Last week: 15-5

Overall: 154-60, 72%

No.8 Georgia 24, No. 6 Florida 20

2:30 PM CT

CBS

Dawgs by 6 1/2

One of my top guys, Brownie, likes Florida and cites the fact that Georgia is not playing that great with a loss to South Carolina and not a great performance the following week against Kentucky, though it was a 21-0 victory in a rain storm. Florida is a very good team, but I like Georgia to play better this Saturday. Like Jake Fromm, D’Andre Swift and a young but improving receiving corps along with a pretty stout defense to get the job done for Kirby Smart.

Auburn 45, Ole Miss 24

6 PM CT

ESPN

Auburn by 19

Like the Tigers to bounce back after a disappointing loss to LSU last Saturday. The defense played superbly, and deserved to win that game. Gus’s play calling was questionable and Bo Nix struggled. Now Joey Gatewood is transferring so more upheaval for Gus and his team. He needs to pull his team together because there is still a lot to play for. A possible New Year’s 6 Bowl if they can finish strong. Georgia and Alabama at home to finish off the season, so those will be some real opportunities if Gus can keep the ship afloat.

Alabama-LSU next Saturday

Both teams off this Saturday as they get ready for the spectacle at Bryant-Denny. Quite the matchup with NFL talent all over both rosters and the question of Tua’s ankle though I see him playing. Will have a lot more next Thursday.

Tennessee 34, UAB 27

6 PM CT

ESPNU

UT by 12

This is a very good matchup on Saturday Night at Neyland Stadium. The Blazers are a talented, confident team with an excellent quarterback and very good receivers and a pretty studly defense. Running back will be by committee as Spencer Brown may not be available. I see the Blazers giving the Vols everything they want with a shot at an upset.

South Carolina 31, Vanderbilt 23

6:30 PM CT

SEC Network

SC by 15

The Commodores have a lot of momentum coming off their 21-14 victory over Missouri 2 weeks ago. I do like the Gamecocks at Williams-Brice though, but with Vandy, like UAB in Knoxville, having a shot.

Texas A&M 52, UT San Antonio 10

11 AM CT

SEC Network

A&M by 38

This is a kick in for the Aggies, but after playing @ Clemson, Alabama and Auburn at home and with @ LSU coming up, Kellen Mond and company deserve this.

Mississippi State 34, Arkansas 31

3 PM CT

SEC Network

State by 7 1/2

Both teams are struggling mightily, but I expect an exciting game in Fayetteville on Saturday.

No.7 Oregon 35, USC 28

7 PM CT

FOX

Oregon by 5

I like the Ducks to keep their playoff hopes alive. Their comeback from a 28-14 second half deficit @ Washington was more then impressive. Ducks won 35-31 in a classic. Should be a pretty classic game here as the Ducks try to keep advancing in the rankings and get in that Final Four ultimately. Their team is good enough. Shows you Auburn has great talent, just not getting enough offensive coaching, particularly in the passing game, at present.

Washington 24, No. 9 Utah 23

3 PM CT

FOX

Utes by 3 1/2

Like the Huskies to pull off an upset in a classic defensive game with some explosive plays deciding it along with lockdown defense.

No.4 Clemson 58, Wofford 7

3 PM CT

ACC Network

Clemson by 47

Clemson still has an awesome team, this is a joke, but Clemson has been playing very well lately a little bit under the radar.

No.24 Memphis 38, No. 15 SMU 35

6:30 PM CT

ABC

Memphis by 6

Both these teams are having excellent seasons with SMU 8-0 and Memphis 7-1. New Year’s Six Bowl could be on the horizon for the winner of this game, though there will still be a lot of work left. But definitely a pivotal game for both teams. Like the Tigers in the Liberty Bowl.1

No. 14 Michigan 38, Maryland 14

11 AM CT

ABC

Michigan by 21

See the Wolverines, now 6-2, keeping their momentum going on the road after a massive 45-14 victory over Notre Dame last Saturday Night at the Big House.

No. 16 Notre Dame 38, Virginia Tech 28

1:30 PM CT

NBC

Notre Dame by 17 1/2

I like the Hokies to give the Fighting Irish, reeling after getting blasted by Michigan last Saturday, everything they want with the Irish kind of pulling away a little at the end.

Tonight

No. 12 Baylor 44, West Virginia 30

7 CT

ESPN

Baylor by 18 1/2

Baylor is also 7-0 and ranked highly. They’re a very interesting team though I like Neal Brown and the Mountaineers to keep it pretty close. If Baylor keeps winning they’ll play Oklahoma at home in November with some key Big 12 and possible national implications on the line. So much to decipher in November. It’s riveting stuff.

Tonight

No.20 Appalachian State 38, Georgia Southern 20

7 CT

ESPNU

App State by 14 1/2

App State is also 7-0 and has defeated North Carolina at Chapel Hill already this season. They’re a high caliber team. Like them to keep it going tonight at home.

Friday

Navy 35, UConn 20

7 PM CT

ESPN2

Navy by 27

The Academy is now 6-1 and playing outstanding football on both sides of the ball. Malcolm Perry is an absolute stud at quarterback.

Saturday

No. 17 Cincinnati 42, East Carolina 14

6 PM CT

ESPNU

Cincy by 23 1/2

Like the Bearcats to do well and keep their American Conference and New Year’s Six hopes alive at 6-1 presently.

Miami 27, Florida State 24

2:30 PM CT

ABC

FSU by 3

Like the Canes to pull off the road upset at Doak Campbell.

TCU 38, Oklahoma State 37

2:30 PM CT

ESPN

OK State by 3

After upsetting Texas last week 37-27 at home and intercepting Longhorns quarterback Sam Ehlinger 4 times, I like the Frogs to go on the road and pull off the upset at Stillwater.

No. 23 Wake Forest 35, NC State 27

11 AM CT

ESPN

Wake by 7 1/2

The Demon Deacons are 6-1 and putting together a terrific season. I see them continuing their success Saturday at Winston-Salem.

North Carolina 31, Virginia 28

6:30 PM CT

ACC Network

UNC by 2 1/2

Mack Brown has had some success at Chapel Hill so far going 4-4 and defeating South Carolina in Charlotte the first game of the season. I like a tight contest here, but for the Heels to pull it out with a late field goal.

Kansas State 30, Kansas 28

2:30 PM CT

Fox Sports 1

K State by 6

K State is coming off their shocking and beyond impressive upset victory over Oklahoma 48-41. I like this one close though.

UCLA 45, Colorado 35

8 PM CT

PAC-12 Network

UCLA by 6 1/2

UCLA is getting better and better after a 42-32 upset victory over previously No.19 ranked Arizona State last Saturday. Getting a little more bullish on Chip Kelly’s squad.

No. 21 Boise State 35, San Jose State 31

9:30 PM CT

CBS Sports Network

Boise State by 17

San Jose State has victories @Arkansas and @ Army. I like this to be close, but for the Broncos to keep their New Year’s Six hopes alive.

Air Force 35, Army 30

2:30 PM CT

CBS Sports Network

Air Force by 15 1/2

The Air Force Academy is a pretty heavy favorite, but in a rivalry like this I like the Cadets to keep it very close until the end.

