in eight games when they host Shea Weber and the Montreal C | Forum

BATON ROUGE, La. Joe Carter Blue Jays Jersey . -- In the southeast corner of LSUs Tiger Stadium, where the visitors sit, not a one of those visitors was sitting at all. Instead, they stood, cheered and sang, with the scoreboard above them reading LSU 0, ALABAMA 10 just beneath the purple-and-gold sign that read Welcome to Death Valley.Across the field, 120 yards away, the remaining LSU fans also sang, but with muted resignation. It was their sixth straight loss to their SEC West archrival. It was Alabamas 13th consecutive win over a ranked opponent and 21st win in a row. It was Nick Sabans 200th win, which made him the third-fastest to reach that mark and brought his record against LSU, his former employer, to 8-3. It was also the teams 19th shutout in 10 seasons, seven more than any other team in that span, and it marked the first time the Tigers were held scoreless in Baton Rouge in nearly a decade and a half.Should we go on listing the crazy stats and streaks? Believe me when I say we totally could. But it is beginning to feel like piling on, isnt it? Just ask the poor folks Saturday who chose to stand and watch their enemy celebrate on their front lawn -- or any of the would-be challengers over the past four seasons who believed they were ready to topple the king, only to be smacked in the face with his scepter. After all, King Saban and his court have lost only three SEC games during that span.But I do feel like a clarification needs to be made here. There would seem to be a notion making the rounds that the once-proud, non-Alabama members of the Southeastern Conference are now cowered into the corner in a fetal position. To quote Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy: That aint true!Yeah, I read that, and hell no, it isnt true, an LSU staffer said while standing with a group of fellow coaches who paused to stand outside the tunnel and watch a few seconds of the Tides celebration before following their team into the locker room. What they are is a target, a goal. And well get there.History says yes, they will. Bear Bryant, Knute Rockne and Vince Lombardi dont just have winning in common. They also all experienced the pain of seeing their machines slowing down and their dynasties coming to a close. Its not a question of whether the Saban era will end. Its a question of when. What makes this current run even more impressive -- demoralizing, if youve been on the schedule -- is that it is really a second chapter. This current run of back-to-back SEC titles and College Football Playoff berths is coming on the heels of what looked to possibly be the beginning of the end just three years ago, when back-to-back two-loss seasons and the coinciding gap between national titles felt like cracks in the crimson armor. But Saban reinvented his offensive mindset and recharged his legacy.Now the search is back on to find leaders who can do what Auburn, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Ole Miss and Ohio State did during those brief moments of defeat. If one goes through the roster of coaches who led those teams -- Gus Malzahn, Kevin Sumlin, Bob Stoops, Hugh Freeze, Urban Meyer -- they all have one factor in common, and it isnt time spent learning at the foot of the same master. They didnt just come from a different tree. They hailed from a different forest.I always find it interesting when schools believe the best way to beat a guy is to go hire the guys who worked for him and know all his systems, said Bobby Bowden, the retired FSU head man who has a coaching tree that branches throughout college football but was ultimately replaced by Jimbo Fisher, who spent time under Saban. I loved it when rivals hired those guys because, first, it was an opportunity for one of my guys. But second, did you really think Id taught him everything? Hes gonna beat me with my system? I like the teachers chances when hes matched up with the student, dont you?That hasnt stopped desperate SEC programs from plucking fruit from the Saban tree, from Will Muschamps stops at Florida and South Carolina to Jim McElwain at Florida to, most recently, Kirby Smart at Georgia. No doubt there will be more plucked away in the quest to crack The Process. But none of those apprentices has beaten him. Smarts were still great friends speech at his UGA introductory news conference nearly one year ago has since given way to a slightly more tense tone as ties have been pulled taut along the recruiting trail.Alabama is the measuring stick, LSU interim coach Ed Orgeron said late Saturday. His predecessor, Les Miles, was once the only consistent threat to the Bama stronghold. His inability to make a dent in that tower the past five years was perhaps the biggest reason for his firing in September. Until someone proves they can knock them off, they will continue to be the measuring stick.One day, someone will