Two teams salvaged their hopes with close call victories. There weren't any outstanding upsets, but the action was piping hot. Who won the week and who watched their season go up in flames?

• Winner: Washington: In need of a resounding win against a ranked opponent, #11 Washington got what they needed. The Huskies manhandled #20 BYU, 35-7, behind Salvon Ahmed's 86 rushing yards and two touchdowns on ten carries and Miles Gaskin's 81 rushing yards and one touchdown on 14 carries. Jake Browning also missed only two passes and threw for 277 yards and a touchdown, while the defense only allowed 194 total yards and recovered a fumble.
  
• Winner: Notre Dame: An all-around solid performance by the Fighting Irish against #7 Stanford. A 38-17 victory by #8 Notre Dame that include Ian Book throwing for 278 yards and four touchdowns, Dexter Williams running for 161 yards and a touchdown (21 carries), and Miles Boykin catching 11 passes for 144 yards and a touchdown helped boost Notre Dame's playoff case.
  
• Winner: Travis Etienne: Many pundits will point at Chase Brice for being the reason behind #3 Clemson's 27-23 victory over Syracuse. After all, he stepped in for superstar quarterback Trevor Lawrence after Lawrence suffered a concussion. But one mustn't overlook Travis Etienne's 203 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 27 carries, including the game-winner.
  
• Loser: James Franklin: Penn State had #4 Ohio State on the ropes. They had a chance to take the driver's seat in the Big Ten East. However, a fourth-down call in the fourth quarter to give the ball to Miles Sanders resulted in a two-yard loss, leaving the Nittany Lions on the losing end of a 27-26 score.
  
• Loser: ACC: Clemson nearly suffered an upset at the hands of Syracuse, but that wasn't the only problem for the ACC, watching the Orange fall. #22 Duke fell to a Virginia Tech team that got beaten by Old Dominion. The ACC's playoff hopes now ride on Clemson and... North Carolina State.
  
• Loser: Tennessee: With Tennessee's 38-12 loss to #2 Georgia, fans are left to wonder if the Volunteers will ever return to prominence.
  

Other Winners: Ohio State in the second half, West Virginia in the first quarter, Benny Snell
Other Losers: Ohio State in the first half, West Virginia in the other quarters, Nebraska

College Football Playoff Four:

1. Alabama
   
2. Ohio State
   
3. Notre Dame
   
4. Georgia
   

CFP director Bill Hancock made a proclamation recently that the UCF Knights could make the College Football Playoff this season. Last season, UCF went undefeated last season, even going as far as beating SEC powerhouse Auburn as a part of their current 16-game winning streak, the longest in the nation. In fact, UCF ranked No. 1 in the Colley Matrix rankings, which was a part of the formula used to rank teams in the now-defunct Bowl Championship Series.

The problem for Central Florida is that they don't play any ranked teams (at least so far). The only teams that have the potential to be ranked are Cincinnati and South Florida. UCF will get the benefit of winning their conference championship if they run the table. However, having that victory over one ranked opponent will give an immense boost to their case.

Could UCF make it in this year's College Football Playoff? Certainly. Having a conference championship and an undefeated record will help UCF's case quite a bit, especially if teams like Oklahoma and Georgia fall out of favor. However, these teams are also heavily weighted in the rankings, giving them an advantage over the Knights. Therefore, what should happen is that the College Football Playoff should expand.

The set-up would be the champion from each Power Five conference, the highest-ranked Group of Five team, and two at-large bids. The seedings would be based on the final rankings and the games would be contested at all six sites of the current College Football Semifinal rotation. Yes, there would be one or more games played in a barbaric sport. However, this would give teams like UCF and Boise State a chance to showcase how talented they really are.

Another benefit would be that conferences such as the Pac-12 and the Big 12 would get proper representation. Both conferences were left out of the playoffs twice and didn't get the representation in the playoff that they needed. If eight teams were in the playoff, every Power Five conference would have a representative. Another benefit would be more money for the sponsors of the bowl games. The NCAA would generate more money from having more playoff games (not to mention more quality advertising), while businesses such as Northwestern Mutual and Capital One would generate more revenue just for putting their name out there.