The Washington Nationals were superb, transcendent really. They committed to excellence in the postseason and fought off 5 elimination games in the playoffs and World Series to capture the 2019 World Series. Stephen Strasburg was the MVP after his spectacular 8 1/3 inning performance Tuesday Night. Anthony Rendon, Juan Soto and Adam Eaton were also phenomenal players against the Astros. Amazing all 7 games were won by the road team. Never done before. What a beyond tremendous effort the Nationals put forth in the postseason. It’s been since since 1924 that the Nationals have won a World Series, that’s 94 years. Also, the franchise moved to Montreal in 1971 and didn’t come back to D.C. until 2005. They’ve been through a lot of frustration in the postseason in recent years, but this team never lost faith this year even though they were 19-31 in May. Everybody from Manager Davey Martinez to GM Mike Rizzo to Max Scherzer and all the players deserve tremendous credit. The Nationals were written off when Bryce Harper left for Philadelphia last offseason for a 13 year $330 million contract, but Scherzer, who passionately attended as many Washington Capitols playoff games 2 years ago when the Caps won the Stanley Cup Title, believed his team could do the same. And he never wavered in that belief. They did and this team will go down in history as one of the most mentally tough and most resilient groups to ever play the game.

The No.9 Auburn Tigers travel to Bayton Rouge, Louisiana (Cosell, what a classic, “Down goes Fraziuh!” Down goes Fraziuh!” “Swannie, how I love ya, how I love ya!” Oh for the days of Howard) to take on the No.2 Bengal Tigers of LSU with a 2:30 PM kickoff slated on CBS. Tremendously crucial game in the SEC and what a phenomenal matchup. Will have more below. The No.1 Crimson Tide hosts Arkansas at Bryant-Denny with a 6 PM kickoff on ESPN. Mac Jones will be under center in place of Tua, who has the dreaded high ankle sprain. The “tightrope” surgery was considered a success, but it’s anybody’s guess as to if Tua will be a full go against LSU in Tuscaloosa 2 weeks from Saturday, Nov. 9th at 2:30 PM CT on CBS. So this is an important start for Jones. He may be needed in the near future if he can do well against the Razorbacks.

No.13 Wisconsin, coming off a disappointing upset 24-23 loss at Illinois last Saturday, travels to Columbus to face No.3 Ohio State for an 11 AM CT kickoff on FOX. Ohio State is playing well in all phases. A lot of people are saying they’re the most complete and best team in the country, but I’m not going to go that far yet. I want to see some more of them against high quality competition, which they may get Saturday with Wisconsin.

Another major matchup features the No.8 Fighting Irish @ No.19 Michigan. 6:30 PM CT on ABC. This is Notre Dame’s shot at staying in the playoff picture, and Michigan needs a bounce back victory after the disappointing finish at Happy Valley last Saturday in which their receiver dropped a game tying touchdown pass from 7 yards that would have knotted the game at 28 after a furious Michigan comeback from being down 21-0. So Michigan still has a lot to play for and they certainly want to defeat the Irish.

Heres’ a look at this weekend’s action.

Last Week: 19-7

Overall: 139-55, 72%

No..9 Auburn (6-1, 3-1) @ No.2 LSU (7-0, 3-0)

2:30 PM CT

CBS

Brad, Gary, Jamie

LSU by 10 1/2

Everything steers towards a Bengal Tigers’ victory. Joe Burrow and an offense that’s scoring 45 points a game, a pretty much improving defense, and Death Valley. I read ESPN’S Chris Lowe’s article on AU defensive tackle Derrick Brown yesterday. Quite an accomplished young guy. Highly articulate, a leader, super guy, and getting his degree in December. He knows the exact date of when he’s getting his degree but has no clue of the date of the NFL draft where he will be a top 10 pick. I really like that. And he’s one heckuva football player. So is Marlon Davidson, so is Big Kat Bryant and Nick Coe when he’s playing up to his standard. I like this Auburn defense to slow down Burrow and the LSU attack and for Bo Nix and the offense to play well. I’ll take the Auburn Tigers in an upset.

Auburn 31, LSU 28

Arkansas (2-5, 0-4) @ No.1 Alabama (7-0, 4-0)

6 PM CT

ESPN

Dave Pasch, Gregory, Lugues

Crimson Tide by 31 1/2

The most interesting thing about this game is how will Mac Jones play. It’ll be important Saturday night and possibly in 2 weeks, though I know Tua and the training staff at Alabama will give him every opportunity to play. But the teams in the lower half of the SEC are playing better. Vanderbilt upset Missouri last Saturday in what looked like a mismatch going in. But the Commodores played solid defense and came away with the 21-14 victory. Arkansas is a major underdog here, but it could be competitive particularly with Jones at quarterback. Just not the caliber of Tua. Not many are, so that’s not a criticism of Jones. The great teams have terrific quarterbacks, Tua, Jalen Hurts, Justin Fields, Trevor Lawrence, though he’s struggling a little, Joe Burrow, and I’d even put Jake Fromm in that group because I’m not counting out Georgia yet. Sam Ehlinger is another superb quarterback though Texas has really been decimated by injuries. Still a solid team. I like Kyle Trask at Florida. He’s better than solid. He’s a playmaker. So Jones has his work cut out for him Saturday Night. We’ll see how he handles it. The defense is still a question mark as well.

Alabama 42, Arkansas 17

No. 13 Wisconsin (6-1, 3-1 Big Ten) @ No.3 Ohio State (7-0, 4-0)

11 AM CT

FOX

Gus, Joel, Jenny

Ohio State by 14 1/2

I guess Wisconsin plays pretty good defense, but it’s not enough here. Like Fields and the Buckeyes pretty strong defense to keep the engine roaring.

Ohio State 34, Wisconsin 17

No.8 Notre Dame (5-1) @ Michigan (5-2)

6:30 PM CT

ABC

Chris, Kirk, Maria

Notre Dame by 1

Even though Michigan lost at Penn State last Saturday Night, I liked the way Shea Patterson and the team fought back. I like them to get over the top against the Fighting Irish in the Big House. Still don’t totally trust Brian Kelly.

