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 Images fileQ: Not a single team in the Big Ten has a losing record. While it’s true the top teams have disappointed of late, can’t it be said that the bottom of the conference is better than ever?
— Doug from Des Moines, Iowa
A: The Big Ten landscape will be different than most experts — ahem, I was one of those “experts’’ — were predicting in the preseason. It’s not Ohio State and a cloud of dust. It’s a shooting match.
Penn State is liable to win the league and get to the Rose Bowl.
Ohio State, buried at USC, has a completely different feel with freshman Terrelle Pryor at quarterback.
Wisconsin can still play on New Year’s Day.
Michigan State continues to show improvement under Coach Mark Dantonio (and running back Javon Ringer is absolutely the real deal).
Northwestern is fun and already has a conference road victory.
Michigan won’t win the conference — not yet — but it’s going to spoil somebody’s plans.
Purdue is really dangerous when its offense is rolling.
I’m putting Iowa, Indiana and Minnesota at the bottom of the conference. I’m not sure those teams really scare anybody. But is the Big Ten balanced? Is it deeper than anticipated. You bet.
It’s still unlikely for a Big Ten team to win the national championship. The race for the Rose Bowl, though, might be one to remember.
Q: What happened to East Carolina?
— C.E. from Medford, Ore.
A: Put simply, the Pirates have been outplayed by unranked teams in two straight weeks. It would be easy to suggest East Carolina has been reading its press clippings, but there were warning signs when it struggled to win at Tulane.
East Carolina’s defense has fallen apart. First, it surrendered four touchdowns to a desperate N.C. State team. Then Houston’s quick-rhythm, no-huddle offense blitzed the Pirates with 621 yards in a 41-24 victory.
So East Carolina, after its eye-opening upsets of Virginia Tech and West Virginia, finds itself at 3-2. The Pirates won’t be this season’s BCS-buster. But they can still win Conference USA.
This week is an especially well-timed bye. After that, the Pirates can go 2-0 against the ACC (a trip to Virginia awaits on Oct. 11) before jumping into the teeth of C-USA play.
The early-season momentum has evaporated.
But the more realistic goal — a C-USA title — is still very much alive. This time, though, it’s going to be tougher because the quick start has transformed East Carolina into a target.
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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Stayin' alive Oct. 1: After a week of upsets who can bounce back and still make the BCS title game. John Walters breaks it all down. |
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. |
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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 |
 | Special feature |
 | BCS Busters Taking a look at the non-BCS teams that have the biggest chances of getting to a BCS bowl. NBCSports.com |
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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.
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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.