Thanksgiving weekend is here, and we have somehow already reached the conclusion of the college football regular season. 

It seems like just a few weeks ago we were counting down the days to the start of the season. I vividly remember anxiously awaiting Week 0 and all the great matchups on Labor Day weekend the following Saturday. 

The regular season is ending with a bang, with stunning upsets shaking up the College Football Playoff outlook last Saturday. Ole Miss and Alabama were picked off as big road favorites and both teams now sit with three losses.

Indiana suffered its first loss of the season at Ohio State. But unless the Hoosiers lose again this week to Purdue as 30-point favorites, they will finish the season with just one loss — a very forgivable one at that. With that in mind, Indiana is safely in, assuming it gets a win on Saturday. 

As far as the rest of the field, Oregon and Ohio State are surely in and Penn State and Texas are very likely in as well. But what else do we really know about the field of 12 as we enter the final weekend? 

Georgia looked like it just needed to beat Georgia Tech in the season finale, as that would have ended the Dawgs’ season with two losses, assuring them a spot in the Playoffs. But with all the upsets, Georgia will now play in an SEC Championship Game and could net a third loss. 

Here’s something else to consider. Can the winner of this weekend’s South Carolina-Clemson game now get in? Does the ACC get two teams in? 

What makes the next two weeks so much fun is that we have way more questions than answers. 

So, as we settle in with football on the screen and leftovers in the fridge, is there a bet to be made on the national champion? 

Warning: Some fans will dislike even the thought of this possibility.

Alabama +4000 National Champion

Are you 100 percent sure the loss to Oklahoma last week eliminated the Crimson Tide? I’m certainly not, and neither are the oddsmakers. 

Alabama is an underdog to make the College Football Playoff, but at +180 odds, it’s certainly not priced as something that’s completely impossible. 

Again, I have more questions than answers. 

Alabama & Ole Miss: Will both miss the Playoff after suffering a third loss?

For example, what if Tennessee and/or Notre Dame lose this weekend? Or what if the final spot comes down to a two-loss SMU team and a three-loss Alabama team? Which would the committee choose? 

The brand name of Alabama, the Tide’s win over potential SEC champ Georgia, and the possibility of an upset-filled weekend makes it hard for me to completely write off Alabama — even if I don’t necessarily agree that it belongs in the Playoff with three losses. 

Yes, Alabama is unlikely to get in, but as we saw last weekend, upsets happen in this sport, and what’s unlikely one day can change quickly to reality. 

If the Tide do get in — despite their flaws — they could make a run in what is a wide-open year in college football. And at 40-1 odds, that’s a bet I couldn’t argue against making. 

Will Hill, a contributor on the Bears Bets Podcast, has been betting on sports for over a decade. He is a betting analyst who has been a host on VSiN, as well as the Goldboys Network.

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In a brutal physical matchup, the 9th-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide basketball team defeated the 6th-ranked Houston Cougars by a score of 85-80 in an overtime thriller. The game was part of Players Era Festival, which will pay the teams out in NIL money at the end. The Tide will have a quick turnaround and play Rutgers tomorrow at 9 p.m. CT, also on TBS.

Coach Nate Oats sent out a starting five of Mark Sears, Labaron Philon, Grant Nelson, Clifford Omoruyi, and Latrell Wrightsell, Jr. After an early Cougar basket for a 2-0 lead, Wrightsell drilled a three pointer for an early lead. The next four possessions by the Tide were turnovers. With 15:56 left the score stood at 8-3 in Houston’s favor.

Mo Dioubate entered the game and got a quick hoop for the Tide, which was just a harbinger of what was to come from him. Aden Holloway hit a three pointer with 11:20 left in the half to finally give the Tide double digits in points and a 1-point lead. Both teams finally began to get some shots to fall, and the game went back and forth over the remainder of the half. After not scoring in Alabama’s last game, Sears finally dented the scoreboard by making 1-2 free throws, followed with a ice-breaking three pointer to tie the game at 27-27 with 4:23 left.

The Tide had a lead at 34-33 with 1:32 on the clock, but allowed Houston to score at the end to take a 36-34 lead into the locker room. Dioubate, Nelson, and Holloway particularly played well to keep Bama in the game.

At the break, the Tide had shot 11-34 for 32%, 4-16 for 25% from deep, and 8-13 for only 62% from the line. Bama had 25 rebounds, 14 on the offensive end, one block , three steals, five assists, and seven turnovers. Sears scored eight points while Holloway and Nelson added seven each. Dioubate added six with six rebounds to lead the team.

Houston shot better than the Tide at 12-29 for 41%, 3-9 from three, and 9-12 from the line. The Cougars had only 18 rebounds, five blocks, six steals, three assists, and five turnovers. LJ Cryer led the team with 11 points in the period.

The same five started the second half for Alabama, and again, Wrightsell started the scoring with a three point basket for a 37-36 lead. Nelson was soon hit where you don’t want to be hit, and had to leave the court momentarily. Omoruyi made a pair of free throws followed by a Holloway three to give the Tide the 43-42 margin with 16:45 left. Bama went on a run and looked to be taking control of the game after a Derrion Reid three, some Nelson free throws, and Wrightsell bomb from long range. Dioubate blocked a couple of shots, then made a pair of free throws for a 59-52 lead with 10:12 left in the game. Sears hit his second from long range with 8:44 left for a 62-54 lead. Wrightsell had a shot from behind the arc that was half way down, but ultimately bounced out.

