Jackson Free Press

In a long e-mail to supporters, Elizabeth Warren outlined the positions that Democrats will stake out in opposition to and in support of potential policies put forth by a President Trump.

Gov. Phil Bryant isn't sending his resume to Washington D.C. to work in the Trump administration just yet, but he told reporters today that the offer would be "hard to say no to."

"Of course, I’ve got the best job in the world, and I love being governor, and I do not expect to receive that phone call," Bryant said. "I played a minor part actually in the grand scheme of things but we will see what the president has to say. It’s not something I'll be applying for, my resume will stay in the drawer."

Bryant was hesitant to speculate too much about a possible role, but pointed to past offers he's taken.

"I just can’t say just now (whether I’d consider it) because I’ve been called by a governor and asked to take an appointment," he said. "Governors and presidents are hard to say no to, and I would say that this one would be particularly hard to say no to."

When asked about the agricultural or energy departments, Bryant discussed agriculture.

"Agriculture is near and dear to my heart, being a young man from Sunflower County whose grandparents grew up in a difficult time farming land that belonged to other people, so any way I could help farmers and agriculture in this country, I would be willing to do so if asked, but again, I think it’s something that just won’t happen."

Bryant also said that First Lady Deborah Bryant would have to give the okay as well.

"That’s the other thing, he’d have to convince her (First Lady Deborah Bryant), and I’m not sure that even Donald Trump’s that good."

Last week, the New Orleans Saints’ game against the San Francisco 49ers, might have been the perfect time for running back Mark Ingram to get out of head coach Sean Payton’s dog house. Ingram got benched after fumbling in back-to-back games.

He fumbled against the Kansas City Chiefs and the Seattle Seahawks, and his fumble against the Seahawks got him benched for the rest of the game. The sit-down must have gotten through to him, as he ran for 158 yards on 15 carries with a touchdown in the 49ers game.

On the longest run of his NFL career, Ingram ran 75 yards to paydirt to earn a game ball for his play. He also added another touchdown off a pass from quarterback Drew Brees.

Getting Ingram back on track is important this week for New Orleans, as the Saints host defending Super Bowl champions the Denver Broncos.

On Sunday Night Football, the Oakland Raiders rushed for 218 yards against Denver for a 30-20 win. The week before, San Diego found room to run against the Broncos, as they ran for 123 yards as a team.

New Orleans rushed for 248 yards as a team against the 49ers, with running back Tim Hightower running for 87 yards on 23 carries. The rushing attack made it easy for the Saints to be balanced on offense. Brees threw for 323 yards and three touchdowns.

Oakland was able to control the clock by leading the time of possession 40:28 to 18:32. New Orleans won the time of possession against San Francisco 38:53 to 21:07.

Ingram and Hightower need to combine for a big game against Denver. The Broncos are the best defense in the NFL against the pass this season.

Denver only allows 5.7 yards per pass, a passer rating of 67.2 and just 183 passing yards per game, and has 28 sacks this season. Against the run, the Broncos are 29th in the league, as the defense allows 128.6 yards per game.

New Orleans has the 16th best rushing attack in the NFL at 108.1 yards per game. The Saints are the best passing offense in the league at 326 yards per game.

The Broncos have the 25th best passing offense at 227 yards per game and the 23rd best rushing attack at 96.8 yards per game. New Orleans is last in the league, as it allows 300 passing yards per game, but is 19th against the run, allowing 108.5 yards per game.

If the Saints can run the ball, it makes the Broncos’ pass rushers have to work harder during the game. New Orleans can wear out those pass rushers with the physical play of a rushing attack.

Denver would like teams to pass against them so they can unleash their pass rush, but last season was better at stopping the run. In the Super …

This season isn’t what fans, players or coaches had hoped for the University of Mississippi football team. It has been a rough campaign for this team since it kicked off the season against Florida State University.

The Rebels have blown leads in the second half against FSU and the University of Alabama. The team suffered a three-game losing streak to the University of Arkansas, Louisiana State University and Auburn University.

Just as things couldn’t get worse for the Rebels, the team suffered a pyrrhic victory against Georgia Southern University. In the 37-27 comeback, UM quarterback Chad Kelly tore his ACL and lateral meniscus.

The injury will sideline the senior for the rest of this season and will have short- and long-term ramifications for the parties involved.

In the short term, the Rebels need two more wins in the last three games to become bowl eligible. Now, it seems like that mission just got even harder to accomplish.

This weekend, UM travels to Texas A&M University. The Aggies might be without their starting quarterback, as well, because Trevor Knight injured his shoulder in a loss to Mississippi State University.

Texas A&M is a better team when Knight is on the field, but his backup, Jake Hubenak, went 11 for 17 for 222 yards with two touchdowns and an interception in relief. On the other hand, UM backup Jason Pellerin went one for five, passing for 19 yards with an interception, and rushed for 29 yards on four carries.

