T25 Football-SCHEDULE Tide taking on the Vols

UNDATED (AP) Alabama is playing its first game of the season as the top-ranked team in the AP Poll this afternoon. The 7-and-0 Crimson Tide are hosting a Tennessee team that's 3-and-3 under first-year Vols coach Lane Kiffin. Alabama beat Tennessee 29-9 last season in Knoxville, and is looking for its third straight victory in the series.

Florida, which slipped to No. 2 this week after a season-long ride atop the poll, plays at Mississippi State tonight, while No. 3 Texas is visiting Missouri and fourth-ranked Southern Cal is hosting Oregon State.

There are a pair of matchups involving ranked schools: 24th-ranked Kansas is hosting No. 25 Oklahoma this afternoon and No. 10 TCU is at No. 16. BYU tonight.

Today's early kickoffs have No. 11 Georgia playing at Virginia, 14th-ranked Oklahoma State at Baylor, No. 18 Ohio State hosting Minnesota, 20th-ranked Pittsburgh home to South Florida and No. 22 West Virginia hosting Connecticut.

The crowd at Mountaineer Field gave UConn a lengthy ovation as the Huskies took the field and a moment of silence was held before the game in memory of Jasper Howard. The UConn cornerback was stabbed to death early last Sunday outside a university-sponsored Dance.

MLB-ALCS Iffy forecast for the Big Apple

NEW YORK (AP) Game 6 in the best-of-seven American League Championship Series is scheduled for tonight in New York. But a forecast of rain has left things in doubt.

They Yankees could have closed out the ALCS on Thursday in Anaheim, but a loss in Game 5 cut their series advantage over the Angels to 3-2.

The home team will send Andy Pettitte to the mound to face Joe Saunders Mother Nature willing. If a decisive seventh game is needed, it's scheduled for tomorrow evening in the Bronx.

MLB-NLCS Phillies resting up

PHILADELPHIA (AP) Defending champion Philadelphia will play the winner of the Yankees-Angels matchup in the 2009 World Series.

The Phillies wrapped up the senior circuit title Wednesday with their fourth win in five games against the L.A. Dodgers.

Game 1 of the Fall Classic is scheduled for next Wednesday in the home of the AL champs.

NHL-SCHEDULE Everybody on the ice tonight

UNDATED (AP) All 30 of the NHL's teams are on the Saturday schedule and all 15 games will be played tonight.

Defending champion Pittsburgh will be looking for an eighth straight win when it hosts the New Jersey Devils.

Carolina won't have Tuomo Ruutu (TOO'-oh-moh ROO'-too) in uniform for its game at Minnesota. The Hurricanes forward is sitting out the first game of a three-game suspension leveled by the NHL today for a game misconduct penalty he received during last night's outing that left an opponent unconscious on the ice.

Golf-PGA Fowler and Owen share 36-hole lead

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) Former Oklahoma State standout Rickie Fowler and Englishman Greg Owen brought a one-shot lead over Justin Leonard into today's third round at the Frys.com Open outside Phoenix.

GOLF-CHAMPIONS TOUR Clearwater and Cochran lead the pack into round two

SAN ANTONIO (AP) Champions Tour rookies Keith Clearwater and Russ Cochran were tied entering second-round play at the AT&T Championship. It's the final full-field event of the Champions Tour season. Tom Kite began the day one stroke back, along with fellow Texan Ben Crenshaw, Mark O'Meara and Andy Bean.

TENNIS-STOCKHOLM Soderling out of Stockholm Open with elbow injury

STOCKHOLM (AP) Top-seeded Robin Soderling of Sweden withdrew from the Stockholm Open semifinals because of an elbow injury.

The French Open finalist is vying for one of the two remaining spots in the season-ending ATP World Tour Finals in London next month. He hasn't decided if he'll play upcoming tournaments in Valencia and Paris.

WOMEN'S SKIING-WORLD CUP GS Slow start for American ski star

SOELDEN, Austria (AP) Two-time defending overall World Cup champion Lindsey Vonn of the U.S. placed ninth in the opening race of the World Cup ski season in Austria.

Finland's Tanja Poutiainen (TAHN'-yah poo-tee-AH'-nihn) of Finland won the giant slalom by 0.01 seconds, Austria's Kathrin Zettel was second.

Olympic g-s champion Julia Mancuso of the U.S. fell shortly into her second run after placing 21st in the opening leg.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) APNP 10-24-09 1355CDT | save this article / add to your favorites list