Is this the greatest sports day in history?
It’s been just over 6 months since COVID-19 put a halt to sports across the globe. We’ve filled some of that void watching Korean Baseball, German Soccer, Australian Rugby, and Horse Racing. With the MLB shortened regular season wrapping up this weekend, the NBA/NHL bubbles coming to an end, and NFL kicking off two weeks ago it’s a fall we will never forget in a year that we’d like to. The Big 12, ACC, and SEC are all playing league play this weekend and oh boy what a Saturday slate we have. Let’s dive in.
All time Central Standard Time (CST)
Local Channels are for Kansas City Region
College Football
SEC: SEC opens up their season this week with league play. Not many great matchups, but I’d give my must watch game of the week to ranked Kentucky visiting Bo Nix and Auburn (11:00 am, SECN)
(23) Kentucky vs. (8) Auburn – 11:00AM on SECN
(5) Florida vs. Ole Miss – 11:00AM on ESPN
Miss St. vs. (6) LSU – 2:30PM on CBS
(4) Georgia vs. Arkansas – 3:00PM on SECN
(2) Alabama vs. Missouri – 6:00PM on ESPN
Vandy vs. (10) Texas A&M – 6:30PM on SECN Alt
(16) Tenn. vs. South Carolina – 6:30PM on SECN
Big 12: The Big 12 has been absolutely embarrassed to start the year (see KU, KSU, ISU, almost OSU and Texas Tech). Week 3 sees league play start and hopefully some much better football. At least there should be no losses to Group 5 teams. The game of the week in the Big 12 should be Texas at Texas Tech. The Big 12 appears to be the Red River Showdown this year featuring strong Texas and Oklahoma teams.
Kansas State vs (3) Oklahoma -11:00AM on FOX
Iowa State vs TCU – 12:30PM on FS1
(8) Texas vs Texas Tech – 2:30PM on FOX
W Virginia vs (15) Oklahoma St. – 2:30PM on ABC
Kansas vs Baylor – 6:30PM on ESPNU
ACC: ACC continues league play following a week that saw Miami beat Louisville. Is the U Back? The ACC follows up last weeks ranked matchup with another as Louisville heads to Pittsburgh (11:00am, ACCN).
(24) Louisville vs (21) Pitt – 11:00AM on ACCN
Georgia Tech vs Syracuse – 11:00AM on ESPN3
Duke vs Virginia – 3:00PM on ACCN
Texas State vs Boston College – 5:00PM on ESPN3
Florida State vs (12) Miami – 6:30PM on ABC
NC State vs (20) Virginia Tech – 7:00PM on ACCN
BIG 10: October 24th
PAC 12: LOL. The PAC 12 announced on Thursday that the league will be playing a 7 game season starting in November. Good for the players, but no one really cares.
Group of 5: I’m a sucker for ranked matchups, support the troops. Go Army!
(13) UCF vs East Carolina – 11:00AM on ABC
Ga Southern vs (19) Louisiana – 11:00AM on ABC
(22) Army vs (14) Cincinnati – 2:30PM on ESPN
Troy vs (18) BYU – 9:15PM on ESPN
NBA
Nothing says late September Saturday like Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals. Lebron and AD are on a mission and are the clear favorites to win the Finals. Nuggets, after coming back from 3-1 deficits in each of the last two series, look to avoid the gentleman’s sweep.
Denver Nuggets (1) vs Los Angeles Lakers (3) – 8:00PM on TNT
NHL
Game 5 of the Stanley Cup following a back-to-back. The Dallas Stars have advanced after besting the two high flying offenses in the Avalanche and the Golden Knights. Stars have been a gritty and streaky team for much of these playoffs. No deficit has been too large (says a salty Avs fan). Lightning have been the best team in the Eastern Conference since the New Year (Yes, that was this year). The Stars find themselves in a 3-1 hole following Friday’s OT loss.
Dallas Stars (1) vs Tampa Bay Lightning (3) – 7:00PM on NBC
MLB
Two playoff spots remain with the Cardinals and Brewers fighting for the 2nd NL Central playoff birth and the Giants, Phillies, Mets, Brewers/Cardinals all alive for the final Wild Card spot.
Marlins vs Yankees – 12:05PM
Athletics vs Mariners (Doubleheader) – 3:10PM
Mets vs Nationals – 5:05PM
Orioles vs Blue Jays – 5:37PM
Tigers vs Royals – 6:05PM on FSKC
Astros vs Rangers – 6:05PM
Phillies vs Rays – 6:07PM
Brewers vs Cardinals – 6:07PM on FOX
Pirates vs Indians – 6:10PM
Reds vs Twins – 6:10PM
Red Sox vs Braves – 6:10PM
Cubs vs White Sox – 6:10PM
Rockies vs D-Backs – 7:10PM
Angels vs Dodgers – 8:10PM
Padres vs Giants – 8:15PM
Clinched, In Hunt, Eliminated
UFC
UFC 253: Undefeated Middleweight Champion Israel Adesanya fights #2 ranked Middleweight Paulo Costa on UFC Fight Island for the Middleweight belt.
Main Card, 9:00PM on PPV
Israel Adesanya vs Paulo Costa
Dominick Reyes vs Jan Blachowicz
Kai Kara France vs Brandon Royval
Ketlen Vieira vs Sijara Eubanks
Hakeem Dawodu vs Zubaira Tukhugov
Prelims, 7:00PM on ESPN2
Brad Riddell vs Alex Da Silva
Diego Sanchez vs Jake Matthews
Shane Young vs Ludovit Klein
William Knight vs Aleksa Camur
Early Prelims, 6:00PM on ESPN2
Juan Espino vs Jeff Hughes
Khadis Ibragimov vs Danilo Marques
Soccer
EPL: Look to see if Christian Pulisic gets minutes for Chelsea as he recovers from a hamstring injury he suffered in the FA Cup August 1st.
Manchester United vs Albion – 6:30AM on NBCSN
Everton vs Crystal Palace – 9:00AM on NBCSN
Chelsea vs West Bromwich – 11:30AM on NBC
Southampton vs Burnley – 2:00PM
MLS
Houston vs Nashville – 2:30PM
Cincinnati vs NYC – 6:00 PM on ESPN+
Golf
PGA Tour: PGA continues play following the US Open at Winged Foot last weekend. With all of the big names off this week, we swing our attention to some guys you may not have heard of. Hudson Swafford (1 career PGA Tour win) leads the field by 2 strokes heading into the weekend at -12. The Korn Ferry player and pre-tournament favorite Will Zalatoris is fresh off a T6 finish at the US Open has made the cut, but sits 9 strokes back of the lead.
Coverage begins at 2:00PM on NBC
Horse Racing
The Preakness Stakes is one week away. Bob Baffert’s Authentic remains the odds-on favorite to win at Pimlico after beating out Tiz the Law in the Kentucky Derby. Until then Fox Sports 1 and 2 will treat us to live racing at Belmont Park. Saturday is home to two Graded Stakes races at Belmont. If you’re a TVG subscriber, be sure to tune into Santa Anita as they run 5 Graded Stakes races including 4 Grade 1’s.
Coverage begins at 11:30AM on FS1 and transitions to FS2 at 12:30PM
CK Opinions 