On Your Mark: Get set for a busy week in sports ahead

Get ready for some sports whiplash.

Here’s a viewer’s guide for the upcoming week, which features the MLB playoffs, along with NFL, college football, and early-season NHL action.

And don’t forget, the NBA is right around the corner.

The busy week will start with a MONDAY battle for the NFC East lead as the New York Giants (3-2) limp to Philadelphia (2-3). The Giants will be without several starters on both sides of the ball, and could be without the services of star receiver Odell Beckham Jr., who is questionable with a hamstring injury (8:30 p.m., ESPN).

Also on Monday, the Toronto Blue Jays look to dig out of their latest 0-2 hole as the American League Championship Series shifts to Toronto (8:07 p.m., FS1). The Blue Jays also had to come back from two games down against the Texas Rangers in the ALDS. The main difference being their losses to Kansas City came on the road, whereas their losses to Texas were both in Toronto. The series will also feature 4 p.m. starts on Tuesday and Wednesday (if necessary), and if the series gets that far, Games 6 and 7 will be Friday and Saturday, both starting at 8 p.m.

Meanwhile, the Mets edged the Cubs 4-2 in Game 1, and then again 4-1 in Game 2. The National League Championship Series shifts to Chicago for 8 p.m. (TBS) starts on TUESDAY, Wednesday and Thursday (if necessary). Games 6 and 7 would be in New York, with a 4 p.m. start Saturday and an 8 p.m. start Sunday.

The NHL season is just getting underway, but the Carolina Hurricanes (1-4) are off to another slow start. They’ll look to get back on track with a West Coast swing that features games on WEDNESDAY (Colorado Avalanche), Friday (Los Angeles Kings) and Saturday (San Jose Sharks). All games at 10:30 p.m. on FSCR.

THURSDAY-night action for the NFL will be an NFC West matchup between two teams trending downward, one more surprising than the other. The Seattle Seahawks must get back on track to keep hopes alive for a third consecutive Super Bowl appearance, and a visit to San Francisco (8:25 p.m., NFL), might be just what the doctor ordered. Also, UCLA will host No. 20 California (9 p.m., ESPN). It’s the second consecutive week the Bruins have played on Thursday night.

SATURDAY doesn’t feature any showdowns between highly-ranked teams, but Clemson will travel to face ACC foe Miami and Myrtle Beach-native Everett Golson’s Florida State Seminoles will travel to face Georgia Tech (both game times TBD). Otherwise, the marquee matchup of the weekend will be No. 15 Texas A&M traveling to face No. 24 Ole Miss (7 p.m., ESPN). Both teams will drop in the rankings, reeling from rough losses. The Aggies were steamrolled by a surging Alabama team. And the Rebels have lost two of three games after their big upset of Alabama, their latest a 37-24 loss to unranked Memphis.

SUNDAY won’t offer many high-profile matchups, but there are a few to keep an eye on. The New York Jets travel to New England (1 p.m., CBS) for their appointment on the Tom Brady revenge tour. The Carolina Panthers will also host the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday Night Football (8:30 p.m., NBC).

Of note

After a crazy week of scheduling, area high school football action will get back on track. That said, no school that had to play two games last week won both. Now the question becomes: How does that expanded workload affect those teams moving forward? The most appealing matchup of the week will answer just that, as Georgetown (6-2, 2-1), which beat North Myrtle Beach on Tuesday and turned around for a difficult, 34-33 loss to Lake City on Friday, travels to region VII-AAA leader Myrtle Beach (5-3, 3-0). … After a week of rest, No. 1 Coastal Carolina football will kick back into gear in another conference battle at Monmouth (1 p.m., ESPN3). Coastal Carolina is coming off a hard-fought win over Presbyterian in its conference opener. … Ben Martin earned his only PGA Tour victory at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open in Las Vegas last year, and he’ll return to defend his title when the tour season’s second event begins Thursday. Coverage will be on The Golf Channel and NBC. … The final race of the Contender Round will pare four more drivers from the Chase for the Sprint Cup. NASCAR’s best will take to Talladega at 2:30 p.m., Sunday (NBCSN).

This story was originally published October 19, 2015 at 2:00 AM with the headline "On Your Mark: Get set for a busy week in sports ahead."