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Inspirational thought of the week:

So put me in the ground

Put me six foot down

And let the stone say

“Here lies the girl whose only crutch, Was loving one man just a little too much”

If you go before I do, I’m gonna tell the gravedigger that he better dig two

Dig two

— “Better Dig Two,” The Band Perry

Here at Bottom 10 Headquarters, located in the medical tent where the neck braces are stored to help Joey Galloway heal from whiplash after entire Saturdays of rapidly turning his head to go “WTH?” after every point made by Dan Mullen, we know that the college football seasons make the clubhouse turn into the back nine, the room where we live can become a rapidly emptying place.

At the start of each autumn, coaches love to remind us that every team in the land is beginning the season with a zero in the loss column. But never do they dare go through the Bottom 10 looking glass and allow themselves to be reminded that every team in the land also kicks off with a zero on the other side of that hyphen, or dash, or whatever it is, in the win column.

So, while those who claim to love the game continue to count and recount the dwindling number of FBS programs that remain undefeated, we here, who truly adore this sport on a deeper level, like to remind everyone of the other countdown of records. Those teams that are still seeking their first victory of the fall.

The room of undefeateds is still in double digits, a whopping 10. So what’s the point in applauding that? Here in the Bottom 10 Cinematic Universe, we are down to only two winless squads. The unbeaten room is so crowded we are going to call the fire marshal. Our room, the beaten room, college football’s most exclusive club, only needs a fire extinguisher.

With apologies to Deuce McAllister, David “The Deuce” Palmer, Duce Staley, Rob Base and Steve Harvey, here are the post-Week 8 Bottom 10 rankings:

The Golden(plated) Flashes lost their 16th straight game, to four-loss Boiling Green after losing a Pillow Fight of the Week to four-loss Baller State, and now they face three-loss Western Not Eastern Or Central Michigan, who sit atop the #MACtion standings. This is awesome if you’ve ever dreamed of seeing someone fall up a flight of stairs.


The New Owls on the Block (NO²TB) came off their bye week and resumed their chase of Kent as the nation’s only remaining oh-fer teams. Now Kennesaw Mountain will spend Wednesday night traveling to Liberty Mountain, where the undefeated Flames open every game with a prayer before leaving opponents without one.


The Eagles make a big jump/fall in these rankings, thanks in part to being one of the first FBS programs to fire its head coach (heeeey, East Carolina …) and also because they found a potential Fun Belt dancing partner for a potential season finale Pillow Fight of the Week of the Year of Century, or PFOWYOC, pronounced “puh-fow-yok,” which is also what Will Hall angrily called everyone in the front office as he was escorted out. And who is that PFOWYOC against?


The East Coast Trojans, who have charged into the top bottom four after three straight Fun Belt losses and now face the Fightin’ Butches of Arkansaw State, the same team that just ended Will Hall’s tenure in Hattiesburg.


A yellow flag was thrown on the field. Then Horns fans threw a bunch of stuff on the field. Then the flag was picked up off the field. Then the trash was picked up off the field. But … there was never another flag thrown because of the stuff thrown on the field?


The good news for the Blazers is that even though they keep losing, no one can see it because the entire state of Alabama is shrouded in thick white smoke from the dumpster fire on the Plains and the panic attacks in Tuscaloosa.


The Other Other Aggies continue their 2026 Pac-12 Admittance party by playing like a 2022 Pac-12 team, falling to 1-6 after losing to New Mexico’s non-Aggies. Now, while we are obsessing over current #MACtion PFOWYs and future Fun Belt PFOWYOCs, Utah State is hitting the road for a showdown that has snuck up on us, against …


The Chowboys knew the way to San Jose, but unfortunately, Spartans wideout Nick Nash knew the way to the end zone for the seventh straight game. If Wyoming is going to fulfill its dream of three-peating as Arizona Bowl champions, it can’t lose again this season.


New Duke head coach Manny Diaz has now successfully beaten the coach who embarrassed him at Texas, UNC’s Mack Brown, his alma mater FSU, and in two weeks has a chance to ruin the year for the school that fired him three years ago, Miami. The last time someone went through ACC country like this, they were carrying orders from Sherman.


The Buttermakers are 1-6 and 0-4 in conference play. After an open date, they host Northworstern, which is 3-4 and 1-3 in the conference. With all the changes in college football, especially in the Big Ten, this game is like being wrapped up in an old blanket from your grandma’s house. Sure, it needs to be washed and it smells like a gym sock dipped in kitty litter and VapoRub, but at least it’s familiar.

Waiting list: UMess, FI(notA)U, UTEPid (aka the team that just beat FIU), Temple of Doom, Living on Tulsa Time (aka the team that just lost to Temple of Doom), Whew Mexico State, Me-dle Tennessee, Fa-la-la-la-la La-la-la-Tech, Baller State, Miss Sus Hippie State, Snore Eagle, Akronmonious, flopping.

