The Hlist: From published sources nationwide and vendors with sweet deals on “Chicago 2016” T-shirts

OPENING KICKOFF

“Pfft. And just like that, the air went out of Oklahoma's season, as its already faint national championship ambitions died.

“Oklahoma returned to the scene of the grime from Florida's workmanlike win last January, and was guilty of all form of football malfeasance on this night.” - Kirk Bohls, Austin American-Statesman, after the Sooners' 21-20 loss at Miami.

FIRST DOWNS

1. Season Saver: Michigan State's 26-20 win over Michigan prevented the Spartans from a fourth-straight loss.

More importantly in East Lansing, it marked State's first two-game win streak over Michigan since 1967.

“We did something that hadn't been done in 42 years,” MSU Coach Mark Dantonio said. “When you do things like that, it has a way of defining you. I hope this is a defining moment for this football team and we can move ahead. I think every season has a defining moment.”

The Hlist thinks defining moments depend on who's doing the defining. Michigan State's 29-27 loss to Central Michigan on Sept. 12 seemed pretty defining, too.

2. Canes are Able: “Big, huge win for us,” said Miami Coach Randy Shannon.

“All one needs to do is contrast Saturday's showing to the one in Norman, Okla., only two years earlier,” wrote the Miami Herald's Greg Cote.

“Then, the Sooners throttled hapless and seemingly hopeless Miami 51-13, a low point among many in a 2007 season that would end 5-7. UM football wasn't ‘back' at that point, it was buried.”

“We are back,” said Hurricanes linebacker Jordan Futch. “We are still The U.”

FUMBLES

1. Et Tu, Sid? Has it come to this, Minnesota?

Even 89-year-old Minneapolis Star Tribune sports columnist Sid Hartman, a Gophers booster since the days of leather helmets, is down on the team after its 31-28 home loss to Wisconsin.

“The Gophers had their chances,” Hartman wrote, “and if ever a team played with a lack of discipline, this was the home team on Saturday.”

Minnesota is 0-7 in trophy games (against Wisconsin, Michigan and Iowa) and 1-8 in Big Ten home games under Coach Tim Brewster.

Startribune.com contributor Darren “Doogie” Wolfson: “ESPN analyst Chris Spielman commented during the game that Wisconsin kept running the same play. They would motion the tight end and continuously ran in that direction. The weak side linemen pulled and physically destroyed the Gophers' front-seven. It wasn't anything creative.”

2. Illini Ills: The drumbeat of doom booms ever louder for the Illinois football program.

Monday, Illini Coach Ron Zook said quarterback Juice Williams, so good two seasons ago in helping his team go to the Rose Bowl, has been benched in favor of backup Eddie McGee.

Williams did break his string of no rushing or passing touchdowns in 15 quarters. But he did nothing special in the Illini's 35-17 loss to Penn State. Nor did Illinois' defense.

Asked if his team had the personnel to succeed on defense, Illini defensive coordinator Dan Disch said “I don't know. That's for other people to answer.”

That sounds like an answer to the Hlist.

POSTGAME

“I think the record will show that the Seminole Nation has been more than patient. We have been in a decline not for a year or two or three but I think we're coming up on seven or eight. I think enough is enough.” - Jim Smith, chair of Florida State University's board of trustees.

Florida State, a 28-21 loser at Boston College Saturday, is 2-3.

The wife of FSU Coach Bobby Bowden, fired back.

“I am angry,” Ann Bowden said. “I'm angry at some of our boosters that Bobby has worked for and supported, raised money for. And he's been such a top quality person, such great character and everything for this university. And for them to turn their back on him like that. I don't care if he is 80 years old.”