There are two really interesting college football games tonight.
Oregon travels to Palo Alto, California hoping to avenge last year’s defeat vs Stanford. That defeat cost the Ducks a chance to play for the national title.
Also tonight Baylor is over a two touchdown favorite vs Oklahoma. When was the last time that happened?
I think both games will be competitive but remember last week Florida State was a big (3 touchdown) favorite vs Miami and covered the spread, something Brent Musburger pointed out on the air.
Baylor favored by 15 will win by 10 points. Oregon favored by 10 points will win in overtime. Each game will be high scoring. I apologize in advance but will “grade” myself on a future post.
Again last week the Seattle Seahawks escaped with a victory as big favorites in their contest. The Seahawks were down (21-0) to fellow 1976 expansion team, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but rallied for a (27-24) overtime victory.
The Seahawks are (8-1) and lead the San Francisco 49ers by one and a half games in the NFC West. The Bucs, gallant in defeat, are “walking the plank” at (0-8).
Two teams have one game division leads in the NFC. In the NFC East, the Dallas Cowboys at (5-4) lead the Philadelphia Eagles by one game.
Last week the (5-3) Carolina Panthers gained a game and now trail the (6-2) New Orleans Saints by a game in the NFC South.
The Chicago Bears, a 10 point underdog, won at Green Bay (Packers) last night. That scrambles the NFC North as the Bears, Packers and Detroit Lions all stand at (5-3).
While the Chiefs and Broncos are in a battle for the AFC West crown, three other teams enjoy 2 game division leads in the AFC.
The Chiefs repeated their 1966 AFL Title game win at Buffalo by winning (23-13) yesterday. The Broncos had a bye. K.C. will go to Denver on November 17th with a (9-0) record. The (7-1) Broncos are “an opening touchdown choice” at San Diego next week.
The New England Patriots went to (7-2) the day after Boston celebrated a third Red Sox crown in 10 seasons, by ripping the (2-6) Pittsburgh Steelers. That is good for a two game lead over the surprising New York Jets, who are (5-4) after an upset win vs the New Orleans Saints.
The Indianapolis Colts, playing in their second straight Sunday night tilt, overcame a (21-3) halftime deficit and went to (6-2) with a (27-24) win at the (2-6) Houston Texans. The Tennessee Titans won at the St. Louis Rams (bad week in St. Louis sports) and are two games behind.
Two is the operative number concerning the Cincinnati Bengals and the AFC North. The Miami Dolphins scored a two point safety in overtime to drop the Bengals to (6-3) this past Thursday night. However, it is still good for a two game lead over the (4-5) Cleveland Browns, who dropped the defending Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens to (3-5), with a (24-18) win at Cleveland.
The Ravens have two titles since moving the great Cleveland Browns’ franchise to Baltimore. Hence this win is little solace for the still mediocre “new” Browns and the city of Cleveland. The city is sans a sports title since the glorious ’64 Browns won (27-0) vs the Baltimore Colts in that year’s title game.
Here are some rare college football predictions. Please keep in mind my predictions have not been so good.
I think Alabama will win relatively easy vs LSU this coming week. My feeling is that Alabama may have trouble with say Missouri, in the SEC Title game.
Oregon, it says here will go to Palo Alto, California this Thursday night and avenge last year’s defeat at the hands of Stanford. That home loss to Stanford kept Oregon out of the national championship game last season.
Florida State, so impressive in its home win vs the Miami Hurricanes last night, will need help to get into the title game.
Another team that needs help to get into that game is Ohio State. However, the Ohio State team may complete another unbeaten season under coach, Urban Meyer. If it happens it will be two in two seasons under Meyer.
Urban Meyer
The baseball tournament, which played for 20 straight days at one point, had ended the day before. Free to roam the vast, often wasteland of television, it was great to find and watch a “marathon” showing of the great anthology series “Alfred Hitchcock Presents,” on “Antenna TV.”
What a great series this was and I spent several nice hours watching some compelling episodes. All included appearances both before and after the “play,” by the one and only Mr. Hitchcock.
Among the great guest stars that I saw were Robert Duvall at the beginning of his great career and the inimitable Claude Rains near the end of his legendary career.
The theme music which is Charles Gounod’s “Funeral March of a Marionette” can be described as an addictive “listen” but also a huge step up the musical ladder for my untrained ear. In short, fabulous!”
It was suggested to be the show’s theme music by Hitch’s (who am I to call him Hitch?!!) long time musical collaborator, Bernard Herrmann.
It was quite a treat to see these shows in rapid succession. Thank you, “Antenna TV.”
Denied a World Series win for 86 years (1918 until 2004), the Boston Red Sox now have three such wins in a 9 year/10 season span.
The Red Sox won game six by a (6-1) score last night vs the St. Louis Cardinals, clinching the World Series at home for the first time in 95 years.
The game six star was Shane Victorino, whose 3 run double in the bottom of the third inning opened the scoring and put the Red Sox ahead to stay.
He also had the big hit when the Red Sox clinched this year’s pennant also in a game six home win, that in the ALCS vs the Detroit Tigers.
Prior to this year, Victorino was in two World Series as a Philadelphia Phillie. In 2008, the Phils defeated the Rays. However, in 2009, the Yankees defeated the Phillies. In that one Victorino grounded out to end the series.
Last night, pitcher John Lackey got the victory, allowing one run in six and two thirds innings. In doing so Lackey became the first hurler to start and win a World Series clincher for two different teams; the other game being for the 2002 Anaheim Angels.
Coincidentally, in the Angels title clinching win by Lackey there also was a three run double that broke a tie and put Lackey’s team ahead to stay en route to the title clincher.
