Ranking the Watchability of Saturday's All-Day NFL, CFP Smorgasbord

College football and the NFL will combine for an epic day.

Green Bay and Chicago will play one of the most important NFL games of the season. / Wm. Glasheen/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Football fans have had this Saturday marked on their calendar for months as having the potential for being an all-timer. With the NFL moving two games to standalone windows and a College Football Playoff tripleheader, the possibilities were endless. It promised to be an all-day buffet of meaningful pigskin and, largely, all the teams involved have done their part to create great intrigue. The NFL's first game, an NFC East tilt between the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders, has lost a little luster as a conference championship rematch but everything else will have big stakes.

Decisions will have to be made as both brands of football go up each other in multiple viewing windowns.

To help you plan ahead, here is an entirely unscientific rankings of the contests, from least to most compelling.

5. Philadelphia Eagles at Washington Commanders, 5 p.m. ET, FOX

When the NFL released its schedule it was hoping this one would have serious implications for the division. Instead, the Commanders have been largely irrelevant thanks to Jayden Daniels missing significant time. Philadelphia enters at 9-5, having navigated its traditional drama-filled road and can clinch the NFC East with a victory. Jalen Hurts and Co. got back on track last Sunday with a blowout against the Las Vegas Raiders, so it will be interesting to see if that offense can maintain an identity as the postseason approaches. Fantasy football owners who have ridden the A.J. Brown roller coaster now get the opportunity to do that in their playoffs as well, and that may be the most dramatic element of the whole thing.

4. James Madison at Oregon, 7:30 p.m. ET, TNT

Barring something unforeseen, it feels as though we're destined to be treated to a prolonged discussion about Cinderellas in the CFP. Because if Dan Lanning's team takes care of business and boat-races the Dukes early, it will be all over but the handwringing and allusions to unhappy people in South Bend. The Ducks enter as 21-point favorites, are incredibly physical and have avoided playing down to comeptition all year. Dante Moore is a thrill to watch at quarterback but neutral observers will be hoping against hope that an upset watch is issued at some point.

3. Tulane at Ole Miss, 3:30 p.m. ET, TNT

Strangely enough the most compelling figure for this matchup in Oxford is someone who will not be in Oxford. There's great intrigue to see how Ole Miss responds to the high-profile departure of Lane Kiffin and what the Pete Golding era will look like. Rebels quarterback Trinidad Chambliss is electric and his dual-threat skills will be on full display. The only problem is that they were also on display when these two teams played back in September. That contest was not particularly thrilling as Ole Miss crushed the Green Wave, 45-10. A five-touchdown gap this time around would be a bummer for everyone not rooting for the home team.

2. Miami at Texas A&M, Noon ET, ESPN

Scholars have been arguing for weeks about which CFP game is the most attractive and this one has a tremendous case. Miami is looking to validate the committee's decision to include the Hurricanes and will face a tall task against 100,000-plus 12th Men and Women. Aggies standout Marcel Reed is as dynamic as any other player in college football and Miami sports the game-breaking Malachi Toney. Vegas is predicting this ACC-SEC battle will be tight and whichever team wins is talented enough to use it as a springboard to a deep run.

1. Packers at Bears, 8:20 p.m. ET, FOX

For the second time in three weeks these two ancient rivals will fight for control of the NFC North. The first edition was a thriller with Green Bay intercepting a Caleb Williams pass in the end zone during the final seconds. Williams gets a chance at revenge in the biggest stage of his young career. Micah Parsons's season-ending injury presents a huge challenge for the Packers to overcome. It's more likely than not that the result of this primetime showdown will decide which team gets to host a playoff game and which has to make a run as road warriors. Or miss the postseason altogether if either dips into a late-season slump. So, pace yourself. It's a full, long day but the best may be saved for last.

---

More NFL on Sports Illustrated

FREE NEWSLETTER. SI BTN Newsletter. Start off your day with SI:CYMI. dark

feed