A Grip on Sports: Sure, spring seems far away but that’s OK, as long as the NFL and college football can combine to give us weekends like the one ahead

A GRIP ON SPORTS • The best part about weekends this time of year? Each one means we are closer and closer to those four most-glorious words in the English language: “Pitchers and catchers report.” And when they are stuffed with shouldn’t-miss football games, as this one is, all the better.

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• Spring. Just the word can put, well, a spring in your step. But to get there we have to pass through the icy depths of winter, right? It sure helps the journey to have three days like we’ll experience before work beckons again Monday.

This cold Friday morning dawned with a fresh memory of the best semifinal in the history of the College Football Playoffs, 12-team edition. Of course, Thursday night’s 27-24 Notre Dame waning-seconds win in the Orange Bowl is the only semifinal any of us have ever experienced in the 12-game setup. But it bodes well for the tonight’s Cotton Bowl matchup between Ohio State and Texas, doesn’t it?

That is, if past results are indicative of future prospects, something service firms have denied in small print for decades. Even if they were right, and the Buckeyes roll or Texas earn America’s eyes upon it, it’s OK. Because the 4:30 (ESPN) game is only the start of something wild.

Ya, this is also Wild Card Weekend in the NFL and, though the league has dropped the “super” designation this season, the matchups have a chance to be super anyway.

Two games Saturday. Three Sunday. A neutral-site one Monday night. Six matchups missing just one crucial element (for the second consecutive season). The Seahawks.

Not that pro sports fans in the Northwest aren’t already schooled in the “wait-for-next-year” mantra. The Mariners have hard-wired that into our DNA. Suppress your anger, for now, and focus on Saturday’s games. Jim Harbaugh’s Chargers open up the march to the Super Bowl by traveling to Houston (1:30 p.m., CBS). Russell Wilson and Lamar Jackson give us an NFC North matchup right after, with Baltimore hosting the Steelers (5, Amazon). Good deal, though having to pay a streaming service to watch isn’t ideal. At least it comes with free shipping.

Sunday is even better – and not just because the games are all over-the-air.

Denver, back in the playoffs for the first time since John Elway became a grampa, starts the day by traveling to Buffalo (10 a.m., CBS). It’s a matchup of teams used to snow and cold, so there probably will only be the latter to revel in.

Green Bay is up next in the visitor category, flying to face the Eagles (1:30 p.m.) on Fox. The day’s finale? The upstart Washington Football Team – the franchise’s generic bridge-the-gap nickname is so much better than Commanders – is in Tampa Bay to face the Bucs (5, NBC) in one of those playoff matchups that highlight the mercurial nature of quarterback play in the NFL.

There’s another one Monday night (5, ABC), with castoff Sam Darnold and the Vikings meeting the nomadic Rams and Matthew Stafford in Glendale, Arizona. There was no way the NFL could host a playoff game in Los Angeles after what happened to the area this week.

• That’s enough, right? There is little time for anything else. Though, of course, there is a lot more on the TV schedule.

The Australian Open is on. OK, kidding, though the first tennis major of the season does start in Melbourne on Saturday, though thanks to the magic of time zones, you can watch tomorrow’s matches tonight (7, ESPN2).

What really interests most of us, though, are the college basketball matchups. Especially those in the Inland Northwest. After all, it’s been almost a decade since the Zag and the Cougar men have met, which means WSU’s home loss Thursday night to Pacific doesn’t diminish the luster at all. The teams face off Saturday night in McCarthy, starting at 6 on KHQ. The women from those school also meet Saturday at noon in Pullman, but you will have to buy ESPN+ to watch. (Personally, I’m more excited for the Big West showdown between the UC Irvine and UC San Diego men at 7 on ESPNU, but maybe that’s just me.)

The games of local interest aren’t the only college hoops matchups this weekend that are appealing, though the NFL’s dominance means there is only a couple ranked matchups on Saturday. Fifth-ranked Alabama is on the road at No. 10 Texas A&M (5 p.m., ESPN) and sixth-ranked Kentucky is at No. 14 Mississippi State (5:30, SEC Network).

