Look Ahead: Big 12

11. August 2009  - Published by Rick Broering

As we continue our series previewing the college football conferences here on GetSportsInfo, it's time to take a look at the star-studded Big 12. 

Favorite: Oklahoma

A lot of people are ready to write Oklahoma off after losing five bowl games in six years, including three National Championships, but if you look at the Sooners there's no reason to dismiss them so quickly. Sam Bradford deciding to come back and compete for a National Championship instead of cashing his check from the Jets makes the Sooners one of the top teams in the nation instantly. Bradford is a special player and the offense shouldn't lose anything coming off a year in which they averaged 51 points per contest. They have a backfield that could be the best in the nation with a 1-2 rushing punch of DeMarco Murray and Chris Brown and the coaches are high on the offensive line despite having to replace four of the five positions.  

On defense is where Oklahoma could really see improvements however. Last year the offense came up short in some offensive shootouts because the defense couldn't stop anybody, but this year the Sooners could actually hold teams in check. The defensive line boasts quite possibly the most dominant front seven in college football. They could quite possibly have six legitimate draft picks on the front line alone. Couple that with Ryan Reynolds, Keenan Clayton and Travis Lewis at the linebacker positions and no one is going to have succcess running the football. The secondary will not be near as talented as the front seven, but they should be better than last year and not near as much of a weakness especially with the pressure being provided up front. 

Sleeper: Missouri

Everyone is expecting Missouri to slip back into mediocrity, and with good reason after losing players such as Chase Daniel, Chase Coffman, Jeff Wolfert, Jeremy Maclin, Stryker Sulak, Ziggy Hood, William Moore, Brock Christopher, and Tommy Saunders. However, the future is not as grim as many believe. Head Coach Gary Pinkel and his staff have done an unbelievable job when it comes to recruiting. They haven't let a single big recruit slip out of Missouri and have even been able to steal some top talents out of places like Texas and other locations with big name programs to actually upgrade the talent of the team. They will be young and will have a lot of potential that has to be realized before success will come, but this team has maybe as much talent as any in the conference.  New starting quarterback Blaine Gabbert will have to replace legend Chase Daniel, but he will actually allow the offense to do things that they couldn't with Daniel. He has more upside than Daniel did and with that flexibility he provides them it's not out of the question to say he could have Tigers fans forgetting about their beloved Daniel. 

Overrated: Texas

Now before everyone gets all pissed off about that, know that I'm not saying Texas won't be good and win a lot of games... Because they are and they will. However, when anything less than winning a Big 12 title and ending up in Pasadena in early January is acceptable there is a big chance that this team is overrated and won't achieve those standards. Oklahoma is better, Oklahoma State has the potential and maturity to pull an upset, unlike last year, and going to Missouri could be a letdown game for the Longhorns if the Red River rivalry doesn't go in their favor. 

Final Take: 

The Big 12 is not as good as the SEC is top to bottom, but it is a heck of a lot more fun to watch. With stars on every roster in this conference, Saturdays should consist of bigtime offensive shootouts on a regular basis. The Big 12 could boast seven of the top ten draft choices in next year's NFL draft.

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Best Colllege Basketball Rivalries

11. February 2009  - Published by Dan Clasgens

It's Rivalry Week on ESPN.com, which leads us to which are the best rivalries in college hoops...

   1. Duke vs North Carolina - Always a classic and one of the best things about college basketball.

   2. Kentucky vs Louisville - The battle of Kentucky between a couple of basketball schools.

   3. Kansas vs Missouri - Kansas always seems to have a stacked team, but rivalries seem to see alot of upsets.

   4. Texas vs Texas A&M - A huge state known for its football doesn’t damper this heated college basketball rivalry. Look for both of these teams to do well the next few seasons.

   5. Duke vs Maryland - The ACC is full of fast paced, quick scoring teams. The Duke and Maryland rivalry has really been turned up the last couple of years.

   6. Indiana vs Purdue - A Classic Big Ten conference match up.

   7. Cincinnati vs Xavier - Its gotta be a rivalry when the schools are 10 minutes apart.

   8. Florida vs Kentucky - Kentucky has been the better team the last few decades, now its Florida’s time to rule.

   9. Arizona vs UCLA - Two big Pac 10 powerhouses who are historically successful.

  10. Michigan vs Michigan State - Even a better college football rivalry, this rivalry has moved down the list a bit due to a few poor seasons.