Michigan 24, Notre Dame 21

Other scores

No.5 Oklahoma 45, Kansas State 14

11 AM CT

ABC

OU by 23 1/2

No.4 Clemson 42, Boston College 14

6:30 PM CT

ACC Network

Clemson by 34

No.6 Penn State 28, Michigan State 17

2:30 PM CT

ABC

Penn State by 6

Texas A&M 34, Mississippi State 21

11 AM CT

SEC Network

A&M by 10 1/2

Tennessee 24, South Carolina 23

3 PM CT

SEC Network

South Carolina by 4 1/2

Missouri 31, Kentucky 17

6:30 PM CT

SEC Network

Mizzou by 10 1/2

No.11 Oregon 45, Washington State 30

9:30 PM CT

ESPN

Oregon by 14

No. 12 Utah 38, Cal 14

9 PM CT

Fox Sports 1

Utah by 21 1/2

TCU 38, Texas 34

2:30 PM CT

FOX

Texas by 1 1/2

Tonight

SMU 45, Houston 31

6:30 CT

ESPN

SMU by 13 1/2

Friday

USC 45, Colorado 30

8 PM CT

ESPN2

USC by 13 1/2

Saturday

Navy 35, Tulane 31

2:30 PM CT

CBS Sports Network

Navy by 3 1/2

UCLA 38, Arizona State 35

6:30 PM CT

PAC-12 Network

Zona State by 4 1/2

Virginia 34, Louisville 28

2:30 PM CT

ACC Network

UVA by 3 1/2

Duke 38, North Carolina 35

3 PM CT

ACC Network

UNC by 3 1/2

Iowa 17, Northwestern 14

11 AM CT

ESPN2

Iowa by 10

The Washington Nationals take on the Houston Astros in the 115th edition of the Fall Classic. First pitch tonight is at 7:08 PM CT at Minute Maid Park in Houston with the great Max Scherzer of the Nationals facing the equally great Gerrit Cole of the ‘Stros. Tomorrow night at 7:08 CT is another pitching classic with the awesome Stephen Strasburg squaring off with the ageless phenom Justin Verlander, who at 36, is still throwing 95-97. Both games are in Houston. The series shifts to Nationals Park in Washington Friday Saturday and Sunday with all game times at 7:08 PM CT. Next Tuesday and Wednesday are in Houston for games 6 and 7 respectively if necessary. FOX will broadcast the entire series with Joe and Smoltzie on the call and Tom Verducci and Ken Rosenthal reporting from the field.

Everybody is picking the Astros. With Verlander, Cole, Zack Grienke as their top line starters, though Grienke has struggled in this postseason, and the historically great Jose Altuve, along with the ultra talented George Springer and Alex Bregman, the Astros lineup is phenomenal. The Nats do counter with Scherzer, Strasburg and a very solid lefty in Patrick Corbin. They also have exceptional hitters led by Anthony Rendon, Juan Soto and Trea Turner.

There is a lot of talk about the Nationals having a week off since they last played as they swept the Cardinals in 4 games. They were cookin. They had just pulled off an amazing upset of the Dodgers in 5 games in the National League Division series.

Bob Nightengale of USA Today pointed out today in his WS column that the Detroit Tigers swept the A’s in the ALCS in 2006, had six days off, were heavy favorites over the Cardinals, and lost in 5 games. In 2012, the Tigers swept the Yankees in the ALCS, had 5 days off, came into that Fall Classic as favorites over the Giants and got swept.

The Nats are the most prohibitive World Series underdog since the 2007 Colorado Rockies who got swept by the Boston Red Sox that year.

With all that said, Max Scherzer is the greatest warrior in sports along with another guy I’ll mention below. I like Scherzer to win tonight, the great Strasburg to win tomorrow night, Scherzer to win in game 5 and Strasburg to win in game 6.

Nationals in 6

MVP

Max Scherzer

NBA Predictions

The NBA opens up its season tonight with the Celtics @ the 76ers at 6:30 PM CT on ESPN and Denver at Portland at 9 PM CT on ESPN.

Here are my predictions:

Eastern Conference Finals

Milwaukee Bucks over the Philadelphia 76ers in 6

Western Conference Finals

LA Clippers over Denver Nuggets in 6

NBA Champion

The other warrior I was referring to above is Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Greek Freak, who averaged 27.7 points per game, 12 1/2 rebounds per game, and 5.8 assists per game in 2018-19 and won the NBA Most Valuable Player Award. The Bucks finished with the best regular season record in the league last year, but lost to Kawhi Leonard and the Toronto Raptors in 6 games in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Raptors went on to defeat the Golden State Warriors in 6 to capture the Larry O’Brien Trophy as NBA champions. I think Giannis learned his lesson from last season and he’s more determined than he’s ever been to win it all. He’ll face Kawhi and Paul George, 2 of the top 6 players in the NBA, along with Giannis, Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, and Klay Thompson, but I like Giannis and the Bucks to get over the hump this year, have the best record in the NBA, have the home court advantage throughout the playoffs and defeat the Clippers for Milwaukee’s first world championship since 1971, that’s 49 years.

In his second year as a professional, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was dominating the league with his patented sky hooks and led his Bucks team to the NBA Championship that year when he was known as Lou Alcindor. Giannis has that type of impact. Like Scherzer, he’s built for great moments. I like the other best warrior in sports to get it done in June in the NBA Championship. It’ll be tough against the great Kawhi and Paul George, but I’m going with my main man in the National Basketball Association like I’m going with my main man in Major League Baseball.

Bucks over Clippers in 7

MVP of NBA Finals

Giannis

I’m looking at 2 elite teams in the SEC right now, Alabama and LSU. Both teams have stellar offenses and defenses with tremendous athletes that are still developing. That’ll be an interesting storyline going forward for the Crimson Tide and the Bengal Tigers, what kind of defenses each team has in November. If one of these defenses takes a step forward then that team has a shot at winning it all. November 9th in Tuscaloosa at 7 PM CT on CBS looks like a possible national title kind of matchup. Whichever team emerges victorious in that game will be in the driver’s seat for the No.1 seed in the playoff if that team can continue to take care of business. The other team will certainly not be out of it if it continues to take care of business. So a lot of intriguing stuff happening in the SEC, and this weekend is another hurdle for the elite teams and the very good teams in the conference. Florida looks like the third best team to me. Georgia is right behind but really took a step back last week in their loss to South Carolina at home. Inexplicable really. Kirby Smart needs to get his team turned around quickly or Athens won’t be a happy place in the upcoming weeks. Auburn is another team I can’t figure out. They looked excellent up until the Florida game then just imploded offensively at the Swamp. Gus Malzahn struggles getting the best out of his quarterbacks if they are good passers. His best receivers, Seth Williams, Anthony Schwartz, Eli Stove and Will Hastings, aren’t getting the ball. He needs to figure out a way to get them the football and mount a running game. This offense is his, so there are no excuses if he can’t get it going. His job I guess is safe with the huge buyout, but you never know. If it really goes south some of the major boosters may be tired of these average and inconsistent results Malzahn is putting out and go ahead and buy him out. This team is extremely talented on both sides of the ball. They lost Ja’Tarvious Whitlow for 4-6 weeks with an injury, so the backup running backs will have to step it up. It’s about the Auburn offense right now and that’s all one Arthur Gustavo Malzahn III’s responsibility. If the offense sputters it’s all on Malzahn.

Some interesting matchups with Penn State hosting Michigan in a massive Big Ten contest on Saturday Night in Happy Valley at 6:30 on ABC. Major game in the PAC-12 tomorrow as Oregon travels to Washington for a 2:30 PM Saturday kickoff on ABC.

So a lot to breakdown this week. As the Black Eyed Peas said, Let’s get it started.