figure out how to brandish that stick into a weapon. But this is not that day -- not yet, anyway.Dont mistake frustration for fear, Tennessee head coach Butch Jones said in the days after his teams 49-10 thrashing at the hands of the Tide a month ago. If you fear something, you run the other way. Were all working hard at running toward them -- not away from them.The key will be having the right players -- and plan -- to know what to do when someone finally runs them down. Now lets get on with Flipping the Field.Jabrill Peppers Watch. Michigans human Swiss army knife played seven positions across 59 snaps against Maryland. That included four on offense, one of which had him catching a screen pass and then throwing it back to the quarterback, who went deep. Do we score that as an assist?Donnel Pumphrey Watch. My 2016 man crush went for 112 yards during San Diego States 55-0 rout of Hawaii, which brought his career rushing total to 5,853. With three regular-season games remaining (at Nevada and Wyoming and home vs. Colorado State), hes 544 yards behind Ron Daynes NCAA rushing record, which is totally reachable if he picks up the pace. The Aztecs victory also secured a spot in the Mountain West championship game. Add that to a bowl game, and the record is very possible. But if Pumphrey wants to be invited to New York for the Heisman festivities, he needs to break the record before the postseason.From the Ridonculous Stats Department: According to my math-addicted friends in ESPN Stats & Info, No. 6 Ohio States 62-3 win over No. 10 Nebraska tied the second-largest margin of victory in a game involving a pair of Associated Press top-10-ranked teams, topped only by Armys 61-point romping of Penn in 1945. Who is Bama tied with? That would also be Army, which crushed Notre Dame by 59 in 1944. West Virginia bounced back from its sloppy Week 9 loss to hang 605 yards on Kansas as QB Skyler Howard accounted for a career-high five touchdowns. USC running back Ronald Jones II tied a school record with four rushing TDs. When one peruses the list of ball carriers who have worn the Trojans uniform, you realize thats no small achievement. Speaking of living among legends, Syracuse wide receiver Amba Etta-Tawo is now up to 1,158 yards, breaking the schools single-season receiving record previously held by Marvin Harrison. Speaking of the same thing, Texas running back?DOnta Foremans 341 rushing yards vs. Texas Tech was the third-best single-game performance in Horns history, trailing only Ricky Williams (350 vs. Iowa State in 98) and Roosevelt Leaks (342 vs. SMU 73). It was also his 10th straight 100-yard game, trailing only Earl Campbells 11 during his 1977 Heisman season. During Mississippi States stunner over Texas A&M,?Nick Fitzgerald became just the third SEC QB over the past two decades to throw for 200 yards and rush for 175 in the same game. The other two were Heisman winners Cam Newton and Johnny Manziel.Were going streaking! Clemsons FBS-best home winning streak is up to 21. Washington State started the year 0-2 but has now won seven straight, its best streak since 2002. If the Cougars win next week at home vs. Cal, they will match their longest win streak since 1930. Baker Mayfield has thrown a TD pass in 22 straight games, trailing only the 25 straight of Texas Techs Patrick Mahomes II and Clemsons Deshaun Watson.Get in the car, Frank ... Missouri has now lost 11 straight SEC games. Kentuckys heartbreaking loss to Georgia snapped its shot at winning four straight SEC games for the first time since 1977. Kansas has lost 40 straight road games dating back to a victory at UTEP on Sept. 12, 2009. Oregon has lost six of its past seven and must win out to keep its 11-year bowl-game streak alive.Road warriors. Having seen their efforts at bowl games and the occasional venture east, Ive been telling people for years that BYU is vastly underrated when it comes to the road efforts of its fans. On Saturday, the people of Cincinnati saw it for themselves.While the #MannequinChallenge is still a thing ... Did you see what Michigan did?Tommy West Coachs News Conference of the Week: Bobby Petrino, Louisville. After the Cardinals destroyed Boston College 52-7 (Lamar Jackson accounted for seven TDs!), Petrino was asked about the Cardinals ranking of seventh in the inaugural College Football Playoff standings, whether recent close scores had anything to do with it and whether he needs to start thinking about more impressive scoreboard numbers to put in front of the committee. I guess we do. ... Its sad because theres something called sportsmanship, but maybe I made a mistake. Maybe looking back at it, in Florida State we should have kept all the starters in and scored 80 points and did that. But I dont understand why its like that. I really dont. And then you look at Clemson and the schedule they beat, the guys in the top 10 that they beat, and what Alabama has done, why isnt