Terry Francona out as Red Sox manager

The Terry Francona era ended this afternoon in Boston, as the Red Sox decided not to pick up the option on his contract. The decision followed after Boston missed the playoffs despite leading the AL wild-card race by nine games on Sept. 4. The BoSox went 6-18 after that, ending with a 4-3 loss Wednesday in Baltimore that ended their season and Tito's tenure in Boston.

Boston collapses, Rays clinch AL Wild Card

Mere moments after Jonathan Papelbon allowed a walk off win to the Orioles, Evan Longoria hit a walk off solo shot to send the Rays back into the playoffs. Boston led 3-2 into the bottom of the 9th at Camden Yards until Papelbon let up a walk off single as the Orioles beat Boston, 4-3. Minutes later, Longoria sent a solo shot into the bleachers to cap off a huge come from behind victory for Tampa Bay. The Rays managed to tie a 7 run deficit against the Yankees in the 8th and 9th innings and eventually won in Tropicana in the bottom of the 12th.

St. Louis Cardinals clinch NL Wild Card

Chris Carpenter threw a two hitter as the Cardinals beat the Astros 8-0. A few hours later, rookie closer Craig Kimbrel blew a save for the Atlanta Braves and Phillie won in extra innings. The Braves collapsed after an 8 1/2 game lead for the wild card spot on Aug 25, but they kept losing and the Cardinals squeaked in on the last few days of the season to clinch. St. Louis will travel to Philadelphia and the winner will play either Arizona or Milwaukee.

Atlanta and St. Louis now tied for NL wild card

The surging Cardinals finally caught up with the slumping Braves. With one more day left in the season, the two teams are both 89-72. Atlanta lost 7-1 to the top seeded Phillies. They've lost 7 of their last 10 games and will have to beat Phillie in order to have a chance for the wild card spot. St. Louis' wild card bid looks much stronger since they have won 7 of their last 10 and finish their season in Houston.

Kicking themselves, Redskins lose to Cowboys 18-16

Dan Bailey scored all 18 of Dallas' points by kicking 6 field goals as the Cowboys handed Washington their first loss of the season. The game lacked big plays and the only TD came from a Rex Grossman pass to Tim Hightower, but Dallas would persevere in a field goal battle at home led by an injured Tony Romo on MNF.

Tampa Bay ties with Boston for the AL Wild Card spot

The Tampa Bay Rays drew even with the Boston Red Sox for the AL Wild Card spot on Monday. Boston lost to the lowly Orioles, opening the door for a Tampa Bay tie as the Rays beat the Yankees. Less than a month ago, Tampa Bay had no legitimate shot for a playoff bid till the Red Sox hit a huge slump and the Rays slowly climbed back into the picture. Now there is a tie for the Wild Card spot and second place in the AL East, however Boston will only play Baltimore for their two remaining games and Tampa will have to play New York. A way the Yankees can end Boston's season is by letting these last two games slide against the Rays, so if Boston loses one game, they won't make it to the fall classic.

Bills shock the Patriots, 34-31

Buffalo QB Ryan Fitzpatrick proved that the Bills aren't to be taken lightly anymore. After New England jumped out to an early 21-0 lead, the game seemed over before halftime. Buffalo would then draw within 4 points. After consecutive scores, the Bills found themselves on top with a 31-24 lead over the Patriots, but Tom Brady would engineer a scoring drive to tie the game with 3 minutes to go. Guess what! Fitzpatrick can also lead his team down the field and score game winning field goals just like the Patriots and they did just that when Rian Lindell punched in the game winner when time expired. Brady seemed human after throwing 4 picks and giving Buffalo a chance to come back. Fitzpatrick on the other hand looked like a Harvard man who knew the chance of a lifetime opportunity when he led the lowly Bills to an impressive 3-0 start. (maybe the white helmets make them play better)

Ducks demolish the Cats, 56-31

An uninspired group of Wildcats were dismantled at Arizona Stadium by the Oregon Ducks. Oregon jumped out to a 35-9 halftime lead as the Zonazoo dispersed on an embarrassing night featured on ESPN 2. The Wildcats can only look at one bright spot, which is the passing yards from Nick Foles. The Cats have the best passing offense in college, but their running game is still ineffective. The Cats seemed inspired only after WR Austin Hill was knocked out after a helmet to helmet hit, but Arizona remains a joke for ranked teams. Heisman hopeful, Lamichael James ran over the Arizona defense as he racked up a school record 288 rushing yards. The Wildcats will look towards the visit to USC since they were routed too. If Stoops can spark his players (which I don't think he will)he can possibly save his job in LA.