Last week: 18-8

Overall: 120-48, 71%

Tennessee (2-4) @ No.1 Alabama (6-0)

8 PM CT

ESPN

Steve Levy, Grease, McShay, Molly McGrath

Crimson Tide by 34 1/2

The Vols earned a tremendous home upset victory over Mississippi State last Saturday, 20-10. They’re playing better and Jeremy Pruitt could be turning it around. This is tough for them though. Tua Tagovailoa has completed 134 of 182 passes, 74%, for 2,011 yards, 27 TDs against 1 int. That’s outrageously good. I would say, and this may sound unusual, but Tua’s been kind of underrated with all of the superb quarterback play that is going on with Jalen Hurts, Joe Burrow, Justin Fields and Trevor Lawrence. Lawrence has struggled some, but he’s outstanding. Tua has almost gone under the radar even though he’s the leading candidate for the Heisman. He’s such a humble, hard working guy, that people just assume he’ll be spectacular every Saturday. And he is, which is astounding in itself. He’s got amazing receivers in Jerry Jeudy (42-538, 6 TDs), DeVonta Smith (38-636, 9 TDs) Henry Ruggs III (18-394, 5 TDs) and Jaylen Waddle (15-245, 1 TD with more to come), but he’s the one who’s got to get’em the ball. There are other teams, like Auburn, that have outstanding receivers, but are having trouble getting those guys the football. It’s a team thing, but Tua makes it run like a Maserati. He’s a gem of a quarterback and young guy. Najee Harris is really stepping it up and Brian Robinson is a solid No.2 back. The defense is young, but talented. I see them getting better and better with more experience. I like Tua and his team to have a very good night tomorrow in Bryant-Denny.

Alabama 52, Tennessee 17

No. 11 Auburn (5-1, 2-1) @ Arkansas (2-4, 0-3)

11 AM CT

SEC Network

Taylor Zarzour, Stinch, Alyssa Lang

Auburn by 19 1/2

I like the Tigers to get it back together in Fayetteville. Arkansas almost upset Kentucky on the road last Saturday losing 24-20 and they’re getting better, but I see an unhappy Tigers team after the Florida debacle getting it back together and back in the hunt for the SEC West title and whatever else comes with that.

Auburn 42, Arkansas 20

No.2 LSU (6-0) @ Mississippi State (3-3)

2:30 PM CT

CBS

Brad, Gary, Jamie

LSU by 18

The Bengal Tigers, like the Crimson Tide, have the athletes to be pretty stout on defense. I like them to keep improving on defense and for Joe and the offense to keep on clickin.

LSU 42 Mississippi State 21

No.3 Clemson (6-0) @ Louisville (4-2)

11 AM CT

ABC

Bob Wischusen, Dan Orlovsky (those 2 are a mouthful), Allison Williams

Clemson by 24

The Cardinals looked pretty good defeating a then ranked Wake Forest team 62-59 on the road last Saturday. Their defense gave up a lot of points but picked off 4 Wake passes. Clemson looked very good in blasting Florida State, 42-14. That’s a bad Florida State team though. I’m not throwing Clemson under the bus like some people are though. They’re still a high caliber team with all the tools necessary to win it all.

Clemson 49, Louisville 21

No.9 Florida (6-1) @ South Carolina (3-3)

11 AM CT

ESPN

Dave, Gregory, Lugues

Gatuhs by 5

I’m not sure why this line is so close. Florida looked good in a 42-28 loss to LSU. It was a competitive game throughout. The Gamecocks traveled to Georgia and won improbably, 20-17. I’m not sure if it was a more of a statement on South Carolina getting better or an indictment on Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs being not so swift. May have been a little bit of both, but I still think Georgia is quality. I like the Gators to win in Columbia and I like it more comfortably than the spread would indicate but I’ll agree that it’ll be pretty close.

Florida 28, South Carolina 20

Kentucky (3-3) @ No. 10 Georgia (5-1)

5 PM CT

ESPN

Jason Benetti, Rod Gilmore, Quint Kessenich

Dawgs by 25

I actually think the Dawgs are going to dominate this game tomorrow in Sanford Stadium. They are loaded with talent. I just think Kirby Smart has to do too much coaching. Not convinced he has a great staff and he’s just overloaded with too many on field coaching duties during a game. But this team has the tools to excel this season if their assistant coaching can pick it up. I see them a lot better than they looked last Saturday. They’ve got a shot to get back to Atlanta but they’ll have to get through a very good Florida team, and they’ll have to go on the road to Auburn, which is as tough as it gets. Them Dawgs get it together tomorrow.

Georgia 41, Kentucky 14

No. 22 Missouri (5-1) @ Vandy (1-5)

3 PM CT

SEC Network

Dave Neal, DJ Shockley, Dawn Davenport

Mizzou by 21

I really like what Kelly Bryant is doing in Columbia. I like him and his team to keep that going in Nashville in dominating fashion. Though I agree that a tutor doing work for football players is against the rules and the program should be punished, maybe the NCAA can lighten the sentence and just take away scholarships and let this high quality team go to a bowl game.

Missouri 52, Vandy 21

Texas A&M (3-3) @ Ole Miss (3-4)

6:30 PM CT

SEC Network

Tom. JRodg, Cole

A&M by 6 1/2

I liked what I saw out of Kellen Mond last Saturday against the Crimson Tide. I see him on an upward trajectory the rest of the season as well as his team. Ole Miss is getting better, but I like the Aggies.

A&M 38, Ole Miss 28

No. 16 Michigan (5-1) @ No. 7 Penn State (6-0)

6:30 PM CT

ABC

Chris, Kirk, Maria

Penn State by 9

The Nittany Lions have a chip on their shoulders after the Wolverines blasted them last year at the Big House, 42-7. I think the Nittany Lions are going to return the favor at Happy Valley where it will be rockin tomorrow night.

Penn State 31, Michigan 21

West Virginia (3-3) @ No.5 Oklahoma (6-0)

11 AM CT

FOX

Gus, Joel, Jenny Taft

OU by 33 1/2

Neal Brown is a phenomenal young coach. So is Lincoln Riley and his team is cookin on all cylinders. Jalen and the Sooners have a big day and the Sooners defense, which is majorly improved under Alex Grinch, will play well once again after sacking Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger 9 times last Saturday.

Oklahoma 48, West Virginia 24

Tonight

No.4 Ohio State (6-0) @ Northwestern (1-4)

7:30 PM CT

Big Ten Network

Ohio State by 27

Northwestern is terrible on offense and Justin Fields and the Buckeyes are excellent.. The Ohio State defense will shut down an anemic offense.

Ohio State 58, Northwestern 7

Saturday

No.6 Wisconsin 42, Illinois 10

11 AM CT

Big Ten Network

Wisc by 31

Wisconsin is going to kill this team.

No. 12 Oregon (5-1) @ No.25 Washington (5-2)

2:30 PM CT

ABC

Sean, Todd, Holly

Oregon by 3

I’m looking forward to this game. I like the upset in Seattle. These teams play good defense.

Washington 24, Oregon 21

No. 17 Arizona State (5-1) @ No. 13 Utah (5-1)

5 PM CT

PAC-12 Network

Utes by 13 1/2

Herm Edwards and the Sun Devils have been very impressive this season. Really solid season he has going. But I like Utah at home to take care of business and matriculate further in the PAC 12 championship race.

Utah 42, Zona State 24

No. 18 Baylor (6-0) @ Oklahoma State (4-2)

3 PM CT

FOX

OK State by 4

Baylor is another team that has been super impressive this season, but I like the Pokes at home.

