The Dubs, the Celtics, the Tide, the Chiefs: Another 'Round the Leagues Update

It's bowl season again in College Football. In the last article, only the pre-season rankings for the season were included. Now, after a fun season full of upsets, comebacks, blowouts, and nail biters, the playoff stage is set. The first four teams in the standings are the four teams in the playoffs, and the rest are the final power rankings for the season:

1. Alabama Crimson Tide (13-0)
2. Clemson Tigers (13-0)
3. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (12-0)
4. Oklahoma Sooners (12-1)
5. Georgia Bulldogs (11-2)
6. Ohio State Buckeyes (12-1)
7. Michigan (10-2)8. UCF Knights (12-0)
8. Washington Huskies (10-3)
9. Florida Gators (9-3)
10. LSU Tigers (9-3)
11. Penn State Nittany Lions (9-3)
12. Washington State Cougars (10-2)
13. Kentucky Wildcats (9-3)
14. Texas Longhorns (9-4)
15. West Virginia Mountaineers (8-3)
16. Utah Utes (9-4)
17. Mississippi State Bulldogs (8-4)
18. Texas A&M Aggies (8-4)
19. Syracuse Orange (9-3)
20. Fresno State Bulldogs (11-2)
21. Northwestern Wildcats (8-5)
22. Missouri Tigers (8-4)
23. Iowa State Cyclones (8-4)
24. Boise State Broncos (10-3)

With Alabama favored for the championship again this year, the playoffs are set to be exciting. Some good bowl games to catch other than the playoffs would be: Utah State vs. North Texas, Fresno State vs. Arizona State, Boise State vs. Boston College, Wisconsin vs. Miami, Purdue vs. Auburn, West Virginia vs. Syracuse, and Florida vs. Michigan. As this season comes to a close, College Football fans everywhere thank the league for another eventful season.

Until next year, College Football.

The NBA

Following a surprising off season, the NBA has gotten off to a more-or-less slow start. Some teams have started much better then expected, and some teams have performed very sub-par.

The Toronto Raptors, for example, have started very well. Following a trade where they acquired Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green, the Raptors currently retain the best record in the league at 20-5. They topped the Warriors in overtime a week ago, and swiftly beat the Lakers earlier in the season.

Next comes the esteemed Los Angeles Lakers. After they signed quite a few highly acclaimed names in the off season, they were poised to take the Western Conference by storm. However, they've fallen quite short of that goal. After a couple close wins, they sit at fifth in the Western Conference at 14-9. They've lost to the Spurs and the Rockets already, and have yet to face Golden State.

And now for, wait for it, the Warriors. Having snagged Demarcus Cousins in the off season, everyone thought the Warriors would at least start the season with another 20-plus game win streak like they did two years ago. However, the Warriors also have fallen short. They lost to the Nuggets in their third game of the season, and currently have a 16-9 record. Steph Curry dropped 51 points/11 threes in a game against the Bulls, but then missed a few games due to an injury. Klay Thompson set a new NBA 3-point record in another game against the Bulls later on, with 14 threes in that game. In the few games Curry has missed, his teammates have had to step up, and Kevin Durant is really the only one who has answered that call. He dropped 51 points in the overtime loss to the Raptors, yet they still lost. So with Curry and Cousins missing games early in the season with injuries, and other teams improving over the summer, the Dubs sit at fourth in the West with an average record.

Lastly comes the Boston Celtics. After a powerful rush into the Eastern Conference Finals without two of their stars, the Celtics appeared to be top dogs in the conference again this year. However, even with stars Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward back in action, they have a mere record of 13-10, standing still at sixth in the Eastern Conference. They've already lost to teams such as the struggling Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks, and Charlotte Hornets, and their only notable win has been a four-point win over the Milwaukee Bucks. The Celtics have proven that they have enough firepower, in their young stars like Jayson Tatum or Jaylen Brown and in their veterans like Kyrie Irving or Al Horford, to get the job done. They even have a Coach of the Year candidate in Brad Stevens, so what's holding them back? They need to start pulling themselves together again to hope for a good run in the playoffs this year.