Diamonbacks clinch the NL West

Chris Young caught the pop-up hit by Aubrey Huff and Chase Field went crazy as fireworks went off and the words "NL West Champions" appeared on the jumbotron. Arizona had finally capped off their improbable season after a poor 65-97 season last year to winning the NL West tonight. After a 1-0 deficit, Chris Young doubled in a run off Matt Cain in the 7th inning. An inning later, rookie Paul Goldschimdt tripled in two runs to take a 3-1 lead. JJ Putz then closed out the reigning World Champions as the Diamondbacks won their division for the 5th time in their 14 year history. Welcome to the playoffs, Anybody, Anytime.

I hope this isn't Toronto's "new" logo

This could be the logo for the 2012 Blue Jays... I don't like it. Jose Bautista and Toronto won't look good in baby blue because this logo is so much like their old school 90s logo.
The angrier looking bird in their current logo is perfect for Toronto: they're a power hitting team and not a baby blue, soft team. If they change the logo back to the original form, they should've never changed it in the first place.

Blaine Gabbert named Jacksonville starter

Rookie QB Blaine Gabbert was named the starter for the Jacksonville Jaguars on Wednesday due to the poor performance by QB Luke McCown against the New York Jets. McCown threw four INT, sparking the decision of coach Jack Del Rio to put the 10th overall pick from Missouri at QB. Jacksonville will take on Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers those Sunday in Charlotte. It will be interesting to see if Gabbert performs well in his first start and if Newton can continue his arial assault on NFl defenses.

The Pac 12 won't expand any further

The Pac 12 decided that twelve teams was enough for one conference as they announced they would not expand any further on Tuesday night. Texas, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State were all interested in leaving the Big 12 and joining the Pac 12, however the Big 12 can still keep it's four major schools for now. It would be a shame to see the Big 12 crumble further and the four teams join the Big 10 or the SEC to create a dominant conference instead of what could've been a done deal in the west. I think that there will eventually be four super-conferences and instead of a National Championship bowl, there will be a Final Four playoff system for all the conference winners... Food for thought.

Kennedy shuts down Pirates, earns 20th win

Ian Kennedy allowed one hit against the Pittsburgh Pirates over 8 innings as Arizona beat the Bucs, 1-0. The three most valuable players for the Diamondbacks played well tonight: Kennedy got win #20, Upton hit his 31st homer of the year (the only run of the game), and closer JJ Putz notched his 42nd save of the season. The magic number is now at 4 with 8 games remaining.

New York Giants top St. Louis, 28-16

After an undefeated preseason, the St. Louis Rams had two weeks in a row to prove Sam Bradford had playoff hopes in the gateway city. So far, they don't look like legitimate NFC contenders as they dropped to the Giants in the Meadowlands, 28-16. Coach Steve Spagnuolo, the former defensive coordinator for New York, could never get the ball moving efficiently against his former team. The run game was non-existent, partly due to the absence of All-pro RB Stephen Jackson, who left in week 1 against the Eagles due to a strained quadricep. Jackson should return as soon as possible, because St.Louis plays Baltimore, the upstart Redskins, at Green Bay, at Dallas, New Orleans, and at Arizona; all important games for St. Louis' playoff bid this season. On the other hand, Eli Manning was his old self: passing the ball for a meager 200 yards, throwing 2 TDs, and tossing a pick just to ruin his QB rating. The G-men managed to move the ball on St. Louis relatively well. They also had better defense than last week, which gives head coach Tom Coughlin some breathing room with the New York media and fan base for the rest of the week till they play at Philadelphia.