OK State 38, Baylor 31

No. 15 Texas 38, Kansas 24

6 PM

Longhorn Network

Texas by 21 1/2

Texas has been decimated by injuries particularly at running back and in the secondary. They have enough here and I still see them as a quality team.

Iowa State 42, Texas Tech 31

11 AM CT

Fox Sports 1

Iowa State by 7

I like this Iowa State team, at 4-2, as a high quality unit that is improving every week.

Tulane 31, Memphis 28

6 PM CT

ESPN2

Memphis by 4

I’m bullish on this Green Wave team. They’ve been beyond impressive this season at 5-1. I like them to pull off the upset in the Liberty Bowl.

Duke 31, Virginia 27

2:30 PM CT

ACC Network

UVA by 3

Give me the Blue Devils in an upset on the road. Always believe in David Cutcliffe.

Navy 45, South Florida 17

2:30 PM CT

CBS Sports Network

Navy by 15

Give me the 4-1 Midshipmen. They’re now playing like they did 3 or 4 years ago. Very good team. Quarterback Malcolm Perry is a phenomenal football player.

No. 19 SMU 38, Temple 30

2:30 PM CT

ESPN2

SMU by 7 1/2

I’m buying this new version of the Pony Express.

No. 20 Minnesota 42, Rutgers 10

2:30 PM CT

Big Ten Network

Minnesota by 28 1/2

I’m also buying what P.J. Fleck is doing in Minneapolis as the Golden Gophers are 6-0. Fleck is a heckuva coach.

No. 21 Cincinnati 42, Tulsa 21

2:30 PM CT

ESPNU

Cincy by 17

I also really like what Luke Fickell is doing with the 5-1 Bearcats.

No. 14 Boise State 38, BYU 14

9:15 PM CT

ESPN2

Boise State by 7

The Broncos could be the best of the Group of 5 teams with a New Year’s 6 Bowl in their sights though SMU and Cincy have good arguments as well. That should be an interesting competition. BYU is courageous with the schedule they have to play year in and year out, but starting quarterback Zach Wilson is injured and the backup is struggling.

USC 42, Arizona 31

8:30 PM CT

PAC-12 Network

SC by 9 1/2

I liked what I saw out of the Trojans last Saturday Night despite the 30-27 loss to Notre Dame at South Bend. They played well and freshman quarterback Kedon Slovis, redshirt freshman running back Markese Stepp and senior Michael Pittman and the receivers are studs.

No. 23 Iowa 41, Purdue 21

11 AM CT

ESPN2

Iowa by 17 1/2

Despite the setbacks back @ Michigan, 10-3, and Penn State at home last Saturday Night, 17-12, still see this Hawkeyes team as a quality outfit.

The No.1 Crimson Tide heads to College Station to square off with the No.24 A&M Aggies. Can Alabama’s defense get better, that is my question. It’ll be tested in front of a hostile crowd of 102,700+ Saturday at 2:30 PM CT on CBS. Auburn is off after what I’d have to say was a pathetic offensive performance against Florida. Bo Nix looked inept. Gus Malzahn proved once again that he fails in big games on the road.

Now the No.7 Gatuhs travel to Baton Rouge to tee it up with the No.5 Bengal Tigers. Should be a spectacle at 7 PM CT on ESPN. Another tremendously huge contest will kickoff at 11 AM on Saturday on FOX with the No.11 Texas Longhorns facing Jalen Hurts and the explosive No.6 Oklahoma Sooners.

Those are 3 of the headliners, but there are several excellent matchups throughout the country. Here’s a look at this week’s resume as teams keep trying to contend for major postseason competition.

Last week: 11-9

Overall: 102-40, 72%

No. 1 Alabama (5-0, 2-0 SEC) @ Texas A&M (3-2, 1-1)

2:30 PM CT

CBS

Brad, Gary, Jamie

Bama by 17

Alabama is struggling on defense with youth in the front 7 and a secondary that’s been kind of questionable, particularly against Ole Miss. The offense is not a struggle. But I expect this to be a closer game than maybe some anticipate. Kellen Mond and the Aggies just snuck by Arkansas in Jerryville 2 weeks ago 31-27, but Mond and his offense are dangerous. A&M plays pretty decent defense. I like a closer game.

Alabama 42, A&M 34

No.7 Florida (6-0) @ LSU (5-0)

7 PM CT

ESPN

Chris, Kirk, Maria, Tom Rinaldi

LSU by 13 1/2

Florida played some awesome defense against the dysfunctional Auburn offense last Saturday, but they were sloppy on offense as well. I like Joe and the LSU offense to do a lot better and for an improving Tiguhs defense to secure the victory.

LSU 28, Florida 14

No.6 Oklahoma (5-0) vs No.11 Texas (4-1)

11 AM CT

FOX

Gus, Joel, Jenny

OU by by 10 1/2

I like Jalen Hurts and the Sooners to keep solidifying their chances to make a deep postseason run.

Oklahoma 45, Texas 34

South Carolina (2-3) @ No.3 Georgia (5-0)

11 AM CT

ESPN

Bob Wiscchusen, Dan Orlovsky, Allison Williams

Georgia by 24

If the Dawgs keep improving on offense, it’ll be quite a season. A lot of work left for Georgia, but this should be a game they cruise in.

Georgia 42, South Carolina 14

Florida State (3-2) @ No.2 Clemson (5-0)

2:30 PM CT

ABC

Steve Levy, Grease, McShay, Molly McGrath

Clemson by 27

Trevor Lawrence has already thrown 5 interceptions this season. You worry about complacency after a national title season. I see Clemson winning, their defense is very good, but I like Florida State to make it interesting for a little while.

Clemson 45, FSU 27

Ole Miss (3-3) @ Missouri (4-1)

6 PM CT

ESPN2

Jason Benetti, Rod Gilmore, Quint Kessenich

Mizzou by 12

I like Mizzou and quarterback Kelly Bryant, who is having a terrific season so far, to take care of business at home though Ole Miss has improved.

Missouri 38, Ole Miss 24

Mississippi State (3-2) @ Tennessee (1-4)

11 AM CT

SEC Network

Taylor Zarzour, Stinch, Alyssa Lang

State by 7

I’m going to take the Vols in an upset. I saw some improvement last Saturday against Georgia with freshman quarterback Brian Maurer.

Tennessee 31, Ms. State 28

Arkansas (2-3) @ Kentucky (2-3)

6:30 PM CT

SEC Network

Tom, JRodg, Cole

Kentucky by 6 1/2

Arkansas showed a lot of improvement 2 Saturdays ago on a 31-27 loss to A&M. I’ll take the upset here too.

Arkansas 24, Kentucky 20

Vanderbilt 21, UNLV 20

3 PM CT

SEC Network

Vandy by 14 1/2

No. 10 Penn State (5-0, 2-0 Big Ten) @ No. 17 Iowa (4-1, 1-1)

6:30 PM CT

ABC

Sean, Todd, Holly

Penn State by 3 1/2

I like Penn State to keep their high postseason hopes alive in Iowa City.