An eight-team playoff is the solution to all the madness about a Group of Five school making the College Football Playoff. Thank goodness Central Florida is this good, too. Their stellar play is bringing about a discussion to further expand the game for the betterment of college football.

We are a couple weeks away from the advent of the new NHL season. You know about Connor, Sidney, Ovechkin, Stamkos, and Auston. But are you keeping tabs on these teams heading into the first week of the NHL season?

• Carolina Hurricanes: A popular darkhorse pick, Carolina is looking to finally make the playoffs for the first time in nearly a decade. The Canes may be weak in their goalie tandem and may also play in the toughest division in the NHL. However, their left wings and centers are incredible young groups.
• Buffalo Sabres: It isn't just Jack Eichel that you should watch for. Buffalo just picked up Jeff Skinner, Patrik Berglund, and Vladimir Sobotka. They also have Rasmus Dahlin on board as Buffalo looks to take advantage of a weak Atlantic Division.
• Florida Panthers: Aleksander Barkov and the Panthers are also looking to take advantage of a weakened Atlantic Division. Roberto Luongo proved to be a bit of an ageless wonder, but James Reimer will be waiting in the wings should Luongo fall out of favor. Players to watch for include Vincent Trocheck, Evgenii Dadonov, and Nick Bjugstad.
• Dallas Stars: The Stars just inked Tyler Seguin to a hefty contract. The team overall has plenty of goal scorers on it and have Ben Bishop as the experienced netminder. All the Stars need to do is to put everything together and they'll be a formidable playoff contender.
• Edmonton Oilers: Another team that needs to put it together is Edmonton. It can't just be Connor McDavid doing all the work; players like Milan Lucic and Ryan Strome must be better. The back check, goaltending, and power play must also be better. If they can put it all together, they can be Stanley Cup contenders once again.
  

Sunday's 26-10 loss to the Detroit Lions is seen as a low point for the New England Patriots this season. The Patriots played so bad that they allowed Kerryon Johnson to rush for 101 yards, making him the first Lions running back to run for 100+ yards since Reggie Bush on Thanksgiving of 2013. This is the same Lions team that got embarrassed by the New York Jets on the first Monday Night Football game of the season. New England's lowly performance raises a big question: Are the Pats done?

In that Sunday Night game against the Lions, the Patriots were 2-9 on third down and had only 12 first downs compared to Detroit having 25. Tom Brady, the leader of this Patriots team, was only 14 for 26 with 133 passing yards, a touchdown, and an interception. However, Brady hasn't been the problem: No. 12 has thrown for six touchdowns, only two interceptions and a rating of 93.9.

The problem with the Patriots has been already mentioned in the blog: third downs. On the season, New England has only converted 10 third downs, leaving them tied for 28th in the NFL. New England's ground game could stand to improve to make these third down situations more bearable: the Pats rank 20th in total rushing yards (293). Overall, New England's offense is in shambles, with the pass game not clicking (26th in the NFL in passing yards with 607) and the running game barely existing. The loss of Julian Edelman stings quite a bit, for Tom Brady won't have the slot receiver that he goes to. It'll mainly be Rob Gronkowski, which will lead to teams putting an emphasis on him defensively.

Can the Pats rebound and make their return to the Super Bowl? Fortunately, they play in the AFC East, with the paltry Jets and Buffalo Bills. The Miami Dolphins are 3-0, but they've played an easy schedule so far. Their next three games will be against teams that either made the playoffs last season or are currently above .500 (that includes the Patriots). New England hasn't played their division yet, which will give the Patriots a chance to figure things out. The Patriots have a chance to make up for lost ground, but Pat fans should be concerned about their team's future going forward if this becomes a regular occurrence.

Some upsets were found here and there, while some teams dodged a bullet. Which teams made it out alive?

• Winner: Ian Book: Why didn't Notre Dame start this guy at the beginning of the season? Book was 25 for 34 with 325 passing yards, two passing touchdowns, and three rushing touchdowns. Book led the Fighting Irish to a 56-27 rout of Wake Forest, reassuring skeptics that Notre Dame deserves some discussion in the playoff picture.
  
