A - Atlanta. So, either the Hawks are an offensive powerhouse or the Raptors are incredibly incompetent on defense. At least one of those has to be true because Atlanta scored 146 points in regulation time against Toronto on Wednesday. Nine different players scored 11 or more points, and the team scored at least 32 points per quarter. As striking as the offensive explosion was the fact that Toronto star Chris Bosh managed just two points in the humiliating outing.

B - Bearcats. In one of the craziest, most entertaining games of the season Cincinnati won the Big East championship with a the narrowest possible 45-44 win. The difference was the most routine of plays - Pittsburgh missed a late extra point that allowed Cincinnati to take the lead for good with the final touchdown. Tony Pike had a very rough game and almost lost his job at a couple of points, but he was heroic when it mattered. Mardy Gilyard was spectacular for the Bearcats, and freshman running back Dion Lewis had an amazing game for Pitt, gaining 194 yards and scoring three times n a ridiculous 47 carries. What a game!

C - Case Keenum. The Houston quarterback almost certainly has an extremely sore arm today. After all, he threw 75 times in the Conference USA Championship Game against East Carolina, completing 56 for 527 yards and five touchdowns. Incredibly, despite the offensive explosion, the Cougars lost the game, 38-32. East Carolina claimed their second straight C-USA title despite passing for a comparatively pedestrian 262 yards.

D - Dan LeFevour. This is far from the first time that I have written about Central Michigan's senior QB in this space, but he deserves every word. LeFevour had a banner day on Friday. Not only did he and his Chippewas win the MAC Championship by beating Ohio, but with his 147th and 148th career touchdowns LeFevour became the all time Division I leader in TDs. The win and the accomplishment was enough for Central Michigan to sneak into the AP poll in 25th spot - the first time the team has ever been ranked. Long overdue.

E - Evan Turner. So much for Ohio State's season. The Buckeyes will have to make do without one of the best players in the country for two months or more after Turner was injured on Saturday. Early in a meaningless game against Eastern Michigan he fell to the ground after hanging on the rim following a dunk attempt. To make matters worse, he missed the dunk. Initial reports were positive, but it turns out that Turner had fractured two vertebra. Turner is averaging 20.6 points and 12.9 rebounds and already has two triple-doubles, so this is a crushing loss.

F - Finally! This year's version marked the 11th anniversary of the Big Ten - ACC Challenge. The ACC had dominated the series - they had won all ten, and every Big Ten team except for Michigan State had a losing record in the series. Finally, though, the Big Ten got revenge, winning 6-5. The two big results that led to victory were an Illinois win at Clemson thanks to an incredible rally, and Wisconsin's home upset of Duke. The Blue Devils were previously unbeaten in the Challenge.

G - Greg Oden. Call me a pessimist, but I am about ready to label Oden a bust. After missing all of his rookie season and big parts of last year due to injuries, Oden's third year appears to be over after just 21 games. Oden dropped to the ground like he was shot after a collision on Saturday against Houston, and it turned out that he broke his knee cap on the play and will require season-ending surgery. Oden is about as durable as balsa wood, and he hasn't been particularly good when he has been playing. Sadly for Portland, as a No. 1 pick he has been much more Michael Olowokandi than LeBron James.

H - Henne, Chad. Miami's young quarterback has had a decent season so far, but he really arrived on Sunday. In a battle of Michigan quarterbacks, Henne had a career game to earn a late vctory over Tom Brady and the Patriots. Henne threw for a career-high 335 yards with two touchdowns, and he mounted a 51-yard drive late in the game to secure the wining field goal. Brady threw for 352 yards and two touchdowns, but he also had two interceptions including a very costly fourth quarter one.

I - Iverson, Allen. After a tumultuous season Iverson is back where it all began after signing a one-year deal with the Sixers this week. He'll make his debut tonight. Iverson might not be the perfect fit for the fragile team, but there is no doubt that they need an offensive boost. Maybe the addition of another superstar will take the pressure off of Elton Brand and let him finally play his game. Whether you like the move or not from a basketball perspective, you have to admit that adding Iverson makes all kind of sense from a ticket-selling viewpoint. It's not like Sixers' fans have a lot to be excited about.

J - John Stevens. The Philadelphia Flyers have been one of the biggest disappointments in the NHL so far this season, and now coach John Stevens has paid the price. Despite their talent Philly has barely stayed above .500. Stevens has been replaced by Peter Laviolette, a talented coach who won a Stanley Cup with Carolina in 2006. Though I am reasonably optimistic about the team's long-term future, things did not go well from the start for Laviolette - he was beaten 8-2 by Washington just hours after being named coach.

K - Kentucky. In their biggest challenge to date, Kentucky got a signature win over North Carolina, but it wasn't easy. They got out to a 19-point lead and then spent most of the second half throwing it away. As is quickly becoming the norm, the story for Kentucky was John Wall. The freshman point guard was spectacular in the first half. Cramps kept him out for much of the second half, and his absence corresponded with Kentucky's collapse. He came back in time to score what turned out to be the winning free throws with seven seconds left.

L - Longhorns. Texas did what they were supposed to do on Saturday - they won the Big 12 Championship to earn their spot in the National Championship Game. They certainly didn't earn any style points in doing so, though. Colt McCoy was lousy - probably ruining his Heisman chances - and Nebraska had a great day defensively. Texas only won thanks to a last second field goal, and that wasn't without controversy - it originally looked like the clock had expired on Texas' last play, but a replay put one second on the clock and allowed them to win.

M - Mangino. Kansas coach Mark Mangino did not have a graceful season on or off the field this year, and he has paid for it with his job. After eight years and three bowl sins, Mangino stepped down after negotiating a settlement with the school. It was a swift fall from grace for Mangino - he was National Coach of the Year in 2007, but went just 5-7 this year and as dogged by reports of his mistreatment of his players this year.

