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.
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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.
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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.
No. 22 Northwestern (9-3) 
vs.
No. 25 Missouri (9-4)
Date: Dec. 29
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Location: San Antonio
Television: ESPN
Payout: $2.25 million
Last result: Penn State 24, Texas A&M 17
2008 results: Missouri; Northwestern
2008 statistics: Missouri; Northwestern
Tickets: Buy them here
Coaches: Gary Pinkel (Missouri); Pat Fitzgerald (Northwestern)
Bowl history/last appearance: Missouri 11-14 (won 38-7 over Arkansas in '08 Cotton); Northwestern 1-5 (lost 50-38 to UCLA in '05 Sun)
Series: Northwestern leads 4-3 (Missouri 34-19 in '27, 13-6 in '67, 28-3 in '87; Northwestern 24-6 in '15, 27-0 in '32, 23-12 in '63, 27-23 in '85)
What Missouri must do to win: Wildcats QB C.J. Bacher has thrown just as many touchdowns as interceptions in each of his past two seasons at the helm. He isn’t what you would describe as consistent, so if the Tigers are firing on all cylinders to start the game and jump out to an early lead, Bacher is likely to feel much of the burden to keep pace and that’s when bad decision making gets more frequent.
Missouri, however, has its own psychological issues after getting taken apart by Oklahoma in the Big 12 championship game, a week after losing a tough one to rival Kansas.
What Northwestern must do to win: One of the more suspect pass defenses in the Big Ten, the Wildcats will have their work cut out for them against the explosive Tigers attack spearheaded by QB Chase Daniel and featuring WR Jeremy Maclin and TE Chase Coffman. If Missouri gets it going early, Northwestern needs to maintain its composure and realize that this is likely to be a shootout.
The Wildcats pass rush has been effective this season, leading the Big Ten in sacks, so the hope is that someone such as DE Corey Wootten can break through and make a big play in the Tigers backfield to swing the momentum their way.
What the NFL is watching: Maclin and Coffman overshadow Missouri’s pro prospects on the other side of the football — safety William Moore and LB Sean Weatherspoon.
Opening point spread: Missouri by 14.5 (66)
Prediction: Missouri 42, Northwestern 31
MVP: Missouri WR Jeremy Maclin
Live vote: Who will win?
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.
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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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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.