The MLB regular season is about to end.
- In the AL, the Rays have won the AL East while the Yankees and Red Sox are both assured of playoff positions.
- In the AL Central, the Guardians and the White Sox are separated by a game with 5 games left to play.
- In the AL West, the Rangers and the Astros have identical records with 5 games to play.
- In the NL East, the Braves have clinched
- In the NL Central, the Brewers have clinched
- In the NL West, the Dodgers have clinched
- In the NL, the playoff teams are still up in the air with the Phillies, Cubs and Padres set at identical records and with the D-Backs still alive – – but on life support.
The playoffs begin next week after all this gets sorted out over the weekend.
My preseason picks for division winners were not so good; only the Dodgers won their division “with my blessing” and that wasn’t a difficult choice to make. However, I suggested five win-total wagers back in March and four of them are now in the bag while the fifth one was off by about a dozen games.
I don’t usually do this in mid-week, but I am going to miss the next two Football Fridays while I go off the air for a while. So, here are some reactions to 6 college football games from last week:
- Georgia 45 Arkansas 17: The Bulldogs have not been severely tested yet in 2026, but they look pretty good to me.
- Alabama 50 Forida State 36: Is this an awakening of the Seminoles’ offense or a sign that the Alabama defense is not up to its usual standard?
- Kentucky 31 Texas A&M 21: This was the upset of the day. Maybe the Aggies were looking ahead to LSU?
- Cal 49 Wagner 7: What is Wagner a Division 1-AA team from Staten Island doing playing a game in Berkley CA?
- Florida 44 Auburn 39: My “Sleeper Team” made it to 3-0 this week…
- Ole Miss 32 LSU 24: Trinidad Chambliss had himself a day throwing for 363 yards and 2 TDs. So far in 2026, he is the best college QB I’ve seen.
And here are brief comments on 10 of last week’s NFL games:
- Panthers 34 Falcons 3: Tell me again why the Falcons let Kirk Cousins go?
- Rams 28 Giants 6: Davante Adams had 8 receptions for 195 yards and 2 TDs. Not too shabby for a 33-year-old WR …
- Browns 23 Bucs 19: The upset of the week …
- Vikes 9 Bears 3: Read a report that said Brian Flores had the Vikes blitzing on more than 85 of the Bears offensive snaps even after Caleb Williams left the game.
- Saints 24 Ravens 17: An upset to be sure – – but as big as the Browns over the Bucs?
- Pats 20 Steelers 3: The Pats’ defense dominated this game.
- Raiders 26 Chargers 14: The Chargers’ season is in severe trouble given the next 6 games are against playoff teams from last season and the two losses to date were to the Cards and the Raiders. Meanwhile, the Raiders are 2-0 for the first time since 2021.
- Bills 41 Lions 31: The Lions’ defense must stop giving up 30+ points per game.
- Eagles 24 Titans 20: Davonta Smith had 10 catches for 117 yards and a TD including 2 huge plays in the game winning drive.
- Bengals 20 Texans 6: The Texans start the season at 0-2 for the third time in the last four seasons.
The five biggest college games this week will be:
- Texas – 5 at Tennessee (56)
- Iowa at Michigan – 5 (39): This could be as artistic a game as a giant rock fight.
- Ole Miss at Florida – 3 (59):
- Texas A&M at LSU – 9 (52):
- Oregon – 3 at USC (62): Are either of these two teams for real or not?
The eight biggest NFL games this week will be:
- Pats at Jags – 3 (45):
- Panthers – 2.5 at Browns (42.5): This is the Dog-Breath Game of the Week.
- Texans – 3 at Colts (42): Both teams are winless so far in 2026…
- Chargers at Bills – 7 (50): Not an easy way for the Chargers to get their first win of the season.
- Raiders at Saints – 3 (44): Two teams with surprisingly good starts to the season here.
- Ravens – 3 at Cowboys (52):
- Rams – 2.5 at Broncos (45): The best game on Sunday this week.
- (Mon Nite) Eagles – 4 at Bears (41): Should be the Game of the Week
Finally, with the mid-term elections right around the corner, let me close with this from Will Rogers:
“A fool and his money are soon elected.”
But don’t get me wrong, I love sports ………