Washington Commanders playoff picture entering Week 16 vs Eagles

Here’s where the Commanders sit in the playoff standings before Sunday’s game against the Eagles.

The Washington Commanders are quickly approaching the 2024 playoffs, and rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels has the Commanders in position to make the postseason – barring a late-season collapse.

Following a road win in New Orleans, the 9-5 Commanders occupy the No. 7 seed in the NFC, ahead of the Seahawks, Falcons and Cardinals.

Commanders playoff picture

The Washington Commanders are in good position to capture a Wild Card berth in the NFC. ESPN currently gives Washington a 90 percent chance to be in the playoffs, while The Athletic gives the Commanders an 81 percent chance.

A win on Sunday, combined with a loss by the Falcons and a loss by either the Seahawks or Rams would clinch the Commanders a playoff spot. The Commanders will play the Falcons next week, where a win could end up being very important depending on the results of other games around the league.

Washington’s remaining games

Week 16: vs. Philadelphia (12-2)

Week 17: vs. Atlanta (7-7)

Week 18: at Dallas (6-8)

Current NFC Playoff Standings (as of Week 16 Sunday morning)

  1. Detroit (12-2)
  2. Philadelphia (12-2)
  3. Tampa Bay (8-6)
  4. Los Angeles Rams (8-6)
  5. Minnesota (12-2)
  6. Green Bay (10-4)
  7. Washington (9-5)
  8. Seattle (8-6)
  9. Atlanta (7-7)
  10. Arizona (7-7)

Buffalo Bills playoff picture entering Week 16 vs New England

Can the Buffalo Bills still capture the No. 1 seed in the AFC?

The Buffalo Bills are quickly approaching the 2024 playoff run, and there’s still plenty to play for when it comes to positioning within the AFC.

Following a huge road win over Detroit, the Bills will be heavily favored to win out the rest of the regular season, with two matchups against the Patriots and one home game against the Jets left to play.

Although the Bills didn’t get any help from the Texans on Saturday, it’s still possible for the Bills to capture the No. 1 overall seed.

Bills playoff picture

The Kansas City Chiefs won again on Saturday against the Texans, and remain the No. 1 seed in the AFC at 14-1.

The Bills are the No. 2 seed at 11-3, ahead of the Steelers and Ravens, both at 10-5.

Buffalo will need help to capture the No. 1 overall seed, but it is possible. The Bills hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Chiefs, so if Buffalo wins out and the Chiefs drop their last two games, the Bills would top the AFC.

It’s worth noting that Buffalo’s schedule is much easier the rest of the way. While the Bills get three games against the two worst teams in the AFC East, the Chiefs will have to go on the road at Pittsburgh and finish the regular season at Denver.

Buffalo’s remaining games

Week 16: vs. New England (3-11)

Week 17: vs. New York Jets (4-10)

Week 18: at New England (3-11)

Current AFC Playoff Standings (as of Week 16 Sunday morning)

  1. Kansas City (14-1)
  2. Buffalo (11-3)
  3. Pittsburgh (10-5)
  4. Houston (9-6)
  5. Baltimore (10-5)
  6. Los Angeles Chargers (9-6)
  7. Denver (9-6)
  8. Indianapolis (6-8)
  9. Miami (6-8)
  10. Cincinnati (6-8)

Panthers schedule: Is Carolina playing today in Week 16? 

Are the Panthers playing today? Here’s a look at the schedule and the games to come:

Will the Carolina Panthers be in action on Sunday?

The Panthers will try to snap a four-game losing streak on Sunday at home against the Arizona Cardinals (1:00 p.m. ET, FOX). Carolina is coming off a disappointing 30-14 defeat to the Dallas Cowboys in Week 15.

Here’s a full look at the Panthers’ 2024 schedule:

Carolina Panthers 2024 schedule

  • Week 1: at New Orleans Saints (L, 47-10)
  • Week 2: vs. Los Angeles Chargers (L, 26-3)
  • Week 3: at Las Vegas Raiders (W, 36-22)
  • Week 4: vs. Cincinnati Bengals (L, 34-24)
  • Week 5: at Chicago Bears (L, 36-10)
  • Week 6: vs. Atlanta Falcons (L, 38-20)
  • Week 7: at Washington Commanders (L, 40-7)
  • Week 8: at Denver Broncos (L, 28-14)
  • Week 9: vs. New Orleans Saints (W, 23-22)
  • Week 10: vs. New York Giants (W, 20-17)
  • Week 11: Bye
  • Week 12 (Nov. 24): vs. Kansas City Chiefs (L, 30-27)
  • Week 13 (Dec. 1): vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (L, 26-23 OT)
  • Week 14 (Dec. 8): at Philadelphia Eagles (L, 22-16)
  • Week 15 (Dec. 15): vs. Dallas Cowboys (L, 30-14)
  • Week 16 (Dec. 22): vs. Arizona Cardinals
  • Week 17 (Dec. 29): at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
  • Week 18 (Jan. 5): at Atlanta Falcons

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Updated College Football Playoff bracket after the opening round

Here’s what the College Football Playoff bracket looks like after the first round.

