State clinched the Big Ten East with a victory over Illinois. Illini RB Dre Brown rushed for 76 yards in the loss.

(17) Michigan State 17 Maryland 7
Spartans RB LJ Scott rushed for 147 yards and a touchdown and Brian Lewerke added a rushing touchdown as Michigan State knocked off Maryland. Terrapins RB Lorenzo Harrison III rushed for 50 yards and a touchdown in the loss.

(10) Penn State 56 Nebraska 44
Nittany Lions QB Trace McSorley threw for 325 yards and three touchdowns, he also added a rushing touchdown and RB Saquon Barkley rushed for 158 yards and three touchdowns as Penn State took a high scoring game over Nebraska. Cornhuskers QB Tanner Lee threw for 399 yards and three touchdowns in the loss.

(20) LSU 30 Tennessee 10
RB Derrius Guice rushed for 97 yards and a touchdown and Darrel Williams rushed for 68 yards and two touchdowns as LSU knocked off Tennessee. Volunteers QB Jarrett Guarantano threw for 239 yards and a touchdown.

Wake Forest 30 (19) NC State 24
Demon Deacons QB John Wolford threw for 247 yards and three touchdowns and RB Matt Colburn added a rushing touchdown as Wake Forest upset NC State at home. Wolf Pack QB Ryan Finley threw for 327 yards and a touchdown.

(11) USC 28 UCLA 23
In a matchup of QBs, USC's Ronald Jones II was the star of the game. He rushed for 122 yards and two touchdown and Sam Darnold added a rushing touchdown as USC took down their rivals from UCLA. Bruins QB Josh Rosen threw for 421 yards and three touchdowns.

(22) Stanford 17 California 14
Stanford QB KJ Costello threw for 185 yards and a touchdown and RB Bryce Love rushed for 101 yards and a touchdown as Stanford won a close game over California. Golden Bears RB Patrick Laird rushed for 153 yards and a touchdown in the loss.

(25) Boise State 44 Air Force 19
Broncos QB Brett Rypien threw for 300 yards and three touchdowns as Boise State took down Air Force. Falcons QB Nate Romine threw for 115 yards and rushed for 54 yards and a touchdown in the loss.

(18) Washington 33 Utah 30
Huskies QB Jake Browning threw for 354 yards and two touchdowns and Myles Gaskin rushed for 52 yards and two touchdowns. Tristian Vizcaino kicked a 38 yard field goal as time expired to take down Utah. Utes QB Tyler Huntley threw for 293 yards and two touchdowns and also added a rushing touchdown.

Steelers win big over the Titans

The Tennessee Titans are currently tied for first place in the AFC South as they traveled to Pittsburgh to take on the AFC North Leading Steelers. The Titans are coming off a victory over the Bengals and the Steelers are coming off a close victory over the Colts. Who will come out on top in this primetime matchup of first place teams? Let's get to it! The Steelers would start with the ball and they would go on a six play drive that would end with Ben Roethlisberger going to Antonio Brown for a 41 yard touchdown to make it 7-0. The first Titans drive would end with an interception by Hilton. The next Steelers drive would end with a 41 yard field goal to increase the lead to 10-0. The Titans would strike back however by going on an eleven play drive that ended in a seven yard touchdown run to cut the Steelers' lead to 10-7. The Titans defense would respond with a three and out. The Titans offense would move the ball once again that would end up with a 48 yard field goal but the kick would be blocked. The Steelers would be unable to capitalize as they would go three and out. The Titans and Steelers would trade three and outs. The next Titans possession would go only six plays as Mariota was intercepted by Sensabaugh. The Steelers would get on the board on their next possession with 28 yard field goal to make it 13-7. The Steelers defense would answer with another three and out of the Titans. As we headed close to the half, the Steelers would go seven plays and result in a Boswell 50 yard field goal to make it 16-7 as we headed to halftime. The Titans would get the ball to start the second half and on the first play of the drive, Mariota would go to Matthews for a 75 yard touchdown to cut the Steelers lead to 16-14. The Steelers would respond with a 10 play drive that would end with Roethlisberger's second touchdown to Antonio Brown to make it 23-14. The Titans would go on an eight play drive with a 44 yard field goal to cut the lead to 23-17. The Steelers however would answer with a 12 play drive that ended with a one yard touchdown pass from Roethlisberger to Jesse James to make it 30-17 early in the fourth quarter. The Titans would go three and out on their next possession. The next Steelers next possession would go three plays and result in Roethlisberger going to Brown for the third time of the game to make it 37-17. This touchdown was possibly the highlight of the night. Brown would catch the ball with help from his helmet and then bring it in. The Titans next drive would end in an interception by Golden for the Steelers' third turnover of the game. The Steelers would make another field goal to make it 40-17 and the Steelers would cruise to victory over the Tennessee Titans.

