HOT: CARDINAL RULES.
Stanford fans are abuzz about a school-record 14 straight W's (the latest: 44--14 over Wash. State, with four Andrew Luck TDs), but the real Cardinal party is in St. Louis, where seven weeks ago the Redbirds sat 9½ games out of the playoffs.
NOT: MICHIGAN BLUE
The Lions lost (amid Handshakegate and at home) for the first time since Dec. 5; the Tigers whimpered to a finish with a 14-run ALCS deficit; and Michigan finally fell. Sure, it was to MSU, but they don't call it the Spartan State, do they?
HOT: RUMBLIN' TUMBLERS
U.S. gymnasts earned seven medals—four gold—at the world championships in Tokyo over the weekend, second only to China. Meanwhile protests in New York City yielded a hilarious footballcentric Tumblr blog: Occupy Herbstreit.
NOT: COLTS BUCKED
Indy is 0--6 for the first time since '97 (before Peyton) after falling 27--17 to the Bengals (4--2!). But wait: Days before, Colts faithful heard rumors of Robert Mathis and Reggie Wayne (below) as trade bait—a sacrilegious thought three months ago.
HOT: SLICK OILERS
Edmonton's 18-year-old rookie, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (below), had three goals in his third NHL game last Saturday, the quickest hat trick by a No. 1 overall pick. Not to be forgotten, teammate Taylor Hall, No. 1 from '10, has three points in three games.
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JED JACOBSON (LUCK)
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JOHN BIEVER (TIGERS)
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FRANCK ROBICHON/EPA (GYMNAST)
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FERNANDO MEDINA/US PRESSWIRE (WAYNE)
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MARISSA BAECKER/GETTY IMAGES (NUGENT-HOPKINS)
