Happy Championship Sunday! Today is the day where we find out who will be playing for the Lombardi Trophy during Super Bowl LVI. The AFC Championship is a battle of two great quarterbacks: Joe Burrow and Patrick Mahomes. The NFC Championship is a battle of the two best wide receivers this season: Cooper Kupp and Deebo Samuel. Alongside some great football, we have a great slate of college basketball for today and the rest of this week. Let’s get into it:
NCAA Basketball:
#16 Ohio State (13-4) at #6 Purdue (17-3) (-9)
The biggest college basketball game of the day will take place in West Lafayette, as Ohio State looks to have a four-game winning streak. However, Purdue is rated the top offense by KenPom, and the Boilermakers have a 29-18 record against Ohio State at Mackey Arena. The series between the two schools has been so close, with the Buckeyes having a 92-90 edge. I’ll take my chances with the top offense at one of the toughest places to play.
Tune into Ohio State at Purdue at 12 PM ET on CBS.
#22 Marquette (15-6) at #17 Providence (17-2) (-2.5)
Justin Lewis has to perform like he did in the earlier matchup, as the Golden Eagles look for the season sweep over Providence. The earlier matchup was a blowout in Milwaukee. Marquette leads the all-time series 21-12, but Providence has a 7-6 edge at the Dunk. Marquette has won seven straight games, including big home wins over Providence, Seton Hall, and Xavier. They also got their biggest win of the season at Villanova, which is one of the toughest places to play in the Big East. They can certainly hold their own with any team in the Big East, but their streak is on the line here. AJ Reeves, who was not available in the game in Milwaukee, is back for the Friars after dealing with an injury most of January. That’s huge because he can really make teams pay with his outside shooting. I’ll take Providence in a very close game, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Marquette pulls the upset.
Tune into Marquette at Providence at 12:30 PM ET on FS1.
#5 Kansas (17-3) at #23 Iowa State (16-5)
Iowa State has lost five straight against Kansas, but it does help that Kansas looked vulnerable on Saturday at home. They got killed against Kentucky, but I think that will bring more fuel to the flame as they seek for a bounce-back win in Ames. With anger and a terrific offense, Kansas wins.
Tune into Kansas at Iowa State on Tuesday at 7 PM ET on ESPN.
Alabama (14-7) at #1 Auburn (20-1)
Alabama earned an enormous home victory over Baylor, setting up for a possible top 25 matchup on Tuesday night. However, I’m not a fan of the fact that they lost to Georgia in Athens. Georgia is by far the worst team in the SEC, but maybe that was a fluke. Auburn holds a 35-29 record against Alabama in Auburn. Auburn blocks shots better than anyone at the Division 1 level, and being at home really helps the Tigers, who put away Oklahoma with ease. Auburn wins by 10.
Tune into Alabama at Auburn on Tuesday at 9 PM ET on ESPN.
Texas (16-5) at #13 Texas Tech (16-5)
Texas earned themselves a big win over Tennessee in the SEC-Big 12 Challenge, moving their win streak to three. They have a chance to make it four if they’re able to upset the Red Raiders in Lubbock. However, that will not be an easy task. I saw on Twitter that students were camping out three days before this game was going to happen. That’s some real dedication. Texas Tech will have a great crowd, and their great defense will take them to a rivalry win.
Tune into Texas at Texas Tech on Tuesday at 9 PM ET on ESPN2.
#11 Wisconsin (16-3) at #24 Illinois (15-5)
Illinois has Kofi Cockburn back, and that’s bad news for Wisconsin. Illinois has won the last three games, but before that, it was all Wisconsin for a while. Wisconsin won 15 straight against the Fighting Illini. However, Kofi is back and the game is in Champaign, where Illinois has a 69-28 record. Give me Illinois in a close battle.
Tune into Wisconsin at Illinois on Wednesday at 9 PM ET on Big Ten Network.