Hubenak gets to play his first start—if he has to start—at home, and Pellerin will make the start in a hostile road environment. UM does have the option of taking the redshirt off highly touted quarterback recruit Shea Patterson.

At this point in the season, no change at quarterback is a great option. Still, the Rebels will have to make a decision quickly.

After Texas A&M, UM hits the road again to face a tough Vanderbilt University. The Commodores are in need of two wins to become bowl eligible, as well.

Of course the Rebels regular season ends at home against MSU. Both teams need two wins to get to six wins, and this game could be a winner-goes-bowling game.

In the short term, UM will struggle without Kelly but should be fine down the road with Patterson at quarterback. Getting to a bowl this season will help whoever starts at quarterback for the rest of the season with the extra practice time for the postseason game.

Long term, this injury might hurt Kelly’s draft status. The injury he suffered normally requires four to seven months of recovery time.

That means Kelly will miss any bowl game and any postseason All-Star games such as the Senior Bowl, the NFL Combine and the Rebels Pro Day. Kelly doesn’t get any more chances on film to impress scouts with his abilities.

CBSSports.com …

Nov. 8 is Election Day. Here are some tips, tricks and (most importantly) voter laws in Mississippi to remember tomorrow (via the Secretary of State):

·Polling Place Hours: Polling places are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. A voter is permitted to cast a ballot if he or she is standing in line at 7 p.m.

·Polling Place Locations: A voter can visit the Secretary of State’s Polling Place Locator to find out the address of the location where he or she is required to cast a ballot. Voter registration cards also list polling locations. Additionally, your Circuit Clerk’s Office can provide assistance.

·Voter ID: Voters are required to show photo identification at the polls. Acceptable photo identification includes a driver’s license; state or federal government-issued photo ID; U.S. passport; firearms license; student photo ID from an accredited Mississippi college, university, or junior and community college; U.S. military ID; tribal photo ID; or free Mississippi Voter ID card. A voter without proper identification will be allowed to cast an affidavit ballot. An affidavit ballot is counted if the voter provides proper identification to the Circuit Clerk or obtains a free Mississippi Voter ID card within five business days (November 16, 2016) after the election. For more information, visit www.MSVoterID.ms.gov.

·Campaigning: It is unlawful to campaign for any candidate or party within 150 feet of a polling place, unless on private property.

·Loitering: It is unlawful for any person to loiter within 30 feet of a polling place, including within a polling place. Voters should please leave the polling place after voting.

·Privacy: A voter is not permitted to show his or her marked ballot to any other person.

·Poll Watchers: Parties are permitted two credentialed poll watchers in each polling place, and candidates are permitted one credentialed poll watcher. Individuals not authorized as a credentialed poll watcher by a party or a candidate will not be permitted to observe or loiter inside the polling place. Circuit clerks, election commissioners, pollworkers, and authorized observers are also permitted to remain in polling places.

·Observers: The Secretary of State’s Office will have observers at polling places in at least 32 counties throughout the State. The Attorney General’s Office will also have observers stationed throughout the State. Observers do not have the authority to rectify any problems arising at the polls, but they can contact the Secretary of State’s Office and any relevant local election official, District Attorney, or law enforcement official.

·Write-In Votes: Write-in votes are only counted in the event of the death, resignation, withdrawal, or removal of any candidate whose name was printed on the official ballot.

Former Mississippi State Athletic Director Scott Stricklin recently left the program to take the same position at the University of Florida. But MSU didn’t have to look to far to find its new athletic director: The university gave current head baseball coach John Cohen for the job.

Cohen is the 17th athletic director in Mississippi State history. He is a two-time SEC Coach of the Year, once at the University of Kentucky and once at MSU, for his work as the baseball coach.

MSU hired Cohen as head baseball coach in 2009, and since then, the team has won 284 games. He has seen 135 Bulldogs get selected in the MLB Draft. Two of his assistants, Nick Mingione and Butch Thompson, have become head coaches at the University of Kentucky and Auburn University.

In his eight years leading the MSU program, Cohen built a 284-203-1 record. Last season, he led the Bulldogs to a 44-18-1 record, and MSU went from worst to first after the program posted a 24-30 season the previous year.

The Tuscaloosa, Ala., native played at MSU and was a part of the Bulldogs’ 1989 SEC Championship team and 1990 College World Series team. He graduated from the University with a bachelor’s degree in English in 1990.

Cohen received a master’s degree in sports management from the University of Missouri in 1994. He spent six seasons as a graduate assistant and coach with the Tigers before taking the head coaching job at Northwestern State University from 1998 to 2001.

While at Northwestern State, Cohen built a 146-84 record before becoming an assistant coach at the University of Florida from 2002 to 2003. He left Florida to take over at the University of Kentucky.

Cohen finished his time with the Wildcats with a 175-112-1 record from 2004 to 2008.

During his time and MSU and Kentucky, he led seven teams to NCAA Regionals.

In 2013 Cohen led the Bulldogs to one of the best seasons in MSU history with a 51-20 record, and the Bulldogs reached the College World Series finals before falling to the University of California at Los Angeles.