Altlanta tops Philly, 35-31. Vick leaves early with a neck injury and concussion

It wasn't pretty, but Matty Ice proved he was the man in Atlanta tonight. Ryan passed for 4 TDs including two to Tony Gonzalez. Atlanta scored 14 points in the final quarter as Michael Turner ran for the go-ahead touchdown with 4:48 to go. Second year back-up QB Mike Kafca led Philadelphia to the Redzone with 1:45 to go, but Jeremy Maclin dropped the 4th down conversion. Atlanta moves to 1-1 in a wild game at the Georgia Dome as Falcon fans left happy after seeing their old QB in Michael Vick and their new QB in Matt Ryan.

Pitt and Syracuse added to ACC

The Big East has boasted basketball supremacy for the past few seasons. The ACC can know officially join the conversation as they added Pitt and Syracuse to a list of solid basketball programs. UCONN and Kansas have also showed interest in the conference, which could potentially become a super conference with 16 teams. As it is now, the ACC will have North Carolina, Duke, Wake Forest, Clemson, Florida State, Syracuse, and Pitt; all teams participated in the NCAA tournament last year.

Detroit demolishes Kansas City, 48-3. Charles carted off with injured knee

We all knew Detroit would be good this year... But not this good. With Matthew Stafford healthy so far this season, the Lions ripped apart the reigning AFC West champs as they dismantled their defense and possibly all hopes for this season. Jamaal Charles left the game with what appeared to be an ACl injury, which would sideline him for the rest of the season. Matthew Stafford tossed for 294 yards and 4 TDs as he hooked up with Calvin Johnson twice. Detroit will look to improve their record as they travel to Minnesota next week; Kansas City will travel to San Diego next week. The Lions have been extremely efficient on offense after racking up 75 points in their two games. KC has only scored 10 points this season but they've been bullied on defense after letting up 89 points in only two games.

Cards give Hightower a reunion present, hand the game to the Redskins

During the week, Tim Hightower guaranteed the Washington Redskins would beat his former team, the Arizona Cardinals. The Richmond running back had 96 rushing yards against the Cards as tHe Redskins scored 12 points in the final quarter for a 22-21 win. The Cardinals intercepted Washington QB Rex Grossman twice in the first quarter but trailed 10-7 at the half. A stable running game from Beanie Wells and a 73-yard Kolb to Fitzgerald TD pass gave Arizona a 21-13 lead in the fourth quarter. Washington would come back to score an 18-yard TD to Santana Moss (failed 2pt conversion) and a 34-yard field goal punched in by Graham Gano. With about a minute left, the Cardinals came out rolling but the momentum was suddenly stopped when Chansi Stuckey fumbled at midfield and Washington closed out the game in a victory formation. The Redskins are a surprising 2-0 as they continue their dominance over the Cards by winning the past 8 match-ups. Arizona falls to 1-1 with a game against Seattle next week at Qwest Field.

Luck and Skill, Stanford punishes Arizona 37-10

Andrew Luck passed for 325 yards and 2 TDs as the Number 6 Cardinal routed the Wildcats 37-10. Arizona showed fight after trailing 16-10 at the end of the first half. The Wildcats could've taken the lead and the momentum when Foles passed to Juron Criner in the end zone, but a Stanford secondary would ensure the pass wouldn't be caught by committing pass interfence. Jaime Salazar would miss the ensuing field goal and Stanford would run away with the game behind the legs of Stepfan Taylor(235 rushing yards) and the arm of Andrew Luck(325 passing yards). The Cardinal will likely move to No. 5 after the Noles lost to OU. Arizona head coach Mike Stoops is now on the hot-seat after falling to 1-2 this season.

Kellen Moore throws for 455 yards and 5 TDs as Boise State rolls Toledo, 40-15

Boise State QB Kellen Moore tossed for 455 yards and 5 TDs as the Broncos ripped a pesky Toledo team Friday night in the Glass Bowl. After coming off a close 27-22 loss to Ohio State looked to bounce back against the Broncos. Toledo looked good on the opening possession as they scored the opening touchdown. The Rockets looked to take all the momentum by going for a 2pt conversion, but failed. Boise State would then run away with the game as they scored the games next three touchdowns. Kellen Moore earned his 40th win of the season and know looks like a solid Heisman candidate by throwing for 716 yards and 7 TDs so far in this early season.

