Football this 'n' that

 Today's NFL slate doesn't bode well for the top two teams in the AFC East, although, as they say, fortune favors the bold.

Take, for example, division leader Buffalo, which will have the NBC Sunday Night Football game vs. Pittsburgh, which is five days removed from their first loss of the season to the Washington Deviants. A Buffalo win would eliminate 3rd place New England from division title contention, as the Patriots would be 4 games out with 3 to play, all in the division.

Second place Miami has an even more daunting task, trying to stop the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. Good luck with that. As play begins today, Miami is a game behind Buffalo in the division. The Dolphins play New England next week, with a chance to eliminate the hated Patriots once and for all. If both Miami & Buffalo lose, the margin will remain 1 game headed into week 15.

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It's becoming increasingly clear that Patriots QB Cam Newton, in his 10th season out of Auburn, isn't the dynamic playmaker he once was. Sacked four times in the second half vs. the LA Rams Thursday night led to his benching in favor of 2nd year QB Jarrett Stidham, who was sacked twice himself. Color Newton gone after this season, as the Patriots may be forced to draft another QB.

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Politics plays a big role, bigger than most people think, actually, in deciding the College Football Playoff.

The Big 10 Conference, for example, had amended its rules due to a shortened season, decreeing that teams had to play a specific number of games to qualify for the league title game.

Ohio State has had three games cancelled due to coronavirus, the latest being their annual meeting with Michigan. They're 5-0. Six games was to be the minimum. Had the Big 10 suits stuck to their guns, Indiana, which lost to Ohio State last month, would be facing resurgent Northwestern in the title game on December 19.

However, there's the small matter of television ratings, and how much Ohio State generates for the NCAA's media partners (Fox and its cable cousins, FS1 & the Big 10 Network, ABC/ESPN). Indiana-Northwestern isn't what networks suits would call a "sexy" matchup for television. Ohio State vs. Northwestern, however, is, and that's what viewers will get next Saturday. If Ohio State wins, they punch their ticket to the CBP and a date with Alabama.

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Lovie Smith, a year removed from taking Illinois to a bowl game, was given the gate after five seasons with the Illini after Saturday's game. To say that Illinois underachieved would be an understatement.

By the same token, Arizona sent Kevin Sumlin packing after the Wildcats were smacked down by Arizona State, 70-7, on Friday night.

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Once the rankings are made official over the next 48 hours, expect Florida to take a nose-dive after losing to defending national champion LSU, 37-34, on Saturday night. The loss might actually cost QB Kyle Trask the Heisman Trophy, which will be handed out next month due to COVID concerns.

Meanwhile, in Los Angeles, USC's Cardiac Trojans pulled out another seat squirmer to remain unbeaten, taking down UCLA, 44-37, and making a case to move up the ladder.

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It's safe to argue that Navy was lost in the fog on Saturday.

Army, enjoying a legitimate home field advantage for a change, with the annual service game being played at West Point for the first time since 1943, shut out the Midshipmen, 15-0, with outgoing President Trump in attendance for Army-Navy for the 4th time in 5 years. Army is 3-1 in Trump's appearances. Hmmmmmm.