The Skill Level

Five of the six District 2 teams are entering the first round of states and only the 4A District 2 Champion needs to be decided. State playoffs always fascinates me because of all the different teams you can see and how the skill level changes on a week to week basis. Some teams end up in a situation they weren't in all season and that's being in a close game or being one of the best teams in the area and only to fall in the State playoff game because of how good a team can be. Yes, this happens in every sport but it happens primarily in football and basketball. Baseball and softball it doesn't matter as much unless you have a dominant pitcher or you just go on a hot streak. Well, with that being said, here are the HS Football First Round State Playoff games and the College Football Top 25 games.

High School Football State Playoffs

PIAA State Playoffs Single-A First Round
Old Forge vs Williams Valley
Fri 7 PM at Lehighton HS
Old Forge is the District 2 Champion and knocked off Delco Christian in the District 1/2 Subregional Final to get here. Williams Valley is the District 11 champion and knocked off Tri-Valley to stay undefeated and advance into the State Playoffs. Blue Devils freshman QB Dante Lucarelli has throw for 1,375 yards and 18 touchdowns on the season. RB Brendan Mozeleski has rushed for 1,955 yards and 24 touchdowns. The Vikings look to be very balanced with QB Levi Engle and RB Dylan Rabuck. Engle has thrown for 1,703 yards and 21 touchdowns. Rabuck has rushed for an incredible 2,734 yards and 41 touchdowns on the season. Both teams look almost equal, Old Forge's first loss of the season came to another undefeated opponent in Dunmore. Again the Blue Devils play an undefeated team, will they come out on top or will Williams Valley match on to the second round?

Prediction: Williams Valley

PIAA State Playoffs AA First Round
Dunmore vs Newport
Fri 7 PM at Susquehanna Twp HS
Dunmore is the District 2 Champion and is undefeated at 12-0. They knocked off Carbondale to win the District title. Newport is the District 3 Champion and is 10-1 on the season. They beat York Catholic for the District Championship. The Bucks got here with a very balanced offense. You never know what player can contribute this week. Bucks QB Gavin Darcy runs the show the Dunmore's offense. He has thrown for 1,319 yards and 25 touchdowns to only four interceptions. Newport looks to run the ball for the most part but have proven they can throw the ball. Newport QB Nikolas Grabiec has thrown for 631 yards and nine touchdowns. Sophomore RB Ethan Rode has rushed for 687 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Prediction: Dunmore

PIAA State Playoffs AAA First Round
Scranton Prep vs Loyalsock
Fri 7 PM at Williamsport HS
Scranton Prep is the Champion out of District 2 at 12-0. The Cavaliers knocked off Lake-Lehman for the District Title. Loyalsock is the District 4 Champion with an 8-4 record. The Lancers beat Danville to win the District title. Cavaliers RB Matt Gilmartin has rushed for 1,394 yards and 21 touchdowns. QB Leo O'Boyle has thrown for 1,362 yards and 22 touchdowns to only five interceptions. He has also has five rushing touchdowns. Lancers QB Connor Watkins has been terrific for Loyalsock. Watkins has thrown for 2,331 yards and 29 touchdowns on the year. Watkins has also added 406 yards on the ground with ten touchdowns. RB Cole Cavanaugh has contributed greatly. He has rushed for 1,036 yards and four touchdowns.

Prediction: Scranton Prep

District 2 4A Championship
Valley View at Berwick
Fri 7 PM
Valley View got here by beating Coughlin and is in the District Final for the first time since 2011 when they beat Dallas for the District Title. Berwick got here by beating North Pocono and it's their sixth straight appearance in the District Finals. Cougars RB Seth Vernon has rushed for 1,398 yards and 23 touchdowns on the season. Bulldogs RB Owen Shoemaker has rushed for 799 yards and 12 touchdowns on the year. Both teams look equally matched but who will come out on top? We'll just have to wait and see.

