SUN 1
Patriots at Texans (7:20 p.m., Ch. 5): Tom Brady won his first Super Bowl at 24 years of age. Deshaun Watson was six. Watson is all grown up now, 24 himself (which makes Brady, what, 60?) and crushing it as quarterback of a first-place team. Insert obligatory Mitch Trubisky comparison here.
MON 2
Miami at Illinois (6 p.m., ESPN2): It’s the Big Ten/ACC Challenge, and the Illini are only 8-12 all-time in these games. But none of those earlier teams had Kofi Cockburn, did they? The 7-foot, 290-pound freshman is off to a monster start at 15.3 points and 12 rebounds per game. Too soon to nickname him “Hurricane”?
Vikings at Seahawks (7:15 p.m., ESPN): Seattle’s robust 9-2 record belies its modest plus-29 season points differential. Is this a legit Super Bowl contender? Minnesota, 8-3, probably has been a bit more convincing on the whole. Speaking of convincing, can fans of the 6-6 Bears trick themselves into believing that a Vikings loss keeps the wild-card dream alive?
Blues at Blackhawks (7:30 p.m., NBCSCH): The Hawks get their first look at the defending Stanley Cup champs, who are right back at the top of the Western Conference. Much like football’s Seahawks, though, the Blues’ season goal differential entering the weekend was a puny plus-6. What to make of this team other than it just plain knows how to win?
TUE 3
Northwestern at Boston College (6 p.m., ESPNU): More of the Big Ten/ACC Challenge, that time of year when fans around the best two hoops conferences in the land are reminded that NU and BC have basketball teams. But we kid the Wildcats and Eagles.
WED 4
Grizzlies at Bulls (7 p.m., NBCSCH): Coby White has made a heck of a first impression around here, but — with all due respect — he can’t carry Ja Morant’s jock. Not that any other first-year player can. The Rookie of the Year race is already over, people.
Texas Tech at DePaul (7:30 p.m., FS1): The Blue Demons are off to a mighty impressive start, with Paul Reed and Charlie Moore leading the way. Is this the real thing? Beating the 2019 NCAA Tournament runners-up just might put the “win” and the “trust” in Wintrust.
THU 5
Blackhawks at Bruins (6 p.m., NBCSCH): First the Blues, then the team that lost to them in a seven-game Cup finals? That’s a serious one-two punch for the Hawks to contend with. Keep those gloves up, fellas.
Cowboys at Bears (7:20 p.m., NFL Network, Fox-32): There’s 6-6, and then there’s 6-6. Next time you think this is a tough football town, just consider the royal treatment the third-place Bears are getting compared with the bomb cyclone of despair surrounding first-place Dallas.
SAT 7
Big Ten Championship Game (7 p.m., Fox-32): It’s Ohio State vs., well, we don’t know yet if it’ll be Minnesota or Wisconsin. The only other question: Does it matter?