N - New Orleans. If you didn't think the Saints were a team of destiny before Sunday then surely you do now. They had no business beating Washington given how the teams played, yet somehow they pulled off the miracle. Washington missed an easy field goal late in the fourth to keep their lead at seven, and New Orleans tied it up before getting an interception in overtime and marching down the field for the winning field goal. This is the kind of loss for Washington that could easily destroy an already fragile team.

O - Oregon. If Cincinnati-Pittsburgh wasn't the best game I watched this year then Oregon-Oregon State was. For the first time in the long history of the Civil War the winner got a ticket to the Rose Bowl, and both teams did everything they could to earn it. Oregon ultimately won, 37-33, in a see-saw slugfest that truly wasn't over until the closing minutes. There were stars on both sides - the Rodgers brothers combined for 440 all-purpose yards for the Beavers, and LaMichael James led the way for the Ducks with 166 yards and three touchdowns.

P - Pittsburgh. It's official - there is definitely something wrong with the Steelers. Since starting the season at 6-2 to establish themselves as an AFC power the team has lost four in a row and are in real danger of missing the playoffs just one year after winning it all. This week was perhaps the most mystifying of all - they lost at home to Oakland. The Steelers had the game in hand before allowing Bruce Gradkowski to march down the field for three touchdowns in the final nine minutes of the game. Gradkowski was brilliant in the win, casting further doubt on the future of JaMarcus Russell.

Q - Quit. The Atlanta Falcons were playing without their quarterback or their star running back. That would be enough to make some teams quit, and it certainly was for the Falcons. They showed hardly an effort at all as they lost 34-7 at home to the Eagles. It was really a 34-0 game - the Falcons scored a meaningless touchdown as time expired. To add insult to injury, Michael Vick chose this game to score his first touchdown since leaving the Falcons.

R - Ruskell, Tim. It was a week of upheaval for the disappointing Seattle Seahawks. Someone had to shoulder the blame for the disappointing 4-7 start - especially after an equally disappointing year last year. GM Tim Ruskell saw the writing on the wall and knew he was vulnerable. He looked for a guarantee of his future this week, and when, not surprisingly, he didn't get it he stepped down. The next hire will be important for the franchise. Hopefully they don't go back to Mike Holmgren even if he is very interested. Maybe the problems were all Ruskell's fault after all - the Seahawks beat the Niners at home in their first game without him.

S - Sanchez, Mark. The Jets got a win in Toronto against the Bills to keep their slim playoffs hopes alive, but it might have been very costly. Mark Sanchez again showed that he has absolutely no idea how to slide, and this time to led to a knee injury. It turns out that he sprained his PCL. The injury originally seemed worse, so it's good news for him, and probably for the team, that he'll probably be able to play again as soon as next week.

T - Tide. The Tide really did roll on Saturday in a highly anticipated game that really didn't turn out to be much of a contest at all. Alabama was clearly ready to play in the SEC Championship Game, and Florida really didn't look the same. Mark Ingram was a super-stud, and Greg McElroy was clearly the better quarterback, and the previously top-ranked Gators' defense had no answer for the Alabama offense. Now Alabama heads to the BCS Championship game, and they do so as the early favorites.

U - UFC. Kimbo Slice made his debut in the UFC on Saturday as part of The Ultimate Fighter 10. Unexpectedly, the street brawler actually looked like a real fighter as he won a unanimous decision over Houston Alexander after three tough rounds. It was expected to be a brawl, but Alexander wanted none of that. He spent the first two rounds trying to avoid Slice as much as he could, so when Slice did get hold of him he made him pay on the ground. It will be interesting to see what is next for Slice now that he has shown he has actual potential.

V - Victory. The Colts maintained their perfect record, and they made it look much easier than the Saints did. They were up 21-3 out of the gate, and 24-10 at the half, and were never particularly challenged by the previously unstoppable Titans. Vince Young looked solid at times, and he sure can move when he has to, but he had a few moments that made it clear that he still has a long way to go if he wants to become an elite player in the league.

W - World Cup. The World Cup is still more than half a year away, but it is beginning to feel real now that the field is set and the draw has been made. The story of Friday's draw was really the number of teams that got reasonably soft placement. Co-favorites Brazil play in a group of death with Portugal and Ivory Coast, but other top contenders like Spain, Argentina and England, along with the Americans, got much more favorable placements that should allow them to move onto the second round without too much trouble.

X - Xavier. It was a reasonably uneventful week for the mascots of this column. They played just one game, and they managed to beat Kent State without breaking much of a sweat. The next two weeks will be very crucial for the team's season. They play three tough games in a row - at Kansas State, a huge rivalry game at home against Cincinnati, and at Baylor. They need at least one win in those games to really start to define this season, and two or three would be great.

Y - Yikes. It's official - the Nets are historically bad. Firing coach Lawrence Frank didn't help - the team still managed to set the all-time record for futility on Wednesday night when they opened their season with 18 straight losses by falling to the Mavericks. They got brief respite from their patheticness when they finally won on Friday against Charlotte, but got right back to sucking on Sunday when the fell to the Knicks. Despite some decent personal performances this just isn't a good team.

Z - Zoom. LaDainian Tomlinson isn't the running back that he once was by any means, but that doesn't mean that he can't still run. Facing the pathetic Browns on Sunday Tomlinson scored his 10th touchdown of the season. With that he became the first player ever to hit the double digits in touchdowns in each of his first nine seasons in the league. Tomlinson wasn't the only Charger to have a good day as the team overwhelmed the Browns in a 30-23 game that only looked close because the Chargers shut it down in the fourth quarter when they were comfortably ahead.