Clemson rated No. 1 [in the CFP]?Danny Ford Scientific Rocket Quote of the Week: Bret Bielema, Arkansas. After watching his defense perform porously at Auburn, the head Hog made wholesale changes. After holding Florida to 10 points, he described those changes. One of the things Ive always done as a head coach is that if I feel a player needs to play, Ill just come in and say it. Im not going to give a lot of reasons why. When s--- needs to happen, I gotta make it happen. Thats what I needed to do. And he did.More #MannequinChallenge. Not to be outdone by the Wolverines, Ohio State also froze themselves.Kansas State head coach Bill Snyder is so old ...But no, really, how old is he?Well, he isnt as old as this guy. But they are both awesome.Frank Reich Backup QB Of The Week Award: Matt Golden, Bates College. Bates and Bowdoin colleges, NCAA Division III schools in Maine, have been competing on the playing field since 1877. On Saturday, Bowdoin led 7-3 at the start of the fourth quarter, and Bates starting QB Sandy Plashkes had to leave the game with an injury. Backup Matt Golden immediately threw a 35-yard TD pass and spurred a 21-point fourth quarter, during which he rushed for 104 yards, bringing his total to 126 and becoming the first Bates player to hit the 100-yard rushing mark all season. Meanwhile, Bates clinched at least a tie of the Colby-Bates-Bowdoin round-robin conference title for the third straight year, something the Bobcats hadnt done since 1898 to 1990!Comeback of the Week Award, also named for Frank Reich: Oklahoma State 43, Kansas State 37. The Pokes scored twice in the final eight minutes to erase a nine-point lead by the Wildcats. Now I kind of feel bad about the Snyder old-guy jokes.OK, one more #MannequinChallenge.?With all due respect to Michigan and OSU, theyre competing for second behind the Miners of UTEP.The Tom Herman Awesome Social Media Move of the Week: Chad Morris, SMU. His internet game is overshadowed by Hermans, but his #PonyUpTempo approach is no less incredible. On Friday night, the coach live-tweeted choppering between Texas high school football games. Feel free to scroll through his timelines and set the images to the Magnum P.I. theme. I totally did.The Guy You Should Know About But Probably Dont: Zach Terrell, QB, Western Michigan. By now you surely know about the Broncos, 9-0 and the leader (by a thin margin) for the Gang of 5s New Years Six bowl berth. But now you need to get to know their leader. Over the first five games of the season, he never cracked 300 yards passing. Now the 6-foot-2 senior has done it in three of the past four and has thrown three TDs in each game. And, by the way, hes thrown just one interception all season. You dont even have to wait until the weekend to watch him. Western Michigan visits Kent for #MACtion on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2.The Guy You Used to Know About But Forgot About But You Should Know About Again: Elijah Hood, RB, UNC. The Heels are doing their annual November you-dont-wanna-have-to-play-us-now thing. It was only one month ago when they mustered all of three points against Virginia Tech. On Saturday they throttled the other Tech, the one in Georgia, 48-20 via 636 yards of offense. Entering the season, I was very high on Hood (a fact that Georgia fans still love to remind me), and with good reason. But he essentially vanished from UNCs game plan, a move that was ripped by many, including me. Last week UNCs excellent beat writer Andrew Carter revealed that Hood has been injured throughout the fall and was finally feeling 100 percent. He backed Carter up by rushing for 168 yards and three TDs on just a dozen carries. Carolina needs equally resurgent Virginia Tech to lose another conference game if it wants to be in Orlando for the ACC championship. But regardless of whoever ends up representing the Coastal, Clemson is going to have its hands full.The Team You Should Know About But Probably Dont: Troy. Speaking of Clemson, remember back in Week 2 when we all enthusiastically hammered the Tigers for needing to recover a late onside kick to escape the clutches of Troy? Well, it turns out the Trojans are pretty darn good. In 2014 they nearly won the Bottom 10 championship. This year theyre 7-1 and in the conference-championship drivers seat with their Fun Belt securely fastened. It might be a lot to ask, but if Western Michigan stumbles and the Mountain West is won by San Diego State, which lost to the same South Alabama team that Troy beat 28-21 two weeks ago, then the Trojans could sneak on to the edges of the College Football Playoff selection committees New Years Day Six radar.The Game You Should Be Psyched For But Probably Arent: Pitt at Clemson. Does Clemson have what it takes to dig in against a Big Ten/SEC West-ish bulldozer run game? Is Deshaun Watson ready to post some garish passing numbers to make a November push toward a Heisman? At the very