After beating Real Madrid on match week two, Jonathan David scores a brace to help Lille secure a 3-1 upset against Atletico Madrid on match week three of the Champions League.
Slot has also emulated legendary Liverpool boss Bill Shankly by winning his first three European matches as manager.
Liverpool’s impressive start to the season includes wins against Manchester United, AC Milan and Chelsea.
There are some big tests on the horizon. As well as Arsenal, they have matches against German champions Bayer Leverkusen, Aston Villa, Real Madrid and Manchester City between now and 1 December.
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“This is a team on a brilliant run with some players playing well, but it’s clear more improvements will come,” said Nevin.
“If you are having this sort of run and nowhere near peaking yet, that’s real good news.
“Arne Slot’s aware of it. There’s more to come from this team, but you wouldn’t think so from the results.”
After the Leipzig game, Slot said his players must be proud after achieving the “almost impossible” feat of setting new club records.
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Like Klopp, Slot is aware he will be judged on the number of trophies he brings to Anfield – not records.
“Records are nice, but other things are nicer than records and you know what I mean by that – trophies,” Slot said.
The reason why showed up on the team’s injury report, even though Aubrey did not have an injury.
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He had jury duty.
According to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Aubrey has been selected to a 12-person jury presiding over a felony trial in a court in Tarrant County. That’s the county just west of Dallas that includes Fort Worth and Arlington, where the Cowboys play their home games at AT&T Stadium.
It’s unknown how Aubrey’s participation in the trial will affect his avaliability in the coming days as the Cowboys gear up to play the San Francisco 49ers on the road Sunday night.
Aubrey, who the Cowboys signed in 2023 after he had a star turn for the USFL’s Birmingham Stallions the previous spring, has remained excellent in his second year in the NFL. He has made 17 of his 19 field goal attempts this season, including a 65-yarder in Week 3 that caused NFL on FOX analyst Tom Brady to compare him to Steph Curry. That 65-yard kick is the longest made field goal among all NFL kickers this season and just one yard shy of Ravens kicker Justin Tucker’s NFL-record 66-yarder in 2021.
For starters, it’s a matchup between two of the largest sports markets and cities on the planet, involving two teams that both used to play in New York City, as the Los Angeles Dodgers were the Brooklyn Dodgers until moving West ahead of the 1958 season. Meanwhile, there are stars galore on both teams, with MVPs and other MVP- and Cy Young-caliber players.
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Here’s the 2024 World Series by the numbers, from both present and historical lenses.
1: After becoming the sixth player in MLB history to post a 40-40 season (40 home runs, 40 stolen bases) in August, Ohtani became the first player to post a 50-50 season in September in what was his debut season with the Dodgers.
2: When Game 1 of the 2024 Fall Classic begins on Friday night (8:08 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app), both Soto and Betts will have appeared in the World Series for multiple teams; Soto won the World Series with the Washington Nationals in 2019, while Betts won the World Series with the Boston Red Sox in 2018 and again with the Dodgers in 2020.
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3: Judge hit 58 home runs this season, marking the third time in the 2022 AL MVP’s nine-year MLB career that he surpassed 50 long balls in a single season.
3.3: In their nine postseason games this year, the Yankees have surrendered just 3.3 runs per game.
6.4: In their 11 postseason games this year, the Dodgers have scored 6.4 runs per game.
10: A combined 10 players from both rosters were put on their respective league’s All-Star Game roster this season, the Dodgers having seven and the Yankees having three.
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11: The Yankees and Dodgers have previously faced off in the Fall Classic 11 times, seven times with the Dodgers in Brooklyn and four times with them in Los Angeles. New York went 6-1 when the Dodgers were in Brooklyn, and the teams have split since the move to Los Angeles (2-2).
12: This is the 12th time that the Yankees and Dodgers have met in the World Series, but their two cities also combine for a population of roughly 12 million this year.
15: While the Yankees have a professional-record 27 championships, this is the first time that they’ve appeared in the World Series in 15 years (2009). Staying on the 15 front, Hall of Fame manager Joe Torre managed both teams, as he won four World Series across his 12-year stint with the Yankees (1996-2007) and then managed the Dodgers from 2008-10.
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16: Managers Dave Roberts (Dodgers) and Aaron Boone (Yankees) are among the most tenured coaches in the sport, combining for 16 consecutive seasons managing their respective clubs.
18: A roughly 18-mile drive separated Ebbets Field, the former home of the Dodgers in Flatbush, from Yankee Stadium, the home of the Yankees. Furthermore, there were three MLB teams in New York prior to the Dodgers’ departure, as the New York Giants (now the San Francisco Giants) played in the Polo Grounds on the Upper East Side of Manhattan — which was a mere 15-minute walk from Yankee Stadium over the Harlem River, prior to moving to San Francisco in 1958.