LSU rolls Missippi State, 19-6

Jarrett Lee and a stagnant LSU defense led the 3rd ranked team into an upset minded Mississppi State stadium. The result: a dominant performance on defense as the Tigers silenced QB Chris Relf and any Bulldog running attack the entire night. LSU's offense was effient as Spencer Ware rushed for 107 yards and Jarrett Lee led the Toger offense down the field to put up 10 points in the 4th quarter and put the game out of reach. LSU proved that their defense is able to take on any team in the SEC and that their back-up QB, Jarrett Lee, can lead this team to victory.

Verlander wins 11th straight, Tigers win 11th straight

Justin Verlander won his 23rd game of the season and his 11th straight over seven shut-out innings as Detroit blanked Chicago, 5-0. Detroit has won 11 games in a row as they stretch their division lead to 12 games. Verlander is solidifying his bid for the AL Cy Young and possibly a shot at the AL MVP.

Tim Wakefield notches his 200th career win

Tim Wakefield earned his 200th career win against the Toronto Blue Jays Tuesday night. After being stuck with only 199 wins for eight consecutive starts, the veteran knuckle-baller finally broke through, pitching six innings as Boston routed Toronto 18-6. Boston gains some breathing room in the AL Wild Card race after Tampa Bay lost to Baltimore 4-2.

LSU, Stanford, MSU, and OSU all recieve new Nike Pro Combat uniforms

Nike presented four new uniforms today for LSU, Stanford, MSU, and OSU for games against rivals later this season. The new Pro Combat jerseys stay relatively close to the old jersey designs except for Ohio State. The Buckeyes wore an all-scarlet, throwback uniform from Nike against Michigan last year. This year, forget about silver helmets with buckeye patches, go with a grey Alabama-like helmet with a jersey that features a mix of the classic scarlet and the new metallic-grey. LSU's only changes to their uniform were the collar and helmet colour, Stanford chose to go with a new black helmet, and Michigan State threw in some gold instead of white. LSU  plans to wear its all-white look for Oct. 22 vs. Auburn, Stanford Nov. 27 vs. Notre Dame, Michigan State Oct. 15 vs. Michigan and Ohio State Oct. 29 vs. Wisconsin.

Brady throws for 517 yards and 4 TDs, Pats roll on Monday Night

Tom Brady threw for 517 yards and 4 TDs during a Monday Night duel against Chad Henne and the Miami Doplhins. Both QBs impressed however the Patriots managed to get the easy win. Brady had one early mistake by throwing his first interception in 358 attempts, but was spot on for the rest of the night. It took Henne a while to get things started for Miami as he threw for 416 yards, but the game was out of reach by then. New England has routed Miami once again after last years impressive rout in Miami on Monday Night. New England's offense looked better than last year as they racked up a total of 622 yards. Despite the large margin, the game was an aerial show as the quarterbacks threw for a combined total of 906 yards in the game, an NFL single game record.

Tampa Bay sweeps Boston, trail 3 1/2 games for Wild Card spot

The Tampa Bay Rays capped off a sweep against the division rival Red Sox to draw within 3 1/2 games behind Boston for the AL Wild Card spot. Rays pitcher James Shields earned his 15th win of the season as Tampa routed Boston 9-1. BJ Upton joined the 20/20 club with a grand slam to put the game out of reach. Baltimore awaits the red hot Rays as Boston returns home with a hopefully tough series against Toronto. On August 7th, Tampa seemed far out of the playoff picture, falling 10 games behind then 2nd place New York. The Yankees now hold the lead over the Red Sox with Tampa only a few games behind, however Boston has 7 games against the lowly Orioles and Tampa has 7 games against the first place Yankees to close out the season. The most important match up is a 4 game series between the two teams starting this Thursday in Fenway.

Cowboys manage to drop another Sunday night opener, fall to Jets

The Dallas Cowboys blew a 14 point lead in the 4th quarter as New York celebrated a victory on the 10 year anniversary of 9/11. A Dallas 4th quarter drive, led by Tony Romo, was stopped at the one yard line as Romo fumbled the ball on a possession that would've put the game out of reach. The Jets would then tie the game on a blocked punt by Jonathan McKnight. With the score tied at 24, both quarterbacks had a chance to win the game. Mark Sanchez led a drive that ended in a punt and on the ensuing possession, Romo threw an interception to Darrelle Revis to give the Jets the ball back in field goal range. Arizona product, Nick Folk, punched in the victory for the Jets as he kicked a 50 yard field goal with 27 seconds left. Dallas actually had a chance to get within field goal range at the end of the game, but Romo fumbled a snap and time expired. This is Dallas' first ever loss with a 14 point lead going into the 4th quarter. Somehow, someway the Cowboys managed to lose the game.

