Clemson

While none of the three matchups taking place before Saturday will approach the hype surrounding the Red River Rivalry and LSU/Florida games, they are intriguing affairs nonetheless. The ACC Atlantic took another turn last weekend with Maryland getting shut out by Virginia, so the Thursday night battle between Clemson and Wake Forest is back to setting the tone for the divisional race. Also taking place on Thursday is UAB visiting a Houston team that may be the only challenger to explosive Tulsa in Conference USA's West Division.

Unlike the NBA, where most starting lineups are set in stone weeks before the season, NCAA starting fives are highly unsettled and constantly in flux. Going through the BCS leagues this week, I'll be projecting the starting fives for each team. Also included is the team's most important bench option, and some notes on other possible lineups.

Cheerleader of the Day

ESPN Regional Television announced today the schedule of matchups for the inaugural Charleston Classic, set for Nov. 14-16 at the new Carolina First Center in Charleston, S.C.

The event will include 12 games in three days, with six games being broadcast on CSS. The Southern Conference, based in Spartanburg, S.C., will serve as the event's sponsoring conference.

Like civilizations, all great basketball programs eventually fall.. replaced by an upstart newcomer. In this week's Rise & Fall series, we'll take a look at which BCS programs are rising, falling, or merely treading water.

ACC