A Grip on Sports: Will there be joy in Mudville, aka Seattle, tonight? Or will the Tigers and Tarik Skubal rain on the M’s parade?

A GRIP ON SPORTS • There is more than one contest to watch on TV this weekend. But there really isn’t. The M’s. The Tigers. Winner moves on to the American League championship. The loser bemoans a meltdown. Tonight at 5:08. On Fox.

•••••••

• What, you thought I was going to call your attention to Cornell playing Harvard in football at 4 p.m. on ESPNU? OK, I understand how I might have done that. On a normal October weekend. But when the Mariners are playing in baseball’s postseason, nothing is normal.

Even the weather is a bit strange. A lot of rain is expected in Spokane over the weekend, allowing for a convenient excuse for staying indoors and watching the Cougars face one of the nation’s best teams (9:45 a.m., SEC Network). Or the Seahawks’ in the land of the Waffle House, facing the Jaguars in Jacksonville early Sunday morning (10, Fox).

There is no excuse needed tonight, though. The stakes are that high.

More than 47,000 folks will be sardined into T-Mobile. Detroit will send 2024 (and probably 2025) A.L. Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal to the mound. The M’s will counter with George Kirby. And just about everyone else.

One run might be enough. Or two, with the last one scoring on a fluke, as happened last night in Los Angeles. No matter. Whomever wins has to hop on a plane, clear customs and be ready to play Sunday in Toronto.

Before then, however, there is way too much for our eyeballs to digest.

There is even an alternative available for tonight’s baseball game. Though watching the Huskies bat around Rutgers in one of those classic Big Ten rivalry games we had dreams about as a kid. That one is on FS1 starting at 6.

That one doesn’t really kick off college football’s weekend – there were games Wednesday and Thursday nights – but it does for this region. Turns out, this is a big one for the Northwest.

It just so happens Saturday’s best game, and the place the Cougar flag will wave, is in Eugene. Where the third-ranked Oregon Ducks will host perennial power Indiana, ranked seventh, at 12:30 p.m. CBS has that game but ESPN’s College GameDay is there.

Of course those two non-SEC schools don’t have the stage to themselves. No way Disney would allow that. The mouse’s counter-programming? A matchup of two top 10 teams in the Red River Shootout. Except that Texas isn’t. Ranked. Not anymore. Not after two losses. Oklahoma, with WSU transfer John Mateer still sidelined with a hand injury, is ranked sixth. The Longhorns, with many of their fans wishing Arch Manning was sidelined as well, is unranked. The rivalry game starts at 12:30 on ABC.

There are two other games Saturday matching ranked teams, and both overlap.

The day begins in Champaign, where No. 17 Illinois hosts top-ranked Ohio State (9, Fox). At the same time, eighth-ranked Alabama travels to No. 14 Missouri for ABC’s featured morning contest.

The best late-afternoon game? Maybe No. 15 Michigan at USC (4:30, NBC). Or No. 18 BYU at Arizona (5, ESPN2). Both hold more interest for this side of the nation than No. 10 Georgia at Auburn (4:30, ABC).

The NFL weekend began Thursday night in New York. With an upset. Former Arizona State star Cam Skattebo bowled his way to three touchdowns and 98 rushing yards as the Giants topped the suddenly reeling Eagles 34-17.

Will the shocks continue on Sunday?

The Seahawks would like to think so, as they opened as a slight underdog to the 4-1 Jaguars. And the trend, as in the Hawks have lost just once on the road under Mike Macdonald, is Seattle’s friend.

So is the rest of Sunday’s schedule, highlighted by the Lions at the Chiefs (5:20 p.m., NBC) to cap the night. In between there is always Red Zone. Or, if you really want to put yourself through the NFC West wringer, the 49ers are at the Buccaneers (1:25, CBS) and the Rams are in Baltimore (10 a.m., Fox, but only for those of you in California). And yes, we ignored the Cardinals on purpose because they are their usual selves. Irrelevant.