Cohen has been a coach in the SEC for 13 seasons and has coached in the conference for 15 years overall. In July, he was named associate athletic director, along with his duties as head baseball coach.

While head coach at MSU, Cohen has helped the athletic program raise funds to upgrade Dudy Noble Field. The upgrades make the baseball stadium one of the best in the country.

Lake Charles, La.’s American Press newspaper has reported that current LSU assistant coach Andy Cannizaro is the new head baseball coach at MSU. Cannizaro joined the LSU coaching staff in 2014, when he began his coaching career.

Cohen is the third former coach to become athletic director at a SEC school. He joins Skip Berkman, the athletic director at LSU, and Ray …

It seems like the 2016 sports world is following the same script as late 1997.

That year, the NFL featured two ties in back-to-back weeks. The Philadelphia Eagles and the Baltimore Ravens ended in a 10-10 tie in week 12, and the Washington Redskins and the New York Giants ended in a 7-7 tie in week 13.

This year, the Arizona Cardinals and Seattle Seahawks ended in a 6-6 tie in week seven, and the Cincinnati Bengals and the Washington Redskins ended in a 27-27 tie in London, England. It seems interesting that the Redskins would be involved in both years.

Just like this year, 1997 featured a great World Series between the Cleveland Indians and the Florida Marlins. That series went back and forth, with both teams battling to win a title.

The 1997 World Series came down to game seven, when the Florida Marlins were able to prevail 3-2 after 11 innings. It was the first World Series title for the Marlins in franchise history.

Unless you’re living under a rock, you know this year’s World Series featured the Indians against the Chicago Cubs. Cleveland jumped out to a 3-1 series lead and seemed ready to break a 68-year title drought.

Chicago won two straight games, forcing a game seven. The Cubs jumped out to a 5-1 lead heading into the bottom of the fifth inning.

Cleveland battled back and cut the Chicago lead to 5-3 after five innings. The Cubs then scored another run in the top of the sixth inning and went up to 6-3.

They were four outs away from a title in the bottom of the eighth inning. Cleveland scored three runs with two outs and tied the game 6-6 at the top of the ninth.

Neither team scored at that time, so the game headed to extra innings. Then the rain began to fall. Both teams were forced to wait through an 18-minute rain delay before the game restarted.

Chicago scored two runs in the top of the 10th inning and took an 8-6 lead and needed three outs to win. The Indians didn’t go quietly into the night, as Cleveland scored a run with two outs, cutting the lead to 8-7.

Cleveland hit a ground out to end the game and gave the Cubs a World Series victory for the first time in 108 years. It was the first title for the Cubs since 1908, when the franchise had won the second of back-to-back titles.

Just like the Redskins in the NFL, the spirit of 1997 swept up the Indians.

Way back in 1997, Louisiana State University hosted the number one team in the nation, but that year it was the University of Florida. This Saturday, Nov. 5, Louisiana State University hosts the No. 1 team in the nation now, which is the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Could the No. 1 team in …

Making the leap from national to international touring is rough for musicians, and after new fees from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services take effect Dec. 23, it may get much more difficult for artists coming into the United States.

On Oct. 24, the USCIS announced that fees for many immigration applications and petitions will be increasing for the first time since November 2010, in order to cover the costs of USCIS services, such as fraud detection, case processing and national security measures.

One immigration benefit request that the increase will affect is I-129/129CW, the "Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker," which includes "artists or entertainers, either an individual or group, to perform, teach or coach under a program that is culturally unique," and "persons with extraordinary ability in ... arts," among other fields.

At face value, raising the I-129 fee from $325 to $460 isn't so great a leap, but when one considers that this fee applies to every band member and person that the band employs, the cost certainly adds up. The increase will also affect bands of all sizes in different ways, of course.

For example, say there are two bands performing in Jackson: Band A, which is moderately successful stateside and plays at a larger venue such as Thalia Mara Hall, and Band B, which is perhaps newer to international touring and plays at smaller venues such as Martin's Restaurant & Bar.

The fees may seem like less of a hit to Band A, but larger audiences also mean larger expenses. These acts tend to have more musicians onstage and have their own sound engineers, lighting engineers and other employees to boost the quality and value of a live show. That means either the band sheds crew members or shells out the $460 fee for each person.

Meanwhile, the less-well-known Band B won't be much better off. Even with a smaller crew and fewer members, the group still has those fees to tend with on top of regular touring expenses and smaller payments per show.

It's worth noting that record labels tend to provide some financial backing for their artists. However, that's less common among independent labels, and a large majority of touring acts are self-supporting.

For some foreign artists, the fee increase will undoubtedly mean that, come 2017, touring in the United States will no longer be tenable.

The City of Jackson ordered a precautionary boil-water notice for some streets in Eastover affected by low water pressure.

The New Orleans Saints won a game that might turn their fortunes around this season after using their rushing attack and a late defensive stand to defeat the Seattle Seahawks on Oct. 30.

