College Football: Conference Realignment Creating Messy Landscape

Nobody ever knows what the future holds, whether it be with relationships, jobs, or sporadic opportunities that will undoubtedly present themselves throughout life. College football's conference expansion is no different from this. By now everybody on the planet has heard about Texas A&M announcing that they are leaving the Big 12 and heading to the SEC and Oklahoma possibly departing for the PAC-12. Combine these two changes with the flurry of moves made last year and suddenly the world of College Football has taken on a life it never had in the past. But with the moves in the works, certain conferences, such as the Big 12, ACC, and Big East, are being left in the dust. If NCAA officials do not step in soon, the league that we know and watch so faithfully every Saturday morning will be a thing of the past.

At this point in time, there is no conceivable way for conferences to hold on to their schools when the big boys come calling. Teams like the Missouri Tigers and the Texas Longhorns are going to be left out to dry in the Big 12 while a number of teams are going to be stuck in meaningless conferences. Among these schools left out to dry are the Pittsburgh Panthers, the West Virginia Mountaineers, the Virginia Tech Hokies, and the three most notable programs, the Florida State Seminoles, TCU Horned Frogs, and Boise State Broncos.

Some of these schools will have no problem finding a home. Texas should get an offer from every remaining major conference. Assuming West Virginia attempts to leave the Big East, them and Missouri would be in similar positions with above average programs in not only football but basketball as well. Florida State should be in good shape with a historic football program and a decent basketball program.

TCU is in perhaps the worst shape of all the aforementioned schools. They have not even played their first conference game as a member of the Big East and there is already so much conference commotion. They could very easily find themselves in a situation similar to what they had as a member of the Mountain West if the big time football programs leave. They would find themselves not able to get into a BCS National Championship game because they would not play a tough enough schedule. To make matters worse, they would need the conference to completely fold in order to leave because the penalty would be too steep. Chances of that happening are slim to none because the Big East is by far the best basketball conference in the country and should stay together solely for that reason.

Boise State is in serious trouble too. The PAC-12 has gone on record saying that they will not take Boise State because of the school's academic reputation. The Broncos do not have another sport that they are competitive in. They really only bring football to the table and they might be able to join the Big 10 but even that would be a long shot.

All in all, here's my prediction. The NCAA will move to four main conferences. The PAC-12 will become the PAC-16 and consist of USC, UCLA, Arizona, Arizona State, Oregon, Oregon State, Washington, Washington State, California, Stanford, Utah, Colorado, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, and Texas Tech. The SEC will carry 16 teams: Alabama, Auburn, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Texas A&M, Florida, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Florida State, Miami, and Georgia Tech. Already holding Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Purdue, Penn State, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and Iowa, the Big 10 will add Missouri, Pittsburgh, West Virginia, and Boise State. The fourth, shockingly, will be the Big East. In the mess they still lose Pittsburgh and West Virginia and remain the weakest of the four big conferences, but they will pull in enough help to remain relevant. Their membership will be comprised of Cincinnati, Connecticut, Louisville, Rutgers, South Florida, Syracuse, Virginia Tech, Virginia, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Maryland, Clemson, TCU, Baylor, Boston College, and... wait for it... Notre Dame.

This entire process is a mess and these are only my thoughts on paper but right now, the landscape is as muggy as it gets. This could all happen or none of it could happen. Only time will tell.

College Football is Back!