Newton falls short of comeback, Cardinals win 28-21

With a game full of big plays, Cam Newton's Carolina Panthers fell a yard short of forcing their match up against Arizona into overtime. Newton excelled in his NFL debut game by going 24-37 with 422 yards and 2 TDs. Despite throwing an interception, Newton became the first NFL Rookie QB to throw for 400 yards in their debut. Kevin Kolb also shined in his Arizona debut by going 18-27 with 309 yards and 2 TDs. The steady quarterback play was a breathe of fresh air for Cardinals fans. Arizona scored on a 70 yard TD pass from Kolb to Early Doucet to tie the game with 10:24 left in the fourth quarter. After a defensive stop, Arizona's Patrick Peterson returned a punt for an 89 yard TD. Carolina got the ball back as Newton, the 1st overall pick, attempted to lead a game-tying drive. Carolina fell a yard short of the end zone on 4th down, clinching the win for the Cards.

UConn Men's Basketball to play in 2012 Carrier Classic

Here's a new idea for college basketball: play a game outdoors... On a boat. That's what the UConn Huskies plan to do next year aboard an aircraft carrier in San Diego Bay. The reigning NCAA basketball Champions could play either Kansas, Florida, Texas, Illinois, or Arizona on Nov 9, 2012. On Veteran's day, Michigan State will take on North Carolina in the inaugural Carrier Classic. The game is a rematch of the 2009 NCAA title game and it will take place aboard the USS Vinson.

Bell blows save as D-backs win on a bases loaded walk

Down by two runs in the bottom of the ninth, the Diamondbacks hit two home runs against one of the best closers in baseball to tie the game and send it to extra innings. An inning later Lyle Overbay, the man who had the game-tying shot, drew a walk to score Upton as the Diamondbacks squeaked by the Padres to win their fourth in a row and 15th in a row at home. The ninth inning rally came seconds after the jumbo-tron showed Luis Gonzalez’s walk off bloop single against Mariano Rivera that gave Arizona its World Series championship a decade ago. Fans left happy as the red-hot team (in purple tonight) gave them memories from 2001 and a World Series Replica Ring. The San Francisco Giants slipped again as they were blanked by the Dodgers, 3-0. Arizona now has a 9 1/2 game lead and a magic number of 8 with 16 games to go in the regular season.

Michigan beats Notre Dame in the first night game at the Big House

Denard Robinson threw a 16 yard touchdown pass to Roy Roundtree with 8 seconds to go as the Wolverines stunned Notre Dame 35-31 in the fIrst night game at the Big House. Down 24-7 at the end of the 3rd quarter, Denard Robinson led a furious comeback by scoring 4 TDs in the last quarter. Despite some poor play by Robinson early on, he maintained his composure by out dueling Notre Dame's staring QB Tommy Rees. Breaking tradition at Wolverine Stadium was definitely worth it as Michigan came out on top in a heart-pounding finish.

Peterson given 7 year, $100 million contract extension

The Minnesota Vikings gave RB Adrian Peterson a $100 million contract extension with $36 million guarenteed over the next 7 years. The contract will expire in 2017, when Peterson turns 32 which is a relatively old age for an NFL RB. On the Dan Patrick show, Peterson stated that he was worth $100 million and more than both Chris Johnson and Larry Fitzgerald, who were both given long term deals this offseason. Peterson will prove if he is worth the money this Sunday against the Chargers as he'll try to break the NFL record of 296 rushing yards he set the last time Minnesota played San Diego.

Kennedy wins 19th, Diamondbacks beat Padres 4-1.

Right-hander Ian Kennedy notched his 19th win of the season as he struck out 11 in 7 innings of one run ball as the Diamondbacks took the first out of a four-game homestand against San Diego. Both Goldschimdt and Upton homered in Kennedy's 19th win, the most in the National League. Arizona gained a 7 1/2 game lead over the idle San Francisco Giants.

