10/29 (Cardinals!) Quickie

What an amazing World Series champion -- one of the most unique in baseball history. You don't have to be a Cardinals fan to appreciate what they did (or, more importantly, how they did it).

They came back from 10+ games behind at the end of August. They played a big role in "Game 162." They beat Roy Halladay in an elimination game. They played in that unreal Game 6 on Thursday night. The rain-out let Carpenter pitch in Game 7. They have the best player of the generation (yes, who might leave in a few weeks). They have a polarizing manager. They have a group of no-names and reclamation projects and hometown kids and mid-season trades. They have a World Series championship and the accompanying baseball immortality.

More than anything -- and apologies in advance for the trite observation -- it reminds that just when you think sports can't get any more amazing, they do.

College Football Saturday: LSU and Bama have a bye week to get ready for each other next week in the Game of the Year, but plenty of intriguing games on the schedule today:

*Is at USC the trap game for Stanford? (Remember when Stanford was the trap game for Pete Carroll?)

*Is this the week (at GA Tech) that Clemson finally pulls a Clemson? (Yes.)

*Can Baylor and Robert Griffin keep up with Oklahoma State in Stillwater? (Unlikely.)

*Does a bitter Oklahoma take out last week's season-killing disappointment on still-unbeaten K-State in Manhattan? (Yes.)

*Does a bitter Wisconsin take out last week's season-killing disappointment on Ohio State? (Yes.)

*What's the "let-down" factor for Michigan State at Nebraska? (Big enough.)

*Has Georgia-Florida ever been less exciting? (In 11 years of avidly following, nope.)

*Nominal Upset Specials: Tennessee over Lattimore-less South Carolina in Knoxville, Purdue over Michigan in Ann Arbor. Oklahoma over Kansas State doesn't count.

So maybe Stanford, Oklahoma State and Clemson will all win -- although, after last week's insanity, the chance is better than not that one of them will stumble -- but each team gets a chance to bolster its resume and reputation with a quality win.

-- D.S.