Prediction: Berwick

District 2/11 5A Subregional Final
Valley West at Whitehall
Fri 7 PM
Valley West is the District 2 Champion with a record of 6-6 and have won four in a row. The Spartans knocked off Wallenpaupack for the Championship. Whitehall is the District 11 Champion and are 9-3 on the season. The Spartans Rob Dwyer has been fantastic during the season. He has thrown four touchdown passes, rushed for 732 yards and 10 touchdowns and has caught two touchdown passes. Zach Davies has 12 touchdowns on the year. The Zephyrs knocked off Southern Lehigh for the District 11 title. Zephyrs junior QB Ethan Parvel has thrown for 1,931 yards and 29 touchdowns to four picks. Parvel has also contributed to the running game by going for 947 yards and 13 touchdowns. RB Braxton Marrero has rushed for 1,025 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Prediction: Whitehall

PIAA State Playoffs 6A First Round
Delaware Valley vs State College
Fri 7 PM at Danville HS
Delaware Valley is undefeated at 12-0 and is the District 2 Champion. The Warriors beat Hazleton Area for the title. State College is the District 6 Champion and are 9-2 on the season. They knocked off Erie to get into the State Playoffs. Warriors RB Ryan Obiso has rushed for 1,637 yards and 24 touchdowns on the season. Dylan Kelly has been threat on the defensive side of the ball. Kelly has nine interceptions on the season and has returned two of them for touchdowns. Lions QB Tommy Friberg has thrown for 1,617 yards and 22 touchdowns. RB Tristen Lyons has rushed for 881 yards and 14 touchdowns.

Prediction: Delaware Valley

College Football Playoff Top 25 games
Mercer at (1) Alabama
Sat 12 PM
Mercer is coming off a win over WCU. Alabama is coming off a close win over Mississippi State. Bears QB Kaelin Riley has thrown for 1,986 yards and 13 touchdowns. Tide QB Jalen Hurts has thrown for 1,648 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Prediction: Alabama

(16) Mississippi State at Arkansas
Sat 12 PM
Mississippi State is coming off a tough loss to Alabama. Arkansas is coming off a loss to LSU. Bulldogs QB Nick Fitzgerald is throwing for 1,617 yards and 13 touchdowns. Razorbacks QB Cole Kelley is throwing for 1,038 yards and eight touchdowns.

Prediction: Mississippi State

UL Monroe at (6) Auburn
Sat 12 PM
UL Monroe is coming off a bye but they defeated Appalachian State on Nov 4th. Auburn is coming off a big win over Georgia. Warhawks QB Caleb Evans has thrown for 2,066 yards and 12 touchdowns on the year. Tigers QB Jarrett Stidham has thrown for 2,210 yards and 14 touchdowns on the season.

Prediction: Auburn

(12) TCU at Texas Tech
Sat 12 PM
TCU is coming off a loss to Oklahoma. Texas Tech is coming off a victory over Baylor. Horned Frogs QB Kenny Hill is throwing for 2,279 yards and 16 touchdowns on the year. Red Raiders QB Nic Shimonek is throwing for 3,314 yards and 28 touchdowns this season.

Prediction: TCU

Minnesota at (23) Northwestern
Sat 12 PM
Minnesota is coming off a win over Nebraska. Northwestern is coming off a win over Purdue. Golden Gophers RB Rodney Smith is rushing for 799 yards and three touchdowns. Wildcats RB Justin Jackson has 844 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on the year.

Prediction: Minnesota

(24) Michigan at (5) Wisconsin
Sat 12 PM
Michigan is coming off a victory over Maryland. Wisconsin is coming off a victory over Iowa. Wisconsin needs a win here if they want to get into the playoff and also the Big Ten Championship game. Wolverines RB Karan Higdon has rushed for 854 yards and 10 touchdowns. Badgers freshman RB Jonathan Taylor has rushed for 1,525 yards and 12 touchdowns on the season.

