As we flip the calendar to November, this is arguably the busiest time of the year in the sports world. That means that today’s column presents a real challenge for yours truly, which may evolve into a futile attempt to delve into numerous sports happenings without typing so many words that it won’t fit in the newspaper.

Hoping the Jays ended it last night

Since this is being banged out on the keyboard before Friday night’s Game 6 of the World Series, I cannot tell you whether or not the Toronto Blue Jays were able to dispose of the Los Angeles Dodgers. All I can say is I certainly hope so; it isn’t that I have a hatred against the Dodgers, but I do admit to having a tendency of pulling for the underdog.

LA entered the Fall Classic as the decided favorite, given their postseason experience, superior starting pitching, and a potent offensive attack. The Jays weren’t given much hope of dethroning the defending world champions, but after Wednesday’s 6-1 win, led by a rookie pitcher who was a complete unknown a few months ago, they took a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven event.

The rabid Toronto fans may blow the roof off the Rogers Centre when or if they can finish off the improbable task. On Friday, the Blue Jays were sending former Cincinnati Red Kevin Gausman to the mound, with LA countering with Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who has been on a tear during the playoffs. That means that the Dodgers were again favored and expected to send the series to a Game 7 on Saturday night. If that occurs, LA will likely remain the betting favorite, but these Blue Jays are a resilient and determined bunch, eh?

Reds dealing with key offseason decisions

There has been some scuttlebutt in recent days that the Cincinnati Reds may be willing to part with pitcher Hunter Greene in an effort to improve a definite team need, perhaps a bat or two with some pop.

When healthy – which is an ongoing issue for Greene – he is one of the most dominant arms in baseball.

The Reds appear to have a deep enough pitching staff that trading Greene would not greatly affect them, and the timing may be right to make the move. His contract is affordable and attractive to possible suiters, but getting the right return will be critical for Cincinnati.

The Reds have several other obvious needs, making this an extremely important offseason for the front office. The club must also decide if Elly De La Cruz remain at shortstop, or be moved to where I feel he should be playing, center field. If that occurs, the next decision would be who moves to shortstop, and finding out if Edwin Arroyo is ready in the spring. He is already a better defender than EDLC, but his bat is still a question mark.

Improving the bullpen is always a priority, and putting together a more productive bench would be advisable.

Wildcats looking to halt losing streak

It is far from one of the most anticipated college football matchups in the country, but the Kentucky at Auburn clash has a couple of intriguing storylines. The most obvious one is the game pits a pair of head coaches who are not only trying to get a conference win, but may also be fighting to keep their jobs.

In the interest of keeping this particular blurb brief, I’m picking Mark Stoops to end the Wildcats’ 10-game SEC losing streak, and get a much-needed victory upsetting Hugh Freeze and his Tigers.

Big test awaits Bearcats

The 17th-ranked Cincinnati Bearcats can take a huge step at receiving positive national publicity with a win at 24th-ranked Utah this evening in Salt Lake City. The oddsmakers have established the home team as 10.5-point favorites in the first-ever meeting between the two schools. UC will be seeking its eighth consecutive win and stay atop the Big 12 standings, but the home team has a definite edge.

The Bearcats will be without their leading rusher due to an injury, Evan Pryor, while the Utes are getting back highly regarded quarterback

Devon Dampier. That means that the Cincinnati defense will be the key to pulling off the upset. If UC quarterback Brendan Sorsby can direct the offense the way he’s done so far this season, the Bearcats have a legit shot. It’s a tough place to win on the road, so grudgingly I’m picking Utah 27-20.

Week 10 CFB matchup of the week

There isn’t a ton of intriguing college football games on the agenda this week, but one is taking place in Austin, Texas. That’s where the ninth-ranked Vanderbilt Commodores will be taking on No. 20 Texas, with kickoff slated for high noon.

It’s difficult to get a good reading on this one, since Longhorns QB Arch Manning is questionable, although his backup, Troy transfer Matthew Caldwell is more than capable. The ‘Dores will be led by their do-it-all quarterback Diego Pavia, who has helped to transform Vandy from an SEC doormat to a College Football Playoff contender.

Look for Vanderbilt to continue to prove the doubters wrong and pull off another huge win for their rejuvenated program. My guess? Commodores 21, Longhorns 17

No time to panic for Kentucky hoops fans

Following an excellent showing against Purdue, the nation’s top-ranked team in the preseason last week, the Kentucky Wildcats came crashing back to earth Thursday night at Rupp Arena. To be fair, the home team played shorthanded, with likely starting guards Jaland Lowe and Denzel Aberdeen out with minor injuries. Highly touted Arizona State transfer Jaydan Quaintance is also sidelined for an extended period of time.

The result, an 84-70 loss to Georgetown, exposed several possible weaknesses for head coach Mark Pope and his squad. The team did not shoot well from the perimeter – 7-for-30 from 3-point land — and it remains to be seen who will step up from beyond the arc this season. The team defense, seen as a strength against the overrated Boilermakers, had trouble with Georgetown’s physicality.

What must be remembered is that this game, just like the win over Purdue, was an exhibition, and it is still early, early, early. Pope and his

staff will be looking to correct the team’s perceived shortcomings in the days and weeks ahead, and Kentucky fans need to practice patience with this group. They’ll be just fine.

Loaded field featured in Breeders’ Cup Classic

Horse racing’s richest purse ($7 million) is up for grabs in this evening’s Breeders’ Cup Classic at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in sunny California.

The race is being touted as one of the best in recent history, despite Kentucky Derby winner and pre-race favorite Sovereignty having to be scratched due to a fever. The new best bet will likely be Sierra Leone, which is looking to repeat as the BC Classic Champ. He will face a field of impressive challengers, including Preakness winner Journalism, Fierceness, Forever Young, Mindframe, Baeza, and Antiquarian. Nevada Beach and Contrary Thinking are seen as the race’s only real longshots.

The Breeders’ Cup Classic is open to thoroughbreds three years old and older, and is considered the highlight of the event. The weekend features the top trainers, jockeys, and thoroughbreds in the world, and consists of 14 races totaling more than $34 million in purses.

Bengals hosting banged up Bears

After last week’s fiasco at Paycor Stadium, expect the Cincinnati Bengals to rebound when the Chicago Bears invade the Queen City. Even though it’s still up in air on whether Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco plays on Sunday afternoon, this observer feels that Jake Browning can step in and get the job done against a Bears team that is battling a multitude of injuries.

It was surprising to see Chicago tabbed as the favorite in this one by the oddsmakers, but the reasoning could be that the Cincy defense is so horrendous that they gave the Bears the nod. Despite that, this old guy is picking the Bengals to escape with a 27-24 victory.

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“November is the most disagreeable month in the whole year.” – Louisa May Alcott

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“I am not the editor of a newspaper and shall always try to do right and be good so that God will not make me one.” – Mark Twain