Last season, college conference realignments really shook the landscape of college football as we know it. Now, the Boise State Broncos are in the Mountain West, the Nebraska Cornhuskers are in the Big 10, the Big 10 has 12 teams, and the Big 12 has 10 teams… not to mention that the artists formerly known as the Pac-10 are now known as the Pac-10 after taking the Colorado Buffaloes and Utah Utes. However, conference expansion certainly isn’t done yet, as there are shockwaves that are already rumbling across the country about how conference realignment might pan out.

Here’s what we already know: Next year, the ACC is going to have at least 14 teams in it. The Syracuse Orange and the Pittsburgh Panthers are heading to the ACC to make that conference have 14 teams. It is likely that the ACC is going to be looking for two more teams to add into the fold for an even 16.

We also know that the Big East is at least getting one team back in the TCU Horned Frogs, who made the commitment last year to jump from the Mountain West to the Big East once this athletic year is over.

The Texas A&M Aggies are trying to leave the Big 12 for the SEC, and though the SEC has openly welcomed the Aggies with open arms, there are still schools in the Big 12 like Kansas State, Iowa State, and Baylor that are trying to block the move. Odds have it, they won’t be successful, and in 2012, A&M will be in the SEC.

The question for the SEC though, is who the 14th team is going to be. There are some thoughts that perhaps TCU could go back on its word to the Big East and try to head to the SEC, but the West Virginia Mountaineers are trying to make the move as well. If this happens, it is clear that the Big East is just a dead conference waiting to be partitioned the rest of the way.

To make matters worse for the Big East, the ACC is also reportedly in pursuit of the Connecticut Huskies and the Rutgers Scarlet Knights for their Super Conference. This would round out the conference at 16 teams and would likely lock in the conference for the foreseeable future without any further expansion or departure… or does it???

The new realigned SEC Coference would have 14 teams with the additions of Texas A&M and West Virginia, and it would need two more schools. You just know that there won’t be small, unproven schools coming to the SEC, so the conference will do all that it can to poach from a bigger conference. Remember how the ACC thought it was set? Not so fast. Don’t be shocked if Florida State and Clemson headed to their instate rivals Florida and South Carolina and joins the SEC.

And that would leave the ACC with two open slots again to fill…

And that’s only the half of it. The Pac-12 is in talks with the Texas Longhorns and the Oklahoma Sooners about coming to their conference, and if that happens, the Oklahoma State Cowboys and the Texas Tech Red Raiders will almost certainly be on the move to make that conference the Pac-16 as well.

That being said, the Big 12 would only be left with Baylor, Kansas State, Iowa State, Kansas, and Missouri. Kansas State and Kansas seem to be a package deal, and they could be headed to the Big 10, and that is the preferred conference for the Tigers as well. Iowa State and Baylor would be hung out to dry and might have to join lesser conferences. The 16th team for the Big 10? You’d like to think since this is probably going to ultimately signal the dawn of a college football playoff down the line, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish are probably going to have to join, and this is the conference that makes the most sense.

And if you’re keeping score at home, the Big East could only be left with TCU, South Florida, Cincinnati, and Louisville, with the prospects of Villanova joining the FBS ranks for football in the coming years.

So let’s go back to the ACC, which has two slots to fill. Louisville and Cincinnati make relatively close travel partners, and the conference location does fit those schools, and though really any of the holdovers, or the possibility of South Florida and UCF coming into the ACC together exists, we tend to think that it would be the Bearcats and the Cardinals that enter into the ACC.

