A Grip on Sports: As we look forward to the weekend, we marvel at how busy and overwhelming the world of sports can be

A GRIP ON SPORTS • We are overpowered. Snowed under. Buried. Whatever cliché you want to use when describing the mountain of information hanging around the world of sports on this penultimate Friday of October. Too much to cover. Not enough time or space. Thank goodness its football season. We can actually punt and everyone understands.

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• One of our set-in-stone dictums with this column is that we have to look ahead. Every day, at some point. But Friday most of all. The weekend looms and, in the fall, football hangs over every other sporting event. Baseball’s postseason? Important, sure. Yet secondary. Basketball? It’s about to take off, no doubt. But still on the runway. Hockey? Everything else? Add them all up and the interest isn’t anywhere near what football, college and professional, generate. Heck, even a stunning retirement announcement from a college hoop coach with deep ties to this area has to wait.

• We’re not sure there is enough time in any day this weekend to watch everything we desire. We are obligated to watch Washington State play – by work and by family interest – Saturday, which means from 12:30 p.m. (The CW) to around 5 p.m., we are locked in. The other games that kick at the same time? Off limits. No No. 7 Alabama at No. 11 Tennessee (ABC). No No. 12 Notre Dame at Georgia Tech (ESPN). Heck, we will miss most of USC’s “traditional” conference battle at Maryland (1, FS1). No chance to watch Deion Sanders’ crew in Tucson to face Arizona in a Pac- … er, Big 12 showdown (1, Fox) either. At least the game of the weekend, No. 5 Georgia at top-ranked Texas, doesn’t start until 4:30 on ABC. By the way, ABC’s owners are enjoying a profitable season.

• Sunday’s schedule is less crowded. The Seahawks are in Atlanta, which means a 10 a.m. kick (FOX). That does have a benefit. Kansas City’s trip to San Francisco, a Super Bowl rematch of sorts, is available to watch, as it occupies the late window (1 p.m., also Fox). We may be able to have our chicken and waffles finished, the dishes cleaned and put away and settle down to watch the 49ers’ Nick Bosa chase Patrick Mahomes around Santa Clara as Taylor Swift looks on.

If that isn’t enough, we can cap the football weekend by watching Russell Wilson. Well, maybe. Will he return from his injury and lead the Steelers to a home win over Aaron Rodgers and the Jets? Or will Justin Fields continue to quarterback Pittsburgh? We all can find out on NBC’s Sunday Night Football (5:20 kick).

• There is more, of course. More college football. A couple of interesting 9 a.m. games, both in the Big Ten – though not necessarily in the Midwest. That geographic designation fits Nebraska’s visit to 6-0 Indiana, ranked 16th (Fox). It doesn’t qualify concerning our favorite game of the morning, UCLA at Rutgers (FS1). The latter is another chance to see the effects of the Bruins’ decision to follow big brother USC – ya, we said it and it’s true – into Big Ten oblivion.

The game with the best chance of giving us some #Pac12AfterDark vibes? For that we have to turn back to The CW, owner of the conference’s rights. Oregon State hosts UNLV at 7. We expect 10 touchdowns and a taut finish.

• But the weekend isn’t all football. We are blessed to have two games today, with the Dodgers trying to close out the NLCS with a fourth win over the Somewhat-Amazin’ Mets (2 p.m., FS1) and the Yankees, this close to a 3-0 lead in their series with Cleveland, trying to blunt the Guardians’ comeback-generated momentum (5, TBS).

• Most every morning, the news from WCC’s Las Vegas media day Thursday would have led the parade. As it is, Gonzaga’s choice to win the men’s race once again is, if not ho-hum, somewhat blunted. It’s almost as dependable as the grim reaper and the tax man, right? Except last season Saint Mary’s was the choice.

But Mark Few has shown the crucial ability to adapt to changing conditions – a cornerstone of his program over the past couple decades on (and off) the court – which should come as no surprise. And this group of Zags, four of whom were named to the All-WCC preseason team, has tremendous potential.

The Bulldogs’ down-the-road departure for the Pac-12 added a little spice to proceedings, sure. But bottom line? They still dominate the WCC conversation in a way no other school, not Duke nor Indiana nor two-time defending champion UConn dominates theirs. It’s part of Few’s hard-earned legacy.

• Finally, we want to address Tony Bennett’s retirement. The news leaked out Thursday, too late for our column yesterday. And the former Washington State coach was scheduled to address the media this morning, once again a bit late for whatever he says to allow us to delve into it with the depth we would like.

We’ll leave that for the weekend. Join us, won’t you?