*from Campus Grotto

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College Bowl Game Pick 'Em Breakdown

16. December 2008  - Published by Chris Murdico

The bowl games finally start this weekend. Fellow GetSportsInfo.com writer, Jeremy Fischer, and myself have put together our picks including how confident we are in them. In case you've never done a pick 'em game like this before, here's how it works. In addition to picking who you think will win the game, you assign a number to that pick as to how confident you think that pick is going to be right. There are 34 bowl games this year (way too many in most people's opinion, but that's beside the point), so the max number of confidence points you can give to one game is, yep, you guessed it, 34. The game you are least confident in you assign one point too, and fill in everything in between.

A lot of office pools are done like this and make it much more challenging than simply picking a winner for each game. As J-Fish states when it comes to doing a pick 'em game like this, "I have seen many strategies and I prefer the one that calls for using the higher confidence points on the bigger BCS games." He goes on to give his reasons as to why.

"Right or wrong, the larger conference teams get more coverage. The more information that is out there, the better informed pick you can make. The more informed you are, the more confident you'll be about a particular selection." Makes sense right? So picking the BCS bowl games really isn't as difficult as picking some of the more obscure games like the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl between Southern Mississippi and Troy that provide more difficulty in not only picking who will win, but deciding how confident you are in that pick.

J-Fish goes on to say, "Unless you fancy yourself as the next Jimmy the Greek, don't over analyze. The amount of games will definitely lead to paralysis-by-analysis." In my opinion, when it comes to picking some of the lower level bowl games, its almost more of a gut feeling when making that selection than anything else.

With all that said, let's get to the picks. What you'll find below is the bowl schedule starting with the first game on the docket all the way to the National Championship game on January 8th. With each pick you'll see both J-Fish's pick as well as my own with a little bit of analysis and how many confidence points (#) we have assigned to the pick we've made. Let's get to it with a look at the BCS games.

January 1st
ROSE - Penn State vs. USC
JFISH: USC (34) - Too much defense.
DICO: USC (32) - Too much USC! PSU hasn't seen anything like the Trojans this year. Ask OSU how things worked out for them. Plus this is a "home game" for the Trojans.

FEDEX ORANGE - Cincinnati vs. Virginia Tech
JFISH: Cincinnati (22) - 1st BCS bowl berth will drive the Bearcats.
DICO: Cincinnati (10) - Special teams could be the difference in this game. Mardy Gilyard for the Bearcats is one of the best in the country in the return game. A chance to finish the season in the Top 10 will push the Bearcats to a win.

January 2nd
ALLSTATE SUGAR - Utah vs. Alabama
JFISH: Alabama (32) - Utah hasn't faced a defense like this.
DICO: Alabama (33) - See JFISH's comments...the Utes will have a hard time stopping the 'Bama offense as well.

January 5th
TOSTITOS FIESTA - Ohio State vs. Texas
JFISH: Texas (33) - Too much speed on defense, and the Horns will be playing angry because of the whole BIG XII, BCS screw job.
DICO: Texas (31) - QB Colt McCoy will be too much even for a good Buckeyes' defense. Terrelle Pryor will see what team speed on defense is all about against the Longhorns.

January 8th
FEDEX BCS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP - Florida vs. Oklahoma
JFISH: Florida (26) - Tebow/Harvin will find a way.
DICO: Oklahoma (22) - Bradford leads the most potent offense in the country. Even with the loss of DeMarco Murray at RB, the Sooners won't miss a beat. Expect a high scoring affair.

COMPLETE PICKS (ALL 34 GAMES) 

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X-Report: Muskies Off To 5-0 Start

24. November 2008  - Published by Greg Shoemaker

The Xavier Musketeers have gotten off to a not so pretty but very impressive 5-0.  It’s not even December and XU can boast of wins over the Big12’s Missouri, the ACC’s Virginia Tech and #12 Memphis.  They are building a fine resume for the post-season. It is a pleasant surprise to see them winning with such holes to offensively.
 
The Musketeers are gutsy, they know how to win and their defense fuels their tenacity.  That is a testament to the leadership of their five returning lettermen.  The ingredients are their for mixing up another special season. There are still many question marks so lets take a look at the good and bad that we have seen from this cast of players so far.

CJ Anderson – Heart and soul of this team and will not be denied.  Must keep his cool and stay in close games because that is where the team needs him the most.

BJ Raymond – Musketeers can’t rely on him to bail them out every time they get behind because he is just too streaky a shooter.  They showed they have overcome that hurdle in the Puerto Rico Tip-Off as Raymond was just 3-15 from behind the arc.