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NHL fines Senators, Cousins for pregame conduct

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NHL fines Senators, Cousins for pregame conduct

The NHL fined the Ottawa Senators $25,000 and forward Nick Cousins $2,083.33 for an incident of “unsportsmanlike conduct” in warmups ahead of Game 3 of the team’s first-round Stanley Cup playoff series against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday.

Cousins’ fine is the maximum allowed to a player under the NHL/NHLPA collective bargaining agreement.

With warmups underway, Cousins was spotted flipping a puck across the center ice line at Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz as he went through his pregame routine.

The two players have history as teammates with Philadelphia Flyers from 2016-17 and with the Stanley Cup-winning Florida Panthers last season. Senators coach Travis Green emphasized that familiarity when asked about the NHL’s investigation Friday, while otherwise keeping his answer lighthearted.

“It’s an active investigation. I don’t know if I should be commenting,” said Green, drawing laughter from the gathered media. “I have people that have advised me maybe not to comment on it.

“I’m kidding. I saw the video. Stolarz and Cousins have played together. [Cousins] is probably trying to laugh at him or make a joke or get him off his game. It is what it is.”

Green went on to confirm he had spoken to Cousins about the puck flip.

“[He just said] I know him,” Green said of Cousins’ reasoning. “Game within the game. Happens probably a lot more than you think.”

Toronto took a commanding 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series with a 3-2 overtime victory. Ottawa will try to stave off elimination in Game 4 on Saturday.

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Canadiens keep injured Laine out for Game 3

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Canadiens keep injured Laine out for Game 3

MONTREAL — Montreal‘s Patrik Laine is out for Friday’s Game 3 of the Canadiens’ first-round playoff series against Washington because of an upper-body injury.

Laine missed the team’s morning skate, and the Canadiens said he will be evaluated daily.

Laine, 27, was benched for the third period of Wednesday’s 3-1 loss in Game 2 after a difficult first two periods. Kasperi Kapanen replaced Laine, while defenseman Arber Xhekaj was inserted into the lineup for Jayden Struble.

The Capitals lead the best-of-seven series 2-0.

Laine, known for his dangerous shot, hasn’t scored in his past seven games.

The Canadiens acquired Laine and a second-round draft pick from the Columbus Blue Jackets last summer for defenseman Jordan Harris.

Laine had 20 goals, including 15 on the power play, and 13 assists in 52 games this season after missing the first two months with a knee injury.

“We have some guys battling things, so we’ll see what we start with tonight,” Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis said earlier Friday. “Obviously in a series, during games, you make adjustments. That’s part of a best-of-seven.”

Montreal is hosting its first playoff game in front of a sold-out crowd since 2017. The Canadiens played in an empty, or reduced-capacity, Bell Centre during their run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2021.

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Oilers turn to Pickard in goal to avoid 3-0 hole

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Oilers turn to Pickard in goal to avoid 3-0 hole

The Edmonton Oilers are making a goaltender change, putting Calvin Pickard in the crease for Game 3 of their Western Conference first-round series against the visiting Los Angeles Kings.

Looking to avoid being pushed to the brink of elimination, the Oilers are turning to Pickard after Stuart Skinner yielded 11 goals on 58 shots as the Kings captured a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.

Pickard relieved Skinner midway through the third period of Game 2 on Wednesday, allowing one goal on three shots.

The journeyman goaltender was asked Friday afternoon how he plans to approach Game 3.

“The same way I’ve approached every game as an Oiler: go out and do my job and give our team a chance to win,” Pickard said. “Obviously the last two games didn’t go as planned in all facets, but we know we have a better effort in this locker room and we know we’re going to do that tonight.”

Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch said after Game 2 that he would get together with his coaching staff and decide on a starting goaltender. But Knoblauch added that he believed Skinner was not at fault for the team’s defensive troubles in this series.

“I don’t think there’s been any bad goals. There’s been a lot of goals, but the chances that we’re giving up are Grade A’s,” Knoblauch said. “I’m not sure that are many, ‘Geez, where’s the save there?’ It’s been very difficult for a goaltender playing. More structure and the less we’re giving up those opportunities, it’s a lot easier for Stuart Skinner or Calvin Pickard playing.”

Pickard, 33, posted a 22-10-1 record with a 2.71 goals-against average and .900 save percentage in 36 games (31 starts) during the regular season. Skinner, 26, was 26-18-4 with a 2.81 GAA and a .896 save percentage over 51 games (50 starts) during the regular season.

Information from ESPN’s Ryan S. Clark and Field Level Media was used in this report.

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