A - AFC East. The Patriots owe a debt to Ted Ginn, Jr. New England now has a two-loss advantage atop their division, and it's all because the Jets couldn't contain the shifty Ginn. The kick returner took a kick back 100 yards for a TD early in the third quarter, and bested that by going 101 yards for a score later in the same period. Not only did he make the difference in the game, but Ginn became the first player since 1967 to return two kicks in the same quarter, and his 299 return yards was the second best ever. Not bad for a guy who was benched to start the game.

B - Busters. We know that the BCS is almost certain to be busted again this year. We still don't who which team will do it, though. Both TCU and Boise State had games against mismatched opponents this week, and both took care of business. TCU totally shut down UNLV, winning 41-0. Boise State looked just as good, beating San Jose State, 45-7. The results allowed Boise State to stay just ahead of TCU in the AP poll - No. 5 versus No. 6.

C - Cavs. Cleveland tried hard to get better in the offseason. Given that, they can't be thrilled with their start. After going unbeaten at home for months last year, the Cavs lost their home opener to their rivals from Boston this year. Then they followed that up by losing in Toronto the next day. They won their next two to get back to even, but they still can't be too happy - Shaq has led the team in rebounds just once, and his averages of nine points and 7.3 rebounds per game are a long way from what he was brought in to provide.

D - Denver. So much for that perfect season. You had to know that the Ravens were going to wake up and start winning again at some point. Unfortunately for Denver, they got in the way when it happened. Joe Flacco was efficient, and the Baltimore defense was stunningly smothering - Denver never really had a chance. If you are a Broncos fan looking for a bright spot, you can feel at least somewhat good about how Kyle Orton played - he had a very frustrating day, but he still kept his head and avoided costly mistakes. It's not much, but it's something.

E - Explosive. The Celtics know that they aren't going to have too many more chances to win it all, and they've started like they know it. Not only have they won all of their games so far, but they have looked completely dominant in doing so. They aren't alone in the East, either - Orlando also fancies themselves as a title contender, and have also stormed out of the gate. They have won three straight, and were particularly impressive on Sunday as they sunk 17 three pointers to beat up on Toronto.

F - Favre. Maybe now we can talk about something other than Favre and Green Bay. The QB made his first return to his old stomping grounds, and he was ready for it. He completed more than 60 percent of his passes for four TDs. That, along with some help from Percy Harvin and Adrian Peterson, was enough for Favre to win the game and sweep his old team. It was only close for a while later in the game, but it probably would have been closer if the Packers were even remotely capable of protecting their QB - Rodgers was sacked six times, and hurried much more than that.

G - Gators. It took a long while, but Florida finally looked like Florida as they rolled all over the formerly formidable Georgia Bulldogs. Tim Tebow threw for two touchdowns and ran for two more as he finally looked like the player we know he is. If he'd played like this before now then he'd have the Heisman wrapped up by now instead of being mostly out of contention. It will be interesting to see if this sparks a return to form for the Gators, but we won't really know given their weak schedule down the stretch.

H - Houston. It says something about the struggles of the Texans' organization that their current 5-3 record represents the best start that the team has ever gotten off to. Despite two interceptions without a touchdown from Matt Schaub the Texans rolled to an easy 31-10 win at Buffalo. Ryan Moats did the heavy work with a career day that saw him run for three touchdowns. Steve Slaton fumbled again and was benched, so this performance from Moats might be enough to earn him a starting job.

I - Iowa. The Hawkeyes are still undefeated, but they certainly aren't making it easy for themselves. This week they had to climb out of a deep hole against the struggling Indiana Hoosiers. There was a lot to like about Iowa's performance, but the play of QB Ricky Stanzi was not a bright spot. He threw two long touchdowns to spark the comeback, but the four interceptions he threw before that were a big part of the reason why they needed that comeback. Iowa keeps winning, but they need to show some dominance before they get widespread national respect.