Derrick Brown – Slowed by a sprained ankle he relied way to heavily on his jump shot in Peurto Rico.  If Holloway learns to throw him the alley-oop pass he will be back to his old ways.

Jason Love – Just a solid player.  He looks like one of the most improved players AGAIN on this roster.  Is showing that he is capable of hitting FT’s in the clutch.

Dante Jackson – The sophomore is still raw offensively.  Has great enthusiasm and brings it on defense.

Jamel MacLean – Great energy off the bench can score down low.  He will lose minutes if he can’t shoot free throws late in the game. 

Kenny Frease – His shots were not falling in P.R.  but clearly has shown the tools to be one of the greats at the school.

Terrell Holloway – The point guard grew up in a hurry and did it under big time pressure with two 10-10 games at the foul line against Missouri & Memphis – what moxy.  It remains to be seen whether he can take the rigors of a full college season while running the show.

Brad Redford - a bit on the smallish side to earn extended minutes at this point.  He is a real shooting specialist and should slide right into that role with ease as the year wears on.

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College Fish Wrap: Week 5

30. September 2008  - Published by Jeremy Fischer

I will be avoiding College Gameday this week like the plague.  I don't want to get caught in another (what I'm now calling) "Herbie Goes Bananas" situation.  In last week's Wrap, I noted that Herbstreit had said that "the only thing that can beat USC, is USC", and for the first time in four years I actually agreed with Herbie.

No more.  No sooner than I agree with Herbstreit does USC goes out and get beat by Oregon State.  Or by themselves, should I say.  That wasn't the only surprise last Saturday either, as we got the first major shakeup in the Power Rankings.

1. Oklahoma:  I have noted several times in this column that I am a proud Texas graduate.  Since Week 1, I have said how much it has pained me to say that the Sooners were the legitimate No. 2 team in the nation.  So you can imagine how placing them at No. 1 in the nation is especially painful.

2. Missouri:  DNP.  We're about to find out how good these guys are.  Nebraska, Oklahoma State and Texas all in a row, starting this weekend.

3. Alabama:  I said two weeks ago that the SEC needed to watch out for the Crimson Tide because Saban's boys were coming, and coming hard.  I should have said coming fast.  That beat-down of the 'Dawgs was very, very impressive.

4. LSU: The Tigers playing Florida and Georgia in two of the next three weeks looked a lot more impressive before last Saturday.  Now November the 8th needs to be circled on your calendars.  The Tigers and the Crimson Tide should be a barnburner.

5. Texas:  My beloved Longhorns are quietly lurking in the shadows.  If the 'Horns get by Colorado this Saturday, then you have a Top 5 Red River Rivalry with Boomer Sooner in two weeks.  Texas, Texas, Yeee-haw!

6. Penn State: Call me officially intrigued.  Another nice game against a ranked Illinois team.  Then take into account that the Nittany Lions rolled up 45pts. on an Oregon State team that just beat USC, and I'm starting to believe that Penn State might have enough to get the Big Ten crown this year.

7. BYU:  DNP.  Let's be honest here.  You need to start paying attention to the Cougars.  They will be your BCS Buster for 2008.  So  you may now start asking yourselves which major conference team will get the shaft.

8. USC:  The 'Men of Troy' looked more like the Trojan Women, especially when it came to stopping Oregon State RB Jacques Reeves.  But I still think that USC will be rearing it's mohawked helmet near the top of the rankings again by year's end.

9. Georgia:  Most have the 'Dawgs right at No. 10 or lower.  But I believe this butt-whupping was a huge wake-up call.  They just have too much talent to go into the tank now.

10. South Florida:  Talk about a team that went under the radar for the first month of the season.  An unblemished record, a quality win against Kansas and three of the first five on the road.  Nice work.

DORM NOTES

--You might notice that all major rankings have Texas Tech in the Top 10, yet the Wrap does not.  Sorry, but I can't take any Mike Leach coached team seriously when the first four games on the schedule are Eastern Washington, Nevada, SMU and UMass.  Seriously?  This is college football, not college basketball Mike.

--What a disappointing turn-of-events for ECU.  Another unexpected loss this past weekend, and now, after a promising start, they're out of the Top 25.

--Anybody seen the conference formerly known as the Pac 10?

--It's good to see that Bobby Petrino didn't let that brief stint in the NFL change him.  His teams still can't play any defense.  In their only two games against quality opponents (Alabama and Texas), they allowed 49pts and 52pts respectively.

