It’s 55 degrees with clear skies and stiff breeze on this Monday at midday. What do I love about this upcoming sports weekend?
SAT
It is all about Noon.
- UCLA @ Indiana on Fox
- Mississippi @ Oklahoma on ABC
- Northwestern @ Nebraska on Fs1/ BTN
- South Florida @ Memphis Espn Family
IU/ UCLA
The best four-loss team in the country is travelling to one of the most physical squads in all the land with both teams hoping to keep their winning streaks alive.
After falling to a dismal 0-4, UCLA have won three straight and looking to continue the rise in the rankings. There’s a chance that the Bruins could work themselves into the TOP25 as the first four loss team to be ranked were they to pull the 24 point upset in Bloomington. However, the Hoosiers and their 7-0 start will have a few things to say about that.
This game should be fun and physical to watch. In my opinion, if the referees allow Indiana to play their brand of handsy, hard-hitting football, the Bruins do not have a prayer. But if its a tightly officiated ballgame that doesn’t allow DB’s to hold on nearly every play like the Hoosiers seem to do, then the Bruins might have a shot if they have the ball last in a one score game.
I don’t see that happening. Indiana has looked as dominant as any other team I’ve watched, but the intrigue is there to tune in for this one.
MISS/ OU
This is a game that matters tremendously in the playoff race as well as inside the SEC and requires very little buildup. Both teams have already tallied one loss meaning that the loser of this game will be on the “hot seat” to miss the playoffs if they lose one more. The winner will be in the proverbial ‘driver’s seat’ for the rest of the season to make the final 12.
NU/ UN
Northwestern U vs U of Nebraska. This one is intriguing due to my gross miscalculation of the Wildcats from Evansville. 2-10. That’s what was predicted here back on June 29th. Yet here we are going into Week 9, and the Wildcats can get to bowl eligibility with a win.
At 5-2, Northwestern is 4th in the Big10 and theoretically have as good of a shot as anyone to make the 12 were they to win the rest of the way. Paint me pink and call me Piggy, I was flat wrong on Northwestern.
That said–if they were as abysmal as I’d expected preseason, this game would not carry the intrigue that it does. Nebraska is also 5-2 but they aren’t one of my favorites this season. It’d make for a better story for Northwestern to win this. Maybe this game will be tight late in the 4th at a minimum. Come on Northwestern. Keep proving the doubters like me wrong.
USF/ MEM
It’s not the ranked-on-ranked matchup that I’d envisioned, but this game still matters a lot. Cheer up Hometown fans. The playoffs are certainly still within reach.
The Tigers lost to UAB which is less than ideal, but win this game and the rest and the G5 playoff spot will be going to the Tigers from Memphis.
I won’t get into the scenario until after the Tigers have bested the Bulls by at least one, but the path will be there with a win.
What makes this game even more intriguing is that the same is true for South Florida. With a win, they will be in the driver’s seat to get the G5 playoff spot and deservedly so considering their massive wins over Florida and Boise St in Week’s 1 and 2.
—
So, there are four games at Noon to watch in between then leaf raking and garage cleaning and whatever else needs to be done around the home. But what else do I love on Saturday?
The list is short: Colorado @ Utah at 8:15. That’s it. Not because the other games won’t be entertaining and fun to watch, but because sometimes you have to prioritize the things that are more important. Yes. There are things more important than a college football Saturday. Even an Orangutan like me can understand that.
This is one of those weekend’s where I would rather there be the “Nationwide bye week from football” that was suggested on Twitter by Dan Katz three years ago. I wrote a response in which I not only agreed with his idea but supported it with concrete examples. This weekend would be perfect for such a ‘Bye week.’
However, football will be on all day as always and plenty of fun and drama will play out. I’ll be locked in at Noon and a little after 8:15.
SUN
It all begins at 8:00 AM. Arsenal will be looking remain top of the Premier League as they take on Crystal Palace in the Round Game.
Then, at Noon, it’s the Grown Man’s Sunday Game that will feature Jaxson Dart on the road in Philly; a game that precedes Tennessee on the road against Future MVP Daniel Jones and Indianapolis. I’ll hope to watch both games in their entirety. Big fan of what Jaxson is doing. Big fan of Daniel Jones during this MVP season. Bigger fan of the Titans.
As a fan of the Titans, I know that it is pragmatic to root for a loss at this point. Keep on losing and get another elite player in next year’s draft. The AFC South is the Colts to lose this year. We can challenge next season.
—
So that’s about it. It’s a relatively light sports weekend. There will probably be a World Series game at some point between the Dodgers and whoever finally wins the American League, but I doubt I’ll tune in for even one pitch. Give the trophy to the Dodgers, the MVP to Ohtani and move along. Toronto and Seattle play tonight in a Game 7 from the Rogers Centre. ‘Do or die’ games will always be worth attention. Just for kicks, I’ll stick with Seattle as my pick to advance.
—
More times than not, the argument is not worth the energy.
Find the Humor and Keep on Movin’
Whit W.