Oh, and there may be one more thing to watch Sunday afternoon. If the Mariners win tonight. If not? Then who really cares anymore? About anything? Seattle becomes Mudville. And Cal becomes Casey.

But if the sun is shining, metaphorically of course, in SoDo about 8 p.m. tonight? Then clear your Sunday schedule. By then Fox will have decided what time Sunday’s first pitch will be. And there is a pretty good chance working in the yard will be out.

Called on account of rain.

•••

WSU: It’s probably been since Paul Wulff’s tenure in Pullman the Cougars have been a 30.5-point underdog to anyone, let alone someone outside the Pac-12. But then again, it’s been a long time since Washington State has packed up its bags and headed Down South for a battle with a team as good as fourth-ranked Mississippi. A dozen years ago, Connor Halliday led Mike Leach’s squad into Auburn to open the season. Lost 31-24 to the unranked Tigers. And Halliday famously said something to the effect if Auburn had a quarterback, they would be the best team in the nation. It did, though Nick Marshall was an unknown at the time. And it almost was, putting together an 11-2 season and finishing the year as the national runnerup. How will this year’s Cougars fare? If they are to stay close to Ole Miss, then linebacker Caleb Francl will have played a great game. Greg Woods delves into the South Dakota State transfer’s story this morning. … Elsewhere in the (current, old and future) Pac-12 and the nation, it’s time for picks, with Jon Wilner having his in the S-R and John Canzano his on his website. … Wilner also looks into the reports the Big Ten is contemplating an infusion of private equity cash. And he covers why the Big 12 put the Holy War in the middle of October.

• Here is the rest of the (current, old and future) Pac-12 football schedule this week, listed chronologically. All games are on Saturday unless noted. The schedule below also includes any game in which finding news about turned out to be nearly impossible.

– Rutgers at Washington (6 p.m. tonight, FS1): The Huskies are a 10.5-point favorite, partly, we’re sure, because the Scarlett Knights had to travel across the country to play a conference game. Another reason to believe “Idiocracy” was a documentary, not a fictional film.

– Fresno State at Colorado State (6 p.m. tonight, CBS Sports): Canzano returns to these links with a look at how the Bulldogs have turned it around this season. And how they intend to keep being successful as they enter the Pac-12 next season. … The Rams don’t offer FSU the stiffest challenge.

– UCLA at Michigan State (9 a.m., Big Ten): “Why not us” seems like a good question for the Bruins. Especially after last week.

– Stanford at SMU (9, The CW): The ACC is weird this season. Part of that is what’s going on at North Carolina.

– No. 7 Indiana at No. 3 Oregon (12:30 p.m., CBS): The Duck defense will be tested tomorrow by an Indiana offense that does a lot well. … The Hoosiers would like to prove their great 2024 season and their hot start this one isn’t flukey. … Sabrina Ionescu will be the guest picker once again.

– No. 22 Iowa State at Colorado (12:30, ESPN): The new bison that runs before games? She’s got a nickname. Brandy. We’re through the looking glass people. (If you understand that reference, better schedule your colonoscopy.) … It may take a few shots of Brandy for the Cyclones to lose at Folsom Field. Especially if they keep it close until halftime.

– Wake Forest at Oregon State (12:30, The CW): The roster is thinning as the Beavers try to figure out a way to get a win. … The 0-6 start is reflected in the stats. But only somewhat. … Robb Akey is a Pullman institution. A Moscow one. And a Corvallis one. He is stepping in with OSU’s special teams.

– No. 15 Michigan at USC (4:30, NBC): The Trojans are leaning on a generational talent in freshman defensive end Jahkeem Stewart. … They are still trying to prove they can compete up front in the Big Ten.

– No. 18 BYU at Arizona (5, ESPN2): The Cougars could be missing a key defender. … The Wildcats are trying to rediscover a culture of victory that has gone missing recently.

– Troy at Texas State (5, ESPN+): The Bobcats look to bounce back at home.

– New Mexico at Boise State (6:45, FS1): Jason Eck has quite a few ties to Idaho. Well, at least to the flagship university.

