Andy

Schwarber making Cole his bitch just like he did 6 years ago!

No rooting interest tonight, but it would be cool if Rizzo or Schwarber did something. On that topic, not that this is a surprise really, but they are both batting leadoff, and it's the first time two players who were teammates the year before are opposing each other as leadoff hitters on different teams in a playoff game.

Crazy factoid regarding PSU/Iowa: It's the first regular-season B1G conference game to be a top-5 matchup without Michigan or Ohio State involved since 1962 (Wisconsin/Minnesota). Iowa and MSU met as top-5 opponents in '15, but in the league title game.

I think you guys were in the top 10 when they made that call. Alas. Maybe the pregame atmosphere could be fun, though.

Top 25 games ------------------------------ (1) Alabama at Texas A&M (8 pm, CBS) (2) Georgia at (18) Auburn (3:30 pm, CBS) (4) Penn State at (3) Iowa (4 pm, FOX) Temple at (5) Cincinnati (7 pm Friday, ESPN) (6) Oklahoma vs (21) Texas - in Dallas (12 pm, ABC) Maryland at (7) Ohio State (12 pm, FOX) (9) Michigan at Nebraska (7:30 pm, ABC) Boise State at (10) BYU (3:30 pm, ABC) (11) Michigan State at Rutgers (12 pm, BTN) (13) Arkansas at (17) Ole Miss (12 pm, ESPN) (14) Notre Dame at Virginia Tech (7:30 pm, ACC Network) (15) Coastal Carolina at Arkansas State (7:30 pm Thursday, ESPNU) LSU at (16) Kentucky (7:30 pm, SEC Network) (19) Wake Forest at Syracuse (3:30 pm, ESPN2) Vanderbilt at (20) Florida (12 pm, SEC Network) Stanford at (22) Arizona State (10:30 pm Friday, ESPN) (24) SMU at Navy (3:30 pm, CBSSN) New Mexico at (25) San Diego State (9 pm, FS1) Other nationally available games --------------------------------------------------- Thursday Houston at Tulane (7:30 pm, ESPN) Friday Charlotte at Florida International (7 pm, CBSSN) Saturday TV South Carolina at Tennessee (12 pm, ESPN2) West Virginia at Baylor (12 pm, FS1) Northern Illinois at Toledo (12 pm, CBSSN) Georgia Tech at Duke (12:30 pm, Regional Sports Networks/ESPN3) Virginia at Louisville (3 pm, ACC Network) Florida State at North Carolina (3:30 pm, ESPN) San Jose State at Colorado State (3:30 pm, FS1) Wisconsin at Illinois (3:30 pm, BTN) Ball State at Western Michigan (3:30 pm, ESPNU) North Texas at Missouri (4 pm, SEC Network) Oregon State at Washington State (4 pm, Pac-12 Network) TCU at Texas Tech (7 pm, ESPN) Buffalo at Kent State (7 pm, ESPNU) Wyoming at Air Force (7 pm, CBSSN) Utah at USC (8 pm, FOX) Memphis at Tulsa (9 pm, ESPN2) UCLA at Arizona (10:30 pm, ESPN) New Mexico State at Nevada (10:30 pm, CBSSN) Saturday Streaming Akron at Bowling Green (12 pm, ESPN+) Old Dominion at Marshall (2 pm, Facebook) Middle Tennessee State at Liberty (3:30 pm, ESPN3) Florida Atlantic at UAB (3:30 pm, Stadium) Central Michigan at Ohio (3:30 pm, ESPN+) Miami (OH) at Eastern Michigan (3:30 pm, ESPN+) East Carolina at UCF (6 pm, ESPN+) UTEP at Southern Miss (7 pm, ESPN3) UTSA at Western Kentucky (7 pm, Stadium) Georgia Southern at Troy (7 pm, ESPN+) South Alabama at Texas State (7 pm, ESPN+) Georgia State at UL Monroe (8 pm, ESPN3)

I don't think anyone serious thought that LSU was in position to create a dynasty. Certainly this fall-off is more precipitous than expected, but the Burrow/Brady thing was the all-time example of lightning in a bottle.

