After a well-deserved bye week, the Packers are back at work today, facing the Chargers in San Diego.
At 7-0, the Packers are with little argument the best team in the NFL and Aaron Rodgers has laid an early claim to the Most Valuable Player award, leading the league in passer rating (125.7), completion percentage (71.5), yards per attempt (9.3), touchdowns (20) and is second in the NFL with 339 yards per game.
The only blemish so far has been the defense, which lingers near the bottom of the league rankings in several key categories. On the bright side, Dom Capers' unit has made up for its shortcomings by once again being one of the best teams in football when it comes to takeaways.
But to live by the turnover means to die by the turnover. For the Packers to truly ascend to legendary levels – and they're on that track, no doubt – the defense will need to step up its game.
Looking at the rest of the schedule, there's little reason to think Green Bay won't finish as the top seed in the NFC but an undefeated season might be a bit of a stretch. The final eight games include a Monday night game against Minnesota, then home against Tampa Bay.
The Packers travel to Detroit for a Thanksgiving Day contest against the resurgent Lions, who look little like a fluke and every bit like a team ready to return to the playoffs for the first time since 1999. Detroit snapped a 10-game losing streak to the Packers last season – a game in which Rodgers was lost to a concussion – and have been downright manhandling opponents this year.
With a national television audience looking on and a reenergized fan base, this could be the first occasion for the Packers to tumble.
Get past Detroit and the Packers have winnable games at New York, against Oakland and at Kansas City before returning home to finish out the season against Chicago and Detroit.
A 15-1 record isn't out of the realm of possibility, but 14-2 seems more likely. Whatever the case, the Packers – despite having some lingering questions defensively – appear poised to live up to the expectations of another trip to the Super Bowl.
Back on track: Wisconsin's 62-17 over Purdue won't get the Badgers back in the BCS discussion; that ship has sailed for the time being. But at the very least, Wisconsin is again headed in the right direction.
The Badgers remain tied for second with Ohio State in the Leaders Division, with all eyes on 5-0 Penn State. Landing a bid in the inaugural Big Ten Championship Game isn't completely out of the realm of possibility, however.
First things first: Wisconsin needs to win out. Do that, and there's a fighting chance. But still, Bucky needs some help.
Penn State would have to lose twice, and the Nittany Lions' remaining schedule includes a date with No. 10 Nebraska, the trip to Columbus and a regular-season finale against the Badgers in Madison on Nov. 26.
Ohio State might be the bigger obstacle. Both the Badgers and Buckeyes enter the home stretch with 3-2 records in the league, but Ohio State holds the tie-breaker based on the Buckeyes' 33-29 victory last weekend.
Even if Penn State were to lose twice, Wisconsin would need Ohio State to lose at least once and the Buckeyes finish the season at Purdue, against Penn State and at Michigan.
Wisconsin has road games at Minnesota (2-7, 1-4 Big Ten) and Illinois (6-3, 2-3) remaining before its date with Penn State.
Best case – and most likely – scenario: Penn State beats Ohio State but loses to Nebraska and Wisconsin. How likely is anybody's guess, but Wisconsin's hope of moving into the upper echelon of bowl games, though slim, is still alive.
Provus moves on: Brewers radio announcer Cory Provus has moved on, accepting a job as the Minnesota Twins' lead radio voice. It's great move for Provus, 33, who just finished his third season working alongside Bob Uecker in the Brewers' broadcast booth.
It's also a big loss for the Brewers, who were fortunate to have one of the game's great, young, up-and-coming talents working along side Hall of Famer Bob Uecker.
Provus has a great voice and a great call. He's steady, he's knowledgeable, he's smart and most of all, he's fair; Provus was not a homer. He called games down the middle.
Some may wonder why a guy would leave a job after just three years but it's important to remember that there are only 30 of the jobs in all the world. When you get the chance to be a No. 1, you don't turn it down.
Hanging up the cleats: Long-time Milwaukee Wave forward Troy Dusosky has retired.
The 35-year-old leaves as one of the franchise's all-time fan favorites and best playerts. He's sixth in blocks (320), seventh in three-point goals (16), ninth in assists (92) and tenth in games played (257).
While wearing the Wave jersey, he was a part of three Major Indoor Soccer League championship teams.
"Troy has had an outstanding career in the MISL and most importantly in a Wave uniform," Wave head coach Keith Tozer said. "Troy has been considered one of the top defenders in the MISL for the past decade bringing passion, desire and fight to each and every practice and game. He was a team leader as our captain both on the field and off."
Pekka gets paid: The Nashville Predators signed former Admirals goaltender Pekka Rinne to a seven-year contract extension worth $49 million – the largest contract in franchise history.
The 29-year-old native of Finland spent three seasons in Milwaukee and led the Admirals to the 2006 Calder Cup Finals. Last season, Rinne emerged as one of the league's best goalies and was a finalist for the Vezina Trophy after posting a 2.12 goals against average and a .930 save percentage.
He was selected in the eighth round of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft, the 258th overall selection.
"It's just a big day for me and obviously I couldn't be happier right now," Rinne told Joshua Cooper of The Tennessean. "It's the organization that drafted me and now I have a chance to play next seven years here in Nashville. It feels great and I'm so happy right now."
Larry King Lounge: The Big East realignment drama has taken another twist, with the league suing West Virginia in an effort to prevent the Mountaineers from bolting for the Big 12 next season ... The Brewers' Gold Glove drought continues. The team hasn't had a player win the coveted defensive award since Robin Yount in 1982 ... If you miss Packers running back James Starks' appearance on the NFL Network Friday, Gannett Wisconsin Newspapers' Kareem Copeland has the transcript ... Provus isn't the only person leaving Miller Park's press box. Associated Press sports writer Colin Fly has moved on, taking a position in Lexington, Ken. Tyler Lockman, the Milwaukee beat writer for FoxSportsWisconsin.com has taken a similar position with FoxSportsArizona.com.