• Winner: Kentucky: The Wildcats aren't just good at basketball, you know. Kentucky thumped #14 Mississippi State, 28-7, behind Benny Snell's 165 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 25 carries. Snell broke a career touchdown record for Kentucky, prompting Wildcat fans to chant for Snell to win the Heisman. Also, Kentucky is now ranked in the Top 25!
  
• Winner: Old Dominion in the Fourth Quarter: What do you do when you're only given less than 2% of a chance to win against a ranked opponent? You score 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to upset #13 Virginia Tech, 49-35. Blake LaRussa had 495 passing yards and four touchdowns on 30 completions, while Jeremy Cox had 130 rushing yards and two touchdowns (both in the fourth quarter) on 20 carries.
  
• Loser: Oregon in the Fourth Quarter: Specifically, in the last minute of the game. The Ducks had a chance to seal the deal in the last minute of the game by just kneeling. Instead, Chris Verdell was given the ball and fumbled the ball, leaving Stanford to charge down the field for the game-tying field goal as time expired. Oregon went on to lose in overtime to #7 Stanford, 38-31, as they committed three costly turnovers in the game. The Ducks actually moved up a spot to #19 in the latest poll.
  
• Loser: Iowa: Like the Ducks, the Hawkeyes also had a chance to emerge victorious late in their game. However, a costly interception led Iowa to fall to #18 Wisconsin, 28-17. The Badgers had 14 unanswered points in the fourth quarter, leaving Wisconsin with the inside track to representing the Big Ten West in the Big Ten Championship game.
  
• Loser: Scott Frost: Frost must have learned that the Big Ten is a much more formidable conference than the American Athletic Conference, because the Cornhuskers are 0-3. In fact, Nebraska was down against #19 Michigan at halftime, 39-0. If the Cornhuskers are to be on the right track, they'll have to do some work in the next few years.
  

Other Winners: Texas (big win over TCU!), Army's Running Game, Texas Tech, SMU's two-point conversion to end the game, the state of Texas in college football
Other Losers: Virginia Tech, Colorado State, Rutgers

College Football Playoff Four:

1. Alabama
   
2. Ohio State
   
3. Georgia
   
4. Clemson
   

We finally head to the division with a powerful three-headed monster in the Atlantic Division. Who will emerge as the top dog from this gossamer regime?

• How Angry Should Senator Fans Be Towards Ownership? The Senators fell out of contention a year after making the Eastern Conference Finals. It included deconstructing a roster which featured players like Erik Karlsson being sent out. Senator fans should be outraged at Eugene Melnyk for giving up on the roster. In fact, they're calling for Melnyk to sell the team.
• Can the Maple Leafs Get to the Next Step? Toronto is loaded with talent, ranging from wunderkind Auston Matthews to John Tavares. They also have one of the most brilliant hockey minds behind the bench in Mike Babcock. If Matthews can step his game up and if the Maple Leafs can be better on the penalty kill, Toronto could be making a long-awaited return to the Stanley Cup Final.
  
• How Much Will Tampa Bay Miss Steve Yzerman as General Manager? Yzerman is stepping down as general manager of the Lightning, overseeing a vast change in the organization. He has turned the team into legitimate Stanley Cup contenders, ushering in a wave of solid young talent. Wherever Yzerman goes next (possibly Detroit) will feel the impact he will have on that organization. As for Tampa Bay, they will have to hope that his predecessor Julien BriseBois is as good as Yzerman was.
  
• Is Boston's Window Closing? A good chunk of the Bruins' key players are 30+ years old. Brad Marchand, Tuukka Rask, Patrice Bergeron, and David Backes are not getting any younger. This may be the last hurrah for an aging Bruins team if things head south for Boston this year.
  

Next stop: The Metropolitan Division, home to the last three Stanley Cup champions! With this loaded division feeling loaded once again, can they produce a champion for a fourth straight year?