Was at the ND/Cincinnati game. I was fully prepared to lose, but I was hoping it would be more 'Cincinnati is really good and we're just less good' and less 'ND hands them 10 points with dumb-ass turnovers, commits a dumb-ass red zone turnover too and Cincinnati just does enough to avoid screwing up that advantage'.

I have to keep reminding myself that this team probably still isn't that good, but being 3-0 with a roster chock full of promising talent at most positions is a pretty nice place to be right now. How many weeks you think CMC misses? However many it is, I bet it'll be more than the team thinks. I know paying RBs is stupid but it would've been nice if he could've had one good season after getting the contract before turning into an injury machine. C'est la vie.

I have to keep reminding myself that this team probably still isn't that good, but being 3-0 with a roster chock full of promising talent at most positions is a pretty nice place to be right now.

Cardinals postseason will last a grand total of 1 game should the play the LAD White Sox will get 1 home game and be done Brewers will be done in the NLCS at the latest You and I both know very well that the Cardinals are somehow going to end up winning the WS. That franchise is just blessed that way. Seriously. They have easily the worst team to ever win it (06), maybe the 2nd-worst (11) and if they hadn't gagged a 3-1 lead to SF in 12, they'd probably have won that year too with a playoff spot that had never existed before the season. This is what they do.

I know absolutely nothing, but the article does say the fall appears to be 'suspicious'. I hope that ends up being unfounded.

Top 25 games ------------------------------ (12) Ole Miss at (1) Alabama (3:30 pm, CBS) (8) Arkansas at (2) Georgia (12 pm, ESPN) (3) Oregon at Stanford (3:30 pm, ABC) Indiana at (4) Penn State (7:30 pm, ABC) (5) Iowa at Maryland (8 pm Friday, FS1) (6) Oklahoma at Kansas State (3:30 pm, FOX) (7) Cincinnati at (9) Notre Dame (2:30 pm, NBC) (10) Florida at Kentucky (6 pm, ESPN) (11) Ohio State at Rutgers (3:30 pm, BTN) (13) BYU at Utah State (9 pm Friday, CBSSN) (14) Michigan at Wisconsin (12 pm, FOX) Mississippi State at (15) Texas A&M (7 pm, SEC Network) UL Monroe at (16) Coastal Carolina (2:30 pm, ESPN+) Western Kentucky at (17) Michigan State (7:30 pm, BTN - Regional) (18) Fresno State at Hawaii (11 pm, CBSSN) (21) Baylor at (19) Oklahoma State (7 pm, ESPN2) Arizona State at (20) UCLA (10:30 pm, FS1) (22) Auburn at LSU (9 pm, ESPN) Louisiana Tech at (23) NC State (6 pm, ESPN+) Louisville at (24) Wake Forest (12:30 pm, Regional Sports Networks/ESPN3) Boston College at (25) Clemson (7:30 pm, ACC Network) Other nationally available games --------------------------------------------------- Thursday Virginia at Miami (7:30 pm, ESPN) Friday Houston at Tulsa (7:30 pm, ESPN) Saturday TV Texas at TCU (12 pm, ABC) Duke at North Carolina (12 pm, ESPN2) Minnesota at Purdue (12 pm, BTN - Regional) Charlotte at Illinois (12 pm, BTN - Regional) Memphis at Temple (12 pm, ESPNU) Tennessee at Missouri (12 pm, SEC Network) Pittsburgh at Georgia Tech (12 pm, ACC Network) Western Michigan at Buffalo (12 pm, CBSSN) USC at Colorado (2 pm, Pac-12 Network) Texas Tech at West Virginia (3:30 pm, ESPN2) Nevada at Boise State (3:30 pm, FS1) Troy at South Carolina (3:30 pm, SEC Network) Syracuse at Florida State (3:30 pm, ACC Network) UCF at Navy (3:30 pm, CBSSN) South Florida at SMU (4 pm, ESPNU) Washington State at California (5:30 pm, Pac-12 Network) Air Force at New Mexico (6:30 pm, FS2) Kansas at Iowa State (7 pm, FS1) Liberty at UAB (7 pm, CBSSN) Northwestern at Nebraska (7:30 pm, BTN - Regional) UConn at Vanderbilt (7:30 pm, ESPNU) Washington at Oregon State (9 pm, Pac-12 Network) Saturday Streaming Appalachian State at Georgia State (2 pm, ESPN+) Eastern Michigan at Northern Illinois (2:30 pm, ESPN+) Ohio at Akron (3:30 pm, ESPN3) Florida International at Florida Atlantic (3:30 pm, Stadium) Tulane at East Carolina (3:30 pm, ESPN+) Central Michigan at Miami (OH) (3:30 pm, ESPN+) Bowling Green at Kent State (3:30 pm, ESPN+) Arkansas State at Georgia Southern (4 pm, ESPN+) Army at Ball State (5 pm, ESPN+) UNLV at UTSA (6 pm, ESPN+) Southern Miss at Rice (6:30 pm, ESPN3) Marshall at Middle Tennessee (7 pm, Stadium) UL Lafayette at South Alabama (8 pm, ESPN+) Old Dominion at UTEP (9 pm, ESPN+)

