big ten 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.

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.

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.