What an opening night of basketball. Both Champions Classic games were amazing, Georgia Tech (who are banned from the NCAA tournament) got a win against North Carolina State, Ivy league school Penn beat Alabama in Tuscaloosa, and boy, did Louisville look impressive. College Basketball will continue to be one of the most exciting seasons in all of sports, leading up to the greatest tournament in the World.
The College Football Playoff initial rankings were announced in-between Champions Classic games and two thing stood out. Penn State took the No. 4 spot that was assumed to be held by now No. 5 Clemson. The Tigers will be fine though. If they win out, they will be in the playoff. The other thing that stood out was Oklahoma and their spot at No. 9. Even if Oklahoma wins out, they may need some help. Not only will they have to overcome the Pac 12 champion, but a one loss Alabama or LSU may have a better resume than the Sooners if it came to it.
A night that includes college basketball, the NBA, the NHL, and college football is a special one. Not only do we have that today, but that should be the case for most nights in November. Here is what you need to be watching in the world of sports tonight:
Virginia (-3) @ Syracuse 9:00 P.M. EST (basketball)
The defending national champions begin their season in an odd situation. On the road, in a conference game, to a historic basketball blue blood. The ACC will have all of their teams, except Duke, play their first game of the season in conference. Virginia has an outstanding amount of players returning, including seniors Mamadi Diakite and Braxton Key. While they may not be the favorite in the ACC, Tony Bennett's squad has only lost three conference games in the past two years. While this may not be the best Syracuse team, never count out Jim Boeheim and the Orange.
Miami (OH) (+7) @ Ohio 8:00 P.M. EST (football)
Who does not get excited for the annual Miami (OH) and Ohio matchup. Since this game has a name for it, I am going to act like these two teams really do not like each other. This year's Battle of the Bricks will be crucial, as the winner will be atop of the MAC East. I know everyone loves MACtion because of its overs and this game will be no different. NOTHING beats College Football on a Wednesday night.
Philadelphia 76ers (+2) @ Utah Jazz 9:00 P.M. EST
When a Western Conference team is involved, there is no such thing as a bad game in the NBA. Especially when one of the top teams in the East are on the road. The 76ers are coming off a disappointing loss to the Suns, but are expected to have Joel Embiid back in the lineup after his two game suspension. The Jazz defense continues to be insane, as them and Magic are the only teams in the league to allow less than 100 points per game. Expect a low scoring, physical game from both sides.