As cited, in the game last night, Victorino had the three run double. 11 years earlier, a fine player, Garret Anderson stroked the all important three run double for Lackey’s Angels.
Shane Victorino
John Lackey
Tonight in game six of the World Series, the Boston Red Sox will attempt to clinch the title at home for the first time in 95 years.
That’s right, 1918 was the last time the Red Sox clinched the title at home.
It is nowhere near as powerful a drought since the Red Sox ended an 86 year title drought by winning the 2004 World Series (on the road). They also won the title in 2007 (on the road) thus will be seeking a third title in a nine year span tonight.
The atmosphere tonight at Fenway Park in Boston will be just a little greater because it has been so long since the Red Sox clinched a world title at home.
Alas, unlike 2004 and 2007, when the Red Sox had (3-0) series leads going into their potential title clinching games, this is only a (3-2) series lead. Thus only tonight do the Red Sox have a chance to clinch, but no chance to be eliminated.
Fenway Park
The Seattle Seahawks, nearly two touchdown favorites, survived in St. Louis winning by four points, (’twas a bad night in St. Louis sports as the Red Sox also won in St. Louis to take a (3-2) World Series lead), and at (7-1) have the best record in the NFC.
Seattle’s lead in the NFC West is just one game over the powerful San Francisco 49ers, who are (6-2).
The New Orleans Saints stand at (6-1) and lead the Carolina Panthers by two games in the NFC South.
The Green Bay Packers have won 4 straight and with a (5-2) mark lead in the NFC North. The Detroit Lions are (5-3) after a stirring comeback win vs the Dallas Cowboys. The Packers visit Detroit on Thanksgiving day.
The flip side to the rousing Detroit win is that it was a horrible loss for the Cowboys. However, Dallas, at only (4-4) still leads the woeful NFC east and in my opinion (it does not mean much; see last night’s St. Louis Cardinals pick) will win that division and be the NFC four seed. A long way to go in the football season, however.
Yesterday, the Kansas City Chiefs playing at home, raised their record to (8-0) with another “no cover” victory, this vs the Cleveland Browns.
Kansas City has only two major league sports teams, the baseball Royals are the other, and each has won but one title.
The Chiefs’ title was in the 1969 season. The Royals lone title, was clinched exactly 28 years ago yesterday on October 27, 1985.
Despite their great start, the Chiefs are still a pretty big long shot to win their second title this season.
That evaluation takes little away from the (8-0) Chiefs but is a testament to the strength of their division rival Denver Broncos.
Early in the third quarter in a game at Denver between the Broncos and Washington Redskins, it looked as if the Chiefs would gain a game on the high powered Broncos. At that point, the Redskins led (21-7).
It was not to be as the now (7-1), Broncos scored the game’s final 38 points and won (45-21). Thus the Chiefs lead in the AFC West is one game and anticipation is growing for the two Broncos vs Chiefs battles.
The two teams will play twice in a 2 week, 3 game span. The first tilt is in Denver on November 17th.
Elsewhere three teams are huge favorites to win the other three AFC divisions. One (the Indianapolis Colts) did not play and had achieved that status the week before when they upset Denver while division rivals Tennessee (Titans) and Houston (Texans) lost.
All three of those teams had byes yesterday while the powerful San Francisco 49ers dealt the other AFC South team, the (0-8) Jacksonville Jaguars a (42-10) loss in a game played in London, England.
Yesterday, both the New England Patriots and Cincinnati Bengals had impressive victories and gained ground on all three other teams in their divisions.
The Pats, favored by six points and down by 14 points at the half, roared back to win (27-17) vs division rival, Miami (Dolphins).
The win raised their record to (6-2) good for a two game lead in the AFC East. The other two AFC East teams,the Jets and Bills lost to the Bengals and New Orleans Saints respectively.
The Bengals ripped the still second place team in the AFC East, the New York Jets. “Cincy” gained ground on the Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers and idle defending Super Bowl champion, Baltimore Ravens.
The 2013 World Series is even once again after the Boston Red Sox bounced back to win game 4, after a tough loss in game three.
The pivotal fifth game is tonight in St. Louis with game six to be played Wednesday night in Boston. If game seven is necessary it is scheduled for Thursday night/Halloween in Boston. There are not only goblins but rain in the forecast that night in Boston.
The Cardinals are (1-3) in previous home fifth games of a (2-2) World Series. They did win two of those World series despite falling down 3 games to two with a home loss.
That configuration of games took place in 1926 and 1934. In 1930, a great Philadelphia A’s team won the series in six games.
The only time the Cards won a home fifth game in a (2-2) World Series was in 1987. The Minnesota Twins, however, won games six and seven at home to win their first title as the Twins. (They were the Washington Senators before moving to Minnesota for the 1961 season.)
Two great and colorful pitchers were instrumental in the Cards’ triumphs in 1926 and 1934.
Grover Cleveland Alexander won game six and had a two plus inning, beyond quality, hitless save in game seven at Yankee Stadium vs the Yankees in the 1926 World Series. The Cardinals won their first title.
Some say after winning game six, Mr. Alexander “partied hard” and was “out of it” when manager Rogers Hornsby called on him in relief in the biggest game.
In 1934, the legendary “Dizzy” Dean was on the mound for the Cards in an easy (11-0) triumph in game seven at Detroit vs the Tigers.
Speaking of (11-0) and some about this World series, last night was the exact 28 year anniversary of the Royals’ (11-0) triumph vs the Cards in game seven.
Now last night, was another loss for the Cards, which means they must win at least one game in Boston to take this year’s title.
Despite what happened in 1926 and 1934, I “suggest” the Cards win tonight, as winning two straight at Boston would be a daunting task. Toward that end, I think the Cardinals will respond with a win tonight.
