What 2 Watch (Dec. 2-4)
With Canadian Football done for the year the first weekend in December will feature fewer games but still some great events. The NCAA will take over this weekend with Championship Weekend seeing a number of great championship games just before the main bowls are decided. Meanwhile the NFL continues in their last few weeks with a game that could provide a big upset in the league. Hockey continues to roll with Friday Night Hockey returning to the OHL and featuring the future of the game and the future of the Canadian program. The NHL continues this weekend with the Battle of Alberta taking centre stage in the late game. There is also Sledge Hockey to watch as Canada looks to win gold in the World Sledge Hockey Challenge. There is also another UFC event that will see two new fighters enter the roster and will see the coaches of the Reality show fight for only the second time. With December starting the sports world begins to slow down as fall leagues begin to end but hockey is just two months in and will continue for a long time. Still with the small amount of events there is plenty of great events to keep you busy this weekend.
CHL Hockey: Windsor Spitfires vs. Ottawa 67s
The OHL will take centre stage again this Friday as Sportsnet will feature the Windsor Spitfires and the Ottawa 67s on Friday Night Hockey. Windsor is currently sitting in 4th place in the West division with a 13-13-2-1 record that they hope to break out of this month. They have struggled but do have some bright spots in Michael Clarke and Brady Vail who are ranked 18 and 19 in the Top OHL Prospects respectively. Meanwhile the 67s are at the top of the Eastern Conference with a 15-7-3-1 record and are currently tied with the Belleville Bulls for the East Division and Eastern Conference title. They have had a very successful season so far behind their defence led by Cody Ceci who has been invited to the Canadian World Junior Selection Camp. They are also led by their goaltender Daniel Altshuller who is ranked 5th among OHL Goaltenders on the ones to watch list for the 2012 draft. The game could be a blowout but watching the future of the game is always exciting with many potential draft picks playing in the game and some that could be playing in the World Junior tournament later this month.
Time: Friday December 2nd
Time: 7:00 pm
Channel: Sportsnet
Pac-12 Championship: #9 Oregon Ducks vs. UCLA Bruins
Championship Weekend in the NCAA will kick off with one of the more interesting matchups of the weekend. The #9 Oregon Ducks will take on the unranked UCLA Bruins in an interesting matchup that has been affected by NCAA Sanctions. The UCLA Bruins came in second place to the USC Trojans in the Pac-12 South but because of the sanctions against USC they could not participate in the postseason. As a result the second place team moved into the finals against the winner of the Pac-12 North, the Oregon Ducks. The Ducks are looking to win the Championship and earn a spot in the Rose Bowl if they cannot move up the rankings to the National Championship, which is doubtful. If the Bruins win they will get this spot in the Rose Bowl and surprise everyone by beating one of the most explosive offences in the NCAA. The game is not expected to be great but in College Football there are no guarantees.
When: Friday December 2nd
Time: 8:00 pm
Channel: Sportsnet One
SEC Championship: #1 LSU Tigers vs. #14 Georgia Bulldogs
The Matchup that everyone will be watching is in the best conference in the NCAA as the SEC Championship will take center stage this weekend. The biggest reason for this is that the #1 ranked LSU Tigers will be looking to get their hands on the title and guarantee themselves a spot in the National Championship Game. Georgia will be looking to play the spoilers as they hope to continue their successful end to the season where they won 10 games in a row after losing their first two. Many expect LSU to win this game but Georgia could pull off a big win that could change everything in the BCS Rankings and may make it easier to determine a National Championships. If LSU can continue their great play from the regular season they will guarantee the #1 spot in the BCS Rankings and a berth in the National Championship Game where they will wait to see who is going to play them.
When: Saturday December 3rd
Time: 4:00 pm
Channel: CBS
2011 World Sledge Hockey Challenge: Canada vs. USA (Gold Medal Game)
The Rivals will face off yet again as Canada takes on USA in the Gold Medal Game at the World Sledge Hockey Challenge. The Canadians are regularly considered one of the best teams in the world and proved it in their semi-final win against the Japanese. Greg Westlake and Brad Bowden combined for 12 points in the 9-2 win against Japan. Meanwhile the Americans beat Norway 7-2 in their Semi-Finals to move into the finals against their border rivals. The Canadians will try to repeat their championship from April 2011 while the Americans settled for the Bronze Medal in that tournament. This sport is quickly becoming a favorite in Canada as another way for us to watch hockey and the skill that these men display on the ice is nothing short of spectacular. If you have never watched Sledge Hockey before this could be the perfect way to get into it with a great game between two rivals.