I find a lot of irony in 2021 finally providing what promises to be a fun and interesting race for the 3 non-Bama CFP spots when they announced just months ago they were going to expand for the stated reason (unstated reason was more money) that the race for the spots was getting too boring.

Wisconsin is no good at all and when they went ahead 13-10 and ND had its 3rd-string QB in the game due to injuries. I had a brief moment of annoyance at the idea that Wisconsin was going to get a poll boost from beating a not-very-good ND team and then Michigan would in turn get a poll boost from beating them like a drum next week (which they will). Then Chris Tyree went 98 yards for a TD and at least I don't have to worry about that anymore.

Conversely, it will be extremely easy for me to not watch the playoffs. Although STL will be the only team I flat-out make sure I don't watch. Their devil magic BS pisses me off enough without seeing it unfold in real time.

I completely forgot STL had traded for JA Happ and if you're wondering whether his ERA with STL is barely over half of what it was before they traded for him without any reasonable explanation well do I have an absolutely-not-a-surprise for you

Yeah, I'd be less worried about St. Louis if they were winning 96 games. Years like this where they don't have that much talent but pull off their devil magic horsefeathers anyway (this Jon Lester thing is officially absurd, he's sucked ass for the better part of 3 years but now he's going to wildly outpitch his FIP?) are the years where they manage to be there at the end.

Jon Lester won #200 tonight and I want to vomit

It might be an entire season before I'm used to this new number rule.

ND/Wisconsin will probably be a snoozer even if it's close.