Unfortunately the Tide went ice cold after that, and the Cougars went on a 10-0 run to take back control of the game. Two Sears free throws finally ended the drought for Bama to trail 69-67 with 4:08 left. Houston’s run was 15-4 with the Tide going 5:28 with out a field goal. Nelson had a nice finger roll basket to break the streak. With 1:02 left and the Cougars ahead 77-73, Sears hit his third three from long range to cut the lead to one . Wrightsell got fouled with 28 seconds left and made both clutch free throws to even the game at 78. Houston had the ball with 22 seconds left with a chance to win the game in regulation.

The Alabama defense held up, and Dioubate grabbed a contested rebound and launched it cross-court at the buzzer…. And very nearly made it as the ball bounced off the front of the rim. It would have been possibly the coolest thing ever, but, alas, Alabama had to settle for overtime.

To begin the overtime period, Oats sent out Diobuate, Sears, Wrightsell, Nelson, and Holloway. Sears drilled his fourth three pointer of the game with 3:50 left for a 81-78 lead that the Tide never relinquished. Nelson made 1-2 free throws, Dioubate had a hoop down low, and Reid added a free throw as the Tide toughed out the win. The defense was locked in during the extra period, and the final possession from Houston featured a mad scramble as nearly every player on both teams hit the floor at least once, with Alabama ultimately winning the hustle game and keeping the Cougars from getting a final score.

In overtime, the Tide hit 2-6 from the field, 1-3 from deep, and 2-4 at the line. Overall Bama shot 22-60 for 37%, 11-30 for 37% from three, and 30-41 at the charity stripe. Alabama grabbed 48 huge rebounds —20 on the offensive end —had six blocks, five steals, 14 rebounds, and 15 turnovers. Sears was player of the game with 24 points, three rebounds, and two assists. Holloway had a huge 14 points on 5-8 shooting with three boards and three assists. Nelson had a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds and Wrightsell added 12 points of his own. The clear hard hat winner was Dioubate with 10 points, 16 rebounds, three blocks, and an unheard of 40 blue collar points, all in a career high 28 minutes played.

Houston was 1-10 in overtime, going 0-4 from three-point range. For the game, the Cougars shot 24-65 for 37%, 6-19 from deep for 32%, and 25-33 for 79% at the stripe. UH grabbed 39 rebounds, had 10 blocks, 10 steals, eight assists, and 12 turnovers. Cryer was the leading scored in the game with 30 points on 9-26 shooting.

What a big win for the Tide. Not only did they take down Houston for the third straight time, they did it on a big stage with a lot on the line. The more games they win in this tournament, the more NIL money they will pocket. Money can be a big motivator. After the worst game of his Alabama career against Illinois, Sears bounced back in a big way. The pre-season Player of the Year pick, Sears was 4-8 from three point range and 12-14 at the free throw line. On the other hand, Philon, who has arguably been the best player for the Tide over the first five games, was held scoreless on 0-9 shooting tonight and only played 15 minutes. Omoruyi didn’t have a great night, but Dioubate had the game of his life. Nelson battled his skinny ass off down low and hit the floor multiple times. Holloway’s quickness and ball handling were on display all night, and Wrightsell’s sharp shooting came when it was needed most. After the game Oats said “I love to play Houston early in the year, they are so tough and physical they get us ready for teams like Tennesse and Auburn.”

The Tide will take on the rugged Rutgers Scarlett Knights at 9 p.m. C.T. Wednesday night and can be seen on TBS again. The Friday game is TBD, TBD and TBD (opponent, time, network). Enjoy this one for a few hours and get ready for tomorrow!

Roll Tide

Blue Collar Basketball

The New England Patriots were awarded guard Lester Cotton from NFL waivers on Tuesday after the former Alabama lineman had been let go by the Miami Dolphins on Monday.

To make room on their 53-man active roster for Cotton, the Patriots released Michael Jordan, who had started 11 of New England’s 12 games at left guard.

While Jordan had played 684 offensive snaps for the Patriots this season, Cotton had played 60 at left guard in two games for the Dolphins, although he had appeared in every game on special teams.

Cole Strange played left guard for New England as a first-round rookie in 2022 and the first 10 games of 2023 before a knee injury sidelined him for the rest of the season. Strange returned to practice for the first time last week and can be activated from injured reserve anytime before Dec. 11.

The Patriots hold the fourth spot in the NFL waiver-wire order this week, which means only the Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Giants and Las Vegas Raiders passed on Cotton before he was claimed.

By adding Cotton off waivers, New England also picked up his contract. He’s in the second season of a two-year, $2.135 million deal signed with Miami last year.

The Dolphins waived Cotton to create a roster spot for offensive lineman Isaiah Wynn, who returned from a quadriceps injury and had been on the physically-unable-to-perform list.

Cotton entered the NFL as an undrafted rookie with the Oakland Raiders after starting for two seasons at Alabama, including for the 2017 CFP national championship team. Cotton came to Alabama as a 2014 Parade All-American and an All-State selection at Central-Tuscaloosa.

Cotton has started nine games in the regular season and one in the postseason during his NFL career. He has played in 43 regular-season and two playoff games.

Cotton has been waived six times during his NFL career.

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.