Weekly Update October 21, 2024

Baseball: World Series is set! But let’s go back to the Championship Series to see who won. Spoilers – its not a Subway Series WS.

Basketball: WNBA Championships = Liberty. New number in town in NBA. UVA HC retires.

Football – NCAAF: Only 3 losses in the Top 25 and that’s because there were 3 ranked matchups. Plenty of close games though! Unranked shoutouts. Indiana gets Gameday for the first time. Vandy is ranked!

Football – NFL: MNF was a good one Bills vs Jets. TNF was not. Broncos killed Saints. Only 5 close games this week. One undefeated team goes down and leave just 1 in the league. Brady is now an owner.

Golf: Poston is back on top at Shriners.

Motorsports: Controversy for the final podium spot in Austin.

Olympic Sports: Wedding wanted. ISU Figure Skating is back and so is Malinin. Triathlon worlds.

Quick Headlines: NHL. Soccer. NCAA.

Baseball – MLB:

• NLCS: We started the week thinking the Dodgers would run away with this having not allowed a run in the last 33 innings of play. But that ended quickly in Game 2 of the NLCS. The Mets scored 1 in the 1^st to get things rolling (Lindor’s HR – very fitting) and had a 5-run 2^nd That was enough to hold off the Dodgers and tie the series 1-1 after winning 7-3. Game 3 was more on pace with what we had seen from LA. The Dodgers shutout the Mets again 8-0 including 3 HRs, one by star Ohtani. Ohtani continued that momentum in Game 4 with teammate Betts for a 10 run game to beat the Mets 10-2 and all they needed was 1 more to make it to the WS. Friday (Game 5) they wouldn’t get it. The Mets put on a scoring show with a 3-run HR in the 1^st and a 5-run 3^rd and continued to pile on. Mets stay alive winning Game 5 12-6. But that was where the Mets’ luck would run out. Despite starting Game 6 with a run in the top of 1^st, the Dodgers scored early and often. They were up 6-1 after 3. The Dodgers would double the Mets score to win 10-5 and take themselves to the World Series!

• ALCS: Yankees RF Juan Soto and DH Giancarlo Stanton had a big first game helping lead the Yankees to a 5-2 game 1 win. Monday was a good day for NY sports. The Mets and Yankees won along with both NHL hockey teams. The Jets did lose though – so close to a NY sports sweep. Aaron Judge finally hit his first HR of the post season and it wasn’t until Game 2 inning 7 before he got there. NY scored 3 early and another 3 late to win 6-3. But Cleveland didn’t make it there for nothing. Game 3 was a thriller. The Yankees might’ve scored first but they were trailing the rest of the game until the 8^th inning when they put up 3 to take the lead by 1. They tacked on another in the 9th and the thought of a sweep was starting to creep in. But the Guardians RF Noel came in with a clutch game saving 2-run HR to take the game to extra innings. DH David Fry had been walked and struck out swinging at his previous at bats but in the 10^th he had every little kids dream. He hit a game winning 2-run HR and saved CLE from the sweep. Series now 2-1 NY.

• Continued: Game 4 was also a great one. It was very back and forth. NY got 3 off Staton’s HR in the 6^th to take the lead 6-2 but the Guardians answer the next inning with 3 of their own to in the 7th. They would tie it up at 6 apiece in the 7^th off a Yankee error. But then the Yankees repay the favor and break Cleveland’s hearts with 2 runs in the 9^th to be 1 win away from the WS. Game 5 would go into extra innings too so another great game to watch. It was a lower scoring affair with only 2 runs for the Guardians through 5. NY got 2 to tie it up in the 6^th. And that would be it for scored in regulation. Who else by Juan Soto would hit a 2-run HR in the 10^th to win and take the Yankees back to the World Series for the first time since 2009 when they won it all.

• Now we will get a World Series match up of the best teams in each division. Both Aaron Judge and Shoehei Ohtani will be making their WS debut. What a star showdown!

Basketball:

• WNBA: The NY Liberty have won their first WNBA title in franchise history and that’s saying something as they are one of the OG WNBA teams. The finals went to a winner-take-all Game 5 and Game 5 went into OT. The Liberty were down by 12 at one point before storming back to tie it up with 38 seconds left. It was all Liberty after that.

• NBA: For the first time ever there will be a number 58 in the NBA. Houston G Jack McVeigh will be wearing it. Why? It’s the cumulation of all the numbers from his career.
• NBA: The league has asked that sports books now allow unders on player prop bets so that there is less ability to tamper with games.
• NCAAM: UVA MBB HC Tony Bennett announced his retirement on Friday after 15 seasons. His overall record 364-136 while at UVA leading them to 10 tournament appearances and the 2019 National Championship. He considered retiring last year but decided now was the time with the changing landscape that is college sports right now and he believed he wasn’t the guy to do the transfer portal and NIL justice.

