What To Watch in Sports and Where: Oct. 11-13

The dog days of summer have come and gone, meaning October brings one of the most loaded slates of sporting events we will see all year. Several MLB teams have their seasons on the line in both the American League and National League Division Series, while the college football and NFL schedules are gearing up into high heat.

This weekend will see several must-see matchups and more across American sports. Here’s where you need to be watching.

NLDS Game 5: San Diego Padres vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

Where: Fox

When: Friday, 8:08 p.m. ET

The NLDS series between the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers has lived up to the hype, with tempers flaring and creating quite a hostile climate in Los Angeles.

Manny Machado’s Padres surged from irrelevance to challenging the Dodgers for the NL West crown, and made it a competitive race late in the season. Shohei Ohtani’s first taste of playoff experience will put him to the test of delivering with his squad’s season on the line, as the stacked Dodgers could see several organizational changes if they fall short of a World Series title in 2024.

College Football: No. 16 Utah (4-1) vs. Arizona St. (4-1)

Where: ESPN

When: Friday, 10:30 p.m. ET

A loaded college football slate kicks off with a late-night affair between No. 16 Utah and a hungry Arizona St. team Friday night.

Utah suffered a stunner to Arizona, 23-10, on home turf at the end of September, handing the Utes their first loss of the season. It’s uncertain if the No. 16 team in the country will have quarterback Cam Rising under center due to injury. It’s the perfect opportunity for Arizona St. to move into ranking contention, with head coach Kenny Dillingham looking for his signature win.

College Football: South Carolina (3-2) vs. No. 7 Alabama (4-1)

Where: ABC

When: Saturday, Noon ET

Any time Alabama loses, it’s an event that sends ripples throughout the college football world. So when Vanderbilt beat the Crimson Tide last week, you better believe South Carolina was put on notice.

South Carolina brings a formidable pass rush to the table, but Alabama returning to home confines (and angry) will be quite the challenge for Shane Beamer’s squad to endure. Bama is still a top-five team in touchdowns scored this season with 31, and averages nearly 470 yards per game. All bets are off in an SEC showdown though, and a loss could send Alabama spiraling out of the College Football Playoff picture.

College Football: No. 1 Texas (5-0) vs. No. 18 Oklahoma (4-1)

Where: ABC

When: Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET

The 120th edition of the “Red River Rivalry” goes down Saturday afternoon between No. 1 Texas and No. 18 Oklahoma, and the stakes are as high as they’ve ever been.

The Longhorns are averaging more than 500 yards per game offensively, but have sported the third-best defense in all of college football en route to an undefeated start. They march into enemy territory though against an Oklahoma team hungry to jump into the College Football Playoff conversation with what would be the biggest win of the season. Oklahoma won last year’s game 34-30.

College Football: No. 2 Ohio State (5-0) vs. No. 3 Oregon (5-0)

Where: NBC

When: Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET

The battle between No. 2 Ohio State and No. 3 Oregon on Saturday could also have major College Football Playoff implications.

The Buckeyes will bring the best defense in college football to Eugene trying to quell a well-rounded Ducks squad hungry to finally win a national title. This is the first time two top-five teams have ever played one another at Autzen Stadium, and many believe it could be the biggest home game in Oregon history. Should the Ducks beat the mighty Buckeyes, it will be just their fourth win ever over a top-five program.

College Football: No. 9 Ole Miss (5-1) vs. No. 13 LSU (4-1)

Where: ABC

When: Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET

LSU’s season-opening loss to USC was a shocker, sending the Tigers’ season on the ropes before it truly even began. But Brian Kelly’s team has rebounded nicely with four straight wins.

They face maybe their stiffest challenge since in No. 9 Ole Miss Saturday night. The Rebels are an offensive juggernaut, the No. 2 offense in the country with 576.8 yards per game and 34 touchdowns to boot with it. A loss Saturday, barring an SEC Championship run, would almost certainly send LSU out of the playoff picture, while Ole Miss could cement itself as a powerhouse the rest of the way.

WNBA Finals Game 2: Minnesota Lynx vs. New York Liberty

Where: ESPN

When: Sunday, 3 p.m. ET

The WNBA has enjoyed a historic season thanks to the emergence of young stars like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, but it will be the veterans on display in the WNBA Finals.

Game 2 goes down Sunday at Barclays Center, as the New York Liberty host the Minnesota Lynx. Minnesota held off Connecticut 88-77 in Game 5 of their series to face the Liberty, a team looking to avenge its WNBA Finals loss last season to Las Vegas. Sabrina Ionescu and Breanna Stewart seem poised to lead New York to a WNBA Championship, and have the advantage in hosting the Lynx in Brooklyn.

NFL: Jacksonville Jaguars (1-4) vs. Chicago Bears (3-2)

Where: NFL Network

When: Sunday, 9:30 a.m. ET

Doug Pederson is very much on the hot seat in Jacksonville, and a loss to the Chicago Bears could intensify the flames with his job in jeopardy.

The Jaguars and Bears head to London for the second NFL London game in a row, which means morning football for fans across the country (and if you’re a West Coast fan, a 6:30 a.m. wakeup call). Chicago is locked in a heated NFC North race, where every team sits with a record above .500, with the Vikings undefeated at 5-0 after beating the Jets last week in London. Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars, meanwhile, avoided falling to 0-5 after a three-point win over the Colts last week.

NFL: Cincinnati Bengals (1-4) vs. New York Giants (2-3)

Where: NBC/Peacock

When: Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET

While 1-4 vs. 2-3 doesn’t exactly carry a ton of luster, Sunday night’s offering between the Cincinnati Bengals and New York Giants could carry some heavy implications as well.

Quarterback Joe Burrow and the Bengals entered the season as Super Bowl contenders, but their season could fall into peril should they drop to 1-5 with a loss to a majorly inconsistent Giants squad. New York rattled off an impressive 29-20 win over the Seattle Seahawks in Week 5, and Daniel Jones could steady the ship in the Meadowlands by pulling the G-Men to .500. A loss though, and there’s no doubt media chatter will restart over his job stability as the man under center.