HOT | NOT

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.

PHOTO

JED JACOBSON (LUCK)

PHOTO

JOHN BIEVER (TIGERS)

PHOTO

FRANCK ROBICHON/EPA (GYMNAST)

PHOTO

FERNANDO MEDINA/US PRESSWIRE (WAYNE)

PHOTO

MARISSA BAECKER/GETTY IMAGES (NUGENT-HOPKINS)