MLB playoffs are set
The 2021 MLB playoffs are set to begin on Oct. 5 with the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox matching up in the Wild Card for a spot in the American League Division Series against the Tampa Bay Rays. The Houston Astros are taking on the Chicago White Sox in the other ALDS series.
On the other side, the National League Wild Card is between the Los Angeles Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals, with a matchup with the San Francisco Giants on the line in the NL Division Series. The other NLDS series consists of the Atlanta Braves taking on the Milwaukee Brewers.
NSU alumni J.D. Martinez of the Boston Red Sox and Miles Mikolas of the St. Louis Cardinals are making their fifth and third appearance in the MLB playoffs respectively.
Four ranked teams lose, others barely escape in CFB week four
Week four of college football saw four ranked teams drop their matchups, with two of the losses coming against unranked opponents. No. 7 Texas A&M lost to No. 16 Arkansas by a 20-10 score. No. 9 Clemson lost to unranked North Carolina State in overtime by just six points. No. 14 Iowa State lost to unranked Baylor by two points, 31-29. No. 18 Wisconsin lost to No. 12 Notre Dame in a statement win by the Irish, 41-13.
Other ranked teams barely made it out of their games with wins. No. 4 Oklahoma beat West Virginia by a close score of 16-13. No. 5 Iowa narrowly beat Colorado State 24-14, though Colorado State was winning at halftime. No. 19 Michigan beat closely beat lowly Rutgers by just seven points, a score of 20-13. No. 20 Michigan State won in overtime against underwhelming Nebraska by a score of 23-20.
Through four weeks, no teams have truly shown that they are the dominant force in college football. No. 1 Alabama stands alone at the top of the rankings, and there may not be a competitor that can challenge them for the national championship this season.
MLS playoff race heats up
With the MLS season ending in just over a month, the race to secure a spot in the MLS playoffs is heating up. The playoffs are set to begin on Nov. 19 with seven teams in each conference making the tournament. A few games can change everything for clubs. In the Eastern Conference, third place and eleventh place are separated by just nine points. A spot in the playoffs is wide open for any team in the East. In the Western Conference, fifth place and tenth place are differentiated by just six points. The door is wide open in the West.
Each club plays 34 games, 17 on the road and 17 at home. With teams having anywhere from six to eight games remaining, the possibility of adding to their point total is immense. The standings are almost guaranteed to change, and it will be something to watch as the 2021 MLS regular season comes to a close.