There will be more talk about Seattle’s failure to close out the Saints than New Orleans’ win. Many fans and sports analysts expected the Seahawks to be one of the best teams in the league and in the race to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl.

Most people expected New Orleans to be an offensive juggernaut again but to come up short on defense. While that script has played out at times this year, the Saints’ defense has shown growth as the season has gone along.

The Saints’ defense sparked a comeback over the San Diego Chargers to get their first win of the season and racked up stops against the Carolina Panthers in the team's second win.

On defense, New Orleans has done enough to win games since beating the Chargers, even if it didn’t always go so well on the other side of the ball. For instance, on Oct. 23, the Kansas City Chiefs used two Saints turnovers to get past New Orleans with a pick-six early and a forced fumble late. Those turnovers cost the Saints a chance at a win.

Against Seattle, the Saints ran the ball 35 times for 123 yards, and New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees attempted 35 passes. It was a balanced attack for the Saints. New Orleans also saw running back Mark Ingram return a fumble for a touchdown but still end up in the doghouse since he fumbled for a second week in a row. The Saints trailed most of the game but only gave up 13 points on defense.

The Saints are now 20th in total defense instead of sitting at the complete bottom of the standings. They’re turning things around despite several key players still being out due to injuries.

This week, New Orleans travels to face the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, Nov. 6. As the once-division rivals clash, this could be the game where the Saints reach .500, but can they keep pushing upward?

The Saints follow up the 49ers with a home game against the 6-2 Denver Broncos on Nov. 13. This will be a tough game to win but not impossible if the Superdome is truly returning to the home-field advantage that opposing teams once feared.

New Orleans finishes the season with seven winnable games: the 2-5 Carolina Panthers, the 3-4 LA Rams, the 4-4 Detroit Lions, the 3-4 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the 3-4 Arizona Cardinals, Tampa again and the 5-3 Atlanta Falcons to end the season. That is just two teams at or above .500 at this moment for the rest of the season. There is nothing left on the schedule that should be impossible for this team to win.

There is no question whether …

When the first College Football Playoff rankings are released on Nov. 1, the University of Alabama is going to be the top team. The Crimson Tide have rarely been challenged this season, as they have steamrolled most of their foes.

Alabama is just one of 12 teams that is still alive for the playoffs. These 12 teams from the major conferences are either undefeated or have just one loss as the season moves into the final month.

Joining Alabama as the only undefeated teams are the University of Clemson, Baylor University, West Virginia University, University of Michigan, University of Nebraska and the University of Washington.

Boise State University and Western Michigan University are also undefeated but face a nearly impossible hill to climb to get into the playoff. Both are in contention for a New Year’s Six bowl, along with one-loss teams the United States Naval Academy, San Diego State University and Troy University.

A second tier of teams are the one-loss teams from the major conferences, including the University of Louisville, Ohio State University, University of Utah, Texas A&M University and the University of Florida.

There isn’t a team left alive in the playoff field that doesn’t have some obstacles in its way. Beginning with the SEC, here are the chances of the ones still left.

Alabama must get past Louisiana State University, Auburn University and the winner of the SEC East gets the Tide in the SEC Championship Game. While there are some roadblocks, Alabama has a good chance of finishing undefeated.

Texas A&M finishes the season with tough games against the University of Mississippi, LSU and Alabama. If the Aggies can run the rest of the table, and other conferences have mayhem, they have a chance to get in the playoff anyway.

Florida would be the biggest longshot out of the three SEC teams. The Gators have the University of Georgia, LSU, Florida State University and whoever wins the SEC West. This team will more than likely slip again along the way.

Washington is the last unbeaten team in the Pac-12 and still has plenty of hurdles. The Huskies face Utah this weekend, and then the University of Southern California, Washington State University and the conference title game. This team will be playoff worthy if it can get past this slate.

Utah is the only other Pac-12 team still alive. If the Utes fall to Washington, their playoff hopes are gone. Beyond Washington, Utah just has the University of Colorado and the conference championship game. This is an all or nothing weekend for this team.

The Big Ten is simple for Michigan: get past Ohio State in the season finale and the championship game. It is an easy schedule for the Wolverines until they meet the OSU in a major showdown.

Nebraska is also undefeated in the Big Ten but wouldn’t face Michigan until the conference title game. Just to set up a potential matchup …

In his final season with Jackson State University, defensive end/linebacker Javancy Jones is happy to still have a chance playing in the SWAC Championship Game. The Tigers are tied with Alcorn State University, with their homecoming game against Prairie View A&M University taking place this Saturday, Oct. 29.

Jones suffered a hyper-extended knee early in JSU’s game against Grambling State University on Sept. 17. He missed most of that game and the Tigers’ matchup against the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff in the following week.

Even after missing nearly two full games due to injury, Jones has proven once again that he is one of the best defenders in the SWAC. He is 10th place in tackles with 41 total and 23 solo, ninth place in sacks with three, third place in tackles for a loss with 13 total, and tied for fourth place in forced fumbles with two.