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WSU: Those of us with a long memory concerning Cougar football remember Jason David. Heck, the memory doesn’t have to be that long. The cornerback was part of the three-year run of excellence just after the turn of the century. And now one his relatives, nephew Ethan O’Connor, is helping Washington State try to duplicate David’s teams’ string of 10-win seasons. Greg Woods talked with David and delved into O’Connor’s back story. … Wazzu matches up with Hawaii on Saturday. … Yes, the Cougars are part of the WCC in hoops this season. Which means David Riley and a couple players were in Las Vegas yesterday. Theo Lawson talked with them and has this season preview. … Jim Meehan has this piece concerning the preseason poll, which we also link below in the Gonzaga section. … Bennett began what is surely a Hall of Fame career in Pullman. Three years, two NCAA berths, an NIT appearance and an often-sold out Beasley Coliseum. That last one may be the most impressive, considering the way Bennett’s teams played. The news he is retiring – covered by news outlets throughout the nation – immediately led to speculation about his health or his dissatisfaction with the state of college athletics. He spoke this morning and said he recently came to the conclusion it was time to step away. Remember, in 2000, Dick Bennett, Tony’s dad, stepped away from Wisconsin’s program three games into the season, citing burnout. He ended up at WSU in 2003. … Elsewhere in the (new and old) Pac-12, the Mountain West and the nation, it’s Friday, so it is picks time. We pass along Jon Wilner’s in the Mercury News and John Canzano’s from his website. … Oregon plays tonight (5, Fox). At Purdue. It hasn’t been that long since the Ducks won their “biggest” game of the season. Will there be a hangover? … As we mentioned above, we expect UNLV’s visit to Oregon State to result in a lot of points. A Beaver victory? We’re not as sure of that. … Washington has four wins. Can it find the two more it needs to go bowling? … The Colorado rivalry with Arizona does not go back all that far. … Utah had a hand in helping TCU revive its football tradition. … USC has to rely on freshmen to bolster its defense. … UCLA is still looking for its first Big Ten win. … Arizona State has a tough Saturday ahead. … In the Mountain West, Colorado State is favored as it tries to win at Air Force for the first time since 2002. … Wyoming travels to San Jose State. … Commissioner Gloria Nevarez is saddened by what’s going on with San Jose State’s volleyball program. It can’t help that the gender controversy highlights the divisions within a conference that spans the western states. Heck, the Spartans want money from the teams that are forfeiting the matches. … In basketball news, the Oregon State men have added an explosive guard to the roster.

Gonzaga: As we mentioned above, the coaches picked the Zags to finish atop the conference standings for the 112th time in 114 years. Or something like that. Jim has the story, which we also linked in the WSU section. … Theo delved into the upcoming end to the GU/Saint Mary’s rivalry. Whether it will continue in a nonconference form. The possibility the Gaels may end up following Gonzaga to the Pac-12. Hey, it’s college sports in the 2020s. Anything is possible. If ESPN wants it. … We have more from Vegas for you.

EWU: The Eagles are going to be challenged again Saturday. Sixth-ranked UC Davis, with only a single loss on its record, is in town. Dan Thompson examines one area that has giving the Aggies fits all season. Turnovers. … Cooper Kupp is coming back from injury once more. The Rams need him. But their schedule is taxing over the next week. … Elsewhere in the Big Sky, a Montana State player is battling back from a bad injury. … Northern Arizona welcomes unranked Idaho State to Flagstaff on Saturday. … Sacramento State, hoping to snap a two-game losing streak, hosts Weber State. … In basketball news, Montana standout Money Williams has stepped away following his mother’s death. … Weber State will face Utah State in an exhibition game. … Idaho State has revealed all its top 50 women’s players.

Idaho: The FCS has become a bit of Triple-A league for college football’s big boys. So it is only fair Jason Eck and the Vandals have mined the power conferences for some discarded gems. One of whom, former UCLA tight end Mike Martinez, is showing on a weekly basis why he was so highly thought of coming out of high school. Peter Harriman has this story covering Martinez’s long journey.

Preps: Pullman High began this football season with some uncharacteristic struggles. But the Greyhounds have been playing better recently, as shown by Thursday’s 28-14 win over North Central at ONE Spokane Stadium. Dave Nichols was there and has this coverage. … Dave also put together this roundup of the other action yesterday. … Former Mt. Spokane basketball star Tyson Degenhart is beginning his senior season at Boise State with a lot of fanfare. He was named the Mountain West’s preseason player of the year. Jim has that news and more in this story.

Chiefs: Former Spokane star Jared Spurgeon, the Minnesota Wild’s captain, is taking it slow in his injury recovery this season. Spurgeon underwent offseason surgery for hip and back injuries that cost him the end of last season. He’s playing, but also resting when need be.

Seahawks: DK Metcalf broke off a route. Strayed from the path Geno Smith thought he was going to cover. The result? A key interception last week. And a few stories this one. … Injuries are really sapping the Hawks. This week it is the secondary that is hurting. … Byron Murphy II has been out a couple weeks. He will be back against the Falcons. … No, the Hawks should not sign Jamal Adams, who was released yesterday. … Devon Witherspoon is a playmaker. And should be allowed to make more plays.

Mariners: Before we get to the postseason games, we want to take a moment and send you to Thomas Clouse’s story on a group who spent their Thursday attempting to whack baseballs across the Spokane River. There was a reason. They were commemorating Babe Ruth’s lone visit to Spokane 100 years ago. … Ruth’s old team, the Yankees, rode current giant stars Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton home runs to an eighth-inning lead, but their bullpen failed and the Guardians rallied for a 7-5 10th-inning ALCS win. … The Dodgers pounded the Mets 10-2 in New York and took a 3-1 lead in the NLCS. … The Cleveland win last night highlighted baseball’s stupid management. All season long, extra-innings began with a runner at second base. In the postseason, that gets thrown out the window. One set of rules all year, another in the playoffs. Idiocy.

Kraken: The offense is clicking, exemplified by Thursday’s 6-4 win over the visiting Flyers.

Reign: The USWNT has a couple of matches coming up. Olympic star, and former WSU student Trinity Rodman, won’t be participating. She is still dealing with a back injury. … The Reign will finish out the home portion of its season this weekend. Seattle, dealing with a five-match losing streak, is not headed to the NWSL’s playoffs.

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• We spent a little time watching Bennett’s press conference this morning. We will address it, as well as the mini-trend it seems to be a part of, tomorrow. As well as look at the WSU game. Until later …