Duke is Just Happy to Play in the Belk Bowl

Duke head coach David Cutcliffe has led his team to their first bowl game appearance in almost 18 years. (Mark Dolejs)

Most teams would be disappointed by losing their last four games of the season and finished 6-6. However, that is exactly what Duke did, and they couldn't be happier about how it ended. A 6-6 season may not be special for most schools, but it is viewed as significant progress at basketball-mad Duke. The football team has suffered through 17 consecutive losing seasons. The Blue Devils went 37-158 (.190) from 1995-2011, including winless campaigns in 1996, 2000, 2001 and 2006.

The 6-6 record is significant because it means Duke will play a postseason game for the first time in almost 18 years. They were rewarded with a bid in the Belk Bowl, played in nearby Charlotte, where they will play a Cincinnati team that's going through another coaching change.

Duke began the season 5-1 and knew that they would need just one win to accomplish a big goal for their program. Following a loss at Virginia Tech, they got a second shot at home against their archrival North Carolina on October 20. Trailing 30-26 late in the fourth quarter, the Blue Devils were in need of a miracle. Senior quarterback Sean Renfree completed a fourth-down touchdown pass to sophomore wide receiver Jamison Crowder on with 13 seconds left in the game to push Duke to the emotional win that made the Blue Devils bowl eligible for the first time since 1994.

"This is certainly one of the goals, was to reach this bowl eligibility, but it's just the beginning," Duke head coach David Cutcliffe said.

Duke did finish the season with four consecutive losses, but the season was considered an accomplishment around the country. The Atlantic Coast Conference named Cutcliffe their coach of the year. The Blue Devils also rewarded him with a contract extension through the 2018 season. This is viewed as a significant step in the right direction.

"You've got to take this step to take the next one, particularly when you've been where we've been for so long, said Cutcliffe. "I'm very appreciative that our players have bought in so strongly to the program, and they're very committed to what we're trying to accomplish."

2012 NBA Christmas Day Preview

James Harden singing Jingle Bells is just one of the joys of five NBA games on Christmas Day. (TotalProSports.com)

Christmas Day has almost arrived, which means a great day of NBA matchups will be on ABC and ESPN. I will preview what to watch for in each game. Merry Christmas to all!

Boston Celtics at Brooklyn Nets  - 12:00 PM EST, ESPN
The Celtics will travel to Brooklyn to take on the Nets in a budding Atlantic Division rivalry. The premier matchup of this game will be the point guards, Rajon Rondo of the Celtics and Deron Williams of the Nets. Rondo is averaging 14.3 points and 11.1 assists in December while shooting 52 percent from the field. Meanwhile, Williams is having a down year as he tries to find his role with his newly formed team. He is shooting just 40 percent from the field and 30 percent from behind the arc. Williams is still averaging 16.8 points and 8.1 assists a game. There's also a player on each team who is capable of taking the game over. The Celtics' Paul Pierce has been superb lately and is averaging 23.8 points per game in December. Joe Johnson has emerged as the go to guy for the Nets. He scored 22 points in their win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday.

New York Knicks at Los Angeles Lakers - 3:00 PM EST, ABC
Both teams have been two of the NBA's biggest surprises. The Knicks have emerged as of the league's top teams behind great three-point shooting. The Lakers have struggled to come together as a team, but they will benefit from Steve Nash's return from injury. This game features some great matchups. The Knicks' Carmelo Anthony and the Lakers' Kobe Bryant are two of the league's top scorers. Anthony is scoring 33.7 points and shooting 50 percent from the field in his last 10 games. Meanwhile, Bryant is averaging 33.8 points per game since the start of December. Another intriguing matchup will be two of the league's top centers. Dwight Howard is in his first season with the Lakers, while Tyson Chandler anchors the Knicks' defense. Howard has struggled a bit recently, averaging just 15.1 points per game in his past five games. As the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, Chandler will look to shut him down.

Oklahoma City Thunder at Miami Heat - 5:30 PM EST, ABC
This is probably the most anticipated matchup of any of the Christmas Day games, featuring a rematch of last season's NBA Finals. This is the first meeting between these two teams this season, and the Thunder will be looking for revenge. As if you couldn't figure it on your own, the premier matchup in this game is obviously the NBA's top two players Kevin Durant of the Thunder and LeBron James of the Heat. Durant is averaging 27.9 points and 8.4 rebounds this season, while James is putting up 25.4 points, 8.5 rebounds and 6.8 assists a game. The defensive matchup between the two will be intriguing as well. They will most likely be guarding one another for the majority of the game. The Heat will have the home crowd at their back, but the Thunder experienced what that was like last summer.