Penn State 24, Iowa State 20

Michigan State (4-2) @ No.8 Wisconsin (5-0)

2:30 PM CT

Big Ten Network

Wisconsin by 10 1/2

Wisconsin is a good team, but their quarterback play is far below that of Alabama, Clemson, Oklahoma, LSU and Ohio State. Notre Dame for that matter. That keeps them from making the playoff.

Wisconsin 28, Michigan State 13

No.9 Notre Dame 41, USC 24

6:30 PM CT

NBC

Tirico, Flutie, Chris Simms, Kathryn Tappen

Notre Dame by 10 1/2

Like the Irish to keep their playoff hopes alive.

Friday

No. 20 Virginia 28, Miami 27

7 PM CT

ESPN

Dave Flemming, Louis Riddick, Paul Carvaterra

Miami by 2 1/2

I like the Cavaliers to pull off the slight upset in Hard Rock Stadium.

Oregon 42, Colorado 31

9 PM CT

Fox Sports 1

Joe Davis, Brock Huard, Bruce Feldman

Oregon by 21

I like Mel Tucker and the Buffs to keep it close for a good while before Oregon pulls away some at the end.

Saturday

No. 16 Michigan 34, Illinois 20

11 AM CT

ABC

Dave, Gregory, Lugues

Michigan by 23

Still not a big believer in Jim and Michigan after their ugly 10-3 victory last Saturday over Iowa at home.

Baylor 42, Texas Tech 38

3 PM CT

Fox Sports 1

Baylor by 11

I’m looking at a close game here. The Red Raiders upset Oklahoma State convincingly at home last Saturday and gained a lot of momentum.

No. 15 Utah 35, Oregon State 20

7 PM CT

PAC 12 Network

Utah by 14

No. 14 Boise State 45, Hawaii 38

9:15 PM CT

ESPN2

Boise State by 12 1/2

No. 19 Wake Forest 38, Louisville 35

6:30 PM CT

ACC Network

Wake by 6 1/2

Washington State 37, No. 18 Arizona State 35

2:30 PM CT

PAC 12 Network

Zona State by 1

Like the Cougars to pull off a slight upset in the desert.

No. 23 Memphis 34, Temple 28

11 AM CT

ESPN2

Memphis by 5 1/2

Like Mike Norvell and his Tigers to move to 6-0 with a close victory on the road against a 4-1 Temple team.

No. 25 Cincinnati 34, Houston 31

2:30 PM CT

ESPN2

Cincy by 7 1/2

I like the Cougars to keep it close. The Bearcats are coming off a major upset victory over Central Florida.

Navy 34, Tulsa 33

6:30 PM CT

ESPNU

Pick’em

Like the Midshipmen to build off their momentum from their last minute victory over Air Force last Saturday.

Iowa State 41, West Virginia 30

3 PM CT

ESPN

Iowa State by 10

Like the Cyclones, fresh off a shellacking of TCU, to take care of business on the road.

Arizona 30, Washington 28

10 PM CT

Fox Sports 1

Timmy B, Spencer, Cole Harvey

Washington by 6 1/2

Like the Wildcats to pull off the upset at home.

Duke 48, Georgia Tech 30

11:30 AM

ACC Network

Duke by 17 1/2

The No.7 Auburn Tigers and the No. 10 Florida Gators square off in the Swamp in a gigantic SEC contest Saturday that will have major implications on SEC title hopes and playoff possibilities for both teams. It’s not necessarily an elimination game because both squads will have several more major games ahead of them to keep improving their respective resumes, but there is no doubt that this is a massive contest. Can Bo Nix and Auburn come out on top in Gainesville. We’ll find out Saturday with a 2:30 PM CT kickoff on CBS.

The now No.1 Crimson Tide has a week off to prepare to go to College Station and face No.25 Texas A&M next Saturday at 2:30 PM CT on CBS. The Crimson Tide is playing off the charts great on offense with Tua now completing 113 of 148 passes, 76%, for 1,718 yards with 23 TDs and 0 ints. That’s beyond spectacular. Tua certainly has his name at the top of the list for the Heisman. Jalen Hurts is also playing magnificent football at Oklahoma completing 66 of 85 tosses, 77%, for 1,295 yards, 12 TDs and 1 int. Justin Fields is doing the same at Ohio State completing 81 of 116 passes, 70%, for 1,092 yards 16 TDs and 0 ints. Joe Burrow has been phenomenal at LSU completing 100 of 124 passes, 80.6%, for 1,530 yards, 17 TDs and 0 ints. It’s very relevant that all of these quarterback’s teams are major playoff contenders along with Auburn, Georgia, though they’ve got to do better on offense, Clemson, and I would put Penn State in that conversation. They’ve got quite a ways to go before they’re at Ohio State on Nov. 23rd, but that could very well be a blockbuster with major national implications on the line. Wisconsin may not have good enough quarterback play to be a serious contender though if they keep gettin ‘er done, they’ll play at Ohio State on Saturday, Oct. 26th with a make or break contest for their playoff chances. They’ve got a somewhat of a shot. I don’t see them as a playoff team though, but for sure as a New Year’s 6 team.

Back to the Crimson Tide. DeVonta Smith, have yourself a day. 11 receptions for 274 yards and 5 TDs in a 59-31 victory over Ole Miss last Saturday. That’s a good season for some players. This receiving corps are phenoms. It’s just a new guy every week stepping up. It may be Jaylen Waddle’s turn next Saturday at College Station. The defense is a concern as they gave up 109 rushing yards to Ole Miss freshman quarterback John Rhys Plumlee along with 2 TD passes to Plumlee. But Plumlee is a player. The youth is still growing in the front 7. Anfernee Jennings, Terrell Lewis and Raekwon Davis need to step it up and mentor these young guys into more confident, hard nosed players. The secondary is experienced and highly talented with Trevon Diggs and Patrick Surtain III at corners along with Xavier McKinney and Shyheim Carter at safeties. They need to step it up some too. The defense has potential to be pretty good if these older guys can get the younger guys playing like a Crimson Tide defense is accustomed to playing. They’ll be tested again next Saturday in College Station, so it’ll be very interesting to see how they perform. They need to keep developing to become a stellar unit that can help this team win a championship.

Clemson had a major scare last Saturday at Chapel Hill, barely surviving a valiant effort by the North Carolina Tar Heels, 21-20. Mack Brown went for 2 after a TD cut the lead to 21-20 with 40 seconds left in the game. It didn’t work. I’ve thought about that decision a lot last Saturday and through the week. I liked the decision to go for 2 after more thought on it. It does give your team only 1 play to win or lose the game, but Brown’s thinking that Clemson had a major talent advantage and to go for 2 after having just gotten major momentum from the touchdown was solid. But I didn’t like the play call. UNC ran a quarterback option to the short side of the field and Clemson was all over it. The quarterback had nowhere to run and the running back was swallowed up behind him. I would have liked to have seen a quarterback roll out pass, or a tight end or wide receiver slant over the middle. It was a tremendous effort by the Tar Heels, and they almost pulled off what would have been a monumental upset. But Clemson survived like they seem to do once every year. So even if the Tigers dropped behind the Crimson Tide to No.2, their championship aspirations are still in front of them. Trevor Lawrence has thrown 5 interceptions, so that’s a concern for Dabo and the Tigers coaching staff. But the talent is there to go deep this season as is the case with Clemson every year now. They’re off this Saturday.

