This is another big weekend in sports, not only on the gridiron, but on the baseball diamond as well.

The weekend offers Week three of the NFL season, a few big college football games, and the pennant race and home run chase continue unabated in ballparks across the country.

FRIDAY

2:20 — Cincinatti Reds at Chicago Cubs. The home run chase, which has captivated the nation, moves back to Chicago and wind-blown Wrigley Field. Sammy Sosa and the rest of the Cubs will battle a beleaguered Reds pitching staff in their continued pursuit of the Wild Card.

7 — St. Louis Cardinals at Milwaukee Brewers. Ninety miles up I-94, Mark McGwire will take aim on a Brewers pitching staff that allowed four homers to Sammy Sosa last weekend in Chicago.

6:40 — Florida Marlins at New York Mets. The Mets will try to keep up with Slammin’ Sammy as they face off with the worst team in the majors, the Florida Marlins.

SATURDAY

2:30 — Missouri at Ohio State. The Tigers, led by QB Korby Jones, will try to avenge a loss the Buckeyes handed Missouri last year. This will be a difficult task at Buckeye Stadium in Columbus.

4 — LSU at Auburn. The traditional SEC rivalry will be renewed this Saturday when the tough Tigers of LSU battle the Tigers of Auburn.

3:10 — Florida Marlins at New York Mets.

1 — St. Louis Cardinals at Milwaukee Brewers.

3 — Cincinatti Reds at Chicago Cubs.

SUNDAY

12:40 — Florida Marlins at New York Mets.

1 — St. Louis Cardinals at Milwaukee Brewers.

1:20 — Cincinatti Reds at Chicago Cubs.

12 — Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings. These two Central Division rivals will battle in the Metrodome in a game that is key for both teams for different reasons. The Lions have their backs against the wall and will start a rookie at quarterback, while the Vikings will start Randall Cunningham in an attempt to start the season at 3-0.

12 — Pittsburgh Steelers at Miami Dolphins. Two of the league’s undefeated teams do battle in Miami in this important AFC matchup. The Dolphins are the only undefeated teams in the AFC East, while the Steelers share the lead with the Jacksonville Jaguars.