SEC Tag

Early season tournaments are all over and the non-conference schedules will be coming to end for college teams across the country.  The road to the Final Four truly begins in January when all schools enter conference play.  We have witnessed some great basketball in the early going but any good coach would tell you that nothing compares to games played in conference.  Your conference opponents are the teams that know you the best and vice versa.  Conference play is also a true measuring stick for those who have national championship aspirations.

The real season begins in January and the students will be returning from their break to their designated sections in arenas throughout college basketball.  For Duke its the "Cameron Crazies", for Michigan State its the "Izzone", and for the University of Illinois its the "Orange Crush".  The lifeline of college basketball is the crazy atmosphere created by student sections like the ones I just mentioned.  The cheers, the slams, and the creative signs give these student sections character in the chaos.  As a fan I love what each student sections brings to the arena and I can't wait for conference play to begin.

There are just a few weeks left in the college football regular season and things took a crazy turn this past weekend.  I think everyone, including myself, had (4) Alabama penciled in for the BCS Championship game until (8) Texas A&M pulled off the surprising 29-24 upset last Saturday.  This has opened up the field a little bit for spots in the national championship.  So lets take a little time sort of some of this chaos caused by the Alabama loss.

The loss does not eliminate Alabama from BCS contention but it puts them on the outside looking in when it looked like they were a lock.  Here are the current BCS standings as we head into this weekend's games.

BCS Standings

1. Kansas State
2. Oregon
3. Notre Dame
4. Alabama
5. Georgia
6. Florida
7. LSU
8. Texas A&M
9. South Carolina
10. Florida State

BCS Forecast

In the driver's seat:

So at the moment we are looking at a Big XII and Pac 12 showdown in Miami.  Both (1) Kansas State and (2) Oregon control their own destiny.  If Oregon and K-State win out then I believe both would be in the BCS Championship.  Oregon is an absolute no doubter if they win their last 2 regular season games and the Pac 12 Championship.  Kansas State does not have a conference championship game to bolster their resume but an undefeated record should be more than enough to secure a spot in the title game.

So it might be a little early but I think its time to start looking at the legitimate contenders as we have reached the half way point of the college football season.  As for the usual the SEC has a strong presence in the second edition of the BCS standings in 2012.  The SEC currently has 4 teams in the BCS top 10 and 7 in the top 25.  Most college football experts say the path to the national championship is through the SEC and this year is no exception.

Current 2012 BCS Standings

1.  Alabama
2.  Florida
3.  Oregon
4.  Kansas State
5.  Notre Dame
6.  LSU
7.  South Carolina
8.  Oregon State
9.  Oklahoma
10.  USC

Full BCS Standings

Football season is so close I can taste it.  Every year around this time you can feel the excitement in the sports community.  Football is by far the most popular sport in this country and everyone has a favorite pro team and a school that they are passionate about.  In the world of college football there are high expectations right now on many different campuses across the country.  [So called] Experts have already begun making predictions for teams and individual awards.  At this moment everything is up in the air.

Which teams or players will surprise you this season?  Who will win the Heisman?  Which teams will meet in the National Championship game?  These are all questions that everyone, including myself, can take a stab at answering but nothing is certain right now.  We have reached the calm before the storm.  In a few short weeks the thunderous cheers of tens of thousands will echo in college stadium across America.  But before we get to opening weekend,  here is a list of 10 things you should know about college football as we head into the 2012 regular season.

Bracket buster match-ups are already happening throughout college hoops as teams across the country prepare to make their run to the NCAA tournament.  This is the "make or break" point in the season and everyone knows it.  At the moment there are only a few teams in college basketball who have safely cemented their ticket to the "Big Dance".  These teams will be your major conference leaders and basically any team ranked in a top 25 poll.  Being in the top 25 doesn't always guarantee a spot in the tournament but this year it appears that all of the top 25 teams are tourney worthy.

NCAA Tournament Predictions:  If the tournament were to start today.  Excluding conference tournaments of course.

The Cotton Bowl Classic has been a staple of the bowl series since the first annual game in 1937.  On January 6, 2012 this prestigious bowl will return to Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, TX for the third time.  Last year's Cotton Bowl featured a great match-up between the LSU Tigers and the Texas A&M Aggies.  In the end LSU prevailed 41-24 but it was an exciting game throughout.

If you listen closely you can hear the faint sounds of squeaky sneakers and the roar of crazed student sections across America.  That's right folks, the magic of college basketball is almost upon us.  In a few short weeks college basketball programs around the country will be kicking off their season with "Midnight Madness" or some other version of. 

As the hottest days of summer creep through the midwest this week, the smell of football begins to tickle the nose.  August is just around the corner and with it comes double and triple sessions for college football athletes around the country.  A brand new campaign will be starting soon so let us look ahead to the 2011 college football season and examine a few BCS favorites, strong conferences, and a few Heisman hopefuls. 

The Penn State Nittany Lions are most likely heading to the 2009 Rose Bowl. Now, where will the rest of the top teams head for Bowl Season? Some of our experts have these predictions:

Rose Bowl - This is the easiest bowl to determine at this point. We already know Penn State is going. They will be facing off against the winner of the Pac-10, Oregon State or USC. Even though USC has a better overall record, both teams have the same conference record with Oregon State having the tiebreaker. With a victory over #23 Oregon, we will be seeing an Oregon State/Penn State Rose Bowl.

Orange Bowl - With the Orange Bowl, we typically see the winner of the Big East play the winner of the ACC. The Big East is a more obvious right now. Cincinnati is currently leading the conference over West Virginia. With a victory this weekend, Cincy will clinch their BCS berth. West Virginia will need to win its two final games and a Cincinnati loss to go to the Orange Bowl.

The ACC is up for the grabs. We don't even

With a victory by Alabama and Florida this weekend, both teams will clinch their spots into the SEC Conference Championship.  The SEC Championship will be held in Atlanta, Georgia on December 6 at the Georgia Dome.  By winning their 3 remaining games and the conference championship, Alabama will be a lock in the BCS National Championship in Miami.

Sports Traveler is offering SEC Championship Packages to the big game.  These packages include two night hotel accommodations in downtown Atlanta and tickets to the SEC Championship.  Also, if you book a SEC Championship package, you will receive a free $20 gas card.  Limit one card per order.

Mike