SEC/Big 12 to Form New Bowl Game

Image from SEC Digital Network

The SEC and the Big 12 announced today the formation of a new bowl game, beginning with the 2014 season, that will pit the champions of the two conferences against each other. That is, if neither champion isn't in the new "playoff" that is currently being ironed out. If either is, then the bowl game will pick the next highest team from that conference.The site of this game has not been determined yet but you have to imagine that it will either be New Orleans, Dallas, or Atlanta.

So what does this mean for college football? It means that the Big East, ACC, and every mid-major are even more screwed than before. When television networks start throwing money around again, their order of interest will be 1) Playoff 2) Rose Bowl/SEC-B12 Bowl 3) Everyone else. If you aren't in those four conferences, your slice of the pie just got much smaller. Make your own conclusions but talks of Florida State or any other school jumping ship just got a lot more serious. If I'm any of those schools, I am on the phone right now with the Big 12 begging to let me in. If you thought conference realignment was over, think again. It is just beginning.

Should Big 12 Really Swing for the Fences?

Image from Twitter - @cuppycup

A few days ago, Bill Connelly posted an article suggesting that the Big 12 should "swing for the fences" and invite 6 new schools. Yeah, that's right. Half a dozen. CUSA expansion numbers. The schools he suggested the Big 12 publicly invite were Florida State, Miami, Clemson, Louisville, BYU, and Notre Dame. While this is obviously just speculation on his part, I suppose the idea is worth entertaining.

With the unbelievable speed that the realignment telephone game picked up on FSU's supposed displeasure with the new ACC television deal, they appear to be at least entertaining the idea of Big 12 glory. Will they be this year's A&M and knock the dominoes down? Your guess is as good as any. Would they make a good fit for the Big 12? It would certainly be intriguing and they would the talent-rich recruiting ground to match the SEC.

The same could be said for Miami and Clemson. Sure, they bring some new regions to the conference but not sure how Clemson/Iowa State games would really go over with fans. Louisville, on the other hand, has been talked about for sometime as a potential target for the Big 12. They bring the previous rivalry with West Virginia, a sizable market, and a top-tier basketball program. Looks like Clemson may be the second team, should the Big 12 only expand by 2.

That leaves the two independents, BYU and Notre Dame. Both would be huge prizes for any conference and they have already shown that they are immune to any type of geographical restraint. Would they be good fits for the Big 12? Absolutely. Will they actually end up there? Probably not both. They have too much pride to be in the same conference. They each think they are the better version of the other.

The major problem with any of this expansion talk is really how Texas feels about it. Would they be willing to bring in potentially huge schools like Notre Dame or FSU? Perhaps. It would certainly seem to go against their previous stance on expansion though.

While Connelly himself says that "the odds of this move succeeding would be minimal," it is still an interesting idea. So if the Big 12 really did swing for the fences, would they really hit it out of the park? Odds are they would swing and miss.

The Next Jeremy Lin

Don't get me wrong, it was a very nice story. I was caught up in the mystique just like everyone else with a television and a desire to pay attention to the NBA for the first time in 15 years. But the dream is over. It is impossible for Jeremy Lin to live up to the expectations that fans have created for him. While he may be a serviceable starter for a couple more years and still have a very strong following, he's not the second coming of Pistol Pete or Stockton or even Steve Nash. With that being said, it is now time to find THE NEXT JEREMY LIN! We all got a little caught up in the Linsanity but let's start being a little more realistic and focus our attentions on...

MOHAMMAD EL AKKARI

Who?! He plays in Lebanon. He had been averaging 7.6 points/game this season. And then on Tuesday, HE SCORED 113 POINTS. That's right, 113 points. HE MADE 32 3-POINTERS! Forget Jeremy Lin, these are Kim Jong-il type stats. CAN WE PLEASE GET THIS GUY ON A PLANE TO AMERICA?! Don't even try to tell me he couldn't start for the Bobcats in their next game.