least well be able to watch cancer survivor James Conner score his 50th career touchdown, which would make him only the fourth ACC player to reach pay dirt that many times.Extra Point: Forget that Cal fans were lined up for Marshawn Lynch-driving-the-medical-cart bobbleheads nine hours before their game with Washington. Forget that Jeff Tedford came back for the game and said he never thought hed see a bobblehead for a moment that hed gotten into so much trouble for. Forget that Cal got housed by the Huskies on what was supposed to be a feel-good night. Yeah, forget all of that and just be glad that when Lynch drove out to recreate his infamous hijacking of the cart 10 years ago, he didnt either: A. Cause his mother to be thrown from the vehicle or B. Accidentally recreate The Play and run over a trombone player.? Jesse Barfield Blue Jays Jersey .5 million, one-year contract on Friday. Hawkins, who turns 41 in December, will compete with Rex Brothers for the closers role at spring training. Billy McKinney Jersey . The International Olympic Committee released the official list of bid cities on Friday after the deadline for applications had passed. The candidates -- all previously announced in their own countries -- are: Almaty, Kazakhstan; Beijing; Krakow, Poland; Lviv, Ukraine; Oslo, Norway; and Stockholm. http://www.bluejaysonline.com/blue-jays-george-bell-jersey/ . Now, correct me if Im wrong but I saw one official distinctly pointing at the net indicating a good goal but after an inconclusive review they overturned the goal.  Shouldnt the ruling on the ice (good goal) stand after an inconclusive review?  Why was this overturned?  James Veaudry Pembroke, ON --  Hey Kerry, Youll get a lot of these, but why was the Montreal goal against Nashville Saturday night overturned? Eller puts the puck on net and the on ice ruling from the ref behind the net is a Montreal goal. Some of the sports stories The Associated Press is covering Sunday. A full Sports Digest will be sent by about 3 p.m. All times EST:- The College Football Playoff selection committee has a predicament on its hands: Should Penn State, with a conference championship and a head-to-head win over Ohio State, earn a coveted spot in the nations top four? Selections start at 12:30 p.m.- Preview stories and capsules for each New Years Six bowls.- With not enough .500 teams to fill all 80 slots, bowls are again having to offer postseason opportunities to teams with losing records.- The AP releases its weekly Top 25 college football poll at 11 a.m.- PITTSBURGH -- The streaking New York Giants look for their seventh straight win in Pittsburgh. The Steelers have won two straight to move into a tie for first with Baltimore in the AFC North. Game starts 4:25 p.m.- ATLANTA -- The Atlanta Falcons host the Kansas City Chiefs in a game that could have huge playoff ramifications for both teams. The Falcons lead the NFC South, while the Chiefs are on top in the AFC wild-card race and battling Oakland for the division lead. Game starts 1 p.m.- FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Tom Brady looks to pass Peyton Manning for the most wins in history by an NFL quarterback when the Patriots host the struggling Los Angeles Rams. Game starts 1 p.m.- NASSAU, Bahamas -- Tiger Woods caps off a highly anticipated return to golf with the final round of the Hero Challenge. Hideki Matsuyama had a 7-shot lead going into the final round.- NATIONAL HAARBOR, Md. Aaron Sanchez Blue Jays Jersey. -- Former commissioner Bud Selig, longtime executive John Schuerholz and the late George Steinbrenner are among the candidates for election to the baseball Hall of Fame. Announcement at 6 p.m.- CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- No. 3 North Carolina looks to bounce back from its first loss when it hosts Radford. Game starts 2 p.m.- BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- No. 13 Indiana chases its fourth win in seven days when Southeast Missouri State comes to town. The RedHawks have won two of their last eight but have lost all eight games theyve played against Big Ten teams. Game starts 4 p.m.- UNCASVILLE, Conn. -- No. 2 UConn puts its 81-game winning streak to the test against 14th-ranked Texas. The Longhorns lost a tight game against third-ranked South Carolina in their last game. Game starts 4 p.m.- OKLAHOMA CITY -- Thunder guard Russell Westbrook seeks his fifth straight triple-double as Oklahoma City hosts the New Orleans Pelicans and NBA scoring leader Anthony Davis. Game starts 7 p.m.- LOS ANGELES -- Anze Kopitar and the Los Angeles Kings go for their seventh victory in eight games when they host Shea Weber and the Montreal Canadiens, who have fallen from their spot atop the overall NHL standings with five losses in their last six road games. Game starts 3 p.m.- SAN JOSE, Calif. -- West Virginia faces Southern California in the NCAA womens soccer final. Game starts 6 p.m. ' ' '