--Lastly, a special salute to Oregon State RB Jacques Reeves for his performance against the Trojans.  For those who aren't in the know, Reeves is a supremely talented kid out of Houston, Texas (my hometown).  Although he put up mind-boggling stats in high school, he was never recruited by any of the big boys.  That was an especially hard pill to swallow when he  was told by all the in-state schools that his services weren't needed.  Why, you might ask, wasn't he recruited?  Hidden medical condition?  Off field shenanigans?  Nope.  He committed the incredibly horrendous offense of being short.  No one wanted him because Jacques Reeves is only 5'6" tall.  Or small, I should say.  I'm guessing that after his 189-yard, 2 TD performance against USC, some of those coaches are now kicking themselves (preferably in the groin). As NBA superstar, LeBron James, said when asked recently about Davidson guard Stephen Curry's stature, "if you can play, you can play."  Jacques Reeves can play.

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All Kinds Of Upset

27. September 2008  - Published by Chris Murdico

It was a weekend (plus Thursday) of upsets in college football. In one weekend a handful of possible national title contenders (USC, Wisconsin, Florida) saw their hopes (possibly) crushed. A Cinderella story (East Carolina) went back to just that, a fairy tale, but this one is without a happy ending. Teams that were on the rise (Wake Forest and Clemson) were slapped back down. A team on the cusp of the top 25 was "upset" at home as well when Miami (FL) lost to North Carolina. College football is a crazy game and with the BCS still structured the way it is, one loss can kill a season, which makes every game matter during the season. A lot of teams found that out the hard way this weekend.

UPSET SPECIALS

Oregon State def. No. 1 USC 27-21
Sanchez throws a costly interception at the Beavers' 30 yard line with less than three minutes left. Jacquizz Rodgers runs all over the Trojans for 186 yards and two scores. Result is a loss for the number one team in the country.

Ole Miss def. No. 4 Florida 31-30
Blocked extra point and a big stop of Tim Tebow by the Ole Miss defense on a 4th and one helped them pull out the victory.

Michigan def. No. 9 Wisconsin 27-25
Wisconsin jumped out ahead of the Wolverines, but Michigan scratched and clawed their way back. A big illegal procedure penalty on a successful two point conversion by the Badgers kept them from tying the game and taking it to overtime.

Navy def. No. 16 Wake Forest 24-17
The Demon Deacons were a team on the rise, starting the season unranked. They'll still compete for the ACC title, but any hopes of a BCS bowl game may be lost now.

Maryland def. No. 20 Clemson 20-17
The Terps went into the half down 17-6 and with just 99 yards of offense. The second half was a different story as they outscored the Tigers 14-0 and put up over 200 yards of offense. Maryland is a team on the rise and will likely be in the top 25 when the new rankings are released. The Tigers, on the other hand, could be out after being ranked in the top 10 at the beginning of the season and now having suffered their second loss of the season.

Houston def. No. 23 East Carolina 41-24
The Cinderella season for ECU may have come to an end last week with the loss to NC State. This week, it just came crushing down on them. From BCS buster to busted, the Pirates will be out of the top 25 after this weekend, and will likely not make it back in this season.

There is also an "upset" in the making taking place as I write this as Alabama is crushing Georgia 31-0 at halftime. I expected that to be one of the best games of the weekend and other than the UC game this afternoon, this was the game I was looking forward to watching the most today. Fortunately there is a good game taking place right now as Penn State is leading Illinois 21-14 just before halftime.

Top 5 going into this week
1. USC
2. Oklahoma
3. Georgia
4. Florida
5. LSU

Top 5 after this week (in my opinion)
1. Oklahoma
2. Alabama (assuming they hold on to win vs. Georgia)
3. LSU (assuming they hold on and beat Miss. St.)
4. Missouri
5. Texas

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College Fish Wrap: Week 4

23. September 2008  - Published by Jeremy Fischer

We finally have some rivalry games played (Tennessee/Florida), and there will be more to come as the season kicks into high gear.   Let the National Championship shape begin!

POWER RANKINGS
1.  USC:  DNP.  It's no wonder the Trojans start off every season so strong.  They begin each year with play a cupcake, get a week off, play a tough opponent, get a week off.  Who else in the nation gets 2 bye weeks in the first month?

2.  Oklahoma: DNP

3.  Missouri:  The Tigers destroyed Buffalo.  Ho-hum.  Now the good stuff begins.  They have Nebraska, Oklahoma State and Texas in the next 3 weeks, with 2 of those games on the road.