Football-NCAAF:

• Week 8 Top 25 Upsets:
  • #1 Texas got their ass kicked. They couldn’t do anything 1H even when #5 Georgia gifted them two turnovers. Georgia was up 23-0. Texas tried to mount a comeback in 3Q putting up 15 but that was it. Both teams struggled with turnovers with 7 combined. Texas actually benched Ewers for Arch Manning after a while but ultimately went back to Ewers. They were  1-5 on 4th down and 2-14 on 3rd! UGA wins 30-15. Georgia was an underdog for the first time in 50 games and shows why they arent considered one often.
    • PSA: just because it worked for Texas does not mean you can throw beer bottles on the field to get a call overturned. Let me explain. During the 3Q, Texas’ DB Barron got a great INT on UGA’s QB Beck and ran it back to the opposite 10 yard line. A flag was thrown and officials ruled that Barron should be penalized for pass interference, negating the INT. Texas fans were pissed (and rightfully so, I dont think it was a PI). But they started throwing beer and water bottles on the field and causing a delay of the game while the trash was picked up off the field. During that time, the video was shown on the big screen in the stadium. 4 minutes after the play (caused by fan interruption), the refs chatted and reversed the call ruled and gave the ball to Texas. That call is not reviewable either. So this is setting a bad precedent – not of fixing calls that we not correct to start off but by rewarding Texas fans by their delay, which made it look like the refs caved to fans calls to change the play. So much drama! It didnt matter in the end but can you imagine how pissed Georgia would be if TX came back to win after that?!

• • #7 Alabama scored the only points in the 1H with both offenses not playing particularly well. #11 Vols turned it on to take the lead going into the 4Q 14-10. Alabama responded with a TD to take the lead 17-14 2min into the 4Q. But then it was all Vols who got the cigars scoring 10 more points to win 24-17.
  • Michigan only managed to score one TD the whole game at the end of the 1H. They just had no offense and thats coming from a Sooner fan. They also had 3 turnovers which led to 10 Illini points in the 1H. 22. Illinois had a great game winning 21-7 for their first ranked vs ranked win at home since 1991.

• Some scaries that shouldn’t have been:
  • #6 Miami at Louisville was a great game *called it* with two Heisman candidate QBs dueling it out. Miami scored double digits in every Q including 3Qs of 14. But they could never separate and put the crushing blow on the Cards who hung around enough to be dangerous. Louisville had a 100 yard kickoff return in the 3Q and then scored the next TD too to tie it back up at 31s. The two teams exchanged the next two TDs as well to be tied up at 38s in the 4Q. Miami would score back to back and escape 52-45.
  • #9 Iowa State was down 28-14 in the 3Q. But then Iowa State started rolling with a TD, forced a 3 & out, TD and another 3 & out. But then ISU threw an INT to UCF who ran it back 70 yards before fumbling it but they would recover it and score on the next play. UCF up by 1. UCF wouldn’t get another score and Iowa State would. Cyclones win by 3 to stay undefeated.
  • #13 BYU looked like they were about to take their first loss of the season to Oklahoma State who is winless in the Big 12. RB Ollie Gordon ran all over the Cougs in 1H to put OSU up by a TD going into the locker room. But BYU answered with the only 2 TDs in the 3Q. But hang on this is a wild finish. OSU’s benched QB Alan Bowman came back to score and tie it up just 10 sec into 4Q. BYU only got a FG in an 11 play drive. OSU gets the ball back and grinds out a long 17 play drive that took 8+ min off the clock. So with 1:13 left OSU scores the go-ahead TD leading 35-31. BYU had to get a TD to stay undefeated. They manage it in 1 min and 8 plays (really 2 big chunk plays) to break the Cowpokes hearts. BYU escapes 38-35.
  • #19 Mizzou scored first with a 51 yard FG but that was their only score in the 1H. Auburn really got rolling in the 3Q going up 17-3. Mizzou’s QB Brady went out of the game with an ankle injury early 1Q. He went to the hospital got an MRI but then returned to the game, down 17-6 going into 4Q. They come back to score 15 unanswered points to win 21-17.

