A Grip on Sports: The lights are on tonight, in and out of the house, as the weekend kicks off with three bang-up events

A GRIP ON SPORTS • Have your Halloween candy yet? Decorations up and running? Or is the plan to turn off the lights next week and hide? All valid questions. Our answers: Yes, no and no. Deeper answers: Costco sale, the family has been busy and our house is the one with nice treats. The last one supplies the perfect segue into the weekend, which happens to start tonight.

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• We have three events to watch tonight. But, being a Neanderthal, only one big screen available. The remote is going to get a workout. Either that or we will actually have to venture out and watch a game in person. The horror.

One of the events on my radar is the Greater Spokane League’s football title showdown. Undefeated Gonzaga Prep and undefeated Mead. At Mead’s Union Stadium. It is on TV, SWX at about 8, though the kickoff depends on when the night’s opener, Ridgeline vs. Mt. Spokane (5, also SWX), finishes and the field is cleared.

The finale is good enough to get me out of the house on many nights. Just not this one.

How could I miss the Mountain West’s game of the year? No. 17 Boise State and Heisman frontrunner – with the emphasis on “runner” – Ashton Jeanty at one of the season’s biggest surprises, UNLV (7:30, CBS Sports Network). One team ranked, one that probably should be. One spot available as the Group of Five’s College Football Playoff favorite.

And yet that game, which may be college football’s best this weekend, won’t dominate the big screen. At least until Game One of the most star-studded World Series in decades finishes up. Fox has the honor – if by honor, you are referring to the biggest checkbook – of broadcasting the Aaron Judge/Shohei Ohtani – and so many others – showdown, with first pitch scheduled for 5:08.  

(As an aside, I noticed Fox also has a Big Ten football game scheduled for tonight. After the World Series game. But it seems the 8 p.m. kickoff is more of an aspiration, as there is no way the baseball is over in less than three hours, is there? My guess? FS1 will have the first quarter of Rutgers’ late-night – 11 p.m. school time – visit to USC.)

How many folks that stay up for either the Mountain West showdown or USC’s beatdown will rise early enough to take in ESPN’s College GameDay show from – checks notes, twice – Bloomington, Indiana? Really? Is it basketball season all ready? Yes, the fact No. 13 Indiana is 7-0 isn’t lost on me – though it might be on the poll voters, considering its ranking. But the Hoosiers are playing 4-3 Washington, which has retreated into the overwhelming morass of national mediocrity after last season’s magical run to the national title game. It’s such a meh game it’s on the Big Ten Network (9 a.m.).

There are better matchups. All on the TV schedule. No. 12 Notre Dame vs. 24th-ranked Navy in New York (9, ESPN’s parent company ABC). No. 20 Illinois at No. 1 Oregon (12:30 p.m., CBS). No. 21 Missouri at 15th-ranked Alabama (12:30, ABC). Third-ranked Penn State at Wisconsin (4:30, NBC). And the showdown for the SEC lead, No. 8 LSU at No. 14 Texas A&M (4:30, ABC).

Add in the Inland Northwest rivalry game between Eastern Washington and host Idaho (6, SWX) and Washington State’s visit to San Diego State (7:30, CBS Sports) and why would anyone want to stray far from the easy chair Saturday?

To actually avoid becoming like those folks in Wall-E, maybe? Or to take care of whatever weekend obligations are pressing so that your NFL Sunday is free?

The Seahawks are at home (1 p.m., Fox) against Buffalo, which is probably priority No. 1. But there is also the battle of the two top rookie quarterbacks, with Caleb Williams and the Bears in D.C. to face Jayden Daniels and the Commanders – if Daniels is healthy enough to answer the bell. It is on CBS at 1.

And the Sunday night game isn’t bad either, especially for folks who like to root against teams. Dallas, America’s most-reviled team, is in Santa Clara to face the 49ers, who hold that title in the Northwest.

What else is on this weekend? Gonzaga fans are scrambling as I type to purchase a one-game pass to Big Ten+, the conference’s streaming arm. That is who is carrying the Zags’ charity exhibition with USC on Saturday (5 p.m.). Other than that, the NHL is starting to settle in, the NBA is off and running and there is soccer, golf and auto racing to fill any open minutes.

Oh, and leaf raking. Can’t forget that.

