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.
PBT: Jeremy Lin wasn't his hot self on Saturday, but he still led the Knicks to victory.
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.
Golf's dream pairing - Woods and Mickelson - is on the course in the final round at Pebble Beach. Jason Sobel has 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.
Euro Roundup: First-place Manchester City won 1-0 at Aston Villa on Sunday on Joleon Lescott's goal in the 63rd minute, maintaining its two-point lead over Manchester United in the Premier League.
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.
Getty ImagesThis week, we can look at the excitement on the field and the craziness of the BCS standings and the two major football polls as prime examples of why we might never know who the best teams are.
A week ago, Penn State was third in both The Associated Press and USA Today polls and No. 3 in the BCS standings. With No. 1 Texas losing last week, the Nittany Lions didn’t move into one of the precious top two spots. Last week, once-beaten USC, which was fifth in the BCS, routed Washington 56-0 and it dropped two places in the rankings.
"I think it stinks. I don’t think it’s the way it should be," USC coach Pete Carroll said concerning this twisted BCS process. "But all we can do is keep talking about it. I don’t understand how the thing works, I don’t really know. Maybe you guys will answer for it one of these days. Maybe you know and I don’t. I’m sure you do.
“What is the criteria of the process? Is it to pick the team that has the best season, that has the season that you like the most and feel best about voting for? Or is it the best team at the end of the year, the team that would win a playoff system if you did have it?”
Last week, once-beaten Oklahoma was fourth in the BCS rankings and both the AP and USA Today polls. The Sooners then went out and trounced Nebraska by 34 points (62-28) and fell two places in the BCS and AP polls.
“I imagine it has a little to do with who plays who, and at what time,” said OU coach Bob Stoops during his weekly conference call on Monday. “All I know is we still have three big games left (including back-to-back games with Texas Tech and Oklahoma State to finish out the regular season). ...There’s a lot that can happen and all we can do is take care of business. ...I can say whatever (about the system), but if we don’t go out and win, all I’ve done is wasted a lot of breath.”
But even if Stoops and the Sooners “take care of business,” that infernal BCS computer could still be sitting there waiting to ruin or make their day. The Big 12 South is arguably the strongest group of teams in the country, and before this season ends, there could be a three-way tie among Texas, Oklahoma and Texas Tech. That would happen if Texas and Oklahoma win out and Texas Tech's only loss is at Oklahoma on Nov. 22.
Guess how the South division champ is decided then?
Whoever has the highest ranking in the BCS standings.
Gawd, I loath that darned computer.
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.
 | Special feature |
 |
Slideshow: A look at Paterno's legendary career Take a look back at legendary Penn State coach Joe Paterno through the years. NBCSports.com |
CollegeFootballTalk headlines |
 | Video: Football from NBC Sports |
 Memphis fulfills BCS dream Tigers officials thrilled to announce that school has been accepted to join the Big East Conference in 2013. |
 | Slideshow |
 | NBCSports.com |
| Slideshow |
 | more photos |
 | Slideshow |
 | NBCSports.com |
| Slideshow |
 | NBCSports.com |
| Slideshow |
 | NBCSports.com |
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.
NBC Sports TV and livestream listings
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.