Jovenitti: Top 10 Thanksgiving football games to watch

It’s Thanksgiving. And that means one thing.

No, not giving thanks. Thanksgiving is about… It’s Thanksgiving. And that means one thing.

No, not giving thanks. Thanksgiving is about football.

When the pilgrims sat down with the Indians on that first Thanksgiving, the main topic of discussion was, “How bad do you think the Cowboys will lose today?”

Okay, so maybe I made that up. But still, Turkey Day is all about the pigskin. So while you’re at home fighting off the effects of the tryptophan and putting off that research paper due next week, here are the top-10 football games you should watch this weekend.

10. Boise State at Nevada — Friday 10:15 p.m. The No. 3-ranked Broncos will face one final test against No. 19 Nevada. If Boise State wins big enough, we could see the Broncos jump into the national championship, providing Oregon or Auburn loses. And it would be extremely refreshing to see a new face in the National Championship Game.

9. Michigan State at Penn State — Saturday 12 p.m. No. 11 Michigan State is having one heck of a season. Last week, when it looked like the Spartans were about to blow their chance at the Big Ten title, they came back from a 15-point deficit to beat Purdue 35-31 in the final minutes. The Spartans now just need to beat Penn State to stay alive in the title race. But it’s never an easy task to win at Happy Valley.

8. Steelers at Bills — Sunday 1 p.m. The Bills are 2-8. The Steelers are 7-3. It should be a blowout, but these are the kinds of games the Steelers had trouble with last year.

7. Eagles at Bears — Sunday 4:15 p.m. It’s a battle of first-place teams, and both Philadelphia and Chicago are 7-3. Michael Vick has been playing even better than he did in his early prime years, and former Pitt star LeSean “Shady” McCoy is coming off a 111-yard, one touchdown performance against the Giants.

6. Michigan at Ohio State — Saturday 12 p.m. It’s rivalry weekend in college football, and this is always one of the best. Lately, Michigan hasn’t been putting up much of a fight, but Ohio State needs a win to try to snag another Rose Bowl berth. This game is always worth watching.

5. Saints at Cowboys — Thursday 4:15 p.m. Finally, the NFL gives us an interesting game on Thanksgiving. (It’s certainly better than the early matchup of New England at Detroit.) The Saints are 7-3, and the Cowboys are 3-7. But you can’t judge this matchup based on records. The Cowboys started the season at 1-7, but ever since firing head coach Wade Phillips, the ’Boys have been on a roll. We’ll find out on Thanksgiving if the Saints can stop them.

4. Bengals at Jets — Thursday 8:20 p.m. This Turkey Day matchup has the 2-8 Bengals heading to the 8-2 Jets — another apparent mismatch. But the Bengals’ offense is loaded with talent, and if they can ever string together a full game, the opponent better watch out. Could Thanksgiving be the night they explode?

3. Oklahoma at Oklahoma State — Saturday 8 p.m. “The Bedlam Series” has been one sided for a long time. Oklahoma is the football powerhouse. Oklahoma State was always the little brother. But this season, No. 12 OSU is 10-1, and No. 16 Oklahoma is 9-2. The Cowboys can clinch a spot in the Big 12 championship game with a home win over their bitter rival — a team they haven’t defeated since 2002.

2. Iron Bowl — Friday 2:30 p.m. The Alabama-Auburn game is always a good one. But this year, it’s at the center of the BCS championship picture. Auburn looks to remain undefeated and make it to the SEC Championship Game. Alabama looks to use its home-field advantage to spoil the Tigers’ hopes and dreams. But that puts Crimson Tide fans in a bind. If Auburn loses, then TCU or Boise State might jump into the National Championship Game — something that all SEC fans dread. Either way, non-SEC fans should pull for Alabama so we can actually see a unique championship game this year.

1. Backyard Brawl — Friday 12 p.m. The 103rd installment of the Backyard Brawl takes place at Heinz Field this Friday. And for the third year in a row, the game has major Big East Championship implications. Pitt needs to win out to win the Big East Championship. But West Virginia has a very real shot at the title if it beats Pitt on Friday. Even when the game is meaningless, it is always exciting. So this year, it could be even better.