Seven months. Debacle after debacle. But finally, the wait is over. College football is back! In the offseason we saw the struggles of big-time programs such as Oregon and Ohio State, while LSU watched multiple players work their way into trouble with the law. And Miami, once widely considered a top football program in the country, finds itself facing what could turn into the death penalty. But none of that matters now because on Thursday teams put on pads and take the field for what is sure to be another year filled with on-field drama and excitement. Week one puts some interesting match-ups on the field. If you only have time to watch a few, here are my games to watch.
1. Akron @ #18 Ohio State - Saturday, noon Eastern Time
At first glance, this game looks like an easy win for Ohio State. But factor in natural first-game jitters to go along with the Buckeyes playing their first game without either Coach Jim Tressel or Quarterback Terrelle Pryor along with a multitude of other suspended players. Fortunately for them, they are scheduled against an Akron team that finished 1-11 last season. It will be important for Ohio State to move the ball early and often and boost their confidence. I predict a closer game than most would suggest, with Ohio State pulling away late.
Final Score: 31-10 Ohio State
2. #3 Oregon vs. #4 LSU- Saturday, 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, in Dallas, TX
The first prime time game of the year features the "We Got Busted Bowl". Oregon has to come out and prove that last year was not a fluke and put all the distractions of the offseason behind them. LaMichael James has to remind the world why he is a Heisman candidate, while Darron Thomas has to prove that his name should be on that short list as well. LSU has a bit of a different problem. With many of there players in trouble with the law, they will be quite short-handed. One can only imagine the nightmares Head Coach Les Miles will have Friday night. Even with his full roster, Oregon was going to be tough to beat. Now without Jordan Jefferson, the Tigers have to prepare Jarrett Lee for what will likely be the toughest game of his career. Unfortunately for the Tigers, Oregon will have too much star power. The Ducks will go up big, early and the game will be over by halftime.
Final Score: 51-17 Oregon
3. #5 Boise State @ #19 Georgia - Saturday, 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time
Finally Boise State has a real challenge on their schedule. I promise you that this will be the game on my TV when Saturday night rolls around. Kellen Moore has a lot to prove without big-time target Austin Pettis but there's a reason the Broncos are always competitive. Georgia has the advantage of being able to play with much less pressure knowing that they line up against a tough team every week. Boise knows that if they blow this one their season is over early. With that being said, Chris Peterson undoubtedly has his Bronco squad primed and ready for battle making this the best match-up this week. I predict this game to go down to the wire with the Broncos kicking a field goal as time expires to win this game and keep their BCS Buster hopes alive.
Final Score: 17-16 Boise State
These are only a few of the fantastic match-ups to open the season. But as we have seen in the past, any game can end up a good one and do not be surprised to see a good team fall early. My final word: Upset watch of the week: Notre Dame

4 Stories to Watch

With most teams floating around 30 games left in there season, many teams have seemingly locked up playoff spots. While few questions remain about who will be playing when October rolls around, there are many story lines to follow.
1. How much longer can the Brewers play at their current pace?
It is nearly impossible for any team to perform as the Colorado Rockies did in 2007, winning 14 of 15 games to make the playoffs before winning their next seven to earn a trip to the World Series. But in the month of August, the Milwaukee Brewers have been putting on their best Colorado impersonation, coming into today's action with a 19-5 record on the month. Right now, this team is showing no signs of slowing down either. The Brew Crew seems primed and ready for their first playoff appearance since 1982 as they have extended their division lead to 9.5 games over the Cardinals. With the pitching staff Milwaukee has assembled led by Yovani Gallardo, Zack Greinke, and Shaun Marcum, this team can hang with anybody. But the Brewers are powered by more than just their arms, they are powered with...power. Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun are both absolute superstars and Cory Hart, Rickie Weeks, and a finally performing Casey McGehee pack a lot of pop. Combined, the five have launched 101 home runs this season. And that is with McGehee hitting only 10 after hitting 23 a year ago. Watch for the Brewers to not only continue at their current pace, watch for the to be playing in a World Series for the first time in 29 years.
2. The battle for the NL West crown
It really is time people stop ripping on the National League West. The Arizona Diamondbacks have a 3 game lead over the defending champion San Francisco Giants but this season is far from over for either team. Do not be fooled, the Dbacks have absolutely turned things around from last season and they are for real, but if they want any chance to win the division they need to grow their lead now. San Francisco has one of the best rotations in the National League but their offense is seriously struggling and their bullpen is waring thin. All-Star Closer Brian Wilson is only one of four Giant relievers to be on the Disabled List but he is the biggest name. The Giants are in serious trouble, but this race is going to the wire.
3. Can the Indians fight their way back into a race with the Detroit Tigers
Cleveland made headlines for the first time since "The Decision" with the Indians hot start to the season. But since then, the Tigers have showed their dominance and hold a 6.5 game lead to show for it. The Indians have the pieces after their acquisitions of Ubaldo Jimenez and Jim Thome to go along with Justin Masterson, Josh Tomlin, Asdrubal Cabrera, and Carlos Santana. The Indians will cut the deficit but the Tigers should have just too much to be denied.
4. Can the Angels win the AL West
Simple answer: No. Real answer: Maybe. Although the Rangers are more talented, they have done absolutely nothing to distance themselves from the Angels. This season has been filled with Texas building a lead, and the Angels cutting into the lead. Of course one would expect the Rangers talent to win out and it very likely will but theres no telling what could happen in this one.
Clearly, the last month of the season provides some interesting story lines. Only time will tell just how all of these scenarios will play out. But here are my predictions for the way the season ends.
AL West: Rangers                                                   AL Central: Tigers
AL East: Red Sox                                                   AL Wild Card: Yankees
NL West: Giants                                                     NL Central: Brewers
NL East: Phillies                                                      NL Wild Card: Braves
ALCS: Red Sox over Yankees (6 games)   NLCS: Brewers over Phillies (7 games)
                                         World Series: Brewers over Red Sox (6 games)