Thus, the dawn of the college football super conferences that we’ve been hearing all about… And right now, this is what we really could end up seeing when this alignment is said and done…

Proposed College Football Realignment & New Super Conferences
(College Footall Teams in Italics Designate New Teams Entering Conferences)

ACC “Super Conference”: Wake Forest, Maryland, NC State, Boston College, North Carolina, Duke, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, Virginia, Miami, Syracuse, Pittsburgh, Connecticut, Rutgers, Cincinnati, Louisville

Pac-16 “Super Conference” (the old Pac 10): California, Stanford, Oregon, Washington, Washington State, Oregon State, USC, Arizona State, UCLA, Utah, Arizona, Colorado, Texas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech

Big 10 “Super Conference”: Illinois, Wisconsin, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Indiana, Michigan, Nebraska, Iowa, Michigan State, Northwestern, Minnesota, Notre Dame, Kansas State, Kansas, Missouri

SEC “Super Conference”: Florida, South Carolina, Vanderbilt, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, LSU, Alabama, Auburn, Arkansas, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Texas A&M, West Virginia, Florida State, Clemson

Still, that leaves a lot of questions to be answered… Baylor, TCU, South Florida, and Iowa State all wouldn’t have places to go, though they could all come together in Conference USA. BYU is another team that is basically left out in the cold for all of this, and save for going to the WAC and hoping that eventually the WAC and the MWC combine, it could end up as an independent for the foreseeable future without a conference, and potentially without a spot in college football’s prospective playoff.

And then of course, there’s Boise State, the team that thought it was going to a conference in the MWC that could have been a powerhouse… until BYU opted for independence, TCU left for the Big East (or did they???), and Utah went to the Pac-12. There are going to be very, very unhappy teams in all of this, and in all likelihood, these are going to be the unhappy campers that are left out of the super conferences of college football.

The other question is what is left to do with the rest of the Big East Conference in basketball. Teams like Georgetown, Marquette, DePaul, and Villanova could be headed to the Atlantic 10, while that conference might have to eliminate some of its members at the bottom of the totem poll to try to get all of these teams under the same conference umbrella.

Week 3 of college football betting action is here! But before you get started with the NCAA football odds, be sure to check out our college football prop picks for the first day of the third week of the season, including the LSU vs. Mississippi State picks!

Vick Ballard Over/Under 87.5 Rushing Yards
The Bayou Bengals have allowed less than 50 rushing yards per game this year, and that makes it hard to believe that Ballard is going to be getting anywhere near this 87.5 yard barrier. The truth of the matter is that he has averaged over 150 yards per game as well, but it just isn’t going to happen this week. Last year, Ballard carried the ball 11 times for 28 yards, and the running backs as a whole for the Bulldogs ended up toting the rock 33 times for only 90 yards. Ballard isn’t going to be able to do it on his own, and he won’t reach this ‘total’. Ballard Under 87.5 Rushing Yards (-115 at BetOnline Sportsbook)

Chris Relf Over/Under 15 Completions
In the first week of the year, we took Relf ‘over’ 11.5 completed passes, and we find it odd that that number, against a stouter defense, has gone up 3.5 completions. Now, it’s true that Relf has completed 33 passes in two games, but it is clear that QB Tyler Russell is going to get his snaps as well under center. There has to be a concerted effort to try to run the football, and even if it fails, we don’t expect Head Coach Dan Mullen to get off of that kick. There are too many variables in this one, but we just can’t see many situations in which Relf completes at least 16 passes. Relf Under 15 Completions (-115 at BetOnline Sportsbook).

The second Saturday of the NCAA football betting campaign is here, and here at Bankroll Sports, we’re getting ready to analyze some of the college football prop picks for the day!

Will There be a Score in the First 6 Minutes of the Alabama vs. Penn State Game?
If this game were in Tuscaloosa, we’d feel just a tad differently about this prop. That being said, we just don’t see how either of these teams are going to find their way onto the scoreboard all that quickly in Happy Valley, especially if Mother Nature provides a bit of a challenge. Neither one of these offenses in all that great, and both defenses are the strength of the squad. It’s a bit chalky, but it’s a short number that we have to wait to cash in a winner. No Score in the First 6 Minutes (-135 at BoDog Sportsbook)

Team To Have the Most First Downs: Notre Dame (-1) @ Michigan
We just don’t buy the Irish as favorites in this game, and we certainly don’t believe that the Wolverines are going to have fewer first downs than their opponents in this one as well. QB Tommy Rees is going to have his work cut out for him against a Michigan defense that has to be improved from last year. To make matters even worse for the Irish, QB Denard Robinson looks like he is going to be committed to fewer big plays with Head Coach Brady Hoke in charge, so this one seems to be easy. Michigan +1 First Downs (-130 at BoDog Sportsbook)

