SI.com - SI On Campus - The Vent: 01/28/2007

2/02/2007 11:40:00 AM

Super Bowl -- Do you Care?

Does Peyton Manning's quest to win his first Super Bowl pique your interest in Sunday's game ... or is it too much hype, too little reward?

Photo by AP

Unless you've been in a hole the past couple weeks, you're aware that Sunday is the Super Bowl, Chicago has a strong defense and Peyton Manning hasn't won "the big one" yet. Every possible storyline for the game has been dissected 20 times over and all anyone wants is for the game to begin so the hype can end. But is the anticipation as strong on college campuses as it is in the outside world? Obviously, you're going to gather some friends, eat pizza and watch the game, but is it as big as last November's matchup between undefeated No. 1 Ohio State and No. 2 Michigan? Is it as big as the Final Four? Or is it just an over hyped event that never meets expectations?

Give us your take.

View comments | Add a comment

2/02/2007 11:40:00 AM

Super Bowl -- Do you Care?

Does Peyton Manning's quest to win his first Super Bowl peak your interest in Sunday's game ... or is it too much hype, too little reward?

Photo by AP

View comments | Add a comment

1/31/2007 11:53:00 AM

Who is the Class of the Mid-Majors?

Air Force is currently ranked No. 17, but are the Falcons the best mid-major in the nation?

Photo by AP

The Bracketbusters pairings were announced on Tuesday, and if you weren't paying attention to mid-majors before George Mason's run to the Final Four last year, you should be now. Not only are mid-majors represented in the Top 25 (Butler is No. 13, Air Force is No. 17), but Oral Roberts (which upset No. 3 Kansas), Gonzaga (which beat No. 2 North Carolina), Missouri State (which stunned No. 7 Wisconsin) and Wichita State (which beat No. 6 LSU) have also proven they can play with the big boys. And the Missouri Valley Conference, which last year sent Wichita State and Bradley to the Sweet 16, is almost like the seventh major at this point.

Today, we want to know which mid-majors you'd least like to play in the tournament. Our vote is Virginia Commonwealth, which is currently leading the Colonial Athletic Association, with a 10-0 record (18-3 overall), and is led by first-year coach Anthony Grant, who won a national championship last year as an assistant with Florida. We'd want no part of the Rams. Which team scares you the most?

View comments | Add a comment

1/29/2007 12:05:00 PM

Why is the ACC Dominating Women's Hoops?

Courtney Paris is the nation's best post player, but the story of women's basketball this season has been the rise of the ACC.

Photo by AP

It's been a while since we talked women's hoops, and one thing that jumps out as the season passes its midway point is the ACC's rise as the preeminent conference in the nation. Check out Tracy Schultz's Power Rankings: Three of the nation’s four top teams (Duke, UNC, Maryland) are from the ACC. What’s even more remarkable is that before Maryland won the national championship last season, it had been 12 years since an ACC team claimed women's hoops' ultimate prize.

Obviously, women's hoops has come a long way since the days of UConn-Tennessee battling for the national championship every year. Candace Parker is dunking during games like she’s the next Dominque Wilkins and Courtney Paris (22 points, 15 rebounds, 3 blocks per game) is the most dominant post player in the nation – including men. But in our opinion, the biggest story in college basketball is the rise of the ACC.

To what do you attribute to the ACC's rise? How long will it last? And what other conferences are up-and-coming?

View comments | Add a comment

Do you have a topic worth venting about? Send your suggestions here.