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WSU: Before I get to the basketball from last night, I have to pass along the coverage of Jimmy Rogers’ introductory news conference. The Cougars’ new football coach spoke eloquently on subjects as varied as loyalty and transfers and pride. How do I know, besides watching some of it? Thanks to Greg Woods’ story from Pullman and Dave Boling’s column. … There is also coverage from the Times to pass along. … Visually, Geoff Crimmins has this photo gallery for the S-R. … Yes, we’ll get to the basketball. We’ll pass along the story on the women topping Saint Mary’s 66-57 and moving atop the WCC standings. And that other game. But first, another football transfer. Greg has this story on the tight end from Michigan State that is headed to the Palouse. … We can’t put it off any longer. The Cougars lost all semblance of defensive focus, gave up 95 points to an awful Pacific team and fell by one in overtime. The game featured another Cougar injury, a 40-point performance from the Tigers Lamar Washington, missed free throws, and a clock malfunction that may or may not have made it impossible to know for sure if Washington’s game-winning 3-pointer came after time had expired. Greg covers all that in this story. … Geoff also has a photo gallery from the contest. … Elsewhere in the (current, old and future) Pac-12 and the nation, John Canzano took a look at the conference’s finances yesterday. … The roster churn at Oregon continues but some of the news was good. … The same could be said about Colorado. And at Arizona. … Among the future Pac-12 members in the Mountain West, Fresno State is doing whatever it can to improve its roster. … Boise State has added a familiar face to its coaching staff. … In basketball news, the Washington men were blown out last night at Michigan State. Not just blown out, but destroyed 88-54. … No. 15 Oregon was also on the road and found a way to get past Ohio State. … The Oregon women rallied to edge visiting Penn State. … San Diego State really need a laugher. … … Finally, there was an announcement a year ago about a huge sports-oriented streaming service featuring a bunch of major TV players. Today there is an announcement it will not happen.

Gonzaga: Before this recent drought, the Zags and Washington State used to play consistently. So consistently, in fact, Theo Lawson can mention just about every star the two schools have produced over the decades in this look back at the series. … Speaking of looking back, Jim Meehan does just that today, with this day-after story from the win over San Diego. … Elsewhere in the WCC, the Oregon State women rallied to hand San Francisco its first conference loss. … The Beaver men gave up a last-second tip-in and lost to Santa Clara in overtime.

EWU: The Eagle men held a two-point lead as time wound down at Portland State. Then the Vikings went on a 7-0 run to win 64-59. Dan Thompson put together this report. … Elsewhere in the Big Sky, Colorado State is mining the JC ranks. … Montana State lost another player to the portal. … In basketball news, the Montana State women are on a hot streak. … Montana is not. … The Montana men, though? They have won their first three conference games. … The Bobcats have not and the third loss really hurt, after leading by 20 at Northern Colorado.

Idaho: Jack Payne’s 24 points led the Vandal men to an 80-67 Big Sky win at Sacramento State. The women also won at home.

Preps: Dave Nichols not only has a roundup of wrestling action Thursday night, he also has this feature story on Freeman High’s Taylee Phelps, the junior guard who put up 46 points, grabbed 18 rebounds and five steals in a recent win over Warden.

Chiefs: We wrote the Chiefs’ big trade Wednesday showed just how much Spokane was “all-in” for this season. Turns out, Dave Nichols sees the team’s acquisition of Andrew Cristall from the Kelowna Rockets the same way. He articulates his thoughts in this column.

Seahawks: The Hawks are interviewing a bunch of offensive coordinator candidates. … They also have to figure out what to do about Geno Smith. That is just one of many offseason questions. … Pete Carroll was probably asked a lot of questions yesterday in Chicago.

Kraken: Four consecutive losses. That’s the current streak after Seattle fell 6-2 at Columbus, the first contest on a five-game road trip. This is quickly becoming another lost season.

Mariners: What grade would you give Seattle’s offseason as we enter the final quarter of the term? Would you argue with the “F” former MLB general manager Jim Bowden gives them? Me neither. … At least there will not be any arbitration hearings.

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• What a morning. I started a little late, had trouble with the coffee maker and took forever to finish. That does not portend well for the weekend. Until later …