When: Saturday December 3rd
Time: 6:00 pm
Channel: TSN2
Big Ten Championship: #15 Wisconsin Badgers vs. #13 Michigan State Spartans
The First ever Big Ten Championship Game will be one of the best championships this weekend. The Wisconsin Badgers and Michigan State Spartans have already faced off this season in the Big Ten with a very close 37-31 win for the Spartans. Both teams are led by their QBs as Russell Wilson was once in the Heisman Race for the Badgers and Kirk Cousins is one of the most underrated QBs in the NCAA with little Heisman buzz. Both teams will also be looking to get the win and earn a spot in the Rose Bowl against the winner of the Pac-12 Championship Game. For the Wisconsin Badgers a berth in the Rose Bowl would be their second in as many years as they will hope to get into the bowl and get revenge for a loss to TCU last year. Michigan State would like to return to the Rose Bowl for the first time since 1988 when they beat USC. Both teams have the potential to win this game and make history as the first champions of the Big Ten decided by a Championship Game. They also have the potential to move into the Rose Bowl and have another National audience on New Year’s Day. This should be the best matchup in the championship weekend and if it is anything close to their first matchup it will be very entertaining.
When: Saturday December 2nd
Time: 8:17 pm
Channel: Fox
TUF 14 Finale: Team Bisping vs. Team Mayhem
The 14th Season of The Ultimate Fighter will finish this weekend as the UFC will introduce two new fighters to their roster. Diego Brandao and Dennis Bermudez will face off for a six figure contract as a Featherweight fighter. Brandao and Bermudez are two very explosive fighters with KO power that could provide some major fireworks. In the Bantamweight fight the always creative John Dodson will face off against one of the most skilled fighters in TJ Dillashaw. The creativity of Dodson alone could make this fight entertaining but Dillashaw, already a member of Alpha Male, is one of the most prepared and skilled fighters on the show making this matchup a great one. After these new contracts are handed out two fighters that have been in the game for a while will take each other on. As the two coaches of this season Michael Bisping and Jason Miller have exchanged words throughout the show and are ready to take everything out in the octagon. Miller will be making his debut in the UFC after a 6 year hiatus and will be looking to make an impression while Bisping will be looking to make his win streak 4 and move into contention for the Middleweight Title held by Anderson Silva.
When: Saturday December 2nd
Time: 8:00 pm
Channel: Sportsnet
Hockey Night in Canada: Calgary Flames vs. Edmonton Oilers
The Battle of Alberta will be featured on the late game of Hockey Night in Canada as the Calgary Flames take on the Edmonton Oilers. Always a good rivalry game the Flames and Oilers will be looking to get the win and help themselves in the Northwest Division. The Flames are looking to recover from a poor start to the season as they look to make an official winning streak with three. They will have some distraction among the rumours of their captain, Jarome Iginla, being traded or at least a trade option this year. The Oilers are looking to continue their surprising season with their youth movement led by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Jordan Eberle. They have been able to move to the top of the Northwest division along with one of the best teams in the NHL the Minnesota Wild. Even though both teams are at the opposite ends of the division the rivalry always remains and will result in a good game.
When: Saturday December 3rd
Time: 10:00 pm
Channel: CBC
NFL Football: Green Bay Packers vs. New York Giants
The defending champion Green Bay Packers are looking better than last year with the top offence in the league and a defence that does not allow a lot of points. The Giants seem to be on yet another late season collapse after being dominated by the league’s second best offence in New Orleans on Monday. The two teams are on the opposite ends of the spectrum but this will be the toughest competition for the Packers as this traditional rivalry could provide their first loss of the season. The Giants are not considered one of the best teams in the NFL but have great potential to upset the Packers and could give them the first loss of the season. The Packers will be looking to remain undefeated with a guaranteed berth in the playoffs and a division title if they can beat the Giants. The weakness for the Packers will be their defence that is not as good as they were last year and could show their strength or weakness in this game.
When: Sunday December 4th
Time: 4:15 pm
Channel: Fox/City TV
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