1) Ole Miss Rebels

Vital Statistics as of 2/15

Record: 17-7 (5-5 Southeastern Conference)

RPI Rating: 48

Strength of Schedule Rating: 59

Current Record vs. RPI Top 50: 1-4

Record vs. RPI Top 100: 5-6

Best Wins: vs. Kansas State (neutral court), vs. UTEP (neutral court)

Worst Loss: vs. Arkansas (home)

SUMMARY: Coach Andy Kennedy’s ballclub is squarely on the bubble. The Rebels do have the kinds of non-conference scalps that will come in handy on Selection Sunday, but in a season when the SEC West hasn’t fared well at all, Ole Miss has produced only five wins in its first 10 conference games.

2) California Golden Bears

Vital Stats (2/15)

Record: 17-8 (9-4 Pacific 10)

RPI: 24

Strength of Schedule: 1

Current Record vs. RPI Top 50: 0-4

Record vs. RPI Top 100: 4-7

Best Wins: USC (home court), Washington (home)

Worst Loss: vs. UCLA (home)

SUMMARY: Coach Mike Montgomery’s team represents a fascinating challenge for the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Committee. The Pac-10 has been so lousy this season that the league might get only one at-large team into the NCAAs. Cal is that team, but the Bears would like to win the upcoming Pac-10 Tournament in Los Angeles so that they don’t have to sweat on Selection Sunday. If they are forced to sit in the at-large pool, the Bears might drown.

3) UTEP Miners

Vital Stats (2/15)

Record: 19-5 (10-1 Conference USA)

RPI: 56

Strength of Schedule: 143

Current Record vs. RPI Top 50: 1-3

Record vs. RPI Top 100: 5-4

Best Wins: at UAB, at Memphis

Worst Loss: New Mexico State (home)

Sports Betting SUMMARY: UTEP came close to beating Ole Miss in the non-conference portion of its season, and a league championship will certainly help the Miners if they have to sweat out the selection process, but it’s important that this team avoid bad losses in the coming weeks.

As the betting on Super Bowl 2010 odds heats up, the bookmakers are wondering if Peyton Manning and the Colts can win their second Super Bowl of the decade. Manning has an uphill climb, but he also may be able to exploit a Saints secondary that makes gambles of their own.

The Saints secondary is great at taking the ball away from the opposing offense. They intercepted the ball 26 times in the regular season and 3 times in the playoffs. But facing interception-prone QBs such as Brett Favre can help to boost the stats of any secondary. Peyton Manning is a dynamic and precision passer who only throws an average of one pick a game. They may get to Manning, but they will be hard-pressed to get him to make any mistakes.

On the Saints side of the ball, you have to wonder if guys like Reggie Bush and Jeremy Shockey are ready for this kind of spotlight. Last year Bush disappeared in the offense when Deuce McAllister was injured and Bush was called on to carry the load. Reggie Bush does not carry the load in New Orleans anymore, but it will be interesting to see how he responds to pressure.

Jeremy Shockey’s history of being a less than helpful teammate may rear its ugly head again in this pressure situation. There is nothing higher for a football player than the Super Bowl, and Shockey has shown glimpses of cracking under much less pressure in the past.

Super Bowl XLIV will be a shoot-out between Peyton Manning and Drew Brees. While there is no questioning the leadership of Drew Brees, there is a very good chance that Peyton Manning has been grooming his young receivers for this moment all season long. When Peyton Manning wants something, he usually goes out and gets it.

Pick: Colts 21-17