Here’s a look at a solid slate in college football this Saturday.

Last week, 17-5

Overall: 91-31, 75%

No. 7 Auburn @ No.10 Florida

2:30 PM CT

CBS

Brad, Gary Jamie

Auburn by 2 1/2

Bo Nix was 16 of 21 for 335 yards, 2 TDs and 0 interceptions in a 56-23 walloping of Mississippi State. Auburn just proved last Saturday that they’re here to stay in 2019. Nix is 72 of 125, 58%, for 980 yards, 7 TDs against 2 ints. He’s progressed from more of a game manager the first 3 games of the season into a playmaker now. If he can play this way with the players around him and that defense, Auburn can have a phenomenal season. Kyle Trask filled in well for the injured Feliepe Franks at quarterback against Kentucky 2 Saturdays ago and against Towson last Saturday. He completed his first 15 passes against Towson, which is relative, and finished 18 of 20 for 188 yards, 2 TDs and 0 ints. But I like Bo and his skilled players, Marlon Davidson, Derrick Brown, and a surprisingly stellar group of linebackers led by K.J. Britt to ruin Florida’s homecoming. Auburn’s mad about this being Florida’s homecoming game. I like the Tigers.

Auburn 27, Florida 20

No.3 Georgia @ Tennessee

6 PM CT

ESPN

Sean, Todd, Holly

Georgia by 24 1/2

I’d like to see Jake Fromm and the offense get better tomorrow night in Knoxville before I really believe in this team. Tennessee is hopeless so it should.

Georgia 45, Tennessee 17

Utah State @ No.5 LSU

11 AM CT

SEC Network

Dave Neal, D.J. Shockley, Dawn Davenport

LSU by 27 1/2

The Bengal Tigers will light up the scoreboard once again. They need to play better defense if they want to make the playoff. Vanderbilt scored 38 on them 2 weeks ago.

LSU 55, Utah State 14

Vanderbilt @ Ole Miss

6:30 PM CT

SEC Network

Tom, JRodg, Cole

Ole MIss by 7

Ole Miss looked like they found themselves a really good quarterback last Saturday in John Rhys Plumlee. But, typically with this Ole Miss head coach Matt Luke, the Rebels are going with 2 quarterbacks this Saturday with Matt Corrall coming back from injury. Plumlee looks like he could give the Rebels a chance in bigger games after his performance against the Crimson Tide, but Luke is messing that up as usual. But Ole Miss will take care of business against a hapless team with a hapless coach in Derek Mason.

Ole Miss 35, Vanderbilt 24

Michigan State @ No.4 Ohio State

6:30 PM CT

ABC

Chris, Kirk, Maria

Ohio State by 20

This has been a really close series in the last several years, but I don’t see it that way this year. Ohio State and Justin Fields and a now strong Buckeyes defense are too much for the Spartans.

Ohio State 45, Michigan State 20

No.6 Oklahoma @Kansas

11 AM CT

ABC

Dave, Gregory, Lugues

OU by 32

I like Jalen and the Sooners to lower the Boom on Les and Kansas. The Sooners are playing some serious defense now under first year defensive coordinator Alex Grinch. That makes them doubly dangerous.

Oklahoma 52, Kansas 17

Troy at Missouri

3 PM CT

SEC Network

Taylor Zarzour, Stinch, Alyssa Lang

Mizzou by 24 1/2

I like Kelly Bryant and the Mizzou offense to do well, but I see Troy scoring points on their defense.

Missouri 48, Troy 31

No. 11 Texas @ West Virginia

2:30 PM CT

ABC

Steve Levy, Grease, McShay

Texas by 10 1/2

I like the Mountaineers and first year coach Neal Brown, who was a phenom at Troy, to keep this close with Texas surviving in Morgantown.

Texas 38, West Virginia 34

Bowling Green @ No. 10 Notre Dame

2:30 PM CT

NBC

Tirico, Flutie, Kathryn Tappen

Notre Dame by 45 1/2

This is quite a spread, but after watching the Irish take Georgia down to the wire between the Hedges and powering over a pretty good UVA team last Saturday in the second half, I’m a buyer of a more physical, tougher and always skilled Fighting Irish squad.

Notre Dame 55, Bowling Green 7

Kent State @ No.8 Wisconsin

11 AM CT

ESPNU

Clay Matvick, Ryan Leaf

Wisconsin by 35

Wisconsin is a good team with a great running back in Jonathan Taylor, but they’re not a championship team.

Wisconsin 42, Kent State 14

No. 14 Iowa @ No. 19 Michigan

11 AM CT

FOX

Gus, Joel, Jenny

Michigan by 3 1/2

I like a very solid Hawkeyes team to go into the Big House and pull off the upset. Michigan is a farce.

Iowa 27, Michigan 24

Penn State 56, Purdue 17

11 AM CT

ESPN

Penn State by 28 1/2

The Nittany Lions have been blasting opponents lately including a 59-0 blasting of Maryland last Friday Night on the road. I like them to keep it up.

No. 15 Washington 35, Stanford 17

9:30 PM CT

ESPN

Washington by 16 1/2

I like the Huskies to go to Palo Alton and handle another hapless team with hapless coach, David Shaw. The PAC 12 North is very interesting with Oregon and Washington battling it out. They’ll play a blockbuster game in Seattle on Saturday, Oct. 19th.

Oregon 38, Cal 10

7 PM CT

FOX

Ducks by 18

The Ducks are explosive on offense and their defense has really picked it up this year. Cal is in bad shape with starting quarterback Chase Garbers done for a good while with an arm injury he sustained in the Golden Bears 24-17 loss to Arizona State last Friday Night.

No. 21 Oklahoma State 42, Texas Tech 28

11 AM CT

Fox Sports 1

OK State by 10

Like Mike Gundy and his excellent Cowboys squad to have a good day in Lubbock.

Kansas State 31, Baylor 28

2:30 PM CT

ESPN2

K State by 1 1/2

Like the Wildcats to bounce back from a road loss to OK State last Saturday Night.

Air Force 35, Navy 28

2:30 PM CT

CBS Sports Network

Air Force by 3 1/2

Like the Academy to take care of business over the Midshipmen in Annapolis.

Army 31, Tulane 27

11 AM CT

CBS Sports Network

Tulane by 2 1/2

Like Jeff Monken and his awesome Cadets to upset the Green Wave at West Point.

Colorado 38, Arizona 30

3:30 PM CT

PAC-12 Network

Colorado by 4

Really like what Mel Tucker is doing in Boulder. The former NFL defensive coordinator, Alabama secondary coach and Georgia defensive coordinator has really paid his dues to become a head coach at 47 years old. He has his Buffs at 3-1 overall and 1-0 in the PAC 12 South. He and his Buffs get the job done at home.

Northwestern 28, Nebraska 27

3 PM CT

FOX

Nebraska by 7 1/2

Neither one of these teams is too swift though the Wildcats showed some improvement last week at Wisconsin, losing only 24-15. Nebraska got wasted by Ohio State at home last Saturday Night. I’ll take Northwestern in an upset.