This hasn’t been the perfect senior season for Jones. Beyond needing to overcome an injury, he is also trying to be there for his family while his mother deals with an illness.

Jones missed practice time right before JSU opened the season against the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. “I was ready physically because of the work I put in the offseason, but mentally, it has been work with my mother being sick,” Jones told the Jackson Free Press.

At the same time, he says has enjoyed seeing the improvements that the Tigers have made as the season has gone on. “JSU is in great hand with this new coaching staff,” Jones says. “The future looks bright, and I’m glad I get to be a part of the beginning.”

With this week’s game at the center of homecoming week, Jones says he talked to his teammates about staying focused on their matchup against Prairie View.

“I’ve told the guys to remember that we are the main attraction this weekend,” he says. “We needed to remember it is OK to have fun, but get home early and get rest for Saturday.”

Despite being a senior, this will actually be Jones’ third homecoming game, as Grambling State didn’t show up for his freshman homecoming game due to a team protest over athletic department conditions.

“I didn’t get a homecoming game my freshman year, so I don’t know what the younger guys are going through exactly, but I’m going to enjoy my last homecoming just a little,” he jokes.

Every team, coach and player says they take the season one week at a time, but a potential showdown with Alcorn State for the East Division title on Nov. 19 is intriguing for JSU, as that game could mean a berth in the SWAC Championship Game.

“It doesn’t matter if that game is for the division title or not,” Jones says. “My freshman year, we were in the championship game no matter the outcome, and they beat us, and the next year they were in no …

Sunday Night Football should see an increase in ratings this week when the Dallas Cowboys host the Philadelphia Eagles. The rating should be helped with the Cowboys alone, who produce a strong reaction in nearly every NFL fan.

The game should also get a boost from two rookie quarterbacks: Dak Prescott, who is still at the helm for the Cowboys, and Philadelphia Eagles feature quarterback Carson Wentz.

Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo didn’t return to practice today, but he was on the field throwing the ball to teammates. Romo won’t be back this week, but Dallas is going to have to answer the question sooner or later about the team’s quarterback situation.

Head coach Jason Garrett knows which way the locker room is leaning, and that should help guide him to his decision. There is no reason to announce to the rest of the league what will happen when Romo is fully healthy, but he needs to have a plan in place to avoid a quarterback controversy.

But the Romo-Prescott problem is for another week. This week, it’s the quarterback drafted second overall against a fourth-round quarterback.

Before the preseason, it seemed highly unlikely that Wentz and Prescott would be starting for their respective teams. Even more unlikely is that both quarterbacks have a combined 9-3 record.

Rookie quarterbacks aren’t supposed to be this successful this fast. Instead, Prescott has the 5-1 Cowboys on a five-game winning streak coming off their bye week. Wentz has the Eagles at 4-2, and the team beating the Vikings last week ended a two game losing streak.

Both quarterbacks have very similar numbers, but Prescott has been better. He has thrown for 1,486 yards with eight touchdowns and one interception. Wentz has thrown for 1,324 yards with eight touchdowns and three interceptions.

Prescott is completing 68.7 percent of his passes with a 103.9 passer rating, and Wentz is competing 63.8 percent of his passes with a 92.7 passer rating. Prescott is averaging 8.2 yards per pass, and Wentz is averaging 7.2 yards per pass.

Even when needing to use their legs, Prescott has been better. The Cowboys rookie has 20 rushes for 67 yards and three touchdowns, but Wentz has 43 yards on 18 carries and zero touchdowns rushing.

Both quarterbacks must work on protecting the ball in the pocket and rushing. Prescott has four fumbles, and Wentz has six this season. Wentz has been sacked 12 times for a loss of 60 yards, and Prescott has been sacked nine times for a loss of 44 yards.

In fact, the Cowboys’ fourth-round draft pick has out-played most of the quarterbacks in the NFL.

Prescott is second in the NFL in completion percentage at 68.7 percent and trails only Tom Brady. He is fifth in yards per pass attempt at 8.7 yards, with Brady, Matt Ryan, Andy Dalton and Philip Rivers ahead of him.

Among quarterbacks …

College football is heading into its home stretch as October fades into November. It is time once again to look into the bowl and SWAC East hopes for Mississippi teams.

This season has featured more bad than good, with just one team that has a winning record at this point in the season: the University of Southern Mississippi. At 4-3, the team comes off a bye week with a winning record.

Delta State University, at 4-4, and Alcorn State University, at 3-3, are the only teams that currently even boast a .500 record. The University of Mississippi (3-4), Jackson State University (3-4), Mississippi State University (2-5), Millsaps College (2-5), Mississippi College (2-6), Belhaven University (1-6) and Mississippi Valley State University (0-8) all have losing records.

Things aren’t looking good for the teams in our state. Time is running out for a dramatic turnaround, and for most teams, even a turnaround won’t earn them a winning season.

