Today kicks off week 9 of the NFL season and week 10 of the college football season, both have important games. Also the second knockout round game of the MLS playoffs is tonight.
College Football
#2 Florida State at #25 Louisville - 6:30 PM Central - ESPN
This is likely Florida States toughest remaining game this season. A win here should guarantee them a spot in the four teams college football playoff in January. How many times have we seen a team that should win a game go on the road for a Thursday or Friday night game on national television and lose? I don't know the exact number but it has happened many times. Louisville is a very good team with their only losses coming on the road at Virginia and Clemson. I am glad this game start early because I think it will still be a game in the fourth quarter. Florida State will pull this game out late with a 38 - 31 win.
NFL
New Orleans Saints at Carolina Panthers - 7:25 PM Central - NFL Network
Both teams are trying to get back to .500 on the season and take control of the division. Carolina currently leads the division at 3-4-1 while New Orleans is right behind them at 3-4. The biggest question in this game is which Saints team shows up; the one that lost to the Cowboys 38-17 or the one that easily handled the Packers 44-23. I am thinking it is the teams that handled the packers last week. The Panthers started the season 2-0, but since then are 1-4-1. Carolina has not lost to a team with a losing record on the year, in fact they have only played two teams with losing records in their seven games (Chicago and Tampa Bay). I think this will be a game that will go down to the wire and could even go to overtime (the Saints have played two already and the Panthers have played one). I thinks the Saints pull it out in the end 27-24.
MLS Playoffs
Sporting KC at New York Red Bulls - 7:00 PM Central - ESPN2
This is a rematch of the last regular season game in the MLS just in a different location. New York won that game 2-0 and looked to be the much better team. In that game New York was with out Terry Henry and reports are that he is now 100% healthy, this will only make New York a much more dangerous team. For Kansas City they were without Benny Feilhaber who was injured, Igor Juliao who was suspended, but also injured and Jorge Claros who was serving the last game of his four game suspension. Reports out of Kansas City are that Feilhaber and Juliao are 50/50 and will be game time decisions. Having both of these players being able to start would improve the team that played this past Sunday, but if they are not ready to go at least 60 min the risk is too great of having to burn a sub early in the first half. My guess is that at least Feilhaber will start, which will help the team, but not enough. Unless Sporting can fix many problems they have had in the last 10 games of league play where they are 2-7-1 with a -10 goal differential no one player will make the difference. Tonight the MLS will be guaranteed a new MLS Cup champions as the Red Bulls will take out the defending champions 2-0.
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