ACC & SEC: The Best of Both Conferences

Best ACC vs SEC Rivalry of Today: Clemson - South Carolina.
While Florida-Florida State in yesteryear had national titles on the line, fans in the state of South Carolina have no pro sports and no other game matters more. You can argue Miami is bigger rival for FSU, or Georgia for Florida, but nothing stands in the way of South Carolina and Clemson.

Best ACC vs SEC Rivalry of Yesteryear: Georgia - Clemson
These teams battled all throughout the '80s, winning a national title each. The two schools are only separated by about 90 miles. CBS Intro 1987.

Best QB:Tim Tebow, Florida
Only Heisman winner as a sophomore.

Best SEC Coach: Les Miles, LSU
National Title—Check. SEC Championship—Check. BCS Bowl Win—Check. Recruiting—Check.

Most Appropriate Nickname: Tie—Tennessee Volunteers, North Carolina Tar Heels
Because they are actually relevant to the state and to human beings.

Best Stadium Entrance: Clemson
The most exciting 25 seconds in college football.

Best Stadium Entrance By A Non Human: War Eagle, Auburn
We have always been fascinated by flight and football, and War Eagle combines both.

Best Place For A Night Game: Tiger Stadium, LSU
Let's tailgate all day in the heat with cajun food and then go watch one of the best teams in the nation play.

Best Player: Tim Tebow, Florida
Follow Tebow at last year's Heisman presentation.

Best NFL Prospect: Michael Oher, Ole Miss
Tackles get paid very well when drafted—just ask Jake Long.

Best Tailgating: The Grove, Ole Miss
Heck, the football game is the second attraction in Oxford to The Grove.

Best Place To Tailgate While Boating: Tennessee
Don't worry about hauling that SUV to the game in Knoxville, which sits on the Tennessee River.

Best Place To Become An Internet Sensation: Florida State

Best Mascot: Uga, Georgia
Any mascot who attacks an opposing team’s player (Auburn 1996) must be a pretty good mascot. Uga is one of the few mascots who can run onto the field with their team and interact with fans. With the passing of Uga VI we will see a new Uga this year.

Best Stadium (football):“Tiger Stadium, aka Death Valley”, LSU
After a night and day and maybe night again of tailgating with crawfish, you have some rajun cajuns and a pretty good football team.

Best Stadium (basketball): Cameron Indoor Stadium, Duke
With the Cameron Crazies right on top of you in a building that is kept at about 80 degrees (it seems), it makes a very tough visit to Durham (and that is without the refs against you too).

Best ACC Coach (football): Jim Grobe,Wake Forest
Grobe took Wake Forest to an ACC Championship two years ago with a freshman QB and a converted TB from WR. He is also going for his third straight winning season, which would be a Wake first. All of this at the seconnd smallest Division I-A school.

Best Coach (basketball): Mike Kryzewski, Duke
Three National Titles and Six ACC Tournament Titles from 2001-2006. Ol' Roy Williams is creeping up fast though.

Best NFL Pedigree: Miami
Miami is a big reason why the ACC is neck and neck every year with the SEC in number of draft picks.

Best NBA Pedigree: North Carolina
I don’t think this needs any explanation, but do Michael Jordan, Vince Carter, or James Worthy ring a bell?

Best College Town: Athens, GA
35,000 football mad students in a town with 50+ bars where the town revolves around the University. Throw in a 60% female student population and you get the idea.

Best Fans (football): South Carolina
Every year Gamecocks fans sell out Williams-Brice Stadium, which is not in the best part of town, and cheer loudly for their team, which is not always the best either.

Best Fans (basketball): Duke
Students sign up for fall classes on Monday and begin camping out for tickets on Wednesday.

Best Fight Song: “Ramblin Wreck”, Georgia Tech
Football and liquor—two things that are synonymous with college football, and Ramblin Wreck combines both of them.

Best Chant: “Woo Pig Sooey”, Arkansas
No one else has a chant that is even remotely close that could double as a hunting call.

Best Tradition (football): Alabama
12 National Titles, 25 Conference Championships.

Best Tradition (basketball): Kentucky
Seven National Titles (No. 2 All Time), 48 Tournament Appearances (No. 1 All Time), 98 Tournament Victories (No. 1 All Time)

I did a Best of..back in 2006. Some things change, some things stay the same.

Tomorrow, I start individual team previews counting down the conference winners