Football
Wednesday, Oct. 2, was the final day until Thanksgiving that no college or professional football game was played. The college football season has been bonkers, with multiple marquee matchups that have taken the nation by storm. The country was captivated by an incredible week five showdown between the No. 2 Georgia Bulldogs and the No. 4 Alabama Crimson Tide.
Despite leading by 30 points early in the second quarter, Alabama tried their hardest to blow the game and give Georgia a comeback win. The Bulldogs pulled close and took the lead in the fourth quarter for 15 seconds before Alabama retook the lead. Final score: Alabama 41, Georgia 34. Also, University of Texas quarterback Arch Manning has played like he’s been possessed by the spirit of his uncles Peyton and Eli over the last three weeks after filling in for the injured Quinn Ewers.
In the NFL, chaos reigns. Sam Darnold, a rejected quarterback who failed with the New York Jets and Carolina Panthers, is somehow, despite all logic, rhyme and reason, undefeated with the Minnesota Vikings. Former Chicago Bear Justin Fields is 3-1 with the Pittsburgh Steelers and has played better than Patrick Mahomes. Speaking of Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs, things haven’t been perfect. Injuries have plagued the team and tight end Travis Kelce seems more interested in his role as Taylor Swift’s boyfriend than the leading pass-catcher for the defending Super Bowl champs. Despite the issues, the team so far has a perfect 4-0 record. Of course, this will all blow up in my face. Knowing luck of the NFL fanbase, the Chiefs will be the second team in NFL history to have a perfect season because the Chiefs hate giving anyone hope.
Baseball
The Oakland Athletics (A’s) finished their final year in their traditional home, with the team set to move to Sacramento for three seasons before moving to Las Vegas, NV. in 2028. The A’s won their final home game in the Oakland Coliseum against the Texas Rangers, 3-2. Despite a sold-out and angry crowd, the game saw minimal fan interference until the ninth inning. It’s a horrible end to a historic run in Oakland. At least they’re not the Chicago White Sox, who lost an MLB-record 121 games.
The MLB postseason has begun and there’s already been beautiful chaos. The Baltimore Orioles, one of the upstart favorites over the last few seasons, suffered a shocking defeat to the Kansas City Royals in the Wild Card round resulting in an early elimination.
It marks the second straight year that Baltimore failed to win a single playoff game, but they weren’t the only ones. After seven consecutive years of making the American League Championship Series, the Houston Astros were eliminated from the playoffs after getting swept by the Detroit Tigers. I’ve made my opinion of the Astros incredibly clear over the last few years, so this is a beautiful event, even if it wasn’t the Texas Rangers that eliminated them. This sets up the most unlikely American League Divisional series you could make, with the Cleveland Guardians facing the Tigers while the evil empire — the New York Yankees — face the Kansas City Royals.
Soccer
The English Premier League has begun, with some notable early-season leaders being Liverpool, Man City and Arsenal, all of whom have over four wins to open the year. It’s still early in the season though with only six matches played, so anything can happen.
Motorsports
The Formula One (F1) season is in full swing, with a close finish in the final points standings looking more and more likely with every passing race. After starting the season dominating this year, Red Bull has fallen off a cliff. McLaren have taken their place as the dominant team. Still, the poor starts of star driver Lando Norris — along with the internal civil war that’s being waged between him and young driver Oscar Piastri — could signal trouble as the season nears the crunch races. F1 will take a short break, with their next race being on Oct. 20 in Austin, Texas, at the Circuit of the Americas. If you’re interested in going if you don’t mind the damage to your wallet, be warned: construction on Interstate 35 is constant, and the (currently) No. 2 -ranked University of Texas faces off against the No. 5-ranked Georgia on Oct. 19 in Austin. If you do go, expect traffic to be a nightmare.
In NASCAR, the “Playoffs” are powering along with the round of 12 at the midway point. The annual race at Talledega will aim to provide its usual spectacle, but the playoffs have been relatively dull up to this point. Expect speeds topping 200 miles per hour on the longest track on the calendar, where aerodynamic drafting will create conditions ripe for an eventful race.