J - John Wall. That sound you hear is most of the state of Kentucky breathing a sigh of relief. After an investigation, the NCAA has ruled that stud freshman point guard John Wall will only face minimal punishment for issues with his AAU coach who was also an agent, and that he has otherwise been cleared to play. Wall has to repay $800 in expenses covered by the coach, and has to sit out the first two games. That's hardly a concern, though - the team could beat Campbellsville and Morehead State even if their entire starting lineup was forced to sit out.

K - Kansas. The AP preseason college poll is out, and there is a whole lot of love for Kansas. The Jayhawks received 55 of 65 first place votes to secure the top spot and a big lead. Michigan State sits in second, and has another big lead over Texas in third. Expectations for Kentucky won't be tempered at all this year given their fourth spot in the polls. Along with those four teams, North Carolina, in sixth, earned a first place vote. The Big Ten made a big splash in the polls with six teams, including my beloved Michigan at 15th.

L - Lee, Cliff. Lee is making his playoff debut this year, but he certainly looks like he belongs. His 0.54 ERA is the best ever by a player with at least three postseason starts, and on Wednesday he opened the World Series with an all-time classic performance. Lee struck out 10 in a six-hit complete game against the fearsome Yankees' lineup. The only run scored was on a throwing error in the ninth, and the Phillies were up by six at that point so it didn't matter. As good as Lee has been he's also being smart - he passed on coming back for Game 4 because he doesn't work well on short rest.

M - Miami. The dream season for the Hurricanes took a blow last week when they lost to Clemson, and it almost took a fatal shot this week when it looked like they were going to lose another conference game, this time to Wake Forest. Miami let the Deacons tally up more than 550 yards of offense, and the needed two fourth quarter TDs to squeak out a one-point win. Despite the challenging outing, Miami moved up two spots in the AP poll to 17th, and are the third ranked two-loss team behind only USC and Ohio State.

N - Nash, Steve. It might be tempting to think that the 35-year-old point guard is getting older and won't be able to put up big numbers anymore like he used to. If that's the case then no one bothered to tell Nash. Nash dished out 20 assists on Friday night to lead the Suns past Golden State. Phoenix isn't a great team, and Nash isn't as healthy as he could be anymore, but as long as the Canadian in on the court this is a team that can't be counted out.

O - Oregon. The first loss at Boise State was ugly, but the Ducks might be the best team in the country since then. They made their case on Halloween night with a win that will haunt USC for years. The 47-20 performance, the worst loss for the Trojans since 1997, was at least as one-sided as the score would indicate. Oregon's defense continued to surprise, and their ground game totally shredded a previously impressive USC run defense. Oregon will have to work hard not to win the Pac-10. Unfortunately, that first loss could be a problem - as long as Boise State remains undefeated it will be hard for a lot of voters to vote Oregon ahead of them in the polls because of the head-to-head factor, so the upside for Oregon is limited.

P - Panthers. We had a pretty good sense coming into Carolina's game against the Cardinals that the story was going to be about a quarterback losing the game after turning the ball over far too much. We just wouldn't have guessed that it wouldn't be Jake Delhomme. The usually reliable Kurt Warner threw five interceptions and lost a fumble. Carolina scored 13 points off those turnovers - exactly their winning margin. Delhomme wasn't asked to do much, but he threw a 50-yard TD and didn't turn it over at all.

Q - Quinn. So what does it take for Brady Quinn to see more game action? Just a terrible performance by Derek Anderson and a blowout loss. Anderson completed 6-of-17 passes for two picks and a 10.5 QB rating en route to a 30-6 deficit to the Bears before Quinn got to go in and mop up the mess. He didn't exactly shine in the limited opportunity he was given - he completed one of three passes for nine yards. The biggest lesson coming out of this game was clearly obvious - the Browns are an irredeemably terrible team.

R - Rams. The dreams of back-to-back winless seasons in the NFL took a serious blow when the worst team, the Rams, managed to pull out a win yesterday. The 17-10 win came over the Lions, and was a clear sign that the Detroit renaissance isn't progressing nearly as quickly as some would have hoped. Neither of the quarterbacks were any good, but the difference maker was a pleasant surprise - Stephen Jackson ran for 149 yards and scored his first TD of the season to lead the Rams to a win in the brutally boring game.

