ord: 3-8 (8-17) | League: LPL | +/-: +3Originally expected to be one

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Simpler has meant better so far at Texas and Notre Dame, with both head coaches taking more hands-on roles to fix bad defenses.The two traditional powers showed improvement after making changes at defensive coordinator, although both are stills works in progress. The Fighting Irish (2-5) have made major changes since firing Brian VanGorder on Sept. 24, using more players and switching their defensive alignment, philosophy and attitude. The adjustments at Texas (3-3) after demoting Vance Bedford on Oct. 3 have been more subtle.Both coaches say the biggest change has been in confidence.I think we have just allowed them to play without worrying about mistakes. Just play, Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly said.The Irish have gone from giving up 33.5 points, 201 yards rushing and 253 yards passing in four games this season under VanGorder to 20 points, 153 yards rushing and 174 yards passing since. The statistics are skewed by one game being played in the remnants of a hurricane that made moving the ball almost impossible.Still, the defense has allowed one touchdown the past two games and only two in the past 10 quarters after struggling in the first half against Syracuse.The thing I wanted to do when we made the change was keep the points down and limit the big plays, Kelly said.The Irish have gone from surrendering an average of four plays of 20 yards or more the first four games to one the past two games. The Irish defense is playing faster, getting a better pass rush with a three-man line and is tackling better.Kelly is spending more time with the defense, watching practice from a tower at times so he can oversee both offense and defense. He has the team meeting in position units instead of as a whole, with him sitting in with defensive backs. Players say it helps put the focus on little things. The Irish also have changed practices to emphasize third-down defense and other critical situations throughout the week.So guys have to come ready for practice starting day one, and early in the practice as well, linebacker James Onwualu said.New defensive coordinator Greg Hudson has brought more enthusiasm, showing videos of wrestler Ric Flair and the Fresh Prince of Bel Air for inspiration.You come into a meetings hes got videos playing, hes got music playing, so he just brings a different energy, lineman Issac Rochell said.Texas got off to a shaky start after making the switch, giving up 672 total yards in a 45-40 loss to rival Oklahoma, stoking speculation coach Charlie Strong could be fired after this season.Safety Dylan Haines said first-week changes under Strong included developing new coverages in the secondary and blitzes. Haines got Texas first two interceptions of the season in the first half but the Longhorns still gave up 390 yards passing and didnt get a sack until late.Haines also joked about changes in practice. When Strong demoted Bedford, he sent Bedford to help defensive backs coach Clay Jennings.I wondered, what was going to be the dynamic? Now we have two coaches yelling at me, he said.The biggest change for the second game was the wristbands with the defensive signals in last weeks 27-6 win over Iowa State. Texas players had talked earlier in the season about a lack of communication on calls and Strong called for the wristbands to simplify things.Strong, who won two national titles as a defensive coordinator at Florida, said the improved communication allows quicker changes.That helped us a lot out there . because now theres no excuses going across the board. Everybody knows the play. Theres no, `I didnt get the call or whatever it was for that play, linebacker Naashon Hughes said.Texas played its best defensive game last week, not giving up a touchdown and piling up eight sacks.Strong insists there hasnt been many changes the players would notice. He said he hasnt had to sacrifice time away from coaching others areas, but he is taking a bigger role in developing defensive strategy week to week and keeping closer tabs on practice.Hughes did notice Strong brings a vocal element to the practice field.Its louder. Theres more yelling, Hughes said. Coach Bedford wasnt that loud.