up is considering the game a loss for the Cowboys, but Gundy isnt sure they feel that way.I know Kirby had mentioned that the committee feels a cert

What do you need to know about last nights big stories? Joe McDonald gives us his take on the biggest and best. Clyde Lovellette Jersey . This is where we say, Morning, Joe.Stamkos sidelined: Losing Steven Stamkos for any length of time is a terrifying thought for the Tampa Bay Lightning. The teams captain appeared to have injured his right leg during the first period of a 4-3 win over the Detroit Red Wings?on Tuesday night. Lightning coach Jon Cooper did not give reporters an update after the game but said the veteran forward would be re-evaluated on Wednesday. Tampa has been forced to play without Stamkos in the past, but the timing of this injury is particularly bad: Coming off signing an eight-year, $68 million extension in the summer, No. 91 has been playing well, with nine goals and 11 assists for 20 points in 17 games. Three years ago Stamkos broke his right tibia when he crashed into the net against the Boston Bruins, in November 2013. The Lightning also did not have his services when he had surgery to remove a blood clot in March, forcing him to miss the final month of the season and all but one game of the playoffs. If hes out for an extended length of time this time around, it will be detrimental to the Lightning.Tortorella getting results: Watch out for the Columbus Blue Jackets -- coach John Tortorella has his team focused and productive. After Cam Atkinson scored 37 seconds into overtime in a 2-1 win over the Washington Capitals?on Tuesday, the Blue Jackets are now 6-1-1 in their past eight and 8-4-2 overall. Tortorella coached a winless Team USA during the World Cup, and some believed his methods and messages were tuned out by the players. So, it was going to be interesting to see how the Blue Jackets began the season. They are a good team -- and are receiving solid goaltending from Sergei Bobrovsky -- and if this success continues, the Blue Jackets could surprise. Tortorella described the win over the powerful Capitals as an identity win for Columbus and its culture. Lets see how long it lasts.Price needs to pace himself: An individual streak is impressive, and it usually equals wins. That was the case for Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price. However, a chance at history ended when the Florida Panthers Aaron Ekblad scored in overtime for a 4-3 win over the Canadiens on Tuesday. Price started the season with 10 straight wins and, with Tuesdays loss, missed a chance at tying George Hainsworths 89-year-old record of 11 consecutive wins. Still, the Canadiens are 13-2-2 to lead the Atlantic Division with 28 points, and Price is the main reason. Individual statistics dont win championships, but Montreal cant win big without him. With the two in harmony, it can lead to great things. Coach Michel Therrien needs to make sure that Price, 29, doesnt get overworked, especially considering his workload during the World Cup. Hes played 11 NHL games already, and with veteran Al Montoya as backup, a good number for Price this season is around 55 games. Isaiah Thomas Jersey . "I dont know that were close," said general manager Alex Anthopoulos. "I just think, right now, the acquisition cost just doesnt work for us right now. I dont know if I can quantify how far off or things like that that they might be but I would say we continue to have dialogue. Buddy Hield Jersey . Detroit and Boston are deadlocked, 1-1, and Tigers manager Jim Leyland could be forgiven if he was caught rationalizing instead of dissecting how his club could blow a 5-1 lead late in Game 2. https://www.cheapkingsbasketball.com/812...rsey-kings.html . -- Cam Newton pranced into the end zone, placed his hands over his chest and did his familiar Superman pose. We are a little more than two weeks from the final College Football Playoff rankings and the semifinal announcements.Dinich projects the committees top sixTen of the committees top 11 teams won this week, the exception being Louisville, so there shouldnt be too much of a shakeup in the top six. Michigan might drop because of a lackluster passing game under John OKorn, and Oklahoma still has some work to do. Heres an updated projection of what the committee might do:1. Alabama2. Ohio State3. Clemson4. Michigan5. Washington6. WisconsinSooners still have work to doThe easiest declaration in the Big 12 is that West Virginia is out, done, kaput. Its more complicated with Oklahoma, which earned its first statement win -- and got it in Morgantown. The Sooners still need help, though -- lots of it -- because of a résumé that has just one win against a top 25 team and just three wins against teams with record above .500 (Kansas State, Baylor and now West Virginia). Five of OUs nine wins have come against teams with at least six losses.So what has to happen?OU first needs to beat Oklahoma State on Dec. 3. The Sooners would increase their legitimacy in the debate if Michigan loses, because if the Wolverines win out and win the Big Ten, youre looking