Chad Bumphis Over/Under 2.5 Receptions
Mississippi State showed a bit more in the passing game last week against the Memphis Tigers than we thought it would, but we are wondering whether there won’t be more looks for the receivers in this one against Auburn, especially if the game becomes a bit of a shootout. That being said, Bumphis is the most talented of these receivers, and though he only had one catch last week, we know that he averaged almost four receptions per game last year. Getting to three shouldn’t be all that hard, especially after the Tigers nearly allowed Utah State to come into Jordan Hare Stadium and post a win. Bumphis Over 2.5 Receptions (-130 at BoDog Sportsbook)

Marquis Maze Over/Under 56.5 Receiving Yards
Maze really amazed last week against the Kent State Golden Flashes, picking up eight receptions and accounting for over 100 yards. We know that Maze getting at least five receptions is a great college football prop as well, but we’ll take him for a big play or two in this one as well. We tend to think that it is a slam dunk that he is getting into the 60s at least in receiving yards. Someone has to pick up the slack for WR Julio Jones. Maze Over 56.5 Receiving Yards (-105 at BoDog Sportsbook)

The first day of the college football betting action is here! But before you get started with the NCAA football odds, be sure to check out our college football prop picks for the first day of the season!

Stephen Morris Over/Under 18 Completions
Head Coach Al Golden has never been known as a passing coach, and now that he has a backup quarterback in the fold, that probably will remain the case. Morris is as green as could be, and we just think, especially without WR Leonard Hankerson any longer, that the training wheels are going to be kept on him, especially against a Maryland defense that often excelled in the secondary a season ago. Morris Under 18 Passing Completions (-120 at BoDog Sportsbook)

Danny O’Brien Over/Under 264.5 Passing Yards
In what should be a relatively low scoring game, we’re a bit puzzled as to why the oddsmakers have installed O’Brien’s passing total so high. O’Brien only threw for more than 250 yards four times all of last season, including going just 9-of-28 for 134 yards against this Hurricanes defense last season. There’s just no way that we see this prop losing all that often. Even at the added juice, this is a nice play. O’Brien Under 264.5 Passing Yards (-135 at BoDog Sportsbook)

The first day of the college football betting action is here! But before you get started with the NCAA football odds, be sure to check out our college football prop picks for the first day of the season!

Montee Ball Over/Under 122.5 Rushing Yards
It’s tough to bet on a running back to put up at least 123 rushing yards in a game, but we have no reason to believe that both of the big time Wisconsin running backs won’t get to triple digits in rushing. The Runnin’ Rebels had a woeful rush defense last year, and there is no doubt that Ball and RB James White should end up dominating. Don’t be shocked if Ball ends up flying past this number, especially knowing that QB Russell Wilson probably isn’t going to be turned loose in this first game. Ball Over 122.5 Rushing Yards (-105 at BetOnline Sportsbook)

Chris Relf Over/Under 11.5 Completions
Last year, Relf and QB Tyler Russell split time when playing against the Tigers, but this year, we tend to think that Relf is going to have a heck of a lot more work. Head Coach Dan Mullen knows that this is a great opportunity to build his offense, and Memphis’ defense really isn’t going to have any recourse for stopping anything that the Dawgs are going to try to do, and though there is really no reason to put the ball up 20+ times over the course of this game, we do think that Relf will do just that. Take Relf Over 11.5 Completions (-115 at BetOnline Sportsbook).

With Boise State leaving the WAC, things have definitely opened up for the other teams in this conference. Of course, what we have to remember most about last season is that it wasn’t the boys from the Blue Turf that won the conference: the Nevada Wolf Pack (Current WAC Odds: 2.15 to 1 at 5Dimes Sportsbook) did. Sure, Nevada has its own problems this year replacing a stud signal caller in Colin Kaepernick, who felt like he was playing in Reno for at least seven years, and the likes of Vai Taua and Luke Lippincott are gone from the backfield, but Head Coach Chris Ault almost always fields a competent side. After dealing with four straight hellacious road games to start off the season (including a trip to Boise), Nevada plays six of its last eight games at home with those two roadies at New Mexico State and Utah State. There’s no excuse for the Wolf Pack not to win this conference.