• Shoutouts
  • #2 Oregon may now see themselves at the top of the rankings after a Texas loss and a shutout win over Purdue on Friday.
  • Army and Indiana are the only two teams that have never trailed so far this season. They both had big wins this weekend. Indiana killed Nebraska 56-7 and Army beat East Carolina 45-28. Navy also handled their business 51-7 over Charlotte.
  • #21 SMU was up 31-7 at half over Stanford. They would win by 30. #8 LSU handled Arkansas unlike the last few teams the Razorbacks have played. Tigers win 34-10 and it was never a doubt. #17 K St destroyed WV 45-18 in Morgantown.

• Unranked quick highlights:
  • Florida State has 4 turnovers against Duke. Duke would win 23-16 for their first win over FSU ever. This is now FSU’s worst 7 game start since 1975.
  • UCLA got their first win in the Big Ten over a newly struggling Rutgers team 35-32.
  • USC blew a 14 point lead in the 4Q. That is the 3^rd game in a row that they have lost after leading at half. Maryland blocked a game sealing FG in the final 2 min which set up the game winning TD for the Terps. USC is now 1-3 in conference.
  • Oklahoma had 4 turnovers and three back to back to give South Carolina a huge 21-0 lead just 5 minutes into the game. Hard to comeback from that when you have no offense. They did score a TD for the first time in 2 games and held SC to a FG in the 2H but damage was done. Big win for the Gamecocks.
  • Colorado played well against Arizona handling them easily 34-7. Michigan State upset Iowa 32-20. Florida is bouncing back nicely beating Kentucky 48-20. TCU beat Utah in a low scoring game 13-7.

•  Rankings:
  • Vanderbilt has snuck into the Top 25 this week at #25, just in time to host #5 Texas. This is the first time the Commadores are ranked since 2013.
  • Indiana will be Gameday this weekend for the first time since the show started (for football).
  • The only undefeated teams left: Oregon, Penn St, Miami, Iowa St, BYU, Indiana, Pitt, Army, Navy, Liberty

Football – NFL:

• Wrapping up week 6 MNF: The Bills were in control of the 1H against the Jets, looking to go into half with a 10 point lead. But that was before Rodgers threw a 52 yard Hail Mary to Lazard for a last second TD, now only up by 3. But both teams would only manage to put up 22-yard FGs in the 2H so the Bills hang on to win.

• TNF was an emotional return to NOLA for Sean Payton who coached there for 15 years but was this time walking in with Blue and Orange on, coaching the other team. The Broncos smoked the Saints who are on their backup QB of Spencer Rattler. The Saints couldn’t score a TD until the final 1:30 of the game. Denver won 33-10. When Payton coached the Saints, they only lost 2 games by 20+ points. They have now done that two weeks in a row.

• There were only 5 close games this weekend (week 7):
  • The Vikings/Lions game was a streaky one. The Viks put up the first 10 points but the Lions answered with an unanswered 21 points to take the lead going into half. We then traded TDs before the Vikings would go on a run again. They got 2 40+ yard FGs and a scoop and score to take the lead by 1. DET would get the ball with 2:32 to go and drive down to set up a last 15 second FG of 44 yards. K Jake Bates would nail it and hand the Vikings the 2 point loss. One of the undefeated teams goes down.
  • Browns QB DeShaun Watson went down with what is now confirmed to be a season ending Achilles rupture in the final 1:22 of the 1H. The Bengals took advantage in 3Q putting up 14 points to win by a TD.
  • The Dolphins were so close to a win. They started by putting up the first 10 points of the game but wouldn’t score a single point more. The Colts would score an unanswered 16 to win by 6.

• • The 1H of the Texans/Packers game was back and forth with the Texans leading 19-14 going into the locker room. But the Packers would get the only TD in the 2H and nailed a 44 yard FG as time expired to beat the Houston team by 2.
  • The Rams put up 20 points in the middle 2Qs and good thing too. They would hold on to beat the Raiders 20-15.

• The not so close ones:
  • In a rematch of last year’s Super Bowl, the 49ers struggled to get into the endzone in the 1H, only getting 2 FGs including one for 55 yards. They did finally break through in the 2H with 2 TDs but the damage was done. There were also 5 INT in this game 3 by Purdy and 2 by Mahomes. The Chiefs are looking good for this season as even when their QB struggles, they still manage to win 28-18. The 49ers have a losing record. There’s only one undefeated team left in the NFL.
  • The Jags took a punt return 96 yard to the endzone and that pretty much was the tone of this London game. Jags would beat the Pats 32-16.
  • In a similar theme, the Seahawks got a scoop and score to take a 17 point lead over the Falcons. They would ultimately win by 20.
  • The Bills would be the only team to score points in the 2H of their game with the Titans. They put up 27 in that half and would easily win 34-10.
  • The Eagles and RB Saquon Barkley had a day over his former team, the Giants. Phili would keep NY out of the endzone to win 28-3.