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WSU: I can remember writing a story about Toni Pole when he was at Washington State. But I never delved into the personal as deeply as Greg Woods does today in this long piece on Toni’s younger brother Esa’s long journey to Pullman. Football might be the reason, for the journey and the story, but it’s only small part of both. … News happens and Greg has that covered as well. WSU will travel to Colorado State next football season. With that addition, the Cougars need just one more game to finish their schedule. … San Diego State expects to have two injured linebackers available for Washington State. … Jon Wilner delved deeper into the Cougs’ CFP chances today in the S-R. … Elsewhere in the (new and old) Pac-12, the Mountain West and the nation, Wilner tries to explain in the Mercury News why, outside of top-ranked Oregon and, to a much-lesser degree Colorado and Arizona State, the 10 schools that left the Pac-12 have had major struggles in conference play. … He also took a look at ESPN’s Saturday night late-window ratings. They are down. The former Pac-12 schools being scattered throughout the college football ecosystem has to be a part of it. … It’s also our day to pass along picks from Wilner and John Canzano. … Not everyone has a pitcture-perfect college career. One Oregon State player has had the opposite, in fact. But Alton Julian is reveling in his final season. … The Beavers learned once more recruiting never stops. … If Washington wants to return to last-season’s heights, it needs to improve up front. … Illinois’ offense, and its quarterback, have a lot in common with what Oregon has. Will that allow the Illini to stay close to the Ducks? … Colorado is playing well enough a loss this week to Cincinnati would be shocking. … The numbers tell us hardly any Utah loss would be shocking. … USC does have the time-zone advantage in its favor tonight. … UCLA quarterback Ethan Garbers is settling in. … Part of Arizona’s struggles can be traced to the offensive line.  … In the Mountain West, Boise State is looking for its tight end to come up big at UNLV tonight. … How does Hawaii matchup with visiting Nevada? … Wyoming hopes for an offensive spark against Utah State. … San Jose State picked up another volleyball forfeit win as Nevada couldn’t get enough players to participate. … In basketball news, there is a fun Pac-12 item from Theo Lawson in the Gonzaga section below.

Gonzaga: What does adding the Bulldogs’ nationally respected basketball program mean for the other members of the rebuilt Pac-12? Theo asked that question of the new and old Pac-12 schools’ coaches last week. To a man they felt the addition was a key part of the conference’s transformation coming in the fall of 2026.

EWU: Eastern has turned out some great receivers over the past couple decades. Heck, there are two veterans still playing in the NFL. And another prospect, Efton Chism III, on the Eagles’ roster today. But Dan Thompson wondered who is next on the list of standouts? And tried to answer that question in this story. … Cooper Kupp returned and helped the Rams to a win last night.  … Elsewhere in Big Sky football, Idaho State has an excellent kicker. … The win over Eastern was big for UC Davis. … Sacramento State must win out to have playoff hopes. … In basketball news, the Idaho State men had to cancel its exhibition with Western Montana but is holding an open-to-the-public scrimmage instead.

Idaho: Speaking of Chism, he’s had the Vandals attention for years. They know they must corral him to be successful Saturday. Peter Harriman talked with safety Tommy McCormick, who has been facing Chism since coming to Moscow, how the Vandal defense intends to do that.

Preps: There is football tonight. There were other sports last night and there will be State tournaments this weekend. Let’s start with what happened on Thursday. Madison McCord was at Gonzaga Prep’s sweep of Mead in a crucial 4A volleyball match at G-Prep. … Dave Nichols was at ONE Spokane Stadium to document Rogers’ 41-7 football win over East Valley. … And Dave also put together a roundup of the other action. … The State slowpitch tournaments are this weekend. Dave has a preview of them, leading off with Mt. Spokane trying to win consecutive 3A/2A titles.   

Seahawks: The new linebacker is in town. How will the Hawks use Earnest Jones IV? … The coaching staff is using Leslie Frazier’s familiarity with the Bills to get ready.

Mariners: Yes, the Series starts tonight. Are you a Mariner fan? If so, you may not to miss this handy guide of who to hate. … Just kidding. The answer is obvious. The Yankees, of course. Root for the Dodgers. They are not going to win but that’s OK. They are used to falling short.

Kraken: The Kraken game was on when I walked in the door a little after 9 last night. But an early third-period goal by Winnipeg led to a change of channel. And I never got back. Turns out Seattle scored two late goals, tied the game and then, well, lost. In overtime though, so a point was earned against the league’s best team.

Sounders: The big news from Thursday? Brian Schmetzer signed a contract extension. I know this is controversial among the team’s supporters, as I hear about his shortcomings, and the online discussion of them, often from a supporter who we are related to. … The MLS playoffs start tonight, though Seattle doesn’t play its first match against Houston until next week. The league is finally discussing a schedule change that would put it more in line with the top leagues around the world. And allowing the members to spend more money on players. … Should Lionel Messi be the MVP, despite playing in only about half of Miami’s matches?

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• I will not have a column here tomorrow. Sunday? Certainly. I’ll probably be really tired, though. Like anyone else who stays up and watches the Cougars try to spend a productive Saturday night in San Diego. Until later …