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Conference expansion: What is next for the ACC and SEC

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We are back sports nuts. I've been neck-deep covering high school sports for the past year, and it is high time I get back to the blog. You thought it was over, but college football expansion is still the hot topic . The Big 12 is set to add TCU and West Virginia; The ACC is adding Pittsburgh and Syracuse (great moves for basketball); Conference USA is adding five schools ; and  the SEC is adding Texas A&M and Missouri. But a new rumor is spreading that the Big 12 is looking to get back to its namesake and field 12 schools. It seems the big name is Florida State, with the other school ranging anywhere from Clemson, Cincinnati and Louisville. Believe what you will with this, but I think this has a strong possibility . Geography doesn't matter, with West Virginia joining, and how knows, maybe the Big 12 wants to set up in the Sunbelt of the United States, and adding FSU and, let's say, Clemson would expand the conference's TV revenue. Of course, if tha...

The ACC should reshuffle conference with Pitt, Syracuse addition

It was recently announced that the Atlantic Coast Conference has added Pittsburgh and Syracuse . The ACC has also expressed interest in Connecticut and Rutgers. That move would make the ACC the first to go to a 16-team super conference. Personally, I like this move by the ACC. It is no secret money is the big reason behind conference expansion, most notably, acquiring new television markets. This move moves the ACC into Pitt, a good sized market, and into upstate New York, truly making it the Atlantic Coast Conference (Florida to Massachusetts). Now, the ACC cane make its conferences actually make since. Ditch the "Atlantic" and "Coastal" division and make this conference make sense. Instead, make it the ACC-NORTH and ACC-SOUTH. In the South, put Miami, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Clemson, North Carolina, NC State and Duke. For the North, put Wake Forest, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Maryland, Pitt, Syracuse and Boston College. Of course if they end up ad...

2011 NFL predictions

The lockout is over, we got the preseason out of the way, and Thursday starts off the much-anticipated NFL season. It is easy to pick the Packers to repeat with Aaron Rodgers, but who is going to win the divisions this year. AFC East 1-New England Patriots 2- New York Jets (wildcard) 3- Buffalo Bills 4-Miami Dolphins North 1- Baltimore Ravens 2- Pittsburgh Steelers (wildcard) 3- Cleveland Browns 4-Cincinatti Bengals South 1- Houston Texans 2- Indianapolis Colts 3- Jacksonville Jaguars 4- Tennessee Titans West 1- San Diego Chargers 2- Kansas City Chiefs 3- Oakland Raiders 4- Denver Broncos NFC East 1- Philadelphia Eagles 2- Dallas Cowboys 3- New York Giants 4- Washington Redskins North 1- Green Bay Packers 2- Detroit Lions 3- Chicago Bears 4- Minnesota Vikings South 1- Atlanta Falcons 2-New Orleans Saints (wildcard) 3- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (wildcard) 4- Carolina Panthers West 1- St. Louis Rams 2- Arizona Cardinals 3- Seattle Seahawks 4-...

2011 Football Week 1 Predictions

No eloquent openings, no whitty quips, I'm just gonna dive right in. Since I'm still working on a method to breakdown big games, I'll just give my picks of the SEC, ACC, Top 25 selections, and D1AA teams in South Carolina Remember to keep your tally and play along. Next week will be much more in-depth. Clemson over Troy South Carolina over E. Carolina Miss. State over Memphis Kentucky over W. Kentucky Auburn over Utah State Alabama over Kent State BYU over Ole Miss. Tenn. over Montana Arkansas over Mizzou. State Florida over FAU Vanderbilt over Elon Oregon over LSU Boise St. over Georgia Georgia Tech over W. Carolina Syracuse over Wake Forest Northwestern over BC Virginia Tech over App. State FSU over UL-Monroe UNC over James Madison Virginia over William and Mary NC St. over Liberty Duke over Richmond Maryland over Miami (FL) Wofford over Presbyterian Coastal Carolina over Furman UCF over Charleston Sou. Citadel over Jacksonville

If Texas A&M joins the SEC, who will follow?

It has been reported in the last few days by AggieYell.com , along with multiple sites, that the Aggies will leave the Big 12 (10) after the 2011 season and join the SEC in the 2012 season. This deal still has a long way to go , because it has to pass the Texas legislature and the Texas A&M board of regents . The legislature which is a muddled mess where football and politics are blended together (I guess the saying is true...football is a close second to God in Texas). Also, SEC presidents have to agree for this to happen. It is also rumored that A&M would have to pay back 80 percent of the past two years revenue to the Big 12. Safe to say they would make that back pretty quickly with the SEC's revenue-sharing system. All-in-all, a good move for both sides : The Aggies get out of a conference dominated and ran by big brother Texas, and the SEC moves into the Texas TV market. And both sides will get the cash rewards. But if the Aggies move goes through, an...

Pre Season ALL ACC selections and predictions

The ACC just hasn't had it. The after thought of expansion was the ACC was going to match with the SEC. But that hasn't happened. No national titles, only Virginia Tech has been what was expected with Miami falling off, and Boston College also fell down. But this year could mean the rebirth of an old power: Florida State. Atlantic 1-Florida State (10-2, 7-1) 2-NC State (9-2, 6-2) 3-Clemson (8-4, 5-3) 4-Boston College (6-6, 3-5) 5-Maryland (3-9, 1-7) 6-Wake Forest (2-10, 0-8) Coastal 1-Miami (10-2, 6-2) 2-North Carolina (9-3, 4-4) 3-Virginia Tech (8-4, 4-4) 4-Georgia Tech (6-6, 3-5) 5-Duke (4-8, 2-6) 6-Virginia (4-8, 1-7) FIRST TEAM Offense QB-E.J. Manuel (Florida State) RB-Andre Ellington (Clemson) RB-Montel Harris (Boston College) WR-Laron Byrd (Miami) WR-Donovan Varner (Duke) WR-Stephen Hill (Georgia Tech) TE-Dwayne Allen (Clemson) OL-Zebrie Sanders (Florida State) OL-Blake DeChrisopher (Virginia Tech) OL-Antoine McClain (Clemson) OL-Brandon Washington (Miami) OL-Seantrel Hen...

Pre-Season All SEC selection and preseason picks

It is the dead period known as July. Right around the corner are Media Days, then we are slap in the middle of fall practice. But the fun things now are making predictions of who will be make 1st Team all conference, and who is going to win conferences. So I won't dilly-dally. Here is the Lake Report's Third Annual ALL-SEC 1st and 2nd Teams and projected divisional outlook. EAST 1-South Carolina (11-1, 7-1) 2-Florida (9-3, 5-3) 3-Georgia (8-4, 5-3) 4-Tennessee (7-5, 3-5) 5-Kentucky (6-6, 2-6) 6-Vanderbilt (3-9, 1-7) WEST 1-Alabama (11-1, 7-1) 2-Arkansas (9-3, 6-2) 3-LSU (9-3, 5-3) 4-Mississippi State (7-5, 3-5) 5-Auburn (4-8, 1-7) 6-Ole Miss (3-9, 0-8) FIRST TEAM Offense QB-Tyler Wilson (Arkansas) RB-Marcus Lattimore (South Carolina) RB-Trent Richardson (Alabama) WR-Alshon Jeffrey (South Carolina) WR-Da'Rick Rodgers (Tennessee) WR-Greg Childs (Arkansas) TE-Orson Charles (Georgia) OL-Barrett Jones (Alabama) OL-Josh Dworaczyk (LSU) OL-Cordy Glenn (Georgia) OL-D.J. Fluker (Ala...