• • The Commanders QB Jayden Daniels would go down in the 1Q of the game. But you wouldnt know it by the score. QB Marcus Mariota came in and put on a show going 18/23 with 2TDs and 205 yards. Washington wins 40-7.

• SNF: Even I turned on the game as it was a close one between the Jets and the Steelers 15-13 Jets at half. But that was it as far as scoring goes for NY, the Steelers would add an additional 24 points to win with ease.

• Tom Brady is getting involved in football in more than just on the field and in the press box. He is now a minority owner in the Raiders.

Golf:

• JT Poston had to come back to finish his 3^rd round and never trailed after the 14^th during that round. 3 birdies on the back nine gave him a 4 shot cushion. Good thing because he would need all of that, only winning by 1 shot over Doug Ghim. Poston has now won 3xs on the PGA Tour but it had been since the 2022 John Deere Classic.

Motorsports:

• The US GP was in Austin, TX this weekend to make it one of the best live sports weekends the city has seen in quite some time. It was a big win for Ferrari who took 1^st and 2^nd with Leclerc and Sainz. McLaren’s Norris finished 3^rd over Red Bulls Max Verstappen. But there was some controversy there. Norris was penalized after the race was over 5 seconds for passing Verstappen off the track which handed Max the final spot on the podium and extended his championship lead. Verstappen passed Norris in the 1^st corner of the 1^st lap causing both drivers off the track in the process. However when Norris passed Max in lap 52 and both drivers went into the runoff area. The officials said that that’s when Norris overtook Max (technically off the track) and therefore it inflicted the penalty. Also getting a penalty, the US GP promoters were fined €500k for the invasion of people who climbed over a fence and debris fencing and onto the main straight while cars were still on their cooldown lap.

Olympic Sports:

• Olympic snowboarder Ryan Weddings is wanted for drug trafficking. It is thought that he is being protected by Siniloa Cartel. He was the mastermind of a 1 year long drug kingpin. In the 2002 Olympics in SLC is where his drug mule gig started he is responsible for trafficking more than 60 tons of cocaine to USA and CAN. He and the cartel is is apart of (allegedly) are supposed to be ruthless. They kill anyone who gets in their way. Weddings was previously convicted in 2010 for a similar charge but after he got out he continued his operations.

• Figure Skating is back! It started at Skate America in Allen, TX this weekend. Despite an American 1-2 for the women after the short program, it was JPN that took gold and silver. Isabeau Levito did finish in 3^rd despite a fall in the free skate and Bradie Tennel, on her way back form her broken ankle, had a costly mistake of downgrading a skill in her free skate that cost her the podium. Higuchi won gold for her first GP win and teammate Watanabe got silver. JPN also won the pairs, beating the US champs by 14 points. USA also got bronze. To no one’s surprise, Ilia Malinin took the men’s title for the 3^rd consecutive time. He did have to change his free skate mid-program and ended with a newly legal backflip. No quad axels though. FRA and JPN got 2^nd and 3^rd. Fear and Gibson from team GBR took advantage of USA’s Chock/Bates early mistake to win the ice dance. Let the season begin!
• World Championship finals for Triathlon was this weekend. Two athletes died during competition in the age-group sprint event, one from GBR and one from MEX. GBR’s Alex Yee finished 3^rd at the final event to win the overall World title (he just needed to finish 6^th or better to secure the title). This is his first world title although he won the Olympic gold medal in Paris this summer. Similar story on the women’s side, Olympic champion FRA Cassandre Beaugrand took the world title although she needed a top 2 finish to secure the overall title. She won the race over GBR and another FRA. She had a dreadful start, wandering off course during the swim and was in 30^th but quickly made up places.

Some quick highlights:

• NHL: Sidney Crosby hit 1600 points in the NHL. He is the first player since 2011 to hit that mark.

• Soccer: Mexico beat USMNT for the first time since 2019.
• NCAA: Ohio State has eliminated scholarships for men’s gymnastics.