4. Georgia:  Good game against a tough opponent in Arizona State.  But this week they have the game of the week.  The Dawgs and the Crimson Tide are must see TV ( to "borrow" a phrase from NBC, assuming they don't sue me for intellectual property).

5. Florida:  They own Tennessee.  Period.  End of story.

6. Texas:  A drubbing of Rice doesn't impress much.  But seeing how the secondary handles Petrino's Arkansas team next week should prove interesting.

7. Alabama:  This is a crucial week for the Tide.  Can they run with the big "dawgs", or will they have to get off the porch?

8. LSU: I know this is a big drop, considering they beat Auburn, as I expected.  However, I didn't expect the Tigers to have such sketchy quarterback play.  I think Jarrett Lee might have put that to rest in the seond half, but I'm not confident.

9. Wisconsin:  A tough win over #21 Fresno State was impressive; however, I can't put them up too far in the rankings just yet.  Why?  Because they have #14 Ohio State, #12 Penn State and #22 Illinois in the next five weeks.  We'll see how real this team is as they progress through that gauntlet.

10. BYU:  These guys will be your BCS Busters this year.  They are just pounding teams mercilessly.  Another drubbing this week, as they posted a 44-0 destruction over Wyoming.  They have #24 TCU in three weeks.  If they get by that, it should be clear sailing until the final game of the season on November 22nd when they face #17 Utah for all the marbles.


DORM NOTES
--Mississippi State is the most unbalanced team I have ever seen.  They have an unbelievable defense, and an inept offense.  They also managed the worst punt snap I've ever seen in my life.  Go to youtube and see if you can find it.  Hilarious.

--Penn State has put up 45pts. or more in all four of their games.  They have gone to the spread offense.  JoePa seems to have gotten with the times.  And they have Illinois this weekend.  Very interesting, under-the-radar matchup going on.

--Florida vs. Tennessee isn't a rivalry anymore.  Not until UT figures out how to become competitive.

--Florida State's defacto decision to have offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher take over whenever Bobby Bowden retires is looking to be a terrible decision.  Shouldn't he have been able to recruit a decent quarterback by now?  The Seminole QB's have been terrrible for about five years running now.

--Did I mention that you should watch Alabama v. Georgia this weekend?  I know that I'll be watching.

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College Fish Wrap: Power Rankings Week 2

10. September 2008  - Published by Jeremy Fischer

Let's get right to it, before Hurricane Ike forces me to reschedule this column. 

1. USC:  Didn't play last week, but will prove their dominance this week vs. the Buckeyes

2. Oklahoma:  Rolled up 5 TD passes on a good Cincinnati secondary.  Then broke UC quarterback Dustin Grutza's leg for good measure.

3. Georgia:  Expectedly beat up on Central Michigan.  More importantly, didn't have any significant injuries.

4. Florida:  Miami win moves them up one notch.

5. Ohio State:  O-line doesn't dominate anyone.  That will get them killed against USC Saturday night.

6. Missouri:  Southeast Missouri State was nothing more than a break after having tough Week 1 tilt vs. ranked Illinois team

7. LSU:  Didn't play.

8. Texas:  Good road start to the season against UTEP.  Horns will get unexpected off week this week as game with Arkansas has been rescheduled due to Ike.

9. Alabama:  SEC take note.  Crimson Tide's defense is back, and very good.  10pts. allowed to Clemson, only 6pts to Tulane, and they don't have to run the gauntlet like a Georgia does.

10: Wisconsin:  The Wisconsin Winnebago, P.J. Hill, might be the best runner you never hear about.

BCS Busters:  East Carolina (another huge win vs. West Virginia), BYU

Dorm Room Notes

West Virginia:  Rich Rod leaves for the maize and blue, and the Mountaineers still manage to lose a game per year they have no business losing. 

SEC:  Two weeks in, they are still the best conference in the land.

East Carolina:  These guys are for real.  I guess when Lou Holtz said his son Skip was the best coach in the Holtz family, he wasn't joking.

Cincinnati:  The injury to Dustin Grutza was truly grusome looking.  Best wishes for a speedy recovery.

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College Fish Wrap: Power Rankings Week 1

2. September 2008  - Published by Jeremy Fischer

I'm back, baby!  That's right.  This is your buddy, JFish, back for another season of college football.  However, I'll be in a bit different capacity this season.  Some of you may know that I host the wildly popular (or so I like to think) show, Fantasy Fastball, on GetSports Radio.  Due to the fact that the Fastball show will be popping in from time-to-time throughout baseball's offseason, making it a year-round commitment, and some other writing commitments I have, I'm leaving the in-depth college writing to newbie, Scott Heckle, and others.

