Monday Muse

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — The Top 5/Bottom 5 has bumped the Monday Muse off schedule for the remainder of the college football season.

Don't throw a flag.

All that does is provide an extra day for me to string together a collection of unusual and interesting items from the local sports scene, especially now that we’ve reached the mid-way point of the college football season, baseball is roaring toward the World Series and the NBA season is primed to begin.

Let’s begin with Mid-Season Report Cards from the ACC, SEC and Big Ten.

1. Team to Beat

ACC: Clemson — I’ll let you make the case for another ACC team than can beat the Tigers, who have actually been a bit disappointing this season. I can’t. And if you can, you’re just trolling -- or suffering from Clemson fatigue.

SEC: Alabama — Yes, I know that I ranked Louisiana State first in my Top 5 on Monday. Check the schedule. The teams play Nov. 9 — in Nick Saban’s stadium. He’s handled LSU by double figures four straight seasons.

Big Ten: Ohio State. This one is trickier. The unbeaten Buckeyes and unbeaten Wisconsin will play Oct. 26 in Columbus, but likely will play a second time in Indianapolis in the Big Ten title game. The tag line used to be that defense won championships. I’m not certain that’s true any more. So I’ll stick with the Buckeyes.

2. Most Improved

ACC: North Carolina and Louisville (tie). Both are plus-two over last season. Most years I’d give it to North Carolina because in addition to beating South Carolina and Miami, the Tar Heels played Clemson to the wire. But Louisville was such a hopeless embarrassment last season that the Cardinals deserve a ribbon, too, because they’ve played maybe one or two bad quarters in six games and just handled a ranked, unbeaten Wake Forest team on the road.

SEC: If you wrote off Missouri after the Tigers blew a 14-0 lead and lost at Wyoming in their season opener, you should return to the videotape. Missouri has won five straight, including a pair of conference games. And the Tigers should get bowl eligible Saturday against Vanderbilt — before visiting Kentucky.

Big Ten: The numbers say that Minnesota and Nebraska are both plus-3 over last season, but Minnesota has scheduled its way to success and Nebraska just got beat by Minnesota by 27 so the numbers lie. Give me Wisconsin. Over the first six games last season the Badgers allowed 120 points. This season the number is 29.

3. Bust

ACC: Syracuse. When the season started the Orange (No. 22) and Clemson were the only two ACC teams ranked in the AP Poll. After winning 10 games (including a bowl) in 2018, Dino Babers was the Next Great Coach in the ACC. Western Michigan is the best team the Orange have defeated this season. They have been outscored 120-36 in losses to Maryland, Clemson and North Carolina State.

SEC: Vanderbilt. Yes, Kentucky and Ole Miss are also two games behind their mid-season pace of 2018. But check the Vandy (1-5) scoreboard. All five losses have been by at least 18 points. Even the Whistler has gone quiet.

Big Ten: Michigan State. The Spartans are no longer on the same tier with Penn State and Michigan, tucked below Ohio State. Not when their offense has huffed and puffed and scored 17 points in defeats to Arizona State, Ohio State and Wisconsin.

4. Player of the Year

ACC: Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence earned all the Heisman hype and magazine covers prior to the season but he has thrown six interceptions, at least one in four games. So … there’s no frontrunner. The ACC’s leading rusher (A.J. Dillon of Boston College) and leading passer (Jamie Newman of Wake Forest) were both beaten by Louisville. Maybe Clemson halfback Travis Etienne is the guy. Ask me again Satuday night.

SEC: This one will be decided Nov. 9 — Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa or LSU quarterback Joe Burrow.

Big Ten: Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields gets all the publicity but Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford has better numbers.

5. Coach of the Year

ACC: Scott Satterfield, Louisville. He’s already doubled the Cardinals’ win total — and he’s done it with a quarterback who was ranked the No. 1,859 prospect in the country last season and a 5-foot-10 halfback who had eight yards rushing in 2018.

SEC: Ed Orgeron, LSU. The critics didn’t think he could fix the Tigers offense. Call the critics.

Big Ten: Ryan Day, Ohio State. It isn’t supposed to be this easy following a legend.

6. Lamar Mania

Doug Gottlieb is not on the Lamar Jackson Bandwagon, but nobody in Baltimore or Louisville cares. Ravens’ fans cannot get enough of their second-year quarterback, the one who ranks eighth in the NFL in rushing yards (ahead of Mark Ingram) and tied for seventh (with Dak Prescott) in passing touchdowns with 11.

I’ll let Larry Brown Sports tell the story.

7. Will Smith Scores

The Dodgers’ season did not end the way that Will Smith wanted. After ringing up the best record in the National League, Los Angeles was supposed to roll directly into the World Series.

Didn’t happen.

But Smith established himself as an important part of the Dodgers’ talented young core. The baseball world noticed. Baseball America selected its top rookies from the 2019 season.

BA noticed Smith drove in 42 runs — in only 170 at bats. And his defense was marvelous, just as it was at Kentucky Country Day High School and the University of Louisville.

8. Montrezl Makes the Cover

Former Louisville forward Montrezl Harrell has already cashed in on the Clippers’ powerful off-season additions of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.

Take a look at the latest edition of Sports Illustrated, the NBA preview edition.

For the record, Harrell has also cashed in on paydays. He is scheduled to make $6 million this season — the final year of his contract.

9. Baseball Power Ratings

1. Houston Astros — I’m still betting on Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole. Especially Cole.

2. New York Yankees — They’ve been better than the Astros this month. Will they remain better over the next five games?

3. Washington Nationals — Bryce who?

4. St. Louis Cardinals — They need to ask Santa Claus for a right fielder, third baseman and another starting pitcher.

5. Los Angeles Dodgers — Somebody check to see if Clayton Kershaw is still sitting in the dugout, please.

10. Tweet of the Week

No additional commentary necessary.

Copyright 2019 WDRB Media. All rights reserved.