Good or bad, conference expansion talk is all the rage in college football right now.

Much of it has been fueled, of course, by the Big 10, which led to the recent reports the league will add up to four teams in the near future. However, one of those schools is Notre Dame and the Fightin' Irish will never join a conference as long as they are still able to enjoy the financial windfall from their own network TV deal.

Make no mistake, the Big 10's urgency in pursuing expansion is a panic move in response to the SEC's multi-billion TV contracts with CBS and ESPN and the fact the SEC has won the last four national championships in football (by three different schools, which will never happen in the Big 10).

Worse, Ohio State, the Big 10's golden child, has been battered, bruised and thoroughly embarrassed by the SEC twice in the national title game since 2007, leading to the perception the Big 10 is an inferior league.

Obviously, that's not going over very well in downtown Chicago and the other large media markets in the upper midwest.

With every SEC conference game now on national television, the Big 10 desperately wants to expand the base for its own network, which is why Nebraska, Missouri and Rutgers have reportedly been 'invited' to join the Big 10.

Indiana v. Rutgers? That's must not see TV.

If you're scratching your head trying to figure out how northern New Jersey ended up in the Midwest, it's all about the Big 10 trying to capture the New York City TV market.

So, how should the SEC respond if the Big 10 eventually expands? I know this - Commissioner Mike Slive won't stand idly by as competing conferences strengthen themselves to the detriment of the SEC.

In my opinion, the three most likely scenarios for the SEC are:

1. Add Florida State and Miami;

2. Add Texas and Texas A&M; OR

3. Do nothing.

I believe the first option is the most attractive for the long-term future of the league. It would drive the ACC out of the lucrative Florida market, crippling a competitor as they try to seek a better TV deal from ABC and ESPN, and give the SEC exclusivity in a state where about 25 million people live.

It would also mean most, if not all, of the top recruits in the Sunshine State would end up playing in the SEC. And that's a good thing.

The addition of FSU and Miami would also render the ACC irrelevant from a national perspective, effectively eliminating a rival conference from the chase for the national title.

Now that Bobby Bowden has mercifully been toppled from his Tallahassee throne, opposition to joining the SEC might vanish in Florida's capital city. Miami is struggling to regain the swagger of the 1980's and 90's and joining the SEC should produce stronger recruiting.

If Florida State and Miami come aboard, I envision the Seminoles would be added to the Western Division and Miami would be the seventh team in the Eastern Division. They would become each other's permanent cross-divisional opponent, so they can continue their long and often heated rivalry.

Adding rivals Texas and Texas A&M to the mix would give the SEC a strong foothold in the Lone Star State and all but decimate the Big 12. This has been the scenario thrown out there for several months, but I've always questioned whether those two schools would be a good fit for the SEC. The football culture in Texas is a bit different than in the Southeast.

Remember, when it comes to the Longhorns and Aggies, they're a package deal. You will not get one without the other. But I question how much those two schools really want a piece of the SEC. Are they legitimately interested in competing within the SEC framework or do they just want a piece of the TV pie? Both schools would likely be added to the Western Division, meaning they would have to face Alabama and LSU every year, diminishing the odds of running the table and competing for the national title.

If Texas and Texas A&M join the SEC, which current