The SEC Network: Another Feather In The Cap Of A Great Conference

I have written about the SEC a couple of times, especially them being arguably the best conference in all of college football. They now have a network of their own, which premiered on August 14, 2014.

Currently, the SEC network is showing classic games, highlights, and SEC Storied episodes. The special "The Stars Aligned" was really good. It gave people a birdeye's view about the day in the life of an SEC sports fan.

During the sporting season, certain games that will not air on ESPN or CBS will air on this network.

Now I am still a diehard Notre Dame fan in football and University of North Carolina fan in basketball. Nevertheless, I enjoy good sports, especially football. The SEC has that and then some.

And you gotta love that Rudy commercial advertising the NCAA's new four team playoff system.

They have featured many of the recent great Alabama and Auburn teams, including some specials on Bo Jackson. Former Florida quarterback Tim Tebow is now an analyst for the network. South Carolina has been shown some as well, given the splash they have made in the SEC in football and baseball the past few years.

The SEC network is available virtually everywhere, including DirecTV (channel 611), DISH, Charter and Time Warner Cable. It is definitely a big deal.

Enthusiasm is high right now for the southern football fan, and for sports fans in general. The SEC network is capturing this and proving why they have been competitive for so long.

Do you root for an SEC team? What do you think of this new network?

College Football Positioning in the BCS's final year

The college football season just got more exciting this past weekend.

Two time defending national champion Alabama appeared headed back to Atlanta and the SEC title game when Auburn spoiled that in the Iron Bowl with a stellar running game and returning a missed field goal 108 yards for a touchdown with one second left. Now Florida State and Ohio State appear headed to Pasadena for the national championship, should they win their conference championships.

FSU's biggest obstacle is not a resurgent Duke squad. It's the off field antics of QB Jameis Winston. Should he be convicted of rape, that could make a difference in the national championship.  Florida State has enough athletes to beat Duke, so you can almost lock them into Pasadena.

Ohio State is a another story, however. They have played in a weak Big Ten, and haven't exactly dominated.  They also face a tough Michigan State team. If they lose and Auburn wins, Auburn will be the #2 team. If both lose, Alabama could be back in the mix based on computer rankings. Remember in 2007 when LSU made it to #2 with two losses but had a tough schedule?

Now if Ohio State wins and Auburn wins, Auburn could still pass OSU based on the aforementioned stronger schedule and the SEC's reputation.

Basically if you're a Crimson Tide fan, you are rooting for both Ohio State and Auburn to lose, especially to help deal with that heartbreaking Iron Bowl loss.

Now far as the other BCS bowls, it appears Stanford and Michigan State will be headed to the Rose Bowl, while Oklahoma State, Northern Illinois, and Auburn/Alabama/Clemson will be representing their conferences.  Baylor could grab at least an at-large bid with a win against Texas. Outside of conference champions and #1 v #2, it's a bit of a crapshoot.

But FSU and OSU control their destiny by simply winning.  Auburn needs to win also, but worse than the two teams ahead of them.

It doesn't matter whether you're a fan of the BCS or not. This final weekend of college football before the bowls should be intriguing.  Hope you have your popcorn and drink ready.