Even as bad as things are right now, Mississippi teams still have hopes of a bowl or SWAC Championship Game berth. Here is a quick look at those hopes for five teams.

Mississippi State is still mathematically alive to reach a bowl game. The Bulldogs should get a win this week against Samford and reach 3-5 on the season.

MSU has to be kicking itself for missing a field goal in a loss to the University of South Alabama, a late rally against Louisiana State University, an overtime loss to Brigham Young University and leaving too much time on the clock so the University of Kentucky to make a game-winning field goal.

If a few of those four losses had gone the other way, the Bulldogs would be playing for six wins this weekend or already have six wins. Discounting a blowout loss to Auburn University, MSU has four losses by a combined 13 points.

Even if they win this weekend, the trouble for the Bulldogs is finding three more wins. MSU’s schedule over the last four weeks is home games against Texas A&M University (6-1) and the University of Arkansas (5-3) with road trips to the University of Alabama (8-0) and UM in between the home games.

It seems impossible to find three more wins in those four games. MSU would have to upset three teams just to make a bowl game.

While still alive, the reality is the Bulldogs’ bowl streak ends this year. It could have gone differently for MSU, but close losses doomed this team.

The schedule looks a little better for the Rebels, even with two straight losses to Arkansas and LSU. They still have to win three more games to reach a bowl game, but they have opportunities to get there with the remaining games.

UM faces an Auburn team that has found its lost offense. The Tigers look like a tough game to win …

The 2016 World Series is set to begin with game one on Tuesday, Oct. 25. When the first pitch is thrown, one thing might already be set in stone: No matter the outcome of this World Series,

three men have earned their place in Cooperstown. With the tough requirements for entering the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, that might sound strange.

These three men are Chicago Cubs President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein, Cleveland Indians Manager Terry Francona and Cubs Manager Joe Maddon. People might argue against Maddon, but it is hard to argue against Epstein and Francona.

The Boston Red Sox hired Epstein in 2002 as general manager, which made the 28-year-old the youngest general manager in MLB history. Two years later, the team he put together finally broke the “Curse of the Bambino” that plagued the Red Sox.

That 2004 Boston team came back from a 0-3 deficit to the New York Yankees and won the American League Championship Series. The Red Sox swept the St. Louis Cardinals and won their first World Series since 1918.

Epstein signed and brokered the trades that brought some of the biggest pieces to the Red Sox, setting up the 2004 World Series teams. He brought a second World Series to Boston in 2007 when the Red Sox beat the Colorado Rockies 4-0.

The Chicago Cubs hired Epstein to be the president in 2011. That set in motion the Cubs’ trip to the World Series this season. If the Cubs win this series, he has a chance to be a part of two organizations that broke long title droughts.

But even if the Cubs lose, Epstein should still get into the baseball Hall of Fame as quickly as the rules allow. The work he has done with Boston and Chicago are unprecedented.

One of Epstein’s biggest hires with the Red Sox was manager Terry Francona. He hired him after Boston had lost to the Yankees in the 2003 ALCS.

With the hopes of a whole city weighing on each player and coach every single season, it is hard to get everyone on the same page in such a short of amount of time. Francona worked magic in the 2004 and 2007 World Series wins for the Red Sox.

In 2011, the Red Sox decided not to pick up his option for the 2012 season. Francona resurfaced in 2013 as the manager of the Cleveland Indians.

He led the Indians to the AL Wild Card in his first season before Cleveland took a step back in the 2014 and 2015 seasons. He righted the ship this season, and the Indians reached the World Series.

Like Epstein, Francona has the chance to reverse the fortunes of two long-suffering franchises. If the Indians win, he should be added to the Hall of Fame as quickly as possible, but he should get in win or lose.

Maddon is best known for his …

This has been one of the best MLB postseasons in a long time. That should mean things are setting up for one of the best World Series in a long time.

Game one of the World Series will be on Tuesday, Oct. 25, and fans have something special to do instead of just sitting on the couch and watching: The Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum is holding a game one viewing party. But at the event, you can do more than just watch the Fall Classic on the big screen and mingle with other fans.

Former and current MLB players will be on hand before the game starts. Fans will be able to ask questions and get autographs with a great lineup.

Players scheduled to appear are 2017 Hall of Fame inductee pitcher Jay Powell, who won game seven of the 1997 World Series; 2010 Hall of Fame inductee Jeff Brantley, who pitched in the 1989 World Series that saw an earthquake hit before the start of game three; current St. Louis Cardinals third base coach Chris Maloney, who played at Mississippi State University; former University of Mississippi and New York Yankees player Jake Gibbs, who is in the College football Hall of Fame; former UM great Joe Gibbon, who won the 1960 World Series with the Pittsburgh Pirates; former University of Southern Mississippi great, who currently is managing in the minor leagues; former USM pitcher Chad Bradford, who was a major focus of the book and later film “Moneyball”; and former Delta State University star Barry Lyons, who played for the New York Mets.