I'll be popping in once a week to deliver my personal Top 10 rankings (let's face it, if you're not in the Top 10 in the Bowl Crap System, you don't have a chance), and I'll also be reviving a segment from a show I used to host in the early days of GetSports Radio (College Football Weekly) called Dorm Room Notes.  As always, no wagering.  Enjoy.

Top 10 Power Rankings

1. USC: Sanchez's knee is fine.  They rolled a very good defensive team in Virginia in their house. 

2. Oklahoma:  It was just Chattanooga, I know.  But they have the best offensive and defensive line in college football.  That will carry them through.  As a Texas graduate, that hurt to write.

3. Georgia:  Anymore injuries and these guys are toast.  Look for them to fall as their brutal schedule kicks in.

4. Ohio State:  With or without Beanie, they won't beat USC. 

5. Missouri:  Hanging 52 on Ron Zook's boys is no small feat.  Giving up 42 worries me though.

6. Florida:  Looked very good without Percy Harvin.  Should be an interesting game this Saturday with in-state rivals, The "U".

7. LSU:  Crowd didn't have the typical rowdiness, due to the early start time because of The German Hurricane.  But the defending champs looked as rowdy as ever on the field.

8. West Virginia:  Still have a big question about their defense.  We all know they can score.  They will get a great test Saturday vs. potential BCS buster East Carolina.

9. Alabama:  That dominant display against a good Clemson team was impressive.  We'll see if they can keep it up when SEC games begin.

10. Texas:  Colt McCoy accomplished something only one other QB at Texas has accomplished:  Passing for 200 yards, Running for 100 yards in multiple games.  The other QB?  "He who walks on water"; Vince Young.  Horns should be undefeated until the Oklahoma game, as usual.  Then all bets are off.

Dorm Room Notes

Congrats to ECU for outbeamering, beamer-ball

Clemson still can't win when it matters. 

Pittsburgh continues to underwhelm, no matter how much preseason hype they get.

Auburn's offense still stinks, which is why they are not in my Top 10

Top 4 Potential BCS Busters:  BYU, Utah, Fresno State, East Carolina

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College Hoops' Top Rivalries

8. March 2008  - Published by Dan Clasgens

In honor of this weekend's Duke and North Carolina showdown let's take a look at college basketball's top rivalries:

1. NORTH CAROLINA/DUKE
No other rivalry on the list year in year out has so much on the line. More often than not the team that takes the season advantage gets consideration for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament.

2. KENTUCKY/LOUISVILLE
Basketball is king in the Commonwealth and you are not allowed to root for both teams. There are still some Kentucky fans that hope Rick Pitino burns in hell for taking a job with rival Louisville.

3. KANSAS/MISSOURI
There are more people in Missouri that hate Kansas than there are the Cubs, Broncos, and Raiders combined.

4. INDIANA/PURDUE
It's not quite the same without Bob Knight and Gene Keady on the sidelines, but no there is no state where basketball is taken as seriously as it is in the Hoosier state.

5. CINCINNATI/XAVIER
These schools are 10 minutes apart and you can throw out the records when they meet up as no matter what the scenario this annual match-up generally goes down to the wire.

6. ARIZONA/UCLA
The Pac-10 offers some good candidates for the list, but no two teams have enjoyed the long-term success that the Bruins and Wildcats have managed, making their rivalry even more special.

7. THE BIG FIVE (La Salle, Pennsylvania, St. Joseph's, Temple, and Villanova)
While this unique pentagonal rivalry does not have the same national impact as the previous four, the history and intensity matches it without question. St. Joe's, Temple, and Villanova have all had their moments on the national stage in the last 20 years.

8. UCONN/TENNESSEE (Women's)
The fact that I even included a Women's College Basketball rivalry on the list speaks magnitudes for how special of run that these two schools have enjoyed and how much they typically stand in each other's way to a title.

9. TEXAS/TEXAS A&M
Texas is known for its football, but don't tell these two schools. It almost looks like a football game when the Longhorns tangle with the Aggies on the hardwood as the game always promises to be physical.

10. PENN/PRINCETON
Ivy League basketball is often overlooked, but these two teams never should be. There games are always nail-biters and it seems like every year which ever school prevails ends up a Cinderella candidate once the Dance begins.

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