• What Do the Capitals Need to Do to Repeat? Alex Ovechkin finally got his Stanley Cup and he partied until the break of dawn with Lord Stanley. If Ovie is going to have a second part of his version of "The Hangover", he's going to have to get scoring from all lines again. Braden Holtby will also be a key to the Capitals hoisting the Stanley Cup again.
• Will Pittsburgh Continue to Reload? The Penguins are in a bit of a transitional phase, talent-wise. Between the talent past their primes (Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby) and the young talent (Jake Guentzel, Bryan Rust, and Matt Murray), the Penguins are passing the torch down to their younger peers. It'll be on them to outspeed and outplay teams like Washington and Philadelphia, though.
• Which Team Not Named Washington or Pittsburgh Could Represent the East from the Metropolitan Division in the Stanley Cup Final? Philadelphia isn't just Claude Giroux and his motley crew; there's also Shayne Gostisbehere, Wayne Simmonds, and Sean Couturier (who should be returning from a knee injury soon). Columbus just needs to get over their first-round jitters and they'll be on their way. The Devils found Taylor Hall to be their savior and have a player they can build around. The Hurricanes are up and coming. If there is one team of the bunch that can make that next step, it's Philadelphia.

There's only a couple weeks left in MLB's regular season. Where does your team stack up heading down the stretch?
American League:

1. Houston Astros: The Astros are rolling at the right time, running off a record of 13-3 this month. The schedule for Houston looks fairly tame as well; after the Seattle series, every team Houston will face is below .500, including a series against lowly Baltimore.
   
2. Boston Red Sox: On the other hand, the Red Sox will only face Baltimore as a team below .500 the rest of the way. The Red Sox do have two legitimate MVP candidates in Mookie Betts and J.D. Martinez and a Cy Young candidate in Chris Sale, but they'll have to navigate through a tough schedule and fend off a hot Astros team.
   
3. Oakland Athletics: The losses in the rotation are weighing on Oakland a bit. Losing Sean Manaea not only for this season, but for next season will hurt immensely. Still, this is a lineup that loves the long ball and should give opposing pitchers hell.
   
4. New York Yankees: Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge give the Yankees some imposing power in the lineup. However, that isn't the biggest player to watch: Can Aroldis Chapman retain his indomitable closer form after being reactivated from the disabled list?
   
5. Cleveland Indians: A tough rotation is always a pain to beat in the postseason, which is what Cleveland has. But can their bullpen hold onto the leads that the rest of the team provides?
   

National League

1. Chicago Cubs: Ever since the Cubs acquired Cole Hamels, Hamels has gone 4-0 with an ERA of 1.57, a WHIP of 1.10, and 57 SO. He has been the plug that the Cubs needed to fill to contend for the World Series. Also watch for NL MVP candidate Javier Baez.
   
2. Los Angeles Dodgers: The Dodgers seem to be back in the groove of things, establishing a decent lead in the NL West. Walker Buehler has been a nice arm in the rotation and Clayton Kershaw has done Clayton Kershaw things. Can Kenley Jensen return to form in time for the Dodgers' postseason run?
   
3. Milwaukee Brewers: Josh Hader has been a dominant long-inning reliever for Milwaukee. But the Brewers need to figure out how to manufacture runs in order to make the playoffs.
   
4. Atlanta Braves: The Baby Braves look poised to make the postseason thanks to the likes of Ozzie Albies and Ronald Acuna, Jr. Starting pitchers like Mike Foltynewicz are also important pieces to Atlanta's success in October. Key matchups against Philadelphia could decide Atlanta's fate in the running for the NL East.
   
5. St. Louis Cardinals: Thanks to the hot stick of Matt Carpenter, the Cardinals have catapulted themselves ahead of the competition for the second wild card. Miles Mikolas and John Flaherty have also been important pieces to the success of the Cardinals.
   

Notre Dame has gotten plenty of love in the college football playoff discussion. The fact that they've played so many ranked teams last season garners them such love into next season (aside from the fact that they have a good team this year). However, the Fighting Irish have been cutting it close in every game this season, hurting their chances. Notre Dame doesn't play in a conference, either, which will hurt their chances further.