NCAA Men's Basketball

With the near end of College Football comes the beginning of the College Basketball season. This year, there a couple really fearsome teams looking to dominate come March.

The first, already dominant team, is the Gonzaga Bulldogs. They made it to the Sweet 16 last March, and the previous year they made it all the way to the championship... only to be beaten by the North Carolina Tar Heels. They've been a force to be reckoned with, in the West Coast Conference and in the whole league, for years now. They currently sit atop the D-1 standings at 8-0, and have already beaten the Duke Blue Devil powerhouse this season.

Next comes the Kansas Jayhawks. The Jayhawks have recurrently proven that they're a top-level team, and they're at it once again. They've started the season 6-0, and are ranked second in the standings. They made it to the Final Four last season, where they were nearly edged out by the champions of Villanova.

Third comes the Duke Blue Devils themselves. Having recruited Zion Williamson, R.J. Barrett, and Cameron Reddish, they were set to wreak havoc in the league. Already with a 7-1 start, with their only loss being to the top ranked Gonzaga, they're atop the rankings at third. Averaging 94.5 PPG, and with a fairly easy stretch of the season coming up, Duke is definitely set to head into March with one of the best records in the league.

The rest of the top 10 current NCAA Men's Basketball Standings go as follows:

1. Gonzaga Bulldogs (8-0)
2. Kansas Jayhawks (6-0)
3. Duke Blue Devils (7-1)
4. Virginia Cavaliers (8-0)
5. Michigan Wolverines (8-0)
6. Nevada Wolf Pack (8-0)
7. Tennessee Volunteers (6-1)
8. Auburn Tigers (6-1)
9. Kentucky Wildcats (7-1)
10. Michigan State Spartans (7-2)

The NFL

The NFL is now in Week 13. Some teams have done extremely well, and some have fallen into the gutters.

However, there's been some recent turmoil. Star running back of the notable Kansas City Chiefs was suspended, then released, from the team due to a leaked video of him kicking a woman at a night club. He is awaiting his trial, and the Chiefs are longing for a decent replacement in their now-empty running back position. Hunt averaged 4.6 YPR, and already had 7 rushing TD's this season. The Chiefs will definitely miss Hunt as they attempt to top off their so-far superb season.

Now on a better note, we get more into the league. The Rams, the Chiefs, the Saints, the Patriots, and the Texans have all started out very well, and all have at least nine wins going into Weeks 13 and 14. First, with the best record in the league, is the LA Rams. Their quarterback, Jared Goff, already has 27 passing touchdowns, and their running back Todd Gurley has 15 rushing touchdowns and 1,175 rushing yards. The Rams rest above the rest of the NFC West, with a record of 11-1. Next, he Chiefs offensive powerhouse has been spearheaded by Patrick Mahomes, who has 41 passing touchdowns and 3,923 passing yards already. The Kareem Hunt-less Chiefs sit atop the AFC West, with a record of 10-2. Next comes the New Orleans Saints. Their quarterback, Drew Brees, set the record for all-time passing yards this season, and already has 3,262 yards this season. The Saints currently have command of the NFC South at a record of 10-2. Lastly, the Patriots and the Texans both lead their divisions with 9-3 records, respectively.

At the bottom, however, rest some not-so-good teams. The 49ers and the Raiders have mere 2-10 records, followed closely by the Jets at a 3-9 record. The Browns have improved from last season, yet they still have only won four games. Lastly, the Eagles and the Giants have vastly under-performed. The reigning Super Bowl Champions have only won six games, and the Giants, for how good their roster is, have only won four games.

In the end, sports have been exciting this year. The College Football Playoffs are coming up, and there's bound to be thrilling bowl games. In the NBA, the Warriors and Celtics need to pick up their pace if they want to make a good run for the Finals again this year. In College Basketball, there rest a couple elite teams eyeing March and its riches, and in the NFL, some elite teams strive for greatness while others are trying to claw their ways out of the depths of pure failure.