The first round of the inaugural 12-team College Football playoffs is in the books – and college football fans across the country are hoping we see better games in the quarterfinal round.

Each home team won fairly easily, leading many fans to criticize the CFP committee for their decisions in including the likes of SMU and Indiana in the field of 12.

The Oregon Ducks will get a rematch with the Ohio State Buckeyes on New Year’s Day at the Rose Bowl, after the Buckeyes smashed the Tennessee Volunteers. Here’s a look at the full results, and the remaining playoff games.

CFP first-round results

  • Notre Dame 27, Indiana 17
  • Penn State 38, SMU 10
  • Texas 38, Clemson 24
  • Ohio State 42, Tennessee 17

CFP remaining bracket

Quarterfinals:

Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl: No. 4 Arizona State vs. No. 5 Texas

Rose Bowl: No. 1 Oregon vs. No. 8 Ohio State

Vrbo Fiesta Bowl: No. 3 Boise State vs. No. 6 Penn State

Allstate Sugar Bowl: No. 2 Georgia vs. No. 7 Notre Dame

Semifinals: 

Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic: Arizona State/Texas vs. Oregon/Ohio State

Capital One Orange Bowl: Boise State/Penn State vs. Georgia/Notre Dame

CFP schedule

December 31st: Boise State vs. Penn State (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)

January 1st: 

  • Arizona State vs. Texas (1 p.m. ET, ESPN)
  • Oregon vs. Ohio State (5:00 p.m. ET, ESPN)
  • Georgia vs. Notre Dame (8:45 p.m. ET, ESPN)

January 9th: Boise State/Penn State vs. Georgia/Notre Dame (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)

January 10th: Arizona State/Texas vs. Oregon/Ohio State (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)

January 20th: College Football Playoff national championship game (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)

Penn State’s CFP opponent in the Fiesta Bowl? Here’s a full Boise State scouting report

Who does Penn State play in the CFP quarterfinals at the Fiesta Bowl? Here’s a full breakdown

Penn State demolished SMU at Beaver Stadium on Saturday afternoon 38-10 to earn a berth into the College Football Playoff quarterfinals. The Nittany Lions’ defense was in elite form, forcing three SMU turnovers to propel them to the lopsided victory.

After a blowout win in the opening round of the CFP, Penn State is in a prime position to continue its push to a national championship. The team will have a holiday break before preparing for a quarterfinal matchup.

Penn State will head to Arizona for the Fiesta Bowl on New Year’s Eve. It will be the Nittany Lions’ eighth appearance in the Fiesta Bowl and first since 2017.

Who will Penn State play in the Fiesta Bowl?

Penn State will play the Mountain West Champion, the Boise State Broncos, in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals.

Penn State vs. Boise State predictions

The biggest matchup within the matchup will be Penn State’s run defense versus Boise State running back and Heisman Trophy runner-up Ashton Jeanty. Jeanty was the best running back in college football this season and is 132 yards away from breaking Barry Sanders’ single-season rushing yardage record. Needless to say, Penn State’s run defense will have to be on the top of their game.

On the other side of the ball, Penn State’s offense should be licking its chops to come up against a Broncos’ defense that allows 362 yards per game. Drew Allar and the Nittany Lions passing attack will have to attack a vulnerable defense that gives up 246 passing yards per game.

When does TEAM1 play TEAM2 in CFP?

Penn State will take on Boise State on Tuesday, Dec. 31, at 7:30 p.m. ET at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. The game will be televised on ESPN.

CFP schedule

Quarterfinals

  • Fiesta Bowl: No. 3 Boise State vs. Penn State
  • Peach Bowl: No. 4 Arizona State vs. Texas or Clemson
  • Sugar Bowl: No. 2 Georgia vs. Notre Dame
  • Rose Bowl: No. 1 Oregon vs. Ohio State or Tennessee

Semifinals (Jan. 9-10)

  • Orange Bowl: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 9 on ESPN
  • Cotton Bowl: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 10  on ESPN

CFP National Championship

  • 7:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 20 on ESPN

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Who’s calling the Ohio State vs Tennessee game? Announcers for CFP first-round game

Here’s who’s calling Saturday’s Ohio State vs. Tennessee first-round College Football Playoff game.

A trip to the Rose Bowl is on the line for the Ohio State Buckeyes on Saturday night, as they welcome the Tennessee Volunteers into Ohio Stadium in the first round of the 2024 College Football Playoff.

Before the Buckeyes can exact any revenge against the Oregon Ducks, they’ll first have to get through quarterback Nico Iamaleava and the Vols.

