Thanksgiving weekend: so many big sports matchups on the menu

The long sports-filled Thanksgiving weekend is a time when many Americans enjoy gathering with friends and family for good food, good company and hopefully not too much political conversation.

Also on the menu — all the NFL and college sports you can handle.

Here’s a roadmap to one of the biggest sports weekends of the year, with a look at marquee games over the holiday weekend.

Thursday:

Chicago at Detroit, 11:30 a.m., CBS: Rookie quarterback Caleb Williams and the Bears go against the Lions, who are one of the favorites to reach the Super Bowl in February.

New York at Dallas, 3:30 p.m., Fox: The Giants and Cowboys are both suffering through miserable seasons and are now using backup quarterbacks for different reasons. But if Dallas can figure out a way to win, it will still be on the fringe of the playoff race.

Miami at Green Bay, 7:20 p.m., NBC/Peacock: The Packers stumbled slightly out of the gate but have won six of their past seven games. They’ll need a win against Miami to try to keep pace in the NFC North. 

College Football: Memphis at No. 18 Tulane, 6:30 p.m., ESPN. If college football is your jam, this is a good warmup for a big weekend. The Tigers try to ruin the Green Wave’s perfect record in the American Athletic Conference. 

Friday:

A rare Friday showdown features the league-leading Chiefs. Las Vegas at Kansas City, 2 p.m. Prime Video: The Chiefs and quarterback Patrick Mahomes are 12-point favorites over the Raiders.

College Basketball: Some of the top programs meet in holiday tournaments around the country.

Battle 4 Atlantis championship, 4:30 p.m., ESPN: One of the premier early season tournaments, the eight-team field includes No. 3 Gonzaga, No. 14 Indiana and No. 24 Arizona.

Rady Children’s Invitational, 5 p.m., Fox: It’s the championship game for a four-team field that includes No. 13 Purdue and No. 23 Mississippi.

College Football: Oregon State at No. 11 Boise State, noon, Fox: The Broncos try to stay in the College Football Playoff hunt when they host the Beavers. 

Oklahoma State at No. 23 Colorado, 11 a.m., ABC: The Buffaloes and Coach Prime are still in the hunt for the Big 12 championship game when they host the Cowboys. 

Georgia Tech at No. 6 Georgia, 6:30 p.m., ABC: The Bulldogs are on pace for a spot in the CFP but host what could be a tricky game against rival Georgia Tech.

Saturday:

Michigan at No. 2 Ohio State, 11 a.m.,  Fox: The Wolverines are struggling one season after winning the national title. They could make their fan base a whole lot happier with an upset of the Buckeyes. 

No. 7 Tennessee at Vanderbilt, 11 a.m., ABC: The Volunteers are a fairly big favorite and have dominated this series, but the Commodores have been a tough team this season and already have achieved a monumental upset over Alabama. 

No. 16 South Carolina at No. 12 Clemson, 11 a.m., ESPN: The Palmetto State rivals are both hanging on the edge of the CFP playoff race. A win — particularly for Clemson — would go a long way toward clinching its spot in the field. 

No. 3 Texas at No. 20 Texas A&M, 7:30 p.m. ABC: The Aggies host their in-state rival for the first time since 2011 after the Longhorns joined the SEC. 

Washington at No. 1 Oregon, 6:30 p.m., NBC: The top-ranked Ducks have been one of the nation’s best teams all season. They’ll face the Huskies, who would love a marquee win in coach Jedd Fisch’s first season.