Depending on the level of your fandom for a specific team, and whether or not you’re a pint of Spotted Cow half-full or half-empty type of person, you could be literally anywhere on the always emotional scale of watching sports right now. Regardless, this is one of the best times of year to be glued to your TV, and you can finally do so in your favorite hoodie with the summer temps finally making way for that cool, crisp, fall weather.
The UW-Oshkosh football team has had a strong start to their season. They’re currently ranked #14 in the nation at 3-1 with two of those wins against ranked opponents, including their opener on the road against Linfield University. Their only loss was at the hands of the #1 Ranked squad from North Central College (also away from home). Now, they head a few hours west to Menomonie to take on a strong UW-Stout squad on Saturday that has equaled their 3-1 record and is coming off back-to-back blow-out victories. I can only imagine how much the Titans are itching for this one, buoyed by revenge for last year’s shootout loss to the Blue Devils on a field goal as time expired.
After a bye week, the Packers are hosts at 3:25 PM on Sunday to the Cincinnati Bengals, losers of three straight, who recently completed a trade to bring in 75-year veteran Joe Flacco and have chosen to start him immediately. The Bengals’ struggling defense is currently giving up the third most yards and third most points per game across the entire NFL, while their offense is putting up the least amount of yards and 29th most points. This should be a get-right game for the Pack after the tie to the Cowboys and shock loss to the Browns a few weeks ago, but that loss came at the hands of…a Joe Flacco-led Cleveland offense. Revenge will be top of mind, as well as getting back to playing a clean football game and forcing turnovers for a change.
Luke Fickell’s seat is getting hotter, and while I mentioned previously that he’s still likely safe (for now) based on Wisconsin’s coaching history, the Badgers followed up an expected but painful blowout loss to Alabama with a terrible home loss to Maryland (which is way more impactful to the future of Fickell than not winning in Tuscaloosa). Now, they welcome 3-2 Iowa to Madison for a 6:00 PM showdown tomorrow, with the Hawkeyes’ only losses coming at the hands of two ranked opponents (Iowa State and Indiana) by a combined eight points. I obviously can’t predict the future, but with matchups against Ohio State and Oregon following this weekend, this might be do or die for Fickell.
As if that’s not enough, the main event is tomorrow at 7:08 PM, as the Brewers host the Cubs in the last of their five-game division series, with the winner taking on the annoyingly-there-again Dodgers in the next round, while the loser heads south to play golf earlier than they wanted. The Cubs took the season series 7-6, and while the Brewers fought their way to the best record in baseball, Chicago kept pace for most of the year. Now, the teams will battle one more time in Milwaukee, in a series where the home team has won each game. Division rivals, trip to the NLCS on the line, traveling back up north on I-94 less than 90 miles – find your favorite spot on the couch, get your drinks and snacks ready, time your bathroom breaks, and if you have a pacemaker, maybe watch an episode of the Great British Baking Show instead.
