In major college football, Saturday, Ball State played mostly evenly with Toledo, the top team in the Mid-American Conference West Division (and perhaps the best MAC team overall). The Cards brought a solid defensive effort to Scheumann Stadium, but lost 13 to 6.  The result exceeded expectations of a 16-point Toledo win, but the result was the sixth loss of the season with only one win against an FCS team (Indiana State).  Ball State is 0-and-3 in the cellar of the MAC West.  The Cardinals’ offense still could not get into gear, generating only two field goals.  Next up is another MAC West contest as Central Michigan comes to Muncie, Saturday for a 3;30 p.m. kickoff.

#15 Notre Dame’s Fighting Irish took advantage of University of Southern California mistakes and made some outstanding plays of their own as the northern Indiana team knocked seven bells out of the #18 Trojans, 48 to 20.   Both IU and Purdue were blown out, Saturday.  Purdue lost at home to third-ranked Ohio State 41 to 7.  Meanwhile #2 Michigan excoriated Indiana in Ann Arbor 52 to 7.

In the NFL Sunday, Indianapolis’ season series with fellow AFC South squad Jacksonville was swept by the Jaguars.  The Colts lost 37 to 20.  Indianapolis is now 3-and-3 on the season; Jacksonville leads the AFC South with a 4-and-2 record.

Stan Sollars is IPR’s “Morning Edition” host and a Senior Lecturer in Ball State’s Department of Media.  Contact him at stansollars@bsu.edu.