The best thing about the College Football Playoff is that it finally has coaxed all BcS teams to schedule up. I'm sure every one of those teams now regularly schedules at least one non-conference Game against a fellow BcS squad, and that results in a smorgasbord of matchups you haven't seen in a long time, if ever. That happens for the U. next Week as they travel to Chapel Hill and play North Carolina. I remember that the Gophs were scheduled to play the Tar Heels some time ago, but Minnesota paid UNC to get out of the arrangement. I want to say it was under Jerry Kill, but it could have happened in Fleck's first Year. At any rate, this Game is going down, and I approve more of these.
#-2: Twins (Last Week: -4). A 4-2 screening Week; the only two Losses were the two getaway Games vs. Texas and Cleveland. Winning the series at the Guardians mid-Week matters a lot. That helps the Twins stretch their lead in the A. L. Central over Cleveland to seven Games. Their Magic Number is in the low teens.
This Week they finish up their home series with the New York Mets, then host Tampa for three starting tomorrow/Monday, then travel to Comiskey for a four-Game set beginning Thursday.
#-3: Gopher soccer (Last Week: -3). Crushed St. Thomas at Robbie Stadium 5-0 Sunday; Senior Midfielder and Edina native Sophia Boman scored a natural Hat Truck (three Goals in a row). They then went to Omaha and fought Creighton to a scoreless Draw Friday.
That is it for non-conference play. The side is off until Friday, where they begin Big Ten action at Michigan.
#-4: United FC (Last Week: -2). Don't know if you can call this escape great, but if I were at Allianz Field last/Saturday night and saw this (I wasn't because I was watching my alma mater's football tilt on TV), I would've started singing "Wonderwall" because this Goal would've felt like a Game-winning one:
I caught some of the contest on the radio on my way to my Game-watching college football event, and it felt as though once New England scored (in the 38th Minute), they sought to park the bus and win the Match, 1-0. They almost did. But that Corner Kick coming at the death, which coaxed Dayne St. Clair into the opposing box because what is he defending, somehow fell at St. Clair's feet, and he rifled it to Franco Fragapane who crossed a worm-burner that salvaged a 1-all Tie and a Point. Gotta say: I think there were loftier expectations for Fragapane, but otherwise he has been a steady presence who has done what he has been asked to do ever since he was placed on the bench to start Matches.
(This Match, however, probably has been overshadowed by news coming from the Revolution afterward. Legendary Head Coach Bruce Arena announced he was resigning as leader of the Revs amid an investigation by Major League Soccer into him saying things that were insensitive. Interesting way to go out.)
As of press time, the Loons remain in seventh. Next up is a home date versus Kansas City Saturday.
#-5: Lynx (Last Week: -5). Beat Phoenix, who probably will end up with The Worst Record In The WNBA, by 13 last Sunday, but Friday's 92-87 defeat at Chicago -- which sewed up the final playoff spot for the Sky -- also sewed up fifth place for the Lynx, and so their First Round series, a best-of-three, will be against The Bastard Detroit Shock where they will not have home-court advantage. All in all, I didn't think they would finish fifth, but as I have said many, many times, if there was ever a year to tank, this was it. In fact, there is a possibility that the Lynx will have a Draft pick just outside the huge crop of elite players that may turn pro next Year. It's a bad omen that has plagued the Timberwolves in their lifetimes, having the "n"th pick in an "n-1"-man Draft.
They finish at Indiana (who is also eliminated from postseason play but has markedly improved from having The Worst Record In The League last Year) this/Sunday afternoon. The series begins mid-Week.
#-6: Gopher volleyball (Last Week: -6). In as busy a Week as any volleyball club could have, the U. sandwiched a gritty five-Set Win over Oregon in their first Match in their part of the Big Ten/Pac-12 Challenge (held in Palo Alto, Calif.) between a sweep at Florida Sunday and a four-Set Loss to host Stanford last/Saturday night. I could say I am disappointed (even though this squad, to its credit, has so far played a very challenging schedule), but I have to remember Minnesota has a new Head Coach, so by my rule I have to give this squad a mulligan on the season. I also then remembered that I have somewhat given up on the program already, so who cares.
They finish up the non-conference portion of their schedule next weekend with their annual Diet Coke Classic, once again slimmed down to just three teams. They play High Point (High Point? What a comedown for this tournament's glorious past) Thursday and currently 16th-ranked Creighton Saturday. I hope to attend the middle Game of the tourney, the one between the Panthers and the Bluejays, Friday evening.
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