Houston Rockets at Chicago Bulls - 8:00 PM EST, ESPN
These two teams may not appear to be two of the NBA's top teams, but both have played surprisingly well given their circumstances. The Rockets weren't expected to compete for a spot in the playoffs at all. However, a preseason trade has changed everything. James Harden, the centerpiece of the trade with the Thunder, has averaged 25.6 points and 5.6 assists a game as a starter in Houston. He has emerged as one of the league's top shooting guards right now. Meanwhile, the Bulls have kept winning, even without one of the NBA's top players. A number of players have stepped up in Derrick Rose's absence. Joakim Noah is averaging 13.5 points and 10.6 seen rebounds while Luol Deng leads the team in scoring with 17.8 points per game. They have helped the Bulls remain competitive while they wait for their superstar to return.

Denver Nuggets at Los Angeles Clippers - 10:30 PM EST, ESPN
The Clippers are one of the NBA's hottest teams right now. The Clippers' offense is led by Chris Paul and Blake Griffin. Paul runs the show with 16.1 points and 9.6 assists per game. In the post, Griffin is averaging 18.3 points and 8.9 rebounds per game. The Clippers also have an elite defense that allows opponents to score just 91.6 points per game, which is fourth best in the NBA. The Nuggets are one of the most balanced teams in the league. Ty Lawson is one of the fastest players in the NBA and pushes the tempo of the offense. He loves to facilitate the ball to his teammates, such as Danilo Gallinari, Andre Iguodala and Corey Brewer. Lawson did strain his left Achilles in Sunday's game and is listed as questionable for tomorrow's game. If he is indeed out or not 100 percent, it would be a huge blow to the Nuggets' chances.

Colts Make Playoffs One Season After Going 2-14

Rookie quarterback Andrew Luck has helped lead the Colts turnaround from 2-14 to a playoff berth. (AP Photo)

Last season, the Indianapolis Colts went a league worst 2-14 and were compensated with the first pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. With highly acclaimed Andrew Luck in the draft, they made the difficult decision to cut ties with the face of the franchise, veteran quarterback Peyton Manning. Expectations were high for the young quarterback, but no one knew for sure how much the Colts could accomplish with all of the changes that took place during a turbulent offseason.

Having to fill the shoes of a legend like Peyton Manning is not an easy task to say the least. However, I am sure that Luck and this season's Colts exceeded whatever expectations people had for them this season. They have even managed to accomplish everything without their head coach on the sidelines for the majority of the season. Coach Chuck Pagano has been undergoing treatment for leukemia.

The Colts entered Sunday's game against the Kansas City Chiefs with much on the line. Luck took care of the first step late in the second quarter when he broke Cam Newton's single-season rookie passing record with a 23-yard pass to fellow rookie T.Y. Hilton. Luck has now thrown for 4,183 yards this season, but my guess is he didn't even realize it because he was focused on what he does best, winning football games.

The Colts needed him to do exactly that late in the fourth quarter with the game on the line. Luck took care of business. He drove down the field and completed a 7-yard touchdown pass to veteran wide receiver Reggie Wayne with 4:08 remaining in the game. The touchdown lifted the Colts to the win, 20-13. In doing so, Luck extended his own rookie record for fourth-quarter or overtime comebacks to seven.

The win improved the Colts record to 10-5 and clinched their spot in the playoffs. They join the 2008 Miami Dolphins as the only teams to win at least 10 games after losing 14 or more the previous season. The Colts have won four out of their last five games and currently hold the fifth seed in the AFC playoffs.

The Colts get to celebrate with Coach Pagano, who is expected to return to coaching on Monday. They will prepare to play an angry Houston Texans team in the regular season finale. The Texans had a chance to lock up home-field advantage in the playoffs, but lost today to the Minnesota Vikings. Instead of resting next week, they will be playing  to try and secure a first-round bye. The Colts will be playing under no such pressure. They are just happy to be winning once again and to be back in the playoffs.