Other players will be added as their schedule makes them available.

The doors will open at 5:30 p.m. with a barbecue dinner, and players will come out at 6:30 before the game starts. Players will discuss their playing days in the majors, answer questions and discuss game one of the World Series.

All proceeds from this event will benefit the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum. Tickets for the viewing party begin at $50 and must be purchased in advance.

To buy them, go by the museum office or at this link. For more information about this event, call 601-982-8264.

There has been plenty of talk this week about the state of TV ratings for NFL games. Currently, the league is experiencing a dip of 10 to 11 percent in the ratings from the previous season.

Everyone is speculating what is causing the ratings to drop, but there is no magical answer to the decline in viewership.

But here are my reasons, from smallest to biggest.

6. Scandals

It seems like the scandals never end in the NFL—Bountygate, Conclusions, Deflategate, domestic violence by players, and so on and so forth.

It wouldn’t be surprising to see fans stop tuning in because they are tired of hearing about a different scandal each week. After a while, everyone gets fed up with the constant, never-ending negative news coming out of the league.

These fans will probably return around the playoffs as long as another giant scandal doesn’t grip the league for the rest of the season. If the scandals keep up, these fans could find something else to watch.

5. Anthem Protest

Just look on Facebook or other social media sites, and you will see articles on folks protesting the protesters in the NFL.

Since players started kneeling during the national anthem, fans have supported and criticized the players involved. Those who dislike the protest have decided not to watch.

Casual fans and those who don’t follow a team regularly are probably the ones more likely to not watch because of the anthem protests. Hardcore Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers, Pittsburgh Steelers and other national-team fans are going to tune in each week.

These fans will come back at some point, but they will probably not watch while they are mad at the players. Few people are that upset over the players to not watch at all, so in reality, this could make up a small number of viewer loss.

4. MLB Playoffs

The ratings for the MLB playoffs are up this year. Why? Because fans have strong interest in the teams still alive this postseason.

They want to see if the Chicago Cubs can break their curse and win their first World Series since 1908. They want to see if the Cleveland Indians can win their first World Series since 1948.

With the playoff games on TBS, MLB Network and FS1, fans are finding channels they don’t normally tune into and watching this postseason.

MLB’s postseason is going to steal more casual fans from NFL games. Everyone wants to see something they have never seen before, and a ton of people have never seen a Cubs or Indians team win the World Series.

These fans will return to football once the World Series is over in late October or early November, depending how long the series lasts. This is one of the few times in recent years that the MLB playoffs have been more compelling than the NFL regular season.

3. Too Much NFL

Somebody is going to break a championship drought this year in the MLB playoffs. Every team left hasn’t won a title in 20 or more years.

The Cleveland Indians haven’t won a World Series since 1948. That is a drought of 68 years, but the Indians did reach the World Series in 1954, 1995 and 1997. Cleveland’s only other World Series win came in 1920.

In 1954, the New York Giants swept the Indians, winning the title. The Atlanta Braves won their only title during their 1990s dominance of the National League, but sputtered in the World Series against Cleveland. The Indians’ last World Series loss came in 1997 when the Florida Marlins, now the Miami Marlins, won the championship.

Cleveland dispatched the Toronto Blue Jays 4-1 in the American League Championship Series and reached this year’s World Series. This is just the sixth AL pennant the Indians have won as a franchise.

Toronto’s title drought will now stretch to 24 years when next season starts. The Blue Jays won back-to-back titles in 1992 and 1993.

Title droughts are also part of the National League Championship Series. The Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers are tied 2-2 in their best of seven series.

It now comes down to which team can win two out of three games to face Cleveland. Both the Cubs and Dodgers are currently in title droughts.

Los Angeles hasn’t won the World Series since 1988, when the team defeated the Oakland Athletics. That World Series is memorable for the Dodgers Kirk Gibson limping around the bases after hitting a home run in the bottom of the ninth inning and winning game one.

That 1988 World Series is also known for the Los Angeles pitcher Orel Hershiser’s pitching dominance. In game five of the series, Hershiser pitched a complete game that finished off the A’s for the title.

But it has been 28 years since that World Series win, and the Dodgers haven’t won or even been back to a Fall Classic. Los Angeles is looking for its 22nd NL pennant and a possible seventh World Series win.

Nearly everyone knows that Chicago hasn’t won a World Series since 1908. The Cubs only have two World Series titles won back-to-back in 1907 and 1908. That is a drought of 108 years.

And the “lovable loser” Cubs haven’t been to a World Series since 1945. That’s 71 years since they even reached the World Series.

Chicago is looking for its 17th pennant and possible third World Series win. This could be the year that everything lines up for this “cursed” franchise.

More than likely, most fans, both casual and hardcore, would love to see the Indians and the Cubs in the World Series—two tortured franchises with heart-breaking losses in the postseason that can lead to years of therapy for any fan.

