By Cabrone D. Brewer

It was a weekend of welcoming conference newbies around the college football world, but for No.8 Nebraska it was a total Big Ten debut disaster.

Facing No. 7 Wisconsin in a much-anticipated conference showdown at Camp Randall Stadium, Nebraska proved they still have a lot to learn about their new rivals by succumbing to a 48-17 thumping in Madison.

Nebraska quarterback Taylor Martinez threw three interceptions, while Wisconsin running back Montee Ball ran for 151 yards and four touchdowns — keeping the Badgers’ outstanding scoring machine headed in the right direction as conference play begins to take center stage.

No. 18 Arkansas threw out the SEC welcome mat a year early for No. 14 Texas A&M, giving the Aggies a taste of Southeastern Conference hospitality in a wild 42-38 victory for the Razorbacks.

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By Cabrone Brewer

The wait is finally over.

For 13 long months, both Wisconsin and Nebraska have patiently waited to meet each other on the field as Big Ten cohabitants — and Saturday’s inaugural conference grinder between the No. 7 Badgers and No. 8 Cornhuskers can’t arrive fast enough for players and fans alike.

Both teams enter the game undefeated and heavy favorites among their respective Big Ten divisions, with Wisconsin thoroughly demolishing teams by clinging to a soft nonconference schedule and Nebraska sailing through their opening matchups with relative ease.

The Huskers will look to send an early message to Big Ten opponents in the first game in Madison since 1962 to feature two teams ranked in the top ten.

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Although it hasn’t been confirmed, rumor has it that Texas A&M will be joining the SEC. An official announcement will probably be made around August 22.

So when would the Aggies make the move? Some say that it could be as early as 2012. The official deadline for changing football conferences was July 1, 2011, which means that the deadline has already passed for the team to change, but it is still possible for the SEC and Big 12 to settle the issue, probably if Texas A&M pays a larger exit fee.

Part of the reason that the Aggies might be switching conferences can be traced back to the Longhorn Network, a new television network that only airs University of Texas sporting events. Evidently this really upset the Aggies, which could have spurred their decision to change conferences.

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The following five games are ones believed will have the biggest impact on the season, and more importantly, be the most entertaining for fans. Several that didn’t make the list include Oklahoma-Miami, Florida-Florida St., and USC-Notre Dame.

5. Utah @ Oregon, Sept. 19th

Utah had a huge Sugar Bowl win over Alabama, and is coming off an undefeated season. This game will be Utah’s one chance this season to show what it’s made of outside the conference, while Oregon will have already played Boise State. If the Ducks beat Boise, this game will launch a potential top-10 team into conference play. If the Ducks lose to Boise, this game will be even bigger; it would be a must-win to keep the Ducks BCS hopes alive.

4. Oregon @ Boise State, Sept. 5th

Last season Boise State won a 37-32 thriller against the Ducks. This season, Oregon is considered a top 10-15 team and the Pac-10’s best chance to knock USC from the top of the conference, so a Duck win here would be huge. Jeremiah Masoli and LeGarrette Blount will lead a strong Oregon team, but Boise State “is loaded and a legit BCS threat. If the Broncos can get another big win over Oregon to open the season, they will be primed for another undefeated run and a shot at a BCS bowl.” Read the rest of this entry »

The Southeastern Conference released this month an updated media plan in which they banned the mention of any event details via social media.

“Ticketed fans can’t produce or disseminate (or aid in producing or disseminating) any material or information about the Event, including, but not limited to, any account, description, picture, video, audio, reproduction or other information concerning the Event,” per the SEC’s new media plan.

What does this mean in layman’s terms? No one can Twitter, Facebook, YouTube or publish at any other social media site details about the games they are attending, as this may compete with authorized media coverage. And unless you can beat the $3 billion deal that the SEC has with CBS for the next 15 years, then you’re likely not authorized. Read the rest of this entry »