This is a big decision weekend for various university teams in NCAA
competitions in the United States. Many college football conferences
hold their finals this weekend, and the national NCAA Water Polo
semifinals and finals bracket takes place today and tomorrow.
Finally, and maybe sadly, it is conference championship week in
college football! It seems the season just starts and already it is
nearing an end! The champions of the SEC, ACC, Pac-12, Big 12, Big Ten,
MAC, American Athletic Conference, Conference USA and Mountain West
will all be determined this weekend, many of those today.
In the Big 10 final this evening, #8 Ohio State is a six-point
favorite against #3 Wisconsin, but the Badgers generally have a few aces
up their sleeves, and a few never before seen plays to pull out of the
playbook. They shine best at their own home, the Camp Randall Stadium
in Madison, but today the Championship game will take place in
Indianapolis, roughly equidistant between the two schools. Wisconsin
(12-0) has the better record, but many view Ohio State as the more
tested and talented team.
#2 Oklahoma is a seven-point favorite against # TCU in their game in a
few hours. The Sooners and Horned Frogs squared off less than a month
ago in Norman, Oklahoma, and in a game that proved to have College
Football Playoff implications, TCU fell short, 38-20. Today, not only
do the Horned Frogs hope to return the favor against a Sooners squad
eyeing their second playoff appearance in three seasons, but they also
hope to enter the bowl season boasting the Big 12 crown.
Last weekend, #4 Auburn convincingly took Alabama to the proverbial
woodshed. They are a 1.5-point favorite over #6 Georgia in an SEC
Championship Game that could serve as a play-in game for the College
Football Playoff.
In last night’s Pac-12 Championship Game, Stanford was bested by
Southern California, as that pack of Trojans won out in the end 31-28.
In today’s Mountain West Championship Game, #25 Fresno State will play
Boise State for the glory.
The most hard fought game of the day, though, may well be the ACC
Championship Game, this year fought between the #1 Clemson Tigers vs.
the #7 Miami Hurricanes. The defending national champions are now
ranked No. 1 in the country heading into the ACC championship game. The
Miami Hurricanes had a magical undefeated season, which came to an end
after they were upset by Pittsburgh last week, so they will need a big
win for any hope of making the CFB playoff.
While Men’s Water Polo is the top sport in many countries of Eastern
Europe, and receives much coverage in other European countries, it is
neglected in the United States. Sorely. Neglected.
The season has
progressed as normal for the known strong teams in collegiate Water
Polo, USC, Stanford, Cal, and other teams away from the sports
stronghold in California. This weekend the 2017 National Collegiate
Men’s Water Polo Championship has been taking place, featuring teams
from conferences which feature Water Polo, the Collegiate Water Polo
Association, Golden Coast Conference, Mountain Pacific Sports
Federation, Northeast Water Polo Conference, Southern California
Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and the Western Water Polo
Association.
Today’s semifinal games and tomorrows finals are taking
place at the Uytengsu Aquatics Center in Los Angeles, hosted by the
University of Southern California. To arrive here, Pacific won a
surprising victory over heavily favored UC Davis, 13-12, and USC beat
Harvard 16-4. This evening, in the first semifinal game, UCLA will take
on Pacific, and in the second game USC will take on defending national
champs California. All the best to Cal.