What to watch this week

Baseball – MLB:

• Fri 10/25
  • World Series – Game 1: Yankees at Dodgers @ 7:08pm on FOX
• Sat 10/26
  • World Series – Game 2: Yankees at Dodgers @ 7:08pm on FOX
• Mon 10/28
  • World Series – Game 3: Dodgers at Yankees @ 7:08pm on FOX
• Tues 10/29
  • World Series – Game 4: Dodgers at Yankees @ 7:08pm on FOX
• Wed 10/30
  • World Series – Game 5: Dodgers at Yankees @ 7:08pm on FOX
    • If necessary
• Fri 11/1
  • World Series – Game 6: Yankees at Dodgers @ 7:08pm on FOX
    • If necessary
• Sat 11/2
  • World Series – Game 7: Yankees at Dodgers @ 7:08pm on FOX
    • If necessary

Basketball – NBA:

• Tues 10/22 – Season begins
  • Knicks at Celtics @ 6:30pm on TNT
  • Timberwolves at Lakers @ 9pm on TNT
• Wed 10/23
  • Bucks at 76ers @ 6:30pm on ESPN
  • Suns at Clippers @ 9pm on ESPN
• Thurs 10/24
  • Spurs at Mavericks @ 6:30pm on TNT
  • Thunder at Nuggets @ 9pm on TNT
• Fri 10/25
  • Pacers at Knicks @ 6:30pm on ESPN
  • Suns at Lakers @ 9pm on ESPN

Football – NCAAF:

Top 25
Week 9
Top 25 Games
Visitor	Home	Day	Time (CT)	TV	Line
12. Notre Dame	24. Navy	Sat 10/26	11:00 AM	ABC	ND -11.5
Washington	13. Indiana	Sat 10/26	11:00 AM	BTN	IU -7
20. Illinois	1. Oregon	Sat 10/26	2:30 PM	CBS	Ore -25
21. Mizzou	15. Alabama	Sat 10/26	2:30 PM	ABC	Bama -13.5
5. Texas	25. Vanderbilt	Sat 10/26	3:15 PM	SEC	TX -18.5
8. LSU	14. Texas A&M	Sat 10/26	6:30 PM	ABC	Tamu -2.5
*GameDay indicated in bold*

Football – NFL:

• Mon 10/21
  • Ravens at Bucs @ 7:15pm on ESPN & ABC
  • Chargers at Cardinals @ 7:45pm on ESPN+
• Thurs 10/24
  • Vikings at Rams @ 7:15pm on Prime
• Sun 10/27
  • 8 games @ 12pm on CBS/FOX
    • CBS: Eagles at Bengals, Ravens at Browns, Jets at Patriots, Colts at Texans
    • FOX: Titans at Lions, Cardinals at Dolphins, Falcons at Bucs, Packers at Jags
  • Saints at Chargers – or – Bills at Seahawks @ 3:05pm on FOX
  • 3 games @ 3:25pm on CBS
    • Panthers at Broncos
    • Chiefs at Raiders
    • Bears at Commanders
  • Cowboys at 49ers @ 7:20pm on NBC
• Mon 10/28
  • Giants at Steelers @ 7:15pm on ESPN

Golf:

• Mon 10/21
  • NCAA: Jackson Stephens Cup @ 4pm on Golf Channel
• Tues 10/22
  • NCAA: Jackson Stephens Cup @ 3pm on Golf Channel
• Wed 10/23
  • NCAA: Jackson Stephens Cup @ 3pm on Golf Channel
  • Zozo Championship – Round 1 @ 10pm on Golf Channel
• Thurs 10/24
  • Zozo Championship – Round 2 @ 10pm on Golf Channel
• Fri 10/25
  • Zozo Championship – Round 3 @ 10pm on Golf Channel
• Sat 10/26
  • Zozo Championship – Final Round @ 10pm on Golf Channel

Hockey:

• Tues 10/22
  • Capitals at Flyers @ 5pm on ESPN
  • Avalanche at Kraken @ 7:30pm on ESPN
  • Kings at Golden Knights @ 10pm on ESPN
• Wed 10/23
  • Flyers at Capitals @ 6:30pm on TNT
• Fri 10/25
  • Predators at Blackhawks @ 7:30pm on hulu

Motor Sports:

• Sun 10/27
  • F1: Mexico City GP @ 2:30pm on ABC

Olympics Sports:

• Wed 10/23
  • NCAA WVolleyball: Iowa St vs Kansas @ 6:30pm on FS1
• Thurs 10/24
  • NCAA WVolleyball: Wisconsin vs Indiana @ 6pm on FS1
• Sun 10/27
  • Figure Skating: ISU GP in CAN @ 11am on NBC

Soccer:

• Mon 10/21
  • Premier League: Nottingham Forest vs Crystal Palace @ 2pm on USA
• Fri 10/25
  • Premier League: Leicester City vs Nottingham Forest @ 2pm on USA
• Sat 10/26
  • Premier League: Aston Villa vs Bournemouth @ 9am on USA
  • Premier League: Teams TBA @ 11:30am on NBC
• Sun 10/27
  • Premier League: Chelsea vs NewcastleU @ 9am on USA