IUP‘s season is still alive after a strange Saturday in Erie. The Crimson Hawks had to wait out four weather delays and still beat Gannon. I give coach Tort and his team a lot of credit for overcoming the elements and managing to come away with a victory. To get back to the playoffs, and the odds are still against them, IUP has to win out. They also need some help. At least they held up their end of the bargain on the road.
• Indiana High has a chance to go to the playoffs. Who would have believed that a few weeks ago? The Indians played a great game on the road against Laurel Highlands, and now return home for a showdown against Greensburg Salem. Win and they’re in. I hope Fifth Street Stadium is packed Friday night to cheer on this team.
• Penn State won at Indiana, but I don’t think you’ll find too many fans who were overly excited with the victory. Penn State let a mediocre Hoosier team hang around all day before hanging on for the win. Penn State hasn’t looked the same since the first three quarters in the Ohio State game. Since then the team has been in a funk, and some of the play calls by the coaching staff have left everyone scratching their heads. Iowa heads to Happy Valley this weekend for a game that will be anything but an easy win for Penn State.
• The Steelers will be rested and at home when they get back in the action next week. They host the Cleveland Browns, who have improved dramatically and who nearly beat the Steelers in the season opener. Pittsburgh has looked much better the past few games. But to get to the playoffs they need continued improvement on the defensive side of the ball. The week off probably came at a good time for Pittsburgh. I look for them to keep it going against the Brownies.
• So, with the bye week behind them, will Le’Veon Bell show up this week for the Steelers? I honestly have no idea if Bell will report for practice. He was supposed to have shown up during the bye week, but that didn’t happen. Some media reports say he may wait until after the NFL’s trade deadline to resume his career so he can’t be traded. At this point I guess nothing should surprise us when it comes to Le’Veon Bell.
• The Pens are on a long road trip, which isn’t a bad thing early in the season. It’s a time for a team to bond. The Pens looked good in their win at Montreal. That’s a nice way to start out the trip. I look forward to the match Tuesday in Edmonton featuring Conner McDavid against Sidney Crosby. That’s one I’d pay to see.
• I, like so many others, was moved by ESPN’s Game Day feature on the Purdue student who is fighting cancer. Never did I think his beloved Boilermakers would beat Ohio State, let alone blow out the Buckeyes, but that’s what they did. It was a heck of a performance by Purdue, and an emotional night for all who follow Purdue. It was also one of this year’s unforgettable games in all of college football.
• I will be pulling for the Boston Red Sox in the World Series. My colleague Jack Benedict will be living and dying with his beloved Los Angeles Dodgers. I adopted the Red Sox as my second favorite team in the summer of 1967 during their Impossible Dream season. Since we vacationed at Cape Cod every year, I found myself listening and watching the Sox. I decided to adopt them as my team to root for in the American League. I’ve pulled for them ever since. This has been a dream season for the Red Sox. If they win they will complete a storybook season. If they lose….well, let’s not go there. I think Boston has too much in this series. I’ll take the Red Sox in six.
