Silva: Each NFL team enters the offseason with a series of pressing needs. Sometimes a team can address them all, sometimes they ignore them all. But if a team's smart, they'll listen to us. These are the most crucial aspects for NFC teams.
SportsTalk: Albert Pujols signs with the Angels and Prince Fielder joins the Tigers. Which team is better now?
Ryan Callahan scored for the fifth time in four days and defenseman Ryan McDonagh snapped a second-period tie to lift the New York Rangers to a 3-2 victory over the Washington Capitals on Sunday.
Kobe Bryant hit a baseline jump shot with 4.2 seconds left and the Los Angeles Lakers wrapped up a six-game road trip by holding on to beat the Raptors 94-92 on Sunday, their eighth victory in nine meetings with Toronto
Arc's five up, five down: After No. 11 Michigan State's 58-48 upset of No. 3 Ohio State, you'd be a fool to discount the Spartans' national title chances now.
Miami coach Al Golden says the worst is behind him, but his headaches figure to continue now that former booster Nevin Shapiro, now in jail, says his involvement with the Hurricanes program will result in stiff penalties.
Eleven shots separated Phil and Tiger Sunday at Pebble Beach as Lefty secured his 40th Tour win. Jason Sobel had hole-by-hole reports.
The United States completed a 5-0 rout of Switzerland in the Davis Cup on Sunday, with 19-year-old Ryan Harrison and John Isner winning closing singles matches.
Zambia has won the African Cup of Nations, beating pre-tournament favorite Ivory Coast 8-7 on penalties in a dramatic final at Stade de l'Amitie.
Tessa Worley of France fought off gusting winds to win a second consecutive World Cup giant slalom Sunday in the Andorran Pyrenees. Overall leader Lindsey Vonn was more than a second behind and finished eighth.
Robins: It’s the Year of the Dragon on the Lunar calendar, and this Chinese influence could extend to it also being the year of the Pekingese on the green carpet at the 136th Westminster Dog Show on Tuesday.
APQ: Vanderbilt. Bowl game. Say it will be so!
— Rob McLellan from Hendersonville, Tenn.
A: I’m calling it early, Rob. It will be so! And won’t that be a kick?
The Commodores (4-0) already have beaten Miami of Ohio, South Carolina, Rice and Ole Miss. With two more victories needed, minimum, I see success against Mississippi State (Oct. 11), Duke (Oct. 25) and, yes, Tennessee (Nov. 22). That puts them over the top.
Brace yourself, Shreveport! Here come the Commodores.
Vanderbilt football always has been a fascination. During the week, those players are asked to compete at an Ivy League academic level. On Saturdays, they are asked to compete against the Gators, Bulldogs and Crimson Tide.
It has, of course, largely been a futile effort. The Commodores haven’t been to a bowl game since 1982 (Hall of Fame Bowl, losing to Air Force 36-28). Heck, they haven’t WON a bowl game in 53 years (beating Auburn 25-13 in the 1955 Gator Bowl).
And these days, when practically every team with a pulse qualifies for the postseason, it has been downright painful for Vandy. The 2005 season (5-6) was crippled by a six-game losing streak, including a heartbreaking 49-42 double-overtime defeat at Florida. Last season (5-7) included a four-game losing streak to end the season, spotlighted by a 25-24 defeat at Tennessee.
Had either result been reversed, the Commodores would have gone bowling.
Their time is now. And it won’t be a fluke. Vanderbilt, led by quarterback Chris Nickson (former Alabama’s Mr. Football), has some talent. The coach, Bobby Johnson, has built the program expertly.
Time for the well-deserved reward.
Q: Who will lead the nation in rushing this season? And why hasn’t Pittsburgh’s LeSean McCoy been able to break through with bigger numbers this season?
— Mark M. from N.J.
A: It’s a little too early for handicapping the rushing race, Mark, but you’ve got to like the early work of Michigan State’s Javon Ringer (back-to-back 200-yard games). If I’m drafting backs, I’m taking Georgia’s Knowshon Moreno first overall, but it’s unlikely he’ll be the national rushing leader because the Bulldogs have so many offensive weapons.
Look for a back to emerge from a non-BCS conference to become the rushing leader. Who? Can’t tell you just yet.
LeSean McCoy? A curious case. He actually showed signs of coming out of it last Saturday with a 27-yard touchdown run that gave Pittsburgh the lead for good against Iowa. Overall, he rushed 18 times for 78 yards, giving him a three-game total of 242 (4.0 yard average).
It’s well off the pace of McCoy’s freshman season (1,328 rushing yards, 14 touchdowns), but it’s only three games, hardly cause for alarm. Pittsburgh (2-1), overall, needs to pick it up as a team if Big East contention is a possibility. The Panthers have a huge test next Thursday (Oct. 4) on the road against South Florida. Look for McCoy to get it plenty that night.
Q: Is Northwestern the worst undefeated team in the country? They’re 4-0, but really haven’t really played anybody.
— Tom from Madison, Wis.
A: True enough, Tom. Northwestern has defeated Syracuse (shockingly hopeless), Duke (long way to go), Southern Illinois (you know the game) and Ohio University (hey, didn’t the Bobcats almost beat another team from Ohio?)
Let’s allow Northwestern to celebrate its first 4-0 start since 1962 (the coach was Ara Parseghian). If the Wildcats are good enough, we’ll know pretty soon. The Big Ten Conference schedule begins on Saturday (at Iowa). There are early October games against Michigan State and Purdue.
For the record, heading into this weekend’s games, there are 26 unbeaten teams remaining in Division I-A.
Q: Has the Mike Price era at UTEP run out of steam?
— Mike Cook from Lewistown, Idaho
A: Definitely. Things are stuck in reverse, Mike. The Miners (0-3), dating back to last season, are on a nine-game losing streak.
And just think, Price began with such promise at UTEP, registering back-to-back 8-4 records and bowl appearances (the Miners had been to just one bowl in the previous 16 seasons). Then followed seasons of 5-7 and 4-8.
The Miners weren’t supposed to be this bad. Keep in mind they had to face Texas, then suffered a tough 34-33 loss to New Mexico State. When Conference USA play kicks in, the story could be different. It needs to change in a hurry — or this thing could really snowball.
Miami coach Al Golden says the worst is behind him, but his headaches figure to continue now that former booster Nevin Shapiro, now in jail, says his involvement with the Hurricanes program will result in stiff penalties.
CFT: Jordan Jefferson makes it clear he wasn't happy with LSU's game plan in the Tigers' BCS Championship Game loss to Alabama.
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 Memphis fulfills BCS dream Tigers officials thrilled to announce that school has been accepted to join the Big East Conference in 2013. |
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The Week in Sports Pictures The Giants on top of the football world, getting ready for the London Olympics and more. more photos |
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Zambia has won the African Cup of Nations, beating pre-tournament favorite Ivory Coast 8-7 on penalties in a dramatic final at Stade de l'Amitie.
Wesseling: Each NFL team enters the offseason with a series of pressing needs. Sometimes a team can address them all, sometimes they ignore them all. But if a team's smart, they'll listen to us. These are the most crucial aspects for AFC teams.
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