Here’s all you need to know about Saturday’s broadcast:

Who’s calling Ohio State vs. Tennessee?

Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit will call the game from the booth at Ohio Stadium, with Holly Rowe reporting from the sidelines.

How to watch Ohio State vs. Tennessee game

Saturday’s game will begin at 8:00 p.m. ET on both ESPN and ABC.

Can I live stream Ohio State vs. Tennessee?

Streaming options for the game include Fubo TV:

[afflinkbutton text=”Watch Ohio State vs. Tennessee live on Fubo (free trial)” link=”https://www.fubo.tv/welcome/leagues/191261?irad=399332&irmp=1205322&subId1=SMG&subId2=NCAAF&subId3=2024″]

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Ohio State football schedule: When do the Buckeyes play Tennessee? 

Here’s when the Buckeyes will return to the field in the College Football Playoff.

When will the Ohio State Buckeyes be back on the field during college football bowl season?

It’s finally game day in Columbus. The Buckeyes will host the No. 9 seed Tennessee Volunteers at Ohio Stadium on Saturday night (8:00 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN).

The winner of Saturday’s game will move on to play No. 1 Oregon in the Rose Bowl on January 1st.

Ohio State Buckeyes 2024 schedule

  • Aug. 31: vs. Akron (W, 52-6)
  • Sep. 7: vs. Western Michigan (W, 56-0)
  • Sep. 21: vs. Marshall (W, 49-14)
  • Sep. 28: at Michigan State (W, 38-7)
  • Oct. 5: vs. Iowa (W, 35-7)
  • Oct. 12: at Oregon (L, 32-31)
  • Oct. 26: vs. Nebraska (W, 21-17)
  • Nov. 2: at Penn State (W, 20-13)
  • Nov. 9: vs. Purdue (W, 45-0)
  • Nov. 16: at Northwestern (W, 31-7)
  • Nov. 23: vs. Indiana (W, 38-15)
  • Nov. 30: vs. Michigan (L, 13-10)
  • Dec. 21: vs. Tennessee (College Football Playoff first round)
  • Record: 10-2

Ohio State vs. Tennessee weather: How cold will it be during the College Football Playoff game?

Ohio State will host Tennessee in freezing temperatures on Saturday night.

We’ve never seen a College Football Playoff game played in wintry conditions, but with Penn State, Notre Dame and Ohio State all hosting first-round matchups this weekend, we’re about to see high-stakes football played in very cold temperatures.

Notre Dame and Indiana kicked off the playoff on Friday night, and the temperature at kickoff was a frosty 29 degrees. It’s going to be even colder in Columbus on Saturday for Ohio State vs. Tennessee.

Temperature at kickoff for Ohio State vs. SMU

According to Accuweather, it will be 28 degrees and cloudy at 8:00 p.m. ET for kickoff, with the temperature expected to dip to as low as 26 degrees.

Forecast for the day

There is no possibility of snow on Saturday, and wind is expected to be around 7 miles-per-hour with gusts as high as 12 mph.

 

Who’s calling the Penn State vs. SMU game? Announcers for CFP first-round game

Here’s who’s calling Saturday’s Penn State vs. SMU first-round College Football Playoff game.

A trip to the Fiesta Bowl is on the line for the Penn State Nittany Lions on Saturday afternoon, as they welcome SMU into Beaver Stadium in the first round of the 2024 College Football Playoff.

Before the Nittany Lions can worry about Ashton Jeanty, they’ll first have to get through the Mustangs.

Here’s all you need to know about Saturday’s broadcast:

Who’s calling Penn State vs. SMU?

Mark Jones and Roddy Jones will call the game from the booth at Beaver Stadium, with Quint Kessenich reporting from the sidelines.

How to watch Penn State vs. SMU game

Saturday’s game will begin at Noon ET on TNT and Max.

Can I live stream Penn State vs. SMU?

Streaming options for the game include Sling:

[afflinkbutton text=”Watch Penn State vs. SMU live on SlingTV” link=”https://sling-tv.pxf.io/PyLvRQ”]

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Penn State vs. SMU weather: How cold will it be during the College Football Playoff game?

Penn State will play SMU in freezing temperatures on Saturday afternoon.

We’ve never seen a College Football Playoff game played in wintry conditions, but with Penn State, Notre Dame and Ohio State all hosting first-round matchups this weekend, we’re about to see high-stakes football played in very cold conditions.

Notre Dame and Indiana kicked off the playoff on Friday night, and the temperature at kickoff was a frosty 29 degrees. It’s going to be even colder in State College on Saturday for Penn State vs. SMU.

Temperature at kickoff for Penn State vs. SMU

According to Accuweather, it will be 26 degrees with intermittent clouds overhead at Noon for kickoff.

Forecast for the day

Possible flurries are in the forecast for 4 p.m., thought the game should be over by then. It’s still possible we see snow fall during the game, with the precipitation chance hovering around 34 percent.