All week, Vikings players called their visit to Detroit a "hat and shirt game," meaning that if they won, they'd get to wear championship gear.
Their 34-23 loss to the Lions did not earn new clothing for the players, or a diploma and mortarboard for their head coach.
Kevin O'Connell's first season with the Vikings has been a resounding success. His first try at winning a division title resembled a graduate tripping while climbing the stairs to the stage.