– No. 21 Arizona State at Utah (7:15, ESPN): There might be a key injury that impacts this Big 12 showdown. Sun Devils quarterback Sam Leavitt has been listed as doubtful. … The next two weeks are key for the Utes.

– San Diego State at Nevada (7:30, CBS Sports): Yes, the Aztecs have a road game this week. But coach Sean Lewis was asked a lot of questions recently and he answered them all. Including one about gambling.

– Utah State at Hawaii (9 p.m.): The Aggies needed someone to step up at the receiver spot. Someone did.

• In basketball news, Oregon’s Jackson Shelstad talked about his right-hand injury. … UCLA’s Skyy Clarke talked about his father, who died not too long ago. … The season is approaching quickly at Boise State.

Gonzaga: If you are a college basketball fan, you know who Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt was. And what she represented. The Loyola of Chicago team chaplain, Sister Jean became a household hero as the Ramblers made their 2018 Final Four run. She died Thursday at age 106.

Idaho: The Vandals are still finding their footing under first-year coach Thomas Ford. Using those feet to kick around visiting Northern Colorado for homecoming would certainly help the process. Peter Harriman has a preview. … Elsewhere in the (current and future) Big Sky, the play calling in the conference is a topic of conversation. And praise. … Toughness is key for one Montana player. The Griz host Cal Poly this week. … Another white-hot challenge, playing in Bozeman, awaits Idaho State. … Weber State is down to two healthy quarterbacks. Don’t expect mercy from Sacramento State. … Northern Arizona travels to UC Davis as the Aggies celebrate homecoming. … Utah Tech returns home to face third-ranked Tarleton State.

Preps: The Thursday night GSL game at ONE Spokane Stadium was noncompetitive, as have been quite a few league games this season. Gonzaga Prep, one of the best 4A schools in the state, pounded 3A Shadle Park 63-0 as the Highlanders played without their starting quarterback. Dave Nichols was there and has this story. … Cheryl Nichols has the roundup of Thursday’s other contests.

Jets and Flyers: One of the most-memorable players in Spokane senior amateur hockey history, Tom Hodges, died Monday at age 93. Howie Stalwick has this obituary.

Mariners: The Tigers were up against it Wednesday, down 3-0 and hearing boos from the home crowd. Then they rose from the dead and won 9-3 to force tonight’s game five. Where, it seems, the Mariners are up against it. Can they rise up, find a way to hand Skubal a third loss this season and move on to face Toronto? … You haven’t heard much about Raleigh’s torpedo bats lately. But he’s still using them. And Nick Gibson has a story on the Inland Northwest connection. … We mentioned this above. But if George Kirby needs relief, the bullpen will be bolstered today by the other starters. … The ending wasn’t all that dramatic, but the Cubs have forced a fifth game against the Brewers.

Kraken: For the first time, the Kraken won a season-opening game. A home opener too. They defeated the Ducks 3-1 Thursday night. … Berkly Catton was not in the lineup last night. 

Reign: Seattle can clinch a playoff spot this weekend.

Seahawks: It’s weird, but the Hawks second-best receiving option seems to be a tight end. A.J. Barner has stood out thus far this season, his second in the NFL. … The No. 1 receiver? That would be Jaxon Smith-Njiba, of course. … Cooper Kupp has some connections with the Jags’ coach. … The NFL still connects with the American public, that’s for sure.

Storm: Two Seattle players earned defensive recognition.  

Sounders: The USMNT has a chance to make a statement, good or bad, with its match against Ecuador tonight.

MMA: Spokane’s Mark Coates will compete in his 24th professional fight tonight in Wilmington, Massachusetts. But that’s not the main part of Charlotte McKinley’s preview. She focuses on Coates’ day job in the Spokane Valley.

•••       

• Winter is coming. And it could be a doozy. La Nina will be in charge. And that often means a lot of snow for the Spokane region. Thank goodness we fixed our old gas-powered snowblower, which has been out of commission for three years. If we get one of those 24-inch dumps, that baby can get through it. For the smaller storms, our electric one will do. Until later …