Prediction: Wisconsin

Virginia at (3) Miami (FL)
Sat 12 PM
Virginia is coming off a loss to Louisville. Miami is coming off a big win over Notre Dame. The Hurricanes are now in the CFB Playoff discussion. If they win out and take the ACC Championship, they could very well be in contention. Cavaliers QB Kurt Benkert has thrown for 2,492 yards and 21 touchdowns. Hurricanes sophomore RB Travis Homer has rushed for 758 yards and six touchdowns.

Prediction: Miami

(15) UCF at Temple
Sat 12 PM
UCF stayed undefeated at 9-0 with a victory over UConn. Temple is coming off a win over Cincinnati. Knights RB Adrian Killins Jr has rushed for 599 yards and eight touchdowns. Owls QB Logan Marchi has thrown for 1,658 yards and nine touchdowns.

Prediction: UCF

SMU at (21) Memphis
Sat 12 PM
SMU is coming off a loss to Navy and is 6-4 on the season. Memphis is coming off a victory over Tulsa and is 9-1 on the season. Mustangs QB Ben Hicks has thrown for 2,849 yards and 24 touchdowns. Tigers QB Riley Ferguson has thrown for 2,881 yards and 27 touchdowns.

Prediction: Memphis

The Citadel at (2) Clemson
Sat 12:20 PM
The Citadel is coming off a loss to Furman and is 5-5 on the season. Clemson is coming off a loss to Florida State and is 9-1 on the year. Bulldogs RB Dominque Allen has rushed for 571 yards and eight touchdowns on the season. Tigers RB Travis Etienne has rushed for 617 yards and nine touchdowns on the season.

Prediction: Clemson

Kentucky at (7) Georgia
Sat 3:30 PM
Kentucky is coming off a victory over Vanderbilt and is 7-3. Georgia is coming off a tough loss to Auburn and is 9-1 on the year. Wildcats sophomore RB Benny Snell Jr has rushed for 1,013 yards and 15 touchdowns. Bulldogs QB Jake Fromm has thrown for 1,643 yards and 16 touchdowns.

Prediction: Georgia

Kansas State at (13) Oklahoma State
Sat 3:30 PM
Kansas State is coming off a loss to West Virginia and is 5-5 this season. Oklahoma State is coming off a high scoring victory over Iowa State and they are 8-2. Wildcats QB Jesse Ertz is throwing for 930 yards and seven touchdowns. Cowboys wideout James Washington has 53 catches for 1,158 yards and nine touchdowns.

Prediction: Oklahoma State

(4) Oklahoma at Kansas
Sat 3:30 PM
Oklahoma is coming off a big victory over TCU and is 9-1 on the year. Kansas is coming off a loss to Texas and is 1-9 on the season. Sooners RB Rodney Anderson is rushing for 672 yard and seven touchdowns. Jayhawks QB Peyton Bender is throwing for 1,437 yards and eight touchdowns.

Prediction: Oklahoma

Navy at (8) Notre Dame
Sat 3:30 PM
Navy is coming off a win over SMU and is 6-3 on the season. Notre Dame is coming off a disappointing loss to Miami and is 8-2 on the season. Midshipmen QB Zach Abey leads the team in passing and rushing. Abey has thrown for 717 yards and six touchdowns and rushed for 1,202 yards and 13 touchdowns. Irish QB Brandon Wimbush has thrown for 1,406 yards and 12 touchdowns on the season.

Prediction: Notre Dame

Illinois at (9) Ohio State
Sat 3:30 PM
Illinois is coming off a loss to Indiana and is 2-8 this season. Ohio State is coming off a big victory  over Michigan State and is 8-2 on the season. Illini QB Jeff George Jr is throwing for 1,273 yards and seven touchdowns. Buckeyes QB JT Barrett is throwing for 2,557 yards and 30 touchdowns.

Prediction: Ohio State

Maryland at (17) Michigan State
Sat 4 PM
Maryland is coming off a loss to Michigan and is 4-6 on the season. Michigan State is coming off a loss to Ohio State. Terrapins RB Ty Johnson is rushing for 770 yards and five touchdowns. Spartans RB LJ Scott has rushed for 584 yards and five touchdowns.