Head Coach Pat Hill always has his Fresno State Bulldogs (2011 WAC Lines: 3.50 to 1 at 5Dimes Sportsbook) ready to take on anyone in the country, and this season, he gets to face Cal, Nebraska, Ole Miss, and Boise State out of conference play. The problem here is that this team just plays too many games on the road (seven to be exact), and it’s stuck with the extra road game in conference this year. Games at Nevada, Idaho, and Hawaii won’t be fun to say the least, and unless Hill’s defense can rank a whole heck of a lot better than No. 83 in the nation in scoring like it did last year, the Dogs are in trouble.

The media has selected the Hawaii Warriors (Current WAC Odds: 2.50 to 1 at 5Dimes Sportsbook) as the favorites for the WAC this year, but we just aren’t so sure that it is justified. WRs Greg Salas and Kealoha Pilares were both 1,500+ yard receivers a year ago, and RB Alex Green rumbled for nearly 1,200 yards and accounted for 19 scores. QB Bryant Moniz is back in the saddle, and he is surely going to throw for over 5,000 yards once again this year, but this Hawaii defense is just woeful at times. Parlay all of that with the newcomers that have to slot in on offense and the road trips to Nevada, Idaho, Louisiana Tech, and San Jose State, and the makings are there for a 5-2 or 4-3 mark in conference play.

2011 Odds To Win The WAC @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 8/28/11):
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Nevada Wolf Pack 2.15 to 1
Hawaii Warriors 2.50 to 1
Fresno State Bulldogs 3.50 to 1
Louisiana Tech Bulldogs 7 to 1
Idaho Vandals 17.50 to 1
San Jose State Spartans 19 to 1
Utah State Aggies 22 to 1
New Mexico State Aggies 36 to 1

The Sun Belt is one of the more open conferences in America this year, but the teams in this division are definitely up and coming. This is no longer just the doormat for the rest of college football. Case in point: The Florida International Golden Panthers (Current Sun Belt Odds: 2.40 to 1 at 5Dimes Sportsbook). FIU didn’t exactly come out of nowhere last season, but it did end up winning the conference crown and winning its bowl game against Toledo. Getting both Troy and Florida Atlantic at home this year is a big plus, but there are definitely some challenges coming if this offense can’t put up anywhere near the 28.8 points per game that it did a year ago.

You know that the perennial powers of the Sun Belt, the Troy Trojans (2011 Sun Belt Lines: 2.40 to 1 at 5Dimes Sportsbook) are bound and determined to get their conference title back this season, especially after losing it at home against FIU in bad form last season. Even though WR Jerrel Jernigan has moved on to the next level, QB Corey Robinson still has the potential to be the best player in this conference. He threw for 3,726 yards as a true freshman, and he should easily eclipse the 4,000 yard barrier this year in this offense as long as he stays healthy.

The team to watch out for as the up and coming bunch is the third favorite in the conference, the Arkansas State Red Wolves (Current Sun Belt Odds: 6.25 to 1 at 5Dimes Sportsbook). Both FIU and Troy are paying visits to Jonesboro this year, and that bodes well for a team which was a lot better than its 4-8 record indicated last season. ASU lost five games by a TD or fewer last season, and its 52-26 loss at eventual National Champions Auburn Tigers turned out to look not all that bad, all things considered. QB Ryan Aplin was good for right at 30.0 PPG last season, but the key for the Red Wolves will be establishing a defense after allowing a miserable 440.5 YPG on the campaign in 2010.

2011 Odds To Win The Sun Belt @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 8/28/11):
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Florida International Golden Panthers 2.40 to 1
Troy Trojans 2.40 to 1
Arkansas State Red Wolves 6.25 to 1
Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks 6.75 to 1
Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders 8.50 to 1
North Texas Mean Green 11 to 1
Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns 15 to 1
Western Kentucky Hilltoppers 16 to 1
Florida Atlantic Owls 19 to 1