This Weekend's 3 You Gotta See

1) College Football - #8 Alabama @ #3 Georgia, Saturday, 7:45 – ESPN: Two big time heavyweights representing the SEC West and SEC East will square off between the hedges under the moonlight in Athens, GA. The blacked-out Bulldogs may have the best two NFL prospects in QB Matthew Stafford and RB Knowshon Moreno and the home crowd – buuut – Alabama will have the superior coach on their sidelines. This is the sort of game Nick Saban always has his team playing at a very very high level. Is the rise of the Tide upon us a year early or will this really be the first of many big notches on Georgia’s belt on their way to the title?

2) The Chase for October Baseball: It strikes me as truly unbelievable that every year after 159 games playoffs spots are always still up for grabs. This year I guarantee the baseball season will go beyond 162 before the 8 playoff teams are decided. So far fans in Anaheim, Tampa Bay, Boston, Los Angeles, and the North Side of Chicago can relax, take a deep breathe and watch their teams rest and set rotation this weekend. However, 3 spots are still up for grabs and 5 teams still alive – even if you’re not a fan of the Phillies, Mets, Brewers, Twins or White Sox, this weekend’s games will be overwhelmingly dramatic.

3) NFL – Baltimore @ Pittsburgh, Monday, 8:30 – ESPN: This is the most intriguing game to me this weekend in the National Football League. The “I’m Wacko for” Joe Flacco led Ravens have been the biggest surprise to me so far this season. Can you believe if Baltimore can go to Pittsburgh and get a W, they will be 3-0 in division before October 1st? I’m also very interested to see how the Steelers play without their starting tailback Willie Parker and their best run stuffer DT Casey Hampton. Which is the real Black and Gold team, the one who manhandled their opponents in Weeks 1 and 2 or the one who was physically dominated in the trenches by the Eagles in the Keystone State showdown last Sunday?

Under the Radar Bonus Pick
College Football – Maryland @ #20 Clemson, Saturday, 12Noon – ABC: Both these squads are 3-1 and have generally flown under the eye of the national audience the last few weeks. Clemson was blown-out in their hyped opening weekend matchup with Alabama and has quietly won their last 3 games. While Maryland went to Middle Tennessee State and caught a big L, but bounced back with decisive home wins over a then ranked Cal team and Eastern Michigan. These teams tend to have a flare for the dramatic when they get together, especially in Death Valley. Call it a hunch, but I think this one could be a very very good game in the ACC’s Atlantic Division and the winner will be right there with Wake Forest to vie for the division title.