Prediction: Michigan State

Nebraska at (10) Penn State
Sat 4 PM
Nebraska is coming off a loss to Minnesota. Penn State is coming off a victory over Rutgers. Cornhuskers QB Tanner Lee has thrown for 2,539 yards and 18 touchdowns. Nittany Lions wideout DaeSean Hamilton has 39 catches for 646 yards and seven touchdowns on the year.

Prediction: Penn State

(20) LSU at Tennessee
Sat 7 PM
LSU is coming off a victory over Arkansas and is 7-3 on the season. Tennessee is coming off a loss to Missouri and is 4-6 this season. Tigers QB Danny Etling is throwing for 1,806 yards and 11 touchdowns. Volunteers QB Quinten Dormady threw for 925 yards and six touchdowns this season.

Prediction: LSU

(19) NC State at Wake Forest
Sat 7:30 PM
NC State is coming off a victory over Boston College and is 7-3 on the season. Wake Forest is coming off a victory over Syracuse and is 6-4 on the season. Wolf Pack QB Ryan Finley is throwing for 2,665 yards and 15 touchdowns. Demon Deacons QB John Wolford is throwing for 2,354 yards and 20 touchdowns.

Prediction: NC State

UCLA at (11) USC
Sat 8 PM
UCLA is coming off a win over Arizona State and is 5-5 on the season. USC is coming off a victory over Colorado and is 9-2 on the year. Bruins QB Josh Rosen has thrown for 3,094 yards and 21 touchdowns on the season. Trojans RB Ronald Jones II is rushing for 1,224 yards and 14 touchdowns on the season.

Prediction: UCLA

California at (22) Stanford
Sat 8 PM
California is coming off a victory over Oregon State and is 5-5 on the season. Stanford is coming off a victory over Washington and is 7-3 on the year. Golden Bears QB Ross Bowers is throwing for 2,615 yards and 17 touchdowns. Cardinal QB Keller Chryst is throwing for 962 yards and eight touchdowns.

Prediction: Stanford

Air Force at (25) Boise State
Sat 10:15 PM
Air Force is coming off a loss to Wyoming and is 4-6 on the year. Boise State is coming off an overtime victory over Colorado State. Falcons QB Arion Worthman leads the team in passing and rushing. He's throwing for 1,100 yards and 10 touchdowns. He's also rushing for 821 yards and 13 touchdowns. Broncos QB Brett Rypien is throwing for 1,691 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Prediction: Boise State

Utah at (18) Washington
Sat 10:30 PM
Utah is coming off a loss to Washington State. Washington is coming off an upset loss to Stanford. Utes RB Zack Moss rushed for 772 yards and seven touchdowns. Huskies QB Jake Browning threw for 2,097 yards and 16 touchdowns.

Prediction: Washington

Panthers Devour Dolphins

The Miami Dolphins traveled to Charlotte as they took on the Carolina Panthers. The Dolphins are looking to get into second place and possibly the second wild card spot. The Panthers at 6-3 are trailing by a game of the first place New Orleans Saints and hope to stay within a game of first place. Who would come out on top in this interconference matchup on Monday night football? Let's get into the game! The Dolphins would start with the ball and on second and 4, Jay Cutler would go to Damien Williams for five yards but that would be all the Dolphins would get as they would punt the ball for the Panthers. On third and 8 of the Panthers' first possession, Cam Newton would go to Christian McCaffrey for 19 but that would be all the Panthers would get and punt the ball away. The Dolphins would go three and out on their next possession. The Panthers would go on an eleven play drive that would result in a 40 yard field goal by Graham Gano. The Dolphins would face a third and 8 and Cutler would go to Kenny Stills for 12 yards as the first quarter comes to an end. They faced a third and 7 and Cutler would go to Davante Parker for 12 yards. The drive would stop there as the Dolphins would punt. The Panthers would go on a 12 play drive that would result in a four yard touchdown run by McCaffrey to make it 10-0. The Dolphins would respond with a 10 play drive that result in a two yard touchdown pass from Jay Cutler to Julius Thomas to cut the Panthers lead to 10-7. The next Panthers possession would end in a punt. First play of the Dolphins possession would result in Cutler being intercepted by Luke Keuchly. The interception would turn into a seven yard touchdown pass from Cam Newton to Ed Dickson to make it 17-7 as we head to halftime. The Panthers would start with the ball in the second half and they would go on a eight play drive that would result in a 28 yard touchdown pass from Cam Newton to Devin Funchess to make it 24-7. On the first Dolphins possession in the second half, Cutler would go to Kenny Stills for 17 and they would face a fourth and 1 but the Panthers defense would get the stop and the Dolphins would take over. The Panthers would capitalize and would result in a Cameron Artis-Payne touchdown from 12 yards out to make it 31-7. The Dolphins would cut the lead on the next drive on a 66 yard touchdown run by Kenyan Drake to make it 31-14. The Panthers would be too good on the next drive as Cam Newton went to Christian McCaffrey for a two yard touchdown to make it 38-14. The Panthers defense would force a Dolphins punt then go on an eleven play drive that would end on a 32 yard touchdown pass from Newton to Funchess and it would be 45-14. The Dolphins would get one more score as Cutler would go to Jarvis Landry for a nine yard touchdown. The Panthers would run out the clock as they took down the Dolphins.  