22: While Roberts and Boone are now each primarily viewed as skippers, they played a combined 22 seasons in the big leagues and each produced some of the most exciting moments in MLB postseason history.
With the Red Sox down 3-0 to the Yankees in the 2004 ALCS, Roberts pinch ran in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 4 with the team trailing 4-3 and stole second base. He later scored, and the Red Sox went on to win in the 12th inning. Boston later became the first team to overcome a 3-0 series deficit and went on to win the World Series for the first time in 86 years. On the other hand, Boone, a midseason acquisition, hit a walk-off home run for the Yankees to lead off the bottom of the 11th inning in Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS against the Red Sox, which sent New York to the World Series.
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2024 World Series: Yankees vs. Dodgers Preview
23: Los Angeles and New York are Nos. 1 and 2 in America in number of professional teams, combining for 23.
27: The Yankees have won a professional sporting-record 27 championships. Moreover, their general manager, Brian Cashman, has held his current position for 27 years.
34: The two teams combine for 34 World Series, with the Yankees having 27, compared to the Dodgers’ seven.
41: If one chooses to drive cross-country without somehow not having to stop for gas, a Big Gulp or sleep, it’s a roughly 41-hour drive from Yankee Stadium or the former site of Ebbets Field to Dodger Stadium.
43: While the Yankees and Dodgers have crossed passed in the World Series 11 times, they haven’t done so in 43 years, with the Dodgers winning the 1981 World Series in six games.
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66: The Yankees and Dodgers combine for 66 league pennants, with the former boasting 41 and the latter boasting 25.
67: The Dodgers’ last season in Brooklyn was 1957, marking 67 years since they called New York City home.
100: The two clubs combine for a whopping 100 Hall of Famers, with the Dodgers boasting 53 and the Yankees boasting 47.
112: Potentially poised to win their respective league MVP awards, Judge and Ohtani hit a combined 112 home runs this season (Judge had 58, and Ohtani had 54).
.500: Since the turn of the 21st century, the Yankees and Dodgers are 11-11 (.500) against each other in the regular season.
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$1,300: Interested in buying a ticket to the 2024 World Series to witness history? If so, that’s great! Interested in forking over in excess of $1,300 to see a game in Dodger Stadium or Yankee Stadium? Well, that’s what it currently costs to get a seat in either house from several ticket vendors.
21,800: The Dodgers and Yankees combine for 21,800 wins, with the former having 11,022 and the latter having 10,778.
Alabama lost to Tennessee— making this the first time the Tide have recorded two losses in October for the first time since 2004, Georgia took down top-ranked Texas in a highly contested game despite what the score showed, Miami and Louisville combined for 97 points in a seven-point game that saw the Canes narrowly escape a loss for the third consecutive game, and BYU and Iowa State each won by three points to remain as the only undefeated teams in the Big 12.
It was a really tough weekend for the blue blood programs, as USC, Michigan, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Florida State all lost in addition to Bama and Texas. Those schools are some of the most winningest in the history of the sport, truly highlighting how parity is at an all-time high.
With weekends like this past one, lengthy discussions ensue between myself and the fine people at FOX Sports every week as we plan our production for Big Noon Kickoff. Every Sunday night, I reflect on what transpired the day before, and send out a lengthy email to producers, researchers, and my colleagues on air about my thoughts on what happened, as well as what’s notable for the upcoming week.
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I’ve decided to peel back the curtain and share those thoughts with you all, because everyone should rejoice in the splendor that is college football.
This week, four ranked teams will be on the road against unranked opponents, along with five ranked vs. ranked matchups taking place. We’ll get into those shortly. Six of the teams ranked in the top 10 of the AP poll play this weekend, and 20 of the top 25 have action as well.
Let’s dive into my thoughts and games to watch for in Week 9.
Friday night clash in the Mountain West
We’ve talked a ton about Boise State, and their storyline keeps on getting better every week. In a huge Friday night matchup, the 5-1 Broncos will travel to Las Vegas to take on the 6-1 UNLV Rebels. This game has massive ramifications in regards to who will win the Mountain West, and possibly even have CFP implications as both of these teams could take that G5 conference champion spot. Ashton Jeanty has already dominated Power conference defenses like Oregon and Washington State, but can he keep up this ridiculous pace and remain one of the front runners for the Heisman Trophy? Friday night should be a great one.