Top 25 games ------------------------------ Southern Miss at (1) Alabama (7:30 pm, SEC Network) (2) Georgia at Vanderbilt (12 pm, SEC Network) Arizona at (3) Oregon (10:30 pm, ESPN) West Virginia at (4) Oklahoma (7:30 pm, ABC) Colorado State at (5) Iowa (3:30 pm, FS1) Villanova at (6) Penn State (12 pm, BTN - Regional) (16) Arkansas vs (7) Texas A&M - in Arlington, TX (3:30 pm, CBS) (9) Clemson at NC State (3:30 pm, ESPN) Akron at (10) Ohio State (7:30 pm, BTN) Tennessee at (11) Florida (7 pm, ESPN) (12) Notre Dame vs (18) Wisconsin - in Chicago (12 pm, FOX) (14) Iowa State at Baylor (3:30 pm, FOX) South Florida at (15) BYU (10:30 pm, ESPN2) UMass at (17) Coastal Carolina (1 pm, ESPN+) Rutgers at (19) Michigan (3:30 pm, ABC) Nebraska at (20) Michigan State (7 pm, FS1) (21) North Carolina vs Georgia Tech - at Mercedes-Benz Stadium (7:30 pm, ACC Network) UNLV at (22) Fresno State (10 pm Friday, CBSSN) Georgia State at (23) Auburn (4 pm, SEC Network) (24) UCLA at Stanford (6 pm, Pac-12 Network) (25) Kansas State at Oklahoma State (7 pm, ESPN+) Other nationally available games --------------------------------------------------- Thursday Marshall at Appalachian State (7:30 pm, ESPN) Friday Middle Tennessee at Charlotte (6:30 pm, CBSSN) Wake Forest at Virginia (7 pm, ESPN2) Liberty at Syracuse (8 pm, ACC Network) Saturday TV Texas Tech at Texas (12 pm, ABC) Boise State at Utah State (12 pm, CBS) LSU at Mississippi State (12 pm, ESPN) Missouri at Boston College (12 pm, ESPN2) SMU at TCU (12 pm, FS1) Ohio at Northwestern (12 pm, BTN - Regional) Bowling Green at Minnesota (12 pm, ESPNU) Richmond at Virginia Tech (12 pm, ACC Network) Miami (OH) at Army (12 pm, CBSSN) Central Connecticut State at Miami (12:30 pm, Regional Sports Networks/ESPN3) Washington State at Utah (2:30 pm, Pac-12 Network) Towson at San Diego State (2:30 pm, Stadium) Louisville at Florida State (3:30 pm, ESPN2) Illinois at Purdue (3:30 pm, BTN - Regional) Kent State at Maryland (3:30 pm, BTN - Regional) UTSA at Memphis (3:30 pm, ESPNU) Wyoming at UConn (3:30 pm, CBSSN) Kansas at Duke (4 pm, ACC Network) Kentucky at South Carolina (7 pm, ESPN2) Navy at Houston (7 pm, ESPNU) North Texas at Louisiana Tech (7 pm, Stadium) Florida Atlantic at Air Force (8 pm, FS2) Indiana at Western Kentucky (8 pm, CBSSN) California at Washington (9:30 pm, Pac-12 Network) Oregon State at USC (10:30 pm, FS1) Colorado at Arizona State (10:30 pm, ESPNU) Saturday Streaming New Hampshire at Pittsburgh (12 pm, ESPN+) San Jose State at Western Michigan (2 pm, ESPN+) Texas State at Eastern Michigan (2 pm, ESPN+) Toledo at Ball State (2 pm, ESPN+) Maine at Northern Illinois (2:30 pm, ESPN3) Arkansas State at Tulsa (5 pm, ESPN+) Buffalo at Old Dominion (6 pm, ESPN+) UL Lafayette at Georgia Southern (6 pm, ESPN+) Charleston Southern at East Carolina (6 pm, ESPN+) Texas Southern at Rice (6:30 pm, ESPN3) Florida International at Central Michigan (7 pm, ESPN3) UAB at Tulane (8 pm, ESPN+) Troy at UL Monroe (8 pm, ESPN+) New Mexico at UTEP (9 pm, ESPN+)

Massive win for Carolina. With the pretty crappy Texans and potentially their backup QB on deck in 4 days, Panthers could start 3-0 which would be just peachy.

I already know St. Louis is going to win that playoff and probably beat SF in the LDS too just to piss me the hell off

Seattle just had the ASG in 2001. I'm sure MLB is going to give one to Atlanta's new park as soon as they fix that voting rights crap too, even though Atlanta's previous stadium had it the year before Seattle last did.

I'm not saying Helton was Saban but for his own fan base having no faith in him, but it's always been interesting to me that he won a Rose Bowl in his first full season and a Pac-12 title in his second and by the middle of his third season everyone wanted him fired and never stopped.