Wednesday, Clemson at Maryland, 9 p.m., my20 » Each game is an adventure in the ACC, and Maryland has been hot of late. It is important that teams get going as the tournament grows near. Gary Williams seems to get the Terps ready for March every year, and a win against Clemson would be a big help.

Thursday, 2:30p.m., NFL Network » NFL Network offers fans more than 30 hours of live, high-definition coverage from the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. In the seventh year of exclusive coverage, NFL Network boasts exciting new video and information technology to complement a 21-person broadcast lineup that includes former coaches Steve Mariucci, Brian Billick and Jim Mora and former GMs Charley Casserly and Michael Lombardi offering a team personnel perspective. — Jim Williams

BOLD PREDICTIONS

1. Record mid-majors in NCAA Tournament » The ACC is down. The SEC is down. The Pac-10 is way down. So make way for the mid-majors. The record for teams from mid-major conferences in the NCAA Tournament was set in 2004 when 12 received at-large bids. That figure will be matched this year if the NCAA selection committee does the right thing — a big assumption considering its big-money, major-conference bias. But the committee may have no choice. Of the top 50 teams in the RPI rankings, 19 are from mid-major conferences, led by six from the Atlantic 10 and four from the Mountain West. Those leagues will get multiple bids and should be joined by the Colonial Athletic Association, Conference USA and the West Coast Conference. With only one team in the RPI top 60, it will be interesting to see how the committee handles the Pac-10. Same with the SEC, which has three teams in the RPI top 20 but no more in the top 50. — Kevin Dunleavy

2. Virginia Tech will upset Duke and make the NCAA Tournament » The Hokies have been the most disrespected team in the Atlantic Coast Conference this season, thanks to a nonconference schedule full of also-rans and until recently, a scoff-worthy RPI. Virginia Tech lost to Temple before the Owls were ranked, lost at North Carolina right before the Tar Heels themselves got bounced in eight of their next 10 games, and fell at Florida State in mid-January when the Seminoles were barely a national blip at No. 25. But over the last month, the Hokies (21-4, 8-3 ACC) have won eight of nine contests, including their last five, a stretch that includes victims Clemson, Virginia and Wake Forest. The league-leading Blue Devils (22-4, 10-2) have also won five straight, but Malcolm Delaney (20.2 ppg) will hand them their first home loss this season in an upset that will rival Tech’s overtime classic win in Durham three years ago. — Craig Stouffer

3. The U.S. will beat Canada » I’m going to steal a bit of thunder from the Black Eyed Peas when I say this, but I’ve got a feeling (woo-hoo) that tonight’s gonna be a good night for Zach Parise and the Americans. Team USA hasn’t looked great thus far, with less-than-dominating wins over Switzerland and Norway in the preliminary round. Still, the U.S. — picked by most as the No. 4 or 5 team in Vancouver — is right where it wants to be, undefeated entering its Sunday showdown with Canada. Meanwhile, across the frozen pond, the heavily favored Canadians blasted Norway, 8-0, in their opener before sweating out a 3-2 shootout win over Switzerland. Does that serve as a wake-up call for Team Maple Leaf? Possibly. Still, there is no group in this tournament feeling the heat quite like Sidney Crosby & Co., who desperately want to win a gold medal on home ice. If the U.S. can jump out to an early lead, the Canadians will start pressing. — James Irwin

FIVE UP & FIVE DOWN


UP

1. Brett Favre » Must be nice to see old friends on the Packers when your team is 3-0 and you have a 94.5 QB rating.

2. Rio de Janeiro » Becomes the first South American country to host an Olympics by beating out Madrid, Tokyo and Chicago.

3. Rockies » Set team record for wins and solidified Jim Tracy’s manager of the year award with playoff berth.

4. Kobe Bryant » If winning the gold wasn’t enough, Bryant beats foreign stars as the top jersey sold in Europe.

5. Alex Ovechkin » A two goal, one assist performance to start the season is not a bad way to defend the MVP.


DOWN
1. Allen Iverson » Guard says the Pistons lied to him about coming off the bench and that last year was the worst of his career.

2. Gilbert Arenas » Already injured, he’s missed scrimmages at training camp because he dislocated his middle finger.

3. Byron Leftwich » Benched for a second-year quarterback out of San Diego after leading the Bucs to one first down in first three quarters.

4. David Garrard » Coach Jack Del Rio pulls the plug on his Friday radio show for the timing of the show.

5. Hockey fans » The battle between Versus and DirecTV caused many fans to miss an eventful opening night.

— Jeffrey Tomik