Andy

They could still catch us.

Top 25 games ------------------------------ Maryland at (1) Ohio State (12 pm, BTN) (2) TCU at Kansas State (7:30 pm, FOX) (3) Baylor at Kansas (12 pm, FS1) (4) Michigan State at Rutgers (8 pm, BTN) (23) California at (5) Utah (10 pm, ESPN) Georgia Tech at (6) Clemson (3:30 pm, ABC/ESPN2) (7) LSU vs South Carolina - moved to Baton Rouge, LA [flooding] (3:30 pm, ESPN) Arkansas at (8) Alabama (7 pm, ESPN) (10) Oklahoma vs Texas – in Dallas (12 pm, ABC) (11) Florida at Missouri (7:30 pm, SEC Network) Miami at (12) Florida State (8 pm, ABC) (13) Northwestern at (18) Michigan (3:30 pm, BTN) New Mexico State at (14) Ole Miss (12 pm, SEC Network) Navy at (15) Notre Dame (3:30 pm, NBC) Washington at (17) USC (9 pm Thursday, ESPN) (19) Georgia at Tennessee (3:30 pm, CBS) (21) Oklahoma State at West Virginia (7 pm, ESPN2) Illinois at (22) Iowa (12 pm, ESPN2) Kent State at (24) Toledo (3 pm, ESPN3) (25) Boise State at Colorado State (7 pm, CBSSN) Other nationally available games --------------------------------------------------- SMU at Houston (8 pm Thursday, ESPN2) Southern Miss at Marshall (7 pm Friday, CBSSN) NC State at Virginia Tech (8 pm Friday, ESPN) Indiana at Penn State (12 pm, ESPN) Tulane at Temple (12 pm, ESPNU) Duke at Army (12 pm, CBSSN) Middle Tennessee at Western Kentucky (12 pm, FSN) Central Michigan at Western Michigan (12 pm, ESPN3) Virginia at Pittsburgh (12:30 pm, ACC Network/ESPN3) UMass at Bowling Green (2 pm, ESPN3) Wake Forest at Boston College (3 pm, FSN/ESPN3) Akron at Eastern Michigan (3 pm, ESPN3) Wisconsin at Nebraska (3:30 pm, ABC/ESPN2) Minnesota at Purdue (3:30 pm, ESPNU) Syracuse at South Florida (3:30 pm, CBSSN) Iowa State at Texas Tech (3:30 pm, FSN) Appalachian State at Georgia State (3:30 pm, ESPN3) Ball State at Northern Illinois (3:30 pm, ESPN3) UConn at UCF (3:45 pm, ESPNEWS) Oregon State at Arizona (4 pm, FS1) Troy at Mississippi State (4 pm, SEC Network) UL Monroe at Tulsa (6 pm, ESPN3) Washington State at Oregon (7 pm, Pac-12 Network) Texas State at UL Lafayette (7 pm, ESPN3) East Carolina at BYU (7:30 pm, ESPNU) Colorado at Arizona State (10 pm, Pac-12 Network) Wyoming at Air Force (10:15 pm, ESPN2) Utah State at Fresno State (10:30 pm, CBSSN)

No top 4 of substance can exclude Utah. They should be #1 on merit right now.

TCU looked impressive yesterday but they also needed a miracle to beat Texas Tech. ND kicked Texas' ass too, but I don't think they're all that great either.

I'm not convinced anyone is good, except probably Alabama again. There might be a 2 loss team in there, maybe more.

Dabo Swinney is a clown. Coaches not to lose the entire 4th quarter, gutless play-calling, then yaps in the postgame interview about "bring your own guts". Merry [expletive] Christmas, Dabo, but shut up. 3 lost fumbles and 5 drops to Clemson's 0 lost fumbles and 1 drop. Ridiculous.

Clemson obviously used their 16 days off well. Sigh.

And the whole weekend.

I had a similar situation in high school. I had to be out taking video for our broadcast class at games that took place during an NLDS game one week and an NLCS game the next. I brought a portable radio at the time (pre-smartphones and all that).

Fall is my favorite season, so I get it, but I wouldn't have gotten married in the fall in a billion years.

I don't know how many huge situations Rodney will face, as he's behind a few faces on the totem pole.

That's a depressing question. I still think I'd lean CJ for volume reasons (one would think Denver will run a good amount in that game), but if I were a CJ owner - blessedly, I'm not - I'd find it hard to blame anyone that went another way.

And play a road coin-flip game. I can't even imagine if this were 2011 with only one wild-card. We'd be burning this place to the ground.

Michigan/Maryland moved to noon from 8 p.m. due to possible effects of Hurricane Joaquin. Nebraska/Illinois moved to 4 pm to balance out the BTN schedule.

They had to sweep, take 2 (to push STL) or be swept (so we could have a shot to catch them). They chose option D, the only one that didn't benefit us in any way (there's virtually no way Cincy in their current state is taking 2/3 from anybody). Pretty dumb.

Harold Reynolds is whining about the Astros playing in an NL park the last weekend of the season as if everyone in the AL hasn't already played more games in an NL park to this point.

DeSclafani sure seemed to think Bryant had gotten that one

I like Jackson. Got a feeling he'll have a big hit next month.

That would be so lame. He's been a blast the last 2 months.

With STL's win looking pretty secure, we can pull within 2 of a home coin flip game with wins today and tomorrow. Still will need help, but possible.

I would love him more if he could've done that before I was eliminated from my fantasy baseball league.

How did I know someone was going to get a big hit in this inning to stick it to UMFan

The only possible outcome of the STL vs Pittsburgh series that I definitely didn't want to see - STL 2/3 - appears on its way to happening. Sigh.

nevertheless, while i feel the same, i am pleased at what he just did. Is there some sort of statistically plausible reason a nearly 30-year-old is going from a career high of 13 homers as a pro (2010, mostly AA) to 28 in the big leagues? I'm trying to decide how much that should annoy me.

Arrieta would have normal rest for Game 3, so I have to think they go to him there. Some sort of Hammel or Hendricks/fill in sixth starter here piggyback situation would be fine with me for Game 2.