The Injury Bug

This season feels like there's more injuries this year compared to previous seasons. However, it feels there's just more injuries to prominent star players. A few players out for the year or a long period of time include Odell Beckham Jr, Aaron Rodgers, DeShaun Watson, Carson Palmer, David Johnson, and Andrew Luck to name a few. Richard Sherman got hurt this past Thursday and is out for the year with a ruptured Achilles. With all that being said, here is what happened during the games this week.

Saints 47 Bills 10
Mark Ingram rushed for 131 yards and three touchdowns and Alvin Kamara added 106 yards and a touchdown as the Saints blew out the Bills on the road. Bills QB Nathan Peterman threw a touchdown pass to Nick O'Leary.

Packers 23 Bears 17
Brett Hundley threw for 212 yards and a touchdown and Ty Montgomery added a rushing touchdown as the Packers snapped a three game losing streak. Bears QB Mitch Trubisky threw for 297 yards and a touchdown.

Lions 38 Browns 24
Matthew Stafford threw for 249 yards and the Lions scored 21 unanswered points as they kept the Browns winless. Nevin Lawson returned a fumble for a touchdown for the Lions. Isaiah Crowell rushed for 90 yards and a touchdown in the loss.

Steelers 20 Colts 17
Chris Boswell kicked a field goal with no time remaining as the Steelers took the victory over the Colts. QB Ben Roethlisberger threw for 236 yards and two touchdowns. Colts QB Jacoby Brissett threw for 222 yards and two touchdowns.

Jaguars 20 Chargers 17 (OT)
Josh Lambo kicked a field goal in overtime as the Jaguars took the victory at home. Blake Bortles threw for 273 yards and a touchdown. The Chargers Philip Rivers threw for 235 yards and two touchdowns.

Buccaneers 15 Jets 10
Ryan Fitzpatrick threw for 187 yards and a touchdown as the Buccaneers snapped their five game losing streak as they knocked off the Jets. Jets QB Josh McCown threw for 262 yards and a touchdown.

Titans 24 Bengals 20
QB Marcus Mariota threw for 264 yards and a touchdown and DeMarco Murray added two rushing touchdowns as the Titans beat the Bengals. Andy Dalton threw for 265 yards and two touchdowns for the Bengals.

Vikings 38 Redskins 30
Vikings QB Case Keenum threw for 304 yards and four touchdowns and Lativius Murray added a rushing touchdown as Minnesota beat the Redskins. Kirk Cousins threw for 327 yards and a touchdown and also added two rushing touchdowns for Washington.

Rams 33 Texans 7
Rams QB Jared Goff threw for 355 yards and three touchdowns as Los Angeles remained all alone in first place as they knocked off Houston. The Texans lone touchdown was a Tom Savage pass to Bruce Ellington.

Falcons 27 Cowboys 7
Falcons Defensive End Adrian Clayborn recorded six sacks and Matt Ryan threw for 215 yards and two touchdowns as Atlanta beat the Cowboys. Dak Prescott had a rushing touchdown that was the Cowboys only touchdown on the game.

49ers 31 Giants 21
CJ Beathard threw for 288 yards and two touchdowns. He also added a rushing touchdown as the 49ers got their first win of the season by beating the Giants. Eli Manning threw for 273 yards and two touchdowns for the Giants.