---AP Sports Writer Jim Vertuno in Austin, Texas, contributed to this report.---Online:APs college football website: www.collegefootball.ap.orgNike React Element 87 Trainer . He was followed closely by David Clarkson, donning red, seconds later. Clarksons actions one night earlier, leaping off the bench in defence of Kessel during a pre-season game against the Buffalo Sabres, will cost him the first 10 games of the regular season. Nike Epic React Flyknit Clearance . -- The boos poured down on Tom Brady and the New England Patriots at the end of a horrible first half. http://www.nikereactsale.com/nike-react-element-87-trainer.html . Just as Montreal was settling into the first full working week of a new year, the Impact announced the appointment of their new head coach. Nike Air More Uptempo For Sale Cheap . The defence is doing its part, too. Drew Brees threw a pair of touchdown passes in the first half and the guys on the other side made sure that was enough, sending the Saints to a 17-13 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday night. Nike React Element 55 For Sale . Numbers Game looks into the Canadiens securing the services of Thomas Vanek in a trade with the New York Islanders. The Canadiens Get: LW Thomas Vanek and a conditional fifth-round pick.Welcome back to our League of Legends global power rankings. Every week, we look at each team in the five major regions and rank them according to how they are performing.Were starting with Week 7 of the North American/European League Championship Series, Week 8 of League Championships Korea, Week 7 of the League Pro League and Week 5 of the League Master Series. The +/- indicates change since the previous ranking.Nos. 1-10 -- World contendersNos. 11-20 -- Playoff contendersNos. 21-30 -- Middle of the packNos. 31-40 -- StrugglingNos. 41-50 -- Bottom of the barrelWorld contenders1. SK Telecom T1Record: 10-3 (22-7) | League: LCK | +/-: no changeThere is no real debate here, right? SKT T1 are the reigning champions of the big three international LoL events (Worlds, the Mid-Season Invitational, the Intel Extreme Masters Katowice) and trail only ROX due to playing one fewer game in the LCK standings. The team is starting to round into the form youd expect from the heavy favorite to win its third Summoners Cup in four years. T1 proved its gap in skill between the fourth-best South Korean team last night, Samsung Galaxy, in a relatively one-sided display of superiority.2. ROX TigersRecord: 11-3 (22-10) | League: LCK | +/-: +2Second place behind SKT T1 is a common placement for the Tigers the past two years. The runner-up at the 2015 World Championships and last seasons LCK, the Tigers have seemingly figured out how to overcome any obstacle, aside from Lee Faker Sang-hyeok and his organization.3. Team SoloMidRecord: 14-0 (28-3) | League: NA LCS | +/-: no changeLets stop acting like anyone knows what the second-best region in the world is. Weve had two major international tournaments, and the only certainty is that SK Telecom T1 is the best team in the world. Royal Never Give Up and EDward Gaming are contenders for the title, but they havent proven that theyre better than TSM. This is our reasoning behind TSMs placement in the rankings. Read a more in-depth analysis here.4. EDward GamingRecord: 11-0 (22-5) | League: LPL | +/-: -2EDward Gaming might have fallen in the rankings, but thats primarily a result of the recent successes of ROX and TSM and EDwards one-game loss to LGD Gaming. The latter shouldnt happen if it wants to keep on top, but business is still going well.5. Royal Never Give UpRecord: 10-1 (21-5) | League: LPL | +/-: no changeMuch like EDward Gaming, Royal Never Give Up showed its consistency as it took down Chinas worst team, Saint Gaming, this week. With the win, Royal remains where it should be, within the top five of the worlds power rankings and the second-best team in China.6. ImmortalsRecord: 13-1 (27-7) | League: NA LCS | +/-: +1Still lacking when compared to TSM, Immortals is improved from the spring split. Although it needs better overall play with all five members and better drafting to challenge TSM for the title, the teams mechanical brilliance has been able to power it through the first seven weeks. Immortals is one of the top 10 teams in the world, but itll need another dimension to its game to