There is another independent that deserves some talk in the playoff conversation: BYU. Fresh off a monumental upset in Madison against #6 Wisconsin, Kilani Sitake's squad already has their marquee win. In two weeks, they can obtain another marquee road win against a Washington squad that hasn't been firing on all cylinders offensively. Imagine that: Having not one, but two big road wins against teams that were/are in the Top Ten.

The Cougars do have one loss: a 21-18 defeat at the hands of California. As long as California doesn't head south in a hurry, the Cougars shouldn't have their resume hurt too much by the defeat. However, this does leave BYU with little room for error the rest of the way. Also consider that the Pac-12 and the Big Ten are once again in danger of missing the playoff this year. This leaves an opening for the fourth and final playoff spot. As for the Huskies game in two weeks, that Washington game could make or break them. If they lose, their playoff hopes are done. That's not the only problem BYU faces in their quest for a playoff berth.

Like Notre Dame, BYU doesn't play in a conference. Therefore, they aren't able to partake in a conference championship, which is something the committee takes into serious consideration (that's what they've said). Between a one-loss SEC school who made the SEC Championship and a one-loss BYU squad who doesn't have that luxury, who would get in? It would probably be the SEC school. BYU's schedule could also be an issue, as Washington is the only team currently ranked that they'll face. Games against Utah, Hawaii, and Boise State should help them should they win those games. However, it may not be enough to get them considered over that one-loss SEC team.

Still, road wins over Wisconsin and Washington would put the Cougars on the map and rightfully so. BYU would have something that not many schools can claim on their playoff resumes. I'm here to campaign for BYU to be considered for a playoff spot until they fall out of the picture.

We got a major upset this week! Who pulled off some magic and who came crashing down to earth?

• Winner: BYU: The Cougars went into Madison and pulled off a huge upset against #6 Wisconsin, 24-21. Running back Squally Canada had a big game against the Badgers, carrying the ball 11 times for 118 rushing yards and two touchdowns. The upset propelled the Cougars to No. 23 in the latest AP poll.
  
• Winner: South Dakota State: The Jackrabbits have prided themselves on becoming a midmajor power in men's basketball. They also proved their gridiron mettle, blowing out Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 90-6. The Jackrabbits scored 20+ points in all four quarters and Isaac Wallace had 192 rushing yards and two touchdowns on five carries. South Dakota State also had eight passing touchdowns to go with two fumble recoveries and two interceptions.
  
• Winner: LSU: Ed Oregron and his crew further boosted their playoff resume by knocking off the other SEC school nicknamed the Tigers, 22-21. Cole Tracy's 42-yard field goal as time expired gave the LSU Tigers a crucial win over a tough SEC West opponent, propelling them to No. 6 in the latest polls.
  
• Loser: Big Ten: Wisconsin's loss leaves them with little margin for error heading down the road. As for Ohio State, they won, but lost Joey Bosa to a lower abdominal strain. Bosa's return to the season remains to be seen, but the Buckeyes will have Urban Meyer back at coach, at least. Still, with the Wolverines and Spartans both going down earlier this season, the Big Ten can't have the Buckeyes losing in humiliating fashion if they want a playoff team.
  
• Loser: USC: In the past eleven months, USC had blowout losses against Notre Dame, Ohio State, Stanford, and Texas. The Trojans fell victim to a 37-14 beating in Austin as USC got outscored, 34-0, in the last three quarters. Could Clay Helton be on the hot seat after this demoralizing loss?
  
• Loser: Boise State: Boise State would've had a solid chance to make the playoff if they ran the table. Instead, a 44-21 blowout loss in Stillwater hurts their chances of not only making the playoffs greatly, but it hurts their chances of making a New Year's Six bowl. Brett Rypien still had a solid game for Boise State, though; he completed 39 of 56 passes for 380 yards and three touchdowns.
  

Other Winners: Kansas, Malik Rosier, Alabama
Other Losers: Hurricane Florence, Arizona State's luck, Notre Dame letting Vanderbilt back into the game

Playoff Four:

1. Alabama
   
2. Ohio State
   
3. Clemson
   
4. Oklahoma