S - Swisher, Nick. Swisher found himself in the doghouse two games into the World Series, but he managed to climb out in dramatic fashion. He was benched for Game 2 of the Series because he had been so lousy throughout the playoffs. He got the message - given a chance to redeem himself in Game 3 he responded with a double and a home run to help lead the Yankees to an 8-5 win and a 2-1 series lead. Swisher wasn't the only one to dump a slump in game three - A-Rod got his first World Series hit, a home run, in the contest.

T - Texas. The flip-flopping atop the polls, and the uncertainty about which teams are the best in the country, continues this week thanks to the Longhorns. Texas humiliated Oklahoma State to emphasize their dominance in the Big 12, and were impressive enough to leapfrog Alabama and take second place in the AP poll. Like Florida, Texas chose this week to wake up and really look like the team that they are supposed to be.

U - UNC. The Tar Heels still have a lot of work to do, but on Saturday we got a clue that Butch Davis might actually get this thing turned around. After an often disappointing start to the season, UNC pulled off a signature win when they beat Virginia Tech in Blacksburg on Saturday. It was a nice win, but not a comfortable one - they tied it up with a field goal with less than three minutes remaining, and then won it with another field goal as time expired. Though the Tar Heels aren't consistent, they do have an impressive streak going - this is their fourth straight win over a ranked team including three last year.

V - Vince Young. There is a big question looming in Tennessee now - why wasn't Vince Young starting before now? Given how capable he looked, how lousy Kerry Collins has been, and how well the team responded to the change in QBs, it probably should have happened weeks ago. Young didn't light the world on fire, but he was incredibly efficient (15 of 18 passing) and avoided mistakes, and was helped out by a massive day from Chris Johnson - 228 yards and two touchdowns.

W - Wayne, Reggie. The Niners did a pretty decent job of playing against 21 of 22 Colts on Sunday. Unfortunately, they really struggled to contain Reggie Wayne. The receiver had a career day - 12 catches for 147 yards and a touchdown - to lead his team to a hard-fought 18-14 win. Alex Smith was reasonably sharp in his first start in a couple of years, and Michael Crabtree looked like an established veteran already, but that wasn't enough for the Niners to avoid falling below .500.

X - eXposed. The Giants feasted on an easy schedule early in the season, and earned a lofty reputation because of it. They clearly weren't deserving of it. New York lost for the third straight week, and for the third straight week they were terrible. Eli Manning struggled, and Donvan McNabb and the Eagles' offense were able to do what they wished as the Giants lost 40-17 - a score that was flattering because the Giants added 10 points after the game was all but over. The Giants have a home game against the Chargers before their bye, but that break can't come soon enough.

Y - Youngster. Last year, Steven Stamkos, the No. 1 pick in the NHL draft, looked exactly what he was - an 18-year-old boy playing against men. It's only a year later, but it was obviously an important year - the Tampa Bay center is an absolute beast. Stamkos has 10 goals and five assists in 11 games so far this year, and is probably the most improved player in the league. He had 23 goals last year, so he is on pace to shatter that total. This year's No. 1 pick, John Tavares is already putting together a nice year (10 points in 13 games for the Islanders), so he could be even more impressive than Stamkos next year if he gets a similar second-year bump.

Z - Zach Collanos. It doesn't seem to mater who is behind center for the Cincinnati Bearcats - they just keep wining. Tony Pike, a Heisman contender until he was injured two weeks ago, missed his second game, but the way Collanos is playing no one will miss him. He was 22-of-28 for 295 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Bearcats past Greg Paulus and Syracuse and to 8-0 on the season. Thanks to the USC loss the Bearcats are now at No. 4 in the polls, and still have national championship dreams. It's no lock, though - they also have the toughest part of their schedule ahead.