Quest for Super Bowl XLVI begins

The Green Bay Packers and New Orleans Saints are set to clash in Lambeau Field Thursday night. The winners of the past two Super Bowls will look to win again in a match up that features two of the leagues top QBs in Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers. This season looked as though it wouldn't begin this offseason due to a lock-out. Now, the race is on for the Lombardi Trophy.

Cats to take on Oklahoma State without Criner

The Arizona Wildcats will take on the Oklahoma State Cowboys in a rematch of the Alamo Bowl this Thursday. Unfortunately for the Wildcats, QB Nick Foles will be without one of the nation's top WR in Juron Criner. The Cowboys will look to rout Arizona in Stillwater as they did in the Alamo Bowl 36-10. Arizona returns with a new look defense and OSU returns most starters on both offense and defense including QB Brandon Weeden and WR Justin Blackmon. A win from the Wildcats could boost their hopes for this season but a loss could send them reeling into the Stanford and Oregon match-ups the following weeks. Expect this game to be a shooting rather than a blow-out as the Cats look for revenge.

Verlander wins his 22nd, Tribe fall 8 1/2 games back

The Detroit Tigers now hold an 8 1/2 game lead in their division as Justin Verlander notched his 22nd win in an 8-6 victory over Cleveland. It looks as though the Tigers will win the AL Central and Verlander will win the AL Cy Young and Triple Crown. The Tigers ace leads the American League in Strikeouts (224), Wins (22), and ERA (2.44).

It's official: Peyton Manning's iron man streak is over

The Indianapolis Colts announced 38 year old Kerry Collins as the starter on the 9/11 game against the Texans. This announcement concludes Peyton Manning's 227 consecutive starts streak. The decision was made after Manning went through his second neck surgery this offseason.

Jaguars cut Garrard, McCown to start

The Jacksonville Jaguars cut starting QB David Garrard Tuesday. The split will save Jacksonville $9 million this year. In a wide open division with Peyton Manning sitting, Jacksonville took themselves out of the picture by cutting the reliable Garrard. Without Garrard, Jacksonville has named Luke McCown the starter with Rookie Blaine Gabbert as his back-up.

Winnipeg Jets show off their new jerseys

The Wiinipeg Jets debuted their new hockey uniforms today. The organization chose a traditional uniform design like the old Winnipeg Jets jersey. The polar blue and silver colors give the jersey a cold look, appropriate for a place like Winnipeg. The jerseys are much nicer than the teams old Atlanta Thrashers design.

Stewart one-hits the Twins, Chicago sweeps Minnesota

Chicago White Sox pitcher Zach Stewart lost his bid for a perfect game as Danny Valencia of the Minnesota Twins singled in the bottom of the 8th. Stewart would continue to finish his one hitter in a 4-0 victory that concluded the White Sox sweep over the Twins. Chicago is currently 8 games out of first place in the AL Central as the Detroit Tigers look to clinch later this month.

Maryland beats the short-handed Hurricanes

Miami QB Stephen Morris threw a 55 yard pick-six with 51 seconds to go as the Maryland Terrapins held on for a 32-24 win over a shorthanded Hurricanes team. The Terrapins held off three Hurricane rallies and eventually put Miami away with the pick-six. The 7 suspended Hurricane players proved to be the difference as back-up QB Stephen Morris failed to cap off the comeback while starting QB Jacory Harris could not play in the game.

Diamondbacks rally past the Giants, hold a 7 game lead

The Arizona Diamondbacks scored 4 runs in the 8th inning to rally past the San Francisco Giants 4-1. The D-backs now have a 7 game cushion going into their series against Colorado. Daniel Hudson picked up his 15th win of the season after pitching 7 innings of one run ball. Ryan Roberts hit a homer in the 8th off of Ryan Vogelsong to tie the game and Willie Bloomquist hit a go-ahead triple as the Diamondbacks closed out their series in the bay with a win. Their magic number is now 16 with 22 games remaining.

Boise State bests the Georgia Bulldogs

Boise State captured their first win against an SEC team with their convincing 35-21 victory over the 19th ranked Georgia Bulldogs. Georgia, an up and coming team in the SEC East led by sophomore QB Aaron Murray proved to be no match against the 5th ranked Broncos of Boise. Boise QB Kellen Moore went 28-34 with 261 yards, 3 TDS and a pick as Boise State defeated a ranked opponent in two consecutive season openers. If Georgia ends up winning the SEC east and Boise State can manage an undefeated season, the Broncos deserve to play in a BCS bowl.