at a top four that starts with Alabama, Clemson and Michigan. The debate would then boil down to Oklahoma and Washington. Thats why if Washington loses, it also helps, because Oklahoma might have a better chance when evaluated against a two-loss Colorado Pac-12 champ. Oklahoma could also make a case against a two-loss Penn State team, but would likely lose that résumé test, too, because Penn States win over No. 2 Ohio State still trumps anything the Sooners have done. OU isnt done yet, but it remains a long shot in the big picture.Pac-12 takes playoff hitThe entire Pac-12 took a hit when both No. 12 Utah and No. 22 Washington State lost. Utahs loss hurts Washingtons résumé, as a road win against Utah is the Huskies best win. With Washington States loss, its possible the Cougars drop out of the CFP top 25 entirely. Thats not good for Washington, which needs as many ranked opponents as it can get down the stretch. In spite of the loss to Colorado, Washington State can win the North if it wins the Apple Cup. That would leave Colorado as the leagues best shot at the CFP, but it would be playing a team it already beat in the conference championship game. The better scenario for Colorado is for Washington to win the North.Michigan wins OKorns debut, but tougher challenge awaitsThis was the selection committees first chance to see if Michigan looks like a top-four team with backup quarterback John OKorn, and in spite of the win over Indiana, that remains debatable. Michigans passing game struggled immensely, as OKorn completed just seven of 16 passes for 59 yards, and the Wolverines put the game in the hands of DeVeon Smith, who had 158 yards and two touchdowns. Michigan cant remain one-dimensional at Ohio State next week or in the Big Ten championship game, should it win the East. That is enough to give the committee pause, and it could drop Michigan to the No. 4 spot behind Clemson this week. The Wolverines should stay in the top four, however, thanks to wins ovver Colorado, Penn State and Wisconsin. Scott Wedman Jersey. Ohio State should remain ranked ahead of Michigan, partly because the Buckeyes have a better loss (to a ranked Penn State team) than the Wolverines loss to Iowa. It should be noted in the committee meeting room, though, that Michigan and Ohio State both played in East Lansing, and the Wolverines won in more impressive fashion.Ohio State wobbles but keeps playoff hopes aliveNo. 2 Ohio State escaped East Lansing with a 17-16 win and should remain in the committees top four, but such a close game against a 3-7 team opens the door to debate whether the Buckeyes are the No. 2 team in the country. The close win also calls into question whether the Buckeyes would deserve to stay in the top four without winning the Big Ten East division. Remember, in order for a team that doesnt win its conference championship to go to a semifinal, it must unequivocally be one of the four best teams in the country. There must be no doubt among the 12 committee members that Ohio State is better than another Power 5 conference champion. For much of the game Saturday, there was doubt as to whether the Buckeyes are better than Michigan State.Also in the Big Ten, Wisconsin trounced Purdue 49-20 but needed Nebraska (and Minnesota) to lose to clinch the Big Tens West division. The Huskers thoroughly beat the Terps, so the Badgers celebration must remain on hold, though they should remain the Big Tens top two-loss team.Gundy states his case for Oklahoma StateThe No. 11 Cowboys beat TCU 31-6 to improve to 9-2 and set up a potentially monumental Bedlam showdown with Oklahoma on Dec. 3. But coach Mike Gundy isnt looking at his team as a 9-2 squad. To him, its 10-1.After the TCU win, Gundy reflected on his teams?controversial Week 2 loss to Central Michigan, in which on-field and replay officials admitted to an error that prolonged the game and allowed the Chippewas to complete a last-second Hail Mary.Nobody will ever convince me that we didnt get the win, Gundy said.CFP selection committee chair Kirby Hocutt has said his group is considering the game a loss for the Cowboys, but Gundy isnt sure they feel that way.I know Kirby had mentioned that the committee feels a certain way about that game, Gundy said. I think Kirbys playing poker and that they see us as a 10-win team. Thats just my opinion.Playoff impact gamesNo. 2 Ohio State 17, Michigan State 16No. 7 Wisconsin 49, Purdue 20No. 11 Oklahoma State 31, TCU 6No. 3 Michigan 20, Indiana 10No. 4 Clemson 35, Wake Forest 13No. 1 Alabama 31, Chattanooga 3No. 8 Penn State 39, Rutgers 0No. 9 Oklahoma 56, No. 14 West Virginia 28What Louisvilles loss meansAfter a wild Saturday filled with upsets, the ripple effect in the College Football Playoff continued Thursday, when No. 5 Louisville was thoroughly outplayed by Houston in a 36-10 loss that sent reverberations throughout the selection committees Top 25. Its hard to envision a scenario where the Cardinals can get back into playoff contention.To read more about how the Cardinals loss affected the playoff, click here.Power 5 conference championship scenarios ' ' '