#14 Villanova (16-5) at #22 Marquette (15-6)
Marquette is arguably the hottest team in the Big East right now, but facing Villanova will always bring a challenge. Marquette did the unthinkable: defeating Villanova in the Finneran Pavilion. That is one of the most impressive wins I have seen so far in college basketball this season. Shaka Smart seems to really have found his place in Milwaukee. However, Villanova has controlled the Big East for many years now, so I’ll take the Wildcats on the road.
Tune into Villanova at Marquette on Wednesday at 10 PM ET on FS1.
#7 UCLA (16-2) at #3 Arizona (17-2)
UCLA now has won the last six games against Arizona, but this may be the end of their streak. Arizona is undefeated at home, and even though they got handled against UCLA in Los Angeles, I don’t see that happening a second time. Kerr Kriisa had one of the worst shooting performances in my time watching college basketball, shooting 0-12. Expect Arizona to come out differently, especially in front of a home crowd.
Tune into UCLA at Arizona on Thursday at 8 PM ET on ESPN.
Iowa (14-6) at #16 Ohio State (13-4)
Iowa has exceeded my expectations so far this year, with Keegan Murray becoming the next star after Luka Garza. Ohio State has not lost at home this season, and with my predictions, they will be coming off a loss at Purdue. With E.J. Liddell leading the way in front of a home crowd, Ohio State gets the job done.
Tune into Iowa at Ohio State on Thursday at 8 PM ET on FS1.
NFL:
Cincinnati Bengals (10-7) at Kansas City Chiefs (12-5) (-7)
The Bengals won the AFC North by upsetting the Chiefs in Cincinnati, but this AFC Championship game isn’t at Paul Brown Stadium. It’s in one of the toughest playoff environments: Arrowhead Stadium. Joe Burrow has been impressive all season, and it would be quite fitting if he and Ja’Marr Chase tore up the Chiefs’ defense to head to the Super Bowl. However, Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and Tyreek Hill all stand in the way. They are considered one of the best offensive trios of all time. Two key players for Kansas City were listed as questionable: running back Darrel Williams and strong safety Tyrann Mathieu. The latter is by far the best defensive back on the team, and it would be a shame if the Chiefs are without him. However, he is supposed to play, so we’ll see how much of an impact he is. With one of the best home-field advantages in the NFL, along with a top-tier offense, the Chiefs head back to the Super Bowl for the third straight year.
Tune into the AFC Championship at 3 PM ET on CBS and Paramount+.
San Francisco 49ers (10-7) at Los Angeles Rams (12-5) (-3.5)
It’s extremely rare that a team plays in their home stadium for the Super Bowl. However, it is very possible it could happen for the second straight year. The Buccaneers won last year’s Super Bowl at home, and the Rams have a shot to be in front of a home crowd for America’s most-watched sporting event. However, the 49ers have gotten hot at the right time, taking down the Cowboys and the Packers on the road. I am concerned for them, however, because reports are saying that Trent Williams is a game-time decision tonight. If the 49ers are without their top offensive lineman, they could be in trouble. The Rams went all-in on a chance to win a Super Bowl. They were able to make moves for future Hall-of-Fame linebacker Von Miller and star wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. Without them, I’m not sure they would be here right now. They have the best wide receiver this season in Cooper Kupp, with veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford throwing the ball to him. The Rams, however, did shoot themselves in the foot towards the end of the divisional game against the Buccaneers. They were dominating for most of the game, but they made the mistake of fumbling the ball and letting Tom Brady give his team a chance for a crazy comeback. However, that fell short, as Cooper Kupp brought the Rams in field goal range, and Matt Gay kicked the Rams to the NFC Championship. The 49ers have Deebo Samuel, who has been incredible to watch this season. Whether he’s lined up as a wide receiver, or he’s in the backfield, he’s been a huge impact on San Francisco’s offense. Jimmy Garoppolo needs to make minimal mistakes if he wants to bring the 49ers back to the Super Bowl. However, I’ll take the Rams.
Tune into the NFC Championship at 6:30 PM ET on FOX.
Calhoun's Corner 