Oregon no match for LSU

The 3rd ranked Oregon Ducks, fresh off a National Championship loss to Auburn, stumbled yet again to an SEC opponent Saturday night as the LSU Tigers mauled them, 40-27. The 4th ranked Tigers proved that the suspension of starting QB Jordan Jefferson would not impact the game as LSU's running game racked up 175 yards and back-up QB Jarrett Lee turned in a mistake free night. Heisman hopeful LaMichael James was held to only 51 yards rushing as LSU shut down Oregon's explosive spread offense. Oregon QB Darron Thomas said before the game that if Oregon does not win this game, it's a done season. It looks like LSU can continue it's pursuit for the National Championship and Oregon can only finish with Roses at best.

23rd ranked Auburn avoid a Utah State upset

Michael Dyer ran for a one yard touchdown with 45 seconds to go as Auburn avoided becoming the first NCAA champion to lose their opening game in the BCS era. Auburn came back from a 38-28 deficit in the 4th quarter with 4 minutes left to score twice and beat Utah State 42-38. Barrett Trotter threw a 15 yard touchdown to Philip Lutzenkirchen with 2:12 left to cut the deficit to 3. With only one timeout remaining, Gene Chizik opted to go for the onside kick which Auburn executed to perfection. Michael Dyer would then punch in the one yard touchdown as Auburn avoided what would've been an embarrassing upset.

Baylor ousts 14th ranked TCU in a shootout

Robert Griffin III went 21-27 with 359 yards and 5 TDs as the Baylor Bears shocked the 14th ranked TCU Horned Frogs in a 50-48 upset. The game proved to be an exciting shootout as Griffin III, Kendall Wright, and TCU's Casey Pachall threw for a total of 10 TDs in the game. RG3 led Baylor to a 47-23 lead at the start of the 4th quarter, but Pachall would start a TCU rally as they scored 25 unanswered points to take a brief 48-47 lead with 4 minutes 31 seconds left in the game. Griffin III would lead Baylor on the ensuing drive to set up the go-ahead 37 yard field goal. This is Baylor's first victory over a ranked team since beating 16th ranked Texas A&M seven years ago so you can bet they'll be partying in Waco. As for TCU, the Horned Frogs will not go to a BCS bowl this year after two consecutive berths.

Punter Ben Graham among cuts for Cardinals 53-man roster

The punter Ben Graham was among the cuts for the Cardinals 53-man roster. The Aussie joined the team during their 2008 Super Bowl run. Graham has only had 12 punts for touchback out of his 200 punts as a Cardinal. Graham tied an NFL record with 42 consecutive punts without a touchback due to the spin he puts on the ball so it never bounces forward. Dave Zastudil won the punting job for the regular season. Among other cuts were Brodie Croyle, Isaiah Williams, Matt Ware, Fred Bennett, Jared Campbell, Ben Claxton, Will Davis, Marshay Green, Kenny Iwebema, Cliff Louis, Ricky Lumpkin, Reagan Maui'a, Jeremy Navarre, Aaron Nichols, Bryant Nnabuife, Cyril Obiozer, Kris O'dowd, Tom Pestock, William Powell, Stephen Skelton, Kendall Smith, Pago Togafau, Thad Turner, and DJ Young.

Titans give Chris Johnson a $53.5 million, 4 year contract extension

The Tennessee Titans and Chris Johnson agreed to a 4 year,$53.5 million deal. CJ2K has been holding out on the Titans for the past few weeks but will play for them on September 11th now that he has a new contract.

Diamondbacks sweep Colorado, set club record by winning 12th straight at home

The Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Colorado Rockies 4-2 to conclude their sweep Wednesday night. The Diamondbacks won their 9th straight and their 12th straight at home, which set a franchise mark. Miguel Montero homered for the second day in a row as he slapped a three-run shot in the first inning and rookie pitcher Josh Collmentor picked up his 9th win of the season. Arizona has today off and will travel to the bay on Friday to start a series against the defending World Series champs, the San Francisco Giants. Arizona currently hold a 6 game lead over San Fran.