The Bucket List

John Mayer’s 2007 classic for this phenomenal movie featuring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman as 2 men who become friends and are in the same health predicament with not much time left. They make the most of it.

The Major League Baseball playoffs begin tonight and tomorrow night with the National League Wild Card game tonight and the American League game tomorrow night. The Houston Astros with a record of 107-55 have the home field throughout the postseason provided they advance all the way. The LA Dodgers finished 106-56, the Yankees were 103-59, and the Twins finished 101-61. The Braves and the A’s completed their seasons at 97-65, the Rays were 96-66, the Nationals finished 93-69, the Cards were 91-71 and the Brewers finished 89-73.

The winners of the NL (Milwaukee @ Washington) and AL (Tampa Bay @ Oakland) wild card games will head to Los Angeles and Houston respectively, while the Braves will host the Cardinals and the Yankees will entertain the Twins.

The World Series commences on Tuesday, October 22nd, and will continue with game 7 on Wednesday, October 30th. FOX will televise the Fall Classic. TBS will televise tonight’s Brewers @ Nationals game while ESPN will televise the Rays @ the A’s tomorrow night. TBS will televise the National League Division Series (NLDS) and the National League Championship Series (NLCS) while Fox Sports 1 will handle the ALDS and the ALCS. Joe Buck, John Smoltz, Ken Rosenthal and Tom Verducci will handle the World Series with Joe on the call, Smoltzie with the color commentary and Rosenthal and Verducci doing on field reporting. A-Rod, Frank Thomas, the Big Hurt, and a host of others will handle the pre-game and the postgame commentary for FOX during the World Series.

Here’s a look at this year’s playoffs and who I like to win each round and which team will win it all late this month.

NL Wild Card Game

Milwaukee Brewers (89-73) @ Washington Nationals (93-69)

Starters

Brewers, left hander Brandon Woodruff, 11-3, 3.62 ERA, 121 innings pitched 30 walks, 143 strikeouts, 3.62 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, walks plus hits per inning, great stat. Pitchers at 1.15 to 1.05 are excellent, pitchers under that number are superb. Woodruff is 1-1 in the postseason with a 2.19 ERA in 4 games and 12 innings.

He’ll face Nationals right hander, the great Max Scherzer, who is 11-7, with a 2.92 ERA 33 walks and 243 K’s, and a 1.02 WHIP. In 16 career postseason starts, Scherzer is 4-5 with a 3.73 ERA with 100 K’s in 82 innings and a 1.11 WHIP. Scherzer is a bulldog and this is a super matchup as Woodruff is stellar as well.

7:08 PM CT

TBS

I like Scherzer to perform in the clutch tonight and the great 3rd baseman for the Nats, Anthony Rendon (34 homers, 126 RBIs and a 6.3 WAR, more on that in a second) to lead the Nats over the Brewers.

Nationals 4, Brewers 3

WAR is the measurement that stands for Wins Above Replacement. Rendon’s WAR of 6.3 means that the Nationals win 6 more games with Rendon in the lineup than with a substitute who would take his place. It’s an awesome stat. Cody Bellinger of the Dodgers, the likely NL MVP, leads the majors with a 9.0 WAR. Astros third baseman Alex Bregman, the likely AL MVP, is 2nd at 8.4, followed by the Angels Mike Trout (8.3), the A’s great shortstop Marcus Semien (8.1) , and Justin Verlander, the likely AL Cy Young winner, though it’s not really likely, it’s a slam dunk, is tied for 5th with the Rangers Mike MInor. Awesome stat, tells a lot about a player and these guys are all on playoff teams except Trout and MInor. Trout got hurt in late August and never came back, but had a heckuva season hitting .291 with 45 homers and 104 RBIs and a 1.083 OPS (on base plus slugging percentage, another excellent stat. Anything over .900 is excelling. over 1.000 for 5 years or so is Hall of Fame stuff).

AL Wild Card Game

Tampa Bay Rays (96-66) @ Oakland A’s (97-65)

Starters: The Rays will start right hander Charlie Morton who had an outstanding season finishing 16-6, with a 3.05 ERA, with 57 walks against 240 K’s in 194 innings and a 1.084 WHIP. In 7 playoff starts, Morton is 2-2 with a 4.62 ERA, 31 K’s in 31 innings and a 1.21 WHIP.

He’ll face A’s left hander Sean Manaea, who came in late in the season from injury and went 4-0 with a 1.21 ERA with 7 walks and 30 K’s in 29.2 innings. His WHIP was an astonishing 0.775. Manaea has not pitched in the postseason.

Wednesday, 7:09 PM CT

ESPN

I like the Rays to go into Oakland and pull off the upset. The Rays timely hitting led by right fielder Austin Meadows, who hit .289 this season with 33 homers and 89 Ribeyes and a .922 OPS, and was named player of the month in September in the American League , along with the experienced Morton and a stellar bullpen, get it done in Oakland.

Tampa Bay 5, Oakland 3

NLDS

starts Thursday in Los Angeles and continues Friday in Atlanta

Dodgers over the Nationals in 4

I like the Dodgers to advance against a good starting pitching staff, but a pretty weak bullpen.

Braves over Cardinals in 5

I look for a very competitive series here, but for Freddie Freeman and Ronald Acuna to carry the Braves over the top.

ALDS

Starts Friday in Houston and continues Saturday in New York.

Astros over Rays in 4

While I love some Rays, they get it done with the lowest payroll in the majors, it’s an amazing story, it’s too much to ask going against Justin Verlander (21-6, 2.58 ERA, 0.803 WHIP, 42 walks and 300 K’s and a 7.8 WAR) Gerrit Cole (20-5, 2.50 ERA, 48 walks, 326 K’s, 0.895 WHIP, 6.8 WAR, will finish second to Verlander in the Cy Young) and Zack Grienke.

Yankees over Twins in 5

Both these teams hit a ton of home runs with the Twins hitting over 300 this season and Yankees right at that mark. I like a highly competitive series with the Bomahs prevailing at Yankee Stadium in game 5.

NLCS

Dodgers over Braves in 7

The Braves have had a phenomenal season and they’ve got a shot here, but I like the Dodgers to squeak it out.

ALCS

Astros over the Yankees in 6

Bregman hit .296 this season, with 41 homers and 112 Ribeyes and an 8.4 WAR. He and Mike Trout were neck and neck for the MVP until Trout got hurt in August. This guy is a phenom. Combine that with Verlander, Cole and the pitching staff, and a ton of hitting with Jose Altuve and company, and this winning machine will head into the Fall Classic on full throttle.

World Series

Dodgers vs. Astros

In the preseason, I picked the Dodgers over the Astros in 7. It’s hard to pick against the Astros with that starting staff and that tremendous hitting lineup, but the Dodgers are very strong as well, and I like Cody Bellinger (.305, 47, 115, 1.035 On Base plus slugging percentage, OPS) and a strong starting pitching staff led by Clayton Kershaw and Walker Buehler to prevail in a phenomenal Fall Classic.

Dodgers over Astros in 7

World Series MVP

Walker Buehler