Who fans will root for is interesting in and of itself. Cleveland just …

As human beings, we love nostalgia. We love TV series from our youth and get excited about “Twin Peaks” and “Gilmore Girls,” among other shows now getting a breath of new life.

We love listening to music that is considered classic, like those 1990s hits from my high school and college years. We get excited about new sequels such as “Independence Day: Resurgence” that come 20 years after the original.

Our love of the past is why, to wrestling fans, the signing of Sting to the WWE was such a big deal. Then you see his match with Triple H at WrestleMania 31. The match was full of nostalgia, with members of DX and the NWO making appearances.

But the match also showed that the Sting of 2015 wasn’t the Sting of our youth. The WrestleMania match needed all the outside interference because neither him nor Triple H were same men they used to be during Monday Night Wars.

If the WrestleMania match wasn’t enough to convince anyone that Sting was done in the ring, watching his match with Seth Rollins confirmed it. The match between Rollins and Sting wasn’t very good and that was before Sting’s neck was injured by Rollins’ botched powerbomb into the turnbuckle.

Sting was forced to retire after the match, once the injury revealed he suffers from cervical spinal stenosis, a neck condition that could leave him paralyzed or dead if he keeps performing in the ring.

Professional wrestlers normally have long careers, with some working in the ring until they reach their 70s. That doesn’t mean wrestlers should still be in the ring.

Sting was 55 years old when he joined the WWE. That was the last major draw from WCW to join the company. His best years were behind him and not in front of him.

Father time catches up to us all. The Undertaker really shouldn’t be in the ring anymore, and he is nowhere near the wrestler we grew up watching. His last couple of WrestleMania matches were only watchable because that is the only time of year he shows up.

His match with Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania XXX is mainly remembered for Lesnar winning and breaking Undertaker’s streak of 20-0 at the event. The match was just alright at best and is only notable because Taker lost.

Undertaker is 51 years old and looks to be done after this past year’s WrestleMania 32. It would be shocking if he showed up for WrestleMania 33.

Now comes the return of Bill Goldberg. It has been more than 12 years since Goldberg was in a WWE ring. His last match was against Lesnar at WrestleMania XX.

Goldberg, for those who don’t know, was a professional football player before injuries cut his career short. He was once one of the biggest stars of the Monday Night Wars, as WCW inflated his win streak to 173-0.

Last night (Oct. 17), the …

One of the biggest sporting events of the year returns next week. Central Mississippi will host the PGA Sanderson Farms Championship at the Country Club of Jackson.

Tournament week begins on Monday, Oct. 24, but the general public won’t be allowed on the grounds until Wednesday, Oct. 26, which is the Allen Exploration Pro-AM.

This year’s Pro-Am features two former professional athletes. Former football player Herschel Walker and baseball player Paul Maholm will play when the Pro-Am tees off at 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday morning.

Walker played college football at the University of Georgia, where he won the Heisman Trophy in 1982 and was a three-time All-American. The Dallas Cowboys drafted him in the fifth round of the 1985 NFL Draft, shortly before the USFL folded that same year.

He played for Dallas until 1989, when the Cowboys traded him to the Minnesota Vikings. The trade was the start of the Cowboys’ 1990s Super Bowl runs as the Vikings struggled.

Walker played in the NFL until he retired at the end of the 1997 season. While still active in the NFL, the star running back competed in the 1992 Winter Olympics.

Since retiring, he took on two Mixed Martial Arts fights and won both. At age 54, Walker is still in fantastic shape.

Maholm, a Holly Springs native who won an amateur golf tournament when he was 14, was a three-time letterman at Mississippi State University and an All-American in 2003. The Pittsburgh Pirates drafted him that year with the eighth overall pick.

The star pitcher spent time with the Atlanta Braves, Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers before his career ended in 2015.

On Thursday, Oct. 27, the Sanderson Farms Championship begins when gates open at 7 a.m., and first tee at 7:40 a.m. The full field of 132 players won’t be announced until Friday, Oct. 21, but several players have already committed to the tournament.

Five former tournament winners will be in the field including 2015 winner Peter Malnati. The other four champions are Nick Taylor (2014 champion), Chris Kirk (2011 champion), D.J. Trahan (2006 champion) and Cameron Beckman (2001 champion).

Several notable names will be in the field, including two-time major winners Angel Cabrera and Retief Goosen. Cabrera won the 2007 U.S. Open and the 2009 Masters, and Goosen won the 2001 and 2004 U.S. Open. Other major winners in the field are Stewart Clink, the winner of the 2009 British Open, Lucas Glover, winner of the 2009 U.S. Open, and David Toms, winner of the 2001 PGA Championship.

Several notable names committed to playing are Boo Weekley, Ricky Barnes, Stuart Appleby and Ben Crane. Former University of Mississippi standout and Brandon, Miss. native Jonathan Randolph is also committed to playing.

Friday the tournament opens at 7 a.m. with morning tee times beginning at 7:40. The field will be cut down on Friday with the tournament resuming …