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Scarlet Knights visit Los Angeles
After a 3-1 start, the Trojans have lost three straight conference games and sit below .500. This week they host a Rutgers team that has also dropped three straight after starting off 4-0. USC has not started 3-5 since the 2001 season, while the Scarlet Knights are looking to avoid starting 3-5 or worse for the seventh time since 2015. Lincoln Riley can’t really be on the hot seat in year, can he? For perspective, since October 12th of last year, Vanderbilt is 5-7, Cal is 6-8, UCLA is 6-9, Colorado is 5-8, Florida is 5-8, Kentucky is 5-9, and USC is 5-9. That means USC would be 5-10 in that span with a loss on Friday. One last nugget to leave you with: Riley has never lost four consecutive games in a single season before in his career.
Undefeated Pitt
How about the Panthers? They join Miami as the only undefeated ACC teams left, and take on a sneaky good Syracuse team on Thursday night. Pitt hasn’t started a season 7-0 since doing so in consecutive years from 1981-82. Cuse’s only loss this season came against Stanford in a Friday game that ended 26-24. This should be a fun quarterback matchup as Kyle McCord is seventh in all of FBS in passing yards (2,160) and tied for fifth in touchdown throws (19), while Alabama transfer Eli Holstein leads all FBS freshmen in passing yards (1,700) and passing touchdowns (15). Fran Brown will try to lead the Orange to just their second 6-1 start since 2000 and their first since 2022.
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Lovely times in Louisiana
Louisiana is where it’s at! Tulane is 5-2 and undefeated in AAC play (and probably is the best G5 team), No. 8 LSU is 6-1 and undefeated in SEC play, the Ragin’ Cajuns are 6-1 and undefeated in Sun Belt play, and UL Monroe is 5-1 and also undefeated in the Sun Belt. This is only the second time since 2000 that those four programs have combined for 20+ wins through Week 8 of the season. The Tigers have what should be a great matchup against the 14th ranked Aggies this Saturday. That game will surely have SEC championship implications. The Green Wave are currently 7.5-point favorites against North Texas, the WarHawks are seven-point underdogs against South Alabama, and Louisiana is on bye this week. Let’s see how the state performs in Week 9.
Oh, and we’ll just pretend that 3-4 Louisiana Tech doesn’t exist for now.
Can Navy do it?
The Midshipmen are a whopping 6-0— their first time doing so since 1979, and are also 4-0 in AAC play. Navy is currently a 13.5-point underdog against Notre Dame despite their hot start. They haven’t beat the Irish since 2016, and have only done so three other times since 1964 (2010, 2009, 2007). Since 1978, there have been 17 teams to be 6-0 or better that were at least a 13.5-point underdog in a regular season game. Eleven of the 14 losses came by at least 14 points and seven were by at least 24 points. But three did win outright— Liberty +17 at Virginia Tech in 2020, Auburn +17 at Florida in 1994 and Georgia Tech +13.5 at Virginia in 1990. Can Navy become the fourth?
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Upset alert in Madison?
Penn State is in a tricky spot this week. They have a massive matchup against Ohio State next week, but trips to Madison have rarely been easy for them.
Check it out below:
PENN STATE ON ROAD vs WISCONSIN
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SINCE 1996
2021: Penn State 16, Wisconsin 10
2013: Penn State 31, Wisconsin 24
2011: Wisconsin 45, Penn State 7
2008: Penn State 48, Wisconsin 7
2006: Wisconsin 13, Penn State 3
2004: Wisconsin 16, Penn State 3
2002: Penn State 34, Wisconsin 31
1998: Wisconsin 24, Penn State 3
1996: Penn State 23, Wisconsin 20
That comes out to a 5-4 record for the Nittany Lions at Camp Randall since joining the Big Ten in 1990, with four of them decided by seven points or less. Since getting drilled in the second half at SC, Wisconsin has beaten up on three of the worst teams in the Big Ten in Purdue, Northwestern and Rutgers to the tune of 117-16. Drew Allar threw multiple interceptions for the first time in his career in the nail-biter against USC, so let’s see how he bounces back against a defense that has yet to give up double-digit points in a game this month.
Cougars in rare spot
BYU just keeps winning! And yet, they’re only 1.5-point underdogs against a 3-4 UCF team this week. To be fair, the Knights did almost pull off the upset against unbeaten Iowa State this past Saturday, losing a 38-35 shootout. But here’s some context for BYU’s spot this week. Since 1978, there have been 336 games where a team 7-0 or better faced a team with a losing record. Only one has seen that team enter as an underdog— coming in 1993, when 9-0 Auburn went to 4-5 Georgia and beat the Bulldogs. Will the Cougars continue to defy expectations and keep their magical season going, or do the Knights have other ideas?
