Singing loud for all to hear

The GIST: Tick tock — you have until 12 p.m. ET today to enter The GIST’s College Football Bracket Challenge, plenty of time to read this primer then make your picks.

• The top four College Football Playoff (CFP) seeds (No. 1 Indiana, No. 2 Ohio State, No. 3 Georgia, and No. 4 Texas Tech) received a bye to the quarter-finals, while the other eight squads will battle it out in first-round action beginning tonight. Hut hut, here we go.

🟥 No. 8 Oklahoma vs. 🔴 No. 9 Alabama — Tonight at 8 p.m. ET: Oklahoma pulled off a massive 23–21 upset when these SEC foes met in the regular season, a stunner that sent CFP mainstay Bama into a tailspin. Can the Crimson Tide recover, or will the Sooners’ strong defense be too tough to top?

🫡 No. 7 Texas A&M vs. 🌴 No. 10 Miami — Tomorrow at 12 p.m. ET: These teams share a common strength: a successful quarterback (QB) to wide receiver (WR) connection. Aggies QB Marcel Reed tosses nearly a third of his passes to WR KC Concepcion, while Miami QB Carson Beck loves to connect with wideout Malachi Toney. May the best slinger win.

💙 No. 6 Ole Miss vs. 💚 No. 11 Tulane — Tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. ET: Ole Miss is ready to put their coaching drama behind them in their first-ever CFP appearance, and enter as the heavy favorites over Tulane, whom they routed back in September. The Rebels’ key to victory? QB Trinidad Chambliss, who leads the SEC’s best passing attack.

🦆 No. 5 Oregon vs. 😈 No. 12 James Madison — Tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. ET: Both teams have just one loss, but let’s be clear: This is perhaps the most lopsided game of the bunch. Oregon will rely on superstar tight end Kenyon Sadiq, while JMU QB Alonza Barnett III will need the game of his life to pull off one of the biggest upsets in CFP history.

The GIST: Just like their college counterparts, the stakes are sky-high on the pro gridiron. With only three weeks left in the regular season, the NFL’s playoff picture is beginning to take shape — and three divisions are looking extra spicy in Week 16. Pour a glass of egg nog and let’s discuss.

🔥 NFC West: Last night’s divisional showdown between the Seattle Seahawks (12-3) and LA Rams (11-4) marked the first time in league history that two teams with at least 11 wins battled on Thursday Night Football — and it lived up to the hype as the Seahawks erased a 16-point, fourth-quarter deficit to top the playoff-bound Rams 38–37 in overtime.

• It’s a huge win for the new NFC No. 1 seed: The Seahawks took sole possession of the top spot in the division with just two games to go, officially punched their postseason ticket, and own the edge should the NFC West title come down to a tie break. A triple whammy.

🌶️ NFC North: Speaking of late-night divisional showdowns with playoff implications, the Chicago Bears (10-4) meet the Green Bay Packers (9-4-1) tomorrow at 8:20 p.m. ET. Whoever wins this heavyweight battle will climb into the NFC North’s top spot — no pressure.

🥵 AFC East: Both the New England Patriots (11-3) and Buffalo Bills (10-4) are vying for the division crown, but there are enough playoff spots to go around…for now. The Pats’ path is a little more direct: They can punch their first postseason ticket since 2021 with a win over the Baltimore Ravens at 8:20 p.m. ET on Sunday Night Football.

• The Bills, meanwhile, need a win (or tie) against the Cleveland Browns Sunday at 1 p.m. ET, plus a little help from their friends. So ready for some football.

🏒 Picture this: you, your besties, a winter wonderland…and the best hockey players in the world. Ditch the basic weekend trip and check out the PWHL Takeover Tour in Edmonton on December 27th. The reigning champion Minnesota Frost will face the newcomer Vancouver Goldeneyes, a squad with everything to prove.

• And planning your stay is easy because Explore Edmonton created “Her Game, Your Breakaway,” your go-to for all things Takeover Tour, including a custom trip planner that does all the work for you. Yes, please.

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