break into the top four.7. KT RolsterRecord: 9-5 (21-14) | League: LCK | +/-: +2If SKT T1 didnt exist, ROX would most likely be in the midst of a dynasty. If T1 and ROX didnt exist, KT Rolster would probably be in the midst of its own. The third-best team in South Korea throughout the past year-and-a-half, Rolster faces the same issues the Tigers have with SKT T1, but with the added bonus of needing to surpass the Tigers to become the best team in the world. In any other region, KT might be the top dog, but in South Korea? Not so simple.8. Samsung GalaxyRecord: 9-5 (18-12) | League: LCK | +/-: no changeSamsung is in solid fourth-place position in South Korea. Galaxy is too good to be grouped with the likes of Afreeca and MVP fighting for the last postseason slot but hasnt been on the upswing long enough to fit with South Koreas Big 3 of SKT, Tigers and KT.9. J TeamRecord: 6-2-0 | League: LMS | +/-: +1J Team didnt put it all together but masterfully doubled down on its early game strength and macro play. To go 3-1 over Flash Wolves in one week is no easy feat, and the team showed a superior draft approach and generally more powerful side lanes. For the first time in a while, neither Flash Wolves nor ahq is on top.10. Flash WolvesRecord: 6-1-1 | League: LMS | +/-: -4The Wolves complacency finally came out this week, showing multiple oversights in the draft phase in its games against J Team. However, the team came back with much smarter drafts in its second set against J Team and crushed one of the games. Flash Wolves has been dethroned, but for how long?Playoff contenders11. I MayRecord: 7-4 (16-9) | League: LPL | +/-: +1Chinas third-best team is moving up in the rankings, even after a loss to EDward Gaming. Its win over Snake Esports shows I May is still one of the best teams in China.12. Team WERecord: 7-4 (17-11) | League: LPL | +/-: +7Team WE had a good week last week, as it took down Newbee convincingly. Team WE will have a shot in the playoffs, depending on its bracket, to show what its really made of.13. G2 EsportsRecord: 7-7-0 | League: EU LCS | +/-: +1G2 Esports move up slightly in the rankings after a tie with Splyce and a victory over H2K Gaming. Europe as a region still looks the weakest it has ever been, but G2 looks only slightly ahead of the pack.14. FnaticRecord: 7-4-3 | League: EU LCS | +/-: +1Fnatic are just below its top European peer, G2 Esports, and thats mainly because of its loss in week five. With Kikis at the wheel, which has changed Fnatics top lane picks, Fnatic doesnt look much better than it did before.15. Afreeca FreecsRecord: 7-6 (15-15) | League: LCK | +/-: +1In the battle for the final playoff spot in South Korea, it appears the rookies of last year, the formerly known Rebels Anarchy, are going to succeed over the top rookie team of this year in MVP. The Freecs that came off a spirited run last split to make the playoffs are doing the same thing in the second half this summer, and a first-round matchup against the likes of Samsung Galaxy could be winnable for the now playoff-experienced Afreeca.16. SplyceRecord: 6-6-2 | League: EU LCS | +/-: +5Moving up in the rankings again this week is Splyce, a team many did not expect to succeed. Splyce tied with G2 Esports, which shows that it can, in fact, compete with the best. Splyce have impressed, and its now visible as it makes the run for third-best in Europe.17. Ahq e-Sports ClubRecord: 6-0-2 | League: LMS | +/-: +1Sometimes ahq looks like a team returning to form, and sometimes the team looks flat-out lost. Ahq had hiccups in the early games against both XG and HKE but came back with superior mid-game decision-making. Its a concerning trend, but ahq had a pair of stomps to accompany the hard-fought victories.18. Snake EsportsRecord: 6-5 (13-12) | League: LPL | +/-: +2Snake, alongside Team WE, are making a good case for the fourth- and fifth-best in China. It might have lost to I May, but it beat Vici Gaming and showed that its plausible for the team to make the playoffs.19. Counter Logic GamingRecord: 7-7 (18-17) | League: NA LCS | +/-: +4Were finally seeing the Mid-Season Invitational finalists look like, well, MSI finalists. The team has rallied late in the season and fixed the mid-lane problems that plagued it early on.20. Team LiquidRecord: 8-6 (18-15) | League: NA LCS | +/-: -7A top-two finish it wont be for Team Liquid this split. TSM and IMT have already locked up first-round byes, and TSMs dissection of Liquid shows the gap between the current top team in the region and the perceived third or fourth.Middle of the pack21. Cloud9Record: 8-6 (20-16) | League: NA LCS | +/-: -4C9 had an awkward week. It won a series it shouldnt have against the late game toothless Apex Gaming, and it followed that up with an excruciatingly close loss to CLG. With the team in comfortable playoff position with no chance of breaking the top two, the last two weeks for C9 will be about seed positioning and gearing up for a tough first-round matchup.22. Vici GamingRecord: 6-55 (13-12) | League: LPL | +/-: no changeVici Gaming isnt a bad team, even though it lost to Snake this week.dddddddddddd Overall, the victory over Invictus keeps it afloat in the middle of the pack.23. MVPRecord: 6-8 (14-17) | League: LCK | +/-: -11The playoffs are slipping away for MVP, but its not all doom and gloom. Sure, making the postseason in its first season back as an organization after an absence of more than two years would have been amazing for MVP, but at least with its current record, there should be no relegation in sight.24. Jin Air Green WingsRecord: 5-8 (13-18) | League: LCK | +/-: +2Writing about Jin Air is just depressing now. The Green Wings are 5-8. How is that possible after the way the club started? Playoff dreams have been shattered. Hope for Worlds is gone. All thats left is to see how many more times Pilot can die needlessly after getting caught out.25. Unicorns of LoveRecord: 4-5-5 | League: EU LCS | +/-: +6Its record might not indicate it, but the Unicorns of Love have had a significant upward trend in its play and have put up some decent results in the process. Europe becomes harder to rank under Splyce, but with Unicorns recent tie with Vitality and win over Giants, it looks like the team might be next in line in the crazy mix that is Europe.26. Hong Kong EsportsRecord: 3-1-4 | League: LMS | +/-: -1Its another week of disappointment for HKE, as it was able to develop leads early against ahq but failed to close a game. Gear and Raison continue to be the backbone of the team from mid and AD, with Raison performing closer to his Summer 2015 form. HKE has MSE nipping at its heels, so the roster will have to develop synergy quick if it wants to secure a playoff spot.27. Giants GamingRecord: 5-2-7 | League: EU LCS | +/-: -3Giants lost to two teams above it this week, which makes it fall in the rankings. The team isnt awful -- its still a contender for playoffs -- but its falling behind.28. Team EnVyUsRecord: 7-7 (14-19) | League: NA LCS | +/-: +1It wasnt pretty from Envy, but the rookie club got the job done in the biggest match of its inaugural split. A loss to Apex Gaming to end the week would have given the Lions a strong chance of making the postseason; however, in 2-1 fashion, Envy was able to shake its losing ways and get the much-needed victory.29. ESC EverRecord: 4-8 (11-18) | League: LCK | +/-: -2ESC is at the point where making the playoffs is all but out of the question. Currently, its time to turn those thoughts into pure survival. The bottom two spots in the league go into the do-or-die promotional matches, and Ever can keep its place in the LCK if it can outdo Longzhu, CJ and the submarining Jin Air Green Wings.30. Longzhu GamingRecord: 4-10 (10-21) | League: LCK | +/-: +8Longzhu are in a fight for survival in the ninth-place spot. With its win over CJ, the Dragons have separated themselves from the worst team in the league, but the once believed super team has only two weeks before its sent to a single best-of-five series against a minor league team.Struggling31. H2K GamingRecord: 4-6-4 | League: EU LCS | +/-: -3H2K had a bumpy week, but its losses came at the hand of G2 Esports and Fnatic. H2K has holes in the armor that it needs to fix, but its record will likely give it a playoff berth in Europe.32. FC Schalke 04Record: 3-7-4 | League: EU LCS | +/-: +1FC Schalke 04 receive a slight bump in the rankings this week, after tying with Origen and Fnatic. But this season has shown that FC Schalke 04 has the same problems it did when it was Elements, and the team is no better than seventh.33. VitalityRecord: 3-7-4 | League: EU LCS | +/-: +3Wrapping up Europes lower half of the middle pack is Team Vitality, which beat Team ROCCAT and tied with the Unicorns of Love this week. Vitality has the potential to be a better team, but its roster just doesnt look good together.34. Midnight Sun EsportsRecord: 3-2-3 | League: LMS | +/-: +1Midnight Sun inch up the standings with a strong 3-1 week, 2-0-ing Team Mist and splitting with Machi. MSEs wins during the week were clean, and the team looks to be on the way up, as Machi continues to struggle with consistency.35. Game TalentsRecord: 5-6 (11-14) | League: LPL| +/-: -7Game Talents came out strong this split but have since fallen down the ladder. Last week mightve been rock bottom, however, as the team took a loss to OMG, one of the worst teams in the league.36. Phoenix1Record: 3-11 (10-25) | League: NA LCS | +/-: +4Phoenix1, 3-2 in its past five, is in an intriguing place with four matches left. Playoffs are a pipe dream, but a few upsets on the last two weekends could give the boys in orange and black a reprieve when it comes to relegation.37. NRG EsportsRecord: 4-10 (12-21) | League: NA LCS | +/-: +5It might be a little too late for NRG Esports to make the postseason, but its makeshift, mixed-language roster might be finally getting its legs under it. If NRG can grab the seventh spot, itll be locked into next splits NA LCS.38. Machi E-sportsRecord: 2-3-3 | League: LMS | +/-: -8Dropping a heartbreaking game to Flash Wolves earlier in the week and losing a game to XGamers is sure to weaken team morale. Machi was able to string together a few wins and perform well in team fights, but the communication has clearly been off.39. LGD GamingRecord: 4-7 (11-15) | League: LPL | +/-: no changeLGD took a game off EDward Gaming, which is impressive, even though it didnt close the series with a win.40. Apex GamingRecord: 5-9 (15-20) | League: NA LCS | +/-: -6Although Apex have a similar map record to sixth-place Envy (both teams are five maps below .500), the overall match score is what is probably going to kill its chance to make the playoffs.Bottom of the barrel41. NewbeeRecord: 4-7 (10-17) | League: LPL | +/-: -2Newbees record is not indicative of its teams skill. Just because its fourth in group A in points doesnt mean its better than the likes of Vici Gaming or LGD.42. OrigenRecord: 2-7-5 | League: EU LCS | +/-: +1Toasters LCS debut wasnt bad at all, as Origen tied with FC Schalke 04 and beat Team ROCCAT. But Origen waited too long this season to fix its gaping problems in the bottom lane.43. CJ EntusRecord: 2-11 (9-23) | League: LCK | +/-: -6CJ accidentally?locked in Teemo against Longzhu and got embarrassed. The team structure is a mess. The coaching is a mess. The starting lineup rotations are a mess. The prospects CJ Entus hoped would turn the club around have failed to deliver. Four years ago, the names Blaze and Frost struck fear into the hearts of teams that played against them. Now, CJ Entus is bland, old, uninspired and possibly on its last legs.44. OMGRecord: 3-8 (8-17) | League: LPL | +/-: +3Originally expected to be one of the worst teams in China, OMG showed that it deserves to be taken more seriously with a win over Game Talents.45. eXtreme GamersRecord: 1-1-6 | League: LMS | +/-: no changeXG arent anything special, but a win over Machi and some decent performances in losses this week show that XG arent totally awful.46. Invictus GamingRecord: 2-9 (9-19) | League: LPL | +/-: -2Continuing to fall this week is Invictus Gaming, which took losses to LGD Gaming and Vici Gaming.47. Team ROCCATRecord: 1-5-8 | League: EU LCS | +/-: +1We had high expectations for ROCCAT earlier in the season, but its results have been anything but good. The trend continued this week, as it fell to Vitality and Origen.48. Echo FoxRecord: 1-13 (7-26) | League: NA LCS | +/-: +1Echo Fox became the first team in our rankings to be officially eliminated from Summoners Cup contention.49. Saint GamingRecord: 1-10 (5-20) | League: LPL | +/-: -3With only one win, Saint Gaming remain at the bottom of the power rankings, above only Team Mist.50. Team MistRecord: 0-0-8 | League: LMS | +/-: no changeThe team continues to perform poorly and is unable to make anything of its occasional early game advantages. At least it showed some ingenuity with an Olaf counter-pick into Shen. ' ' '