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Six win teams with concerns
Simply put, there are a few 6-0 and 6-1 teams that have some real concerns. My Hurricanes for starters, have allowed 117 points in their last three games and have won those games by a combined 12 points. The defense needs some serious revamping or they’re bound to drop one soon. As mentioned above, Pitt has a tough matchup this week against Cuse and could record their first loss. They’ve got three wins by four points or fewer, including a one-point and two-point win. Duke recorded their first win in program history against FSU, but still has a point differential of -2 in ACC play. BYU’s got three one-score wins themselves and needed a miracle this past week against Oklahoma State. And there’s Illinois who uncharacteristically allowed 49 points in an overtime win against one of the worst teams in the Big Ten in Purdue a few weeks ago. You also can’t forget Notre Dame who dropped a game to Northern Illinois earlier this year. And the last team of this bunch that concerns me is Missouri, who needed overtime against Vanderbilt, beat Boston College by six points, and came from behind this past week in the final minute against Auburn. One of these teams is bound to lose soon.
Wild Heisman race
This Heisman race is pretty wild. Here’s a very plausible scenario… Oregon loses at least once (including the Big Ten title game), Boise State loses at least one more time (including the MWC title game), Miami loses at least once (including ACC title game), Colorado loses at least once more, Georgia wins out, and Ohio State wins out.
What the heck happens then?
Its not like Carson Beck was great the other night. Enter Jeremiah Smith? Would some of the losses cancel out and Cam Ward or would Dillon Gabriel would still win? Just seems like there are still so many possibilities. With Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter being hampered by injuries the last couple weeks, could Shedeur Sanders enter the conversation if the Buffs continue winning and find themselves in the Big 12 title game? The CU QB is currently 50-1! Keep an eye on these players and their teams as the season progresses. Jeanty is currently the favorite at +220, followed by Ward at +250 and Gabriel at +380.
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Spartans and Wolverines meet
Who would have thought Michigan and Michigan State would have identical records entering this week? The Wolverines are just four-point favorites despite the game taking place in the Big House, and with the way their offense has looked, this is anyone’s game. MSU ranks 14th in the Big Ten in scoring at 21.6 points per game, with Michigan right behind them at 21.1. The last four meetings in the series have been split at two apiece, and the home team has only won four of the last ten matchups. After the Spartans, Michigan has No. 1 Oregon, No. 13 Indiana, Northwestern, and of course— No. 4 Ohio State in the Big Game. 1939 TCU and 1943 Ohio State are the only teams in the AP poll era (since 1936) to finish below .500 after having won a major national title in the previous year (AP, BCS, coaches, CFP). Will the Wolverines become the third?
Big Noon Kickoff in Columbus
There was a lot of talk about Ohio State’s lack of defensive pressure in the loss to Oregon, and some other big game losses in recent years. Look for Ryan Day’s squad to come out swinging in this BNK matchup, as the Buckeyes are 4-0 against the Huskers since 2000— winning those games by an average of 41.3 points per game. Nebraska has lost 26 straight games against ranked opponents (the second-longest active streak behind Rutgers’ 40), has not had a six-win season since going 9-4 in 2016, and just gave up 56 points against Indiana. Can one of the most storied programs in college football ever get close to what they once were? I’m not sure if the next step will be taken in Columbus.
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Exciting Biletnifkoff race
The wide receiver play this year has been out of this world. You have two stars in Ryan Williams and Jeremiah Smith that we’ve been talking about all year, but there are several other studs like Tre Harris and Tetaiora McMillan who are all putting on legitimate cases to be the Biletnikoff winner this year. For perspective, Harris leads FBS with 987 receiving yards and McMillan is sixth with 780 (he put up an outrageous 304 yards in Arizona’s opener). Miami’s Xavier Restrepo also ranks top 10 in FBS in receiving yards (686), receiving yards per game (98.0), and receptions of 20+ yards (12). And let’s not forget Travis Hunter who is doing things we’ve never seen in college football with his two-way play. This will be an exciting award race to watch all season, as all of these guys are deserving of it.
Fact or Fiction?
Here are some statements that popped into my head after this weekend. You decide whether or not they’ll come to fruition!
Alabama will miss the CFP.
Oregon will win the Big Ten.
BYU will win the Big 12.
Tulane is the best G5 team.
Oklahoma will not make a bowl game.
Florida State will finish 2-10.
Clemson is the best team in the ACC.
Shedeur Sanders will be the No. 1 pick in NFL Draft.
Chris “The Bear” Fallica has covered sports for nearly three decades. While college football has been his focus, he also enjoys the NFL, Soccer, Golf, Tennis, MLB, NHL and Horse Racing, with an “occasional” wager on such events. Chris recently won the inaugural Circa Football Invitational and finished in the Top 10 of the Golden Nugget Football Contest. He’s a multiple-time qualifier for the NHC Handicapping Championship. Remember, “The less you bet, the more you lose when you win!” Follow him on Twitter @chrisfallica.
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