Vince Marriott: It's not often that one can point to a Dartmouth sporting event and say that it is in the national spotlight, but this Saturday's home football game against the University of Pennsylvania will be broadcast nationally on NBC Sports Network, and it's a game that no one should miss. After last season's heartbreaking 22-20 loss under the lights in Memorial Field's first-ever night game, the Big Green should be coming out with a very large chip on its shoulder. The Quakers always seem to come out on top at the last second when they play Dartmouth, and my hope is that I will finally get to see a Big Green victory in my final year at the College. If you can't be there in person, you should definitely check this game out on television. (Saturday, 12 p.m., NBC Sports Network)
Jonathan Gault: I've only recently become interested in golf, but the more I watch, the more I come to appreciate just how difficult it is to get that little white ball into the hole. And if you, like me, enjoy watching golf, you're in for a treat this weekend as the top golfers from Europe and the United States descend on Medinah Country Club in Illinois for the 39th Ryder Cup. Europe has claimed four of the last five Ryder Cups, including the most recent one two years ago at Celtic Manor in Wales. The U.S. may have home-course advantage this time around, but with players like Rory McIlroy, Graeme McDowell, Justin Rose and Luke Donald, Europe will likely be favored again. (Friday, 8 a.m., ESPN, Saturday-Sunday on NBC)
Dong Zhao: The 2012 MLB regular season has been the year of the Cinderellas. Perennial losers like the Nationals and the Orioles are primed to make deep postseason runs, and even the Pittsburgh Pirates teased their fans for the first four months of the season before showing their true colors. One of the most surprising teams this year has been the Oakland A's, who finished 14 games below .500 in 2011. As of Sunday, the A's hold a comfortable lead for the second wild card spot in the American League and still has an outside chance to overtake the division-leading Rangers as the teams head for a late-season showdown on national TV. Maybe I should get Brad Pitt to do a movie about my favorite team. (Wednesday, 8 p.m., ESPN)
