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Starting Five

The 5 most discussed sports topics at water coolers across America

1. College Football Playoff: Drama at its Crescendo

The Scoop: 8 teams vying for 4 spots. Just the Conference Championship games left. Who will make it? Here is your breakdown of each of the contenders ranked by their likelihood of making the playoffs (using the ESPN Playoff Predictor - this is a fun tool you can use to see what outcome is best for what team).  

Conversation Starter: What 4 teams do you think will get in?

2. College Football Conference Championship Preview

The Scoop: What's going on with the College Football Playoff rankings? Why is Oregon favored over Washington, who already beat them? And why are Florida State and Michigan considered more likely than Georgia, even though Georgia is ranked higher? The key lies in the matchups for each conference championship. Let's break it down.

ACC Championship Game - #3 Florida State vs #15 Louisville: Despite losing star quarterback Jordan Travis to a season-ending injury, FSU's strong defense has kept their undefeated season alive. Facing a Louisville team coming off a tough loss to Kentucky, the Seminoles, even with Travis sidelined, are poised to secure a playoff spot with a victory. 

Big 10 Championship Game - #2 Michigan vs #16 Iowa: Michigan has passed significant tests, defeating #10 Penn State and #6 Ohio State. Now, facing an Iowa team missing key players, including their quarterback, leading receiver, and dynamic returner, Michigan is expected to dominate and make a third consecutive appearance in the Playoffs.

Big 12 Championship Game - #7 Texas vs #18 Oklahoma State: Texas, with a noteworthy early-season win against Alabama, seeks another victory and playoff contention. While they may not leapfrog undefeated teams, the head-to-head triumph over Alabama could be crucial. Texas fans are hoping for chaos in other games and a decisive win for the Longhorns.

PAC 12 Championship Game - #3 Washington vs #5 Oregon: This final championship game for the conference could determine a playoff spot. Oregon, led by quarterback Bo Nix, appears formidable. Despite an earlier loss to Washington, they now have a chance for redemption. The Huskies, despite a 12-0 regular season and a prior win against Oregon, enter as underdogs. Fans eagerly anticipate this rematch, anticipating which team will secure a Top 4 spot.

SEC Championship Game - #1 Georgia vs #8 Alabama: The weekend's marquee game features Georgia vs Alabama, a clash between the two-time defending National Champion Dawgs and legendary coach Nick Saban's talented Alabama squad. Georgia's quarterback, Carson Beck, is making a late Heisman push, while Alabama aims to upset and potentially reshape the playoff picture. The outcome could determine whether the SEC has representation in the playoffs.

Conversation Starter: Is it fair that one of the five conferences won't be represented in the playoffs?

3. ACC and SEC Heavyweights Land Blows

The Scoop: Early-season College Basketball brings spectacle and showcase games, such as the ACC vs SEC Challenge. In a contest for conference supremacy, teams from each conference are matched up based off of their finish last season. Blue blood programs #12 Kentucky and #17 North Carolina reminded the country why they are two of the best programs in the country, with 95-73 and 100-92 victories over #8 Miami and #10 Tennessee respectively.

As per tradition, UNC fans will celebrate with Bojangles biscuits, free for any ticket holder when the Tar Heels score 100 points. 

Conversation Starter: What’s your favorite traditional sports game giveaway?

4. Angel Reese is Back

The Scoop: After sitting out the past four games, LSU star Angel Reese returns for a crucial matchup against #9 Virginia Tech. Reese, who led the Tigers to a National Championship last season, is a standout figure in Women’s College Basketball. As LSU aims for another championship, having its biggest star back in action is a significant boost.

Coach Kim Mulkey did not elaborate on why her star was missing the past few weeks, but just expressed that she’s excited to have her back on the floor.

Conversation Starter: Should coaches have to explain to the media the reason their players aren’t playing?

5. Mark Cuban Stepping Away from Basketball

The Scoop: Entrepreneur and eccentric Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban is set to sell the team to the Adelson and Dumont families of the Sands Las Vegas Casino for an estimated $3.5 Billion. This decision follows Cuban's announcement that he is stepping away from Shark Tank as well. The 65-year-old, who has owned the Mavs since 2000, led the team to two Conference Titles (2006, 2011) and a championship (2011). The news has left fans speculating about Cuban's next move.

Relive a pivotal moment of the 2011 NBA Finals where Cuban’s organization battled back against a stacked Miami Heat super-team in a series no one thought Dallas would win.

Conversation Starter: Is ownership turnover good for sports?

What We’re Watching This Week

If you're at a bar, they might be showing these games. Here's what you should know:

NFL - Thursday Night Football

Seattle Seahawks (6-5) vs Dallas Cowboys (8-3): The Cowboys boast the NFL’s best defense while the Seahwks have been struggling, giving up at least 26 points in three of its last 4 games. Seattle will need a big performance to turn things around and keep their playoff hopes alive. 

College Football

Outside of the Power 5 Conference Championship Games, some other matchups are intriguing:

American Athletic Conference Championship - SMU (10-2) vs #22 Tulane (11-1): The Tulane Green are the highest ranked team outside of the Power 5 Conferences, and keeping that crown will earn them a place in a New Year’s 6 Bowl Game (the biggest end-of-season Bowl games that earn the most revenue for participating schools)

Mid-American Conference Championship - Miami OH (10-2) vs Toledo (11-1): Who doesn’t love Maction?! The conference has become a meme, but we love it when small teams get big love. The two Ohio schools battle it out for a chance at the conference crown.

Conference USA Championship - New Mexico State (10-3) vs #24 Liberty (12-0): Jamey Chadwell is one of the hottest names in coaching, as he’s led the Liberty Flames to an undefeated season, however NMSU is coming off an 8-game win streak, including a win over Auburn

Subscriber Question of the Week

Do you have a sports topic you want to get smart on? Let us know by replying to this email.

This week, Sarah from Michigan asked, "What is the NBA In-Season Tournament and why does it matter?"

Hi Sarah! The In-Season Tournament is brand new this year, and we’re happy to dive into it!

The In-Season Tournament was introduced by the NBA to add an extra layer of excitement to the regular season. Here's a breakdown of what it is and why it matters:

What is the NBA In-Season Tournament?

• The In-Season Tournament is a midseason competition that takes place alongside the regular NBA schedule, generally on weeknights.

• Teams are drawn into groups, 3 from each Conference, and each team plays four games within its group during the regular season.

• The top eight teams from these group-stage games advance to a knockout round, leading to the crowning of an Inaugural In-Season Tournament champion.

• The tournament includes monetary rewards, with the prize money being distributed among players and staff of the winning team?

Why Does it Matter?

• Increased Fan Engagement: The tournament provides fans with additional meaningful and competitive games, creating more excitement during the regular season, when, let’s face it, there isn’t that much excitement.

• Monetary Incentives: The prize money serves as an extra incentive for teams to compete at a high level, and players and staff receive financial rewards for success.

• Experimentation and Innovation: The tournament allows the NBA to experiment with new formats and engage fans in novel ways, contributing to the league's ongoing efforts to enhance the viewing experience.

The NBA introduced this tournament to inject more competitiveness into the regular season, offering fans and teams a fresh and engaging experience beyond the standard schedule.

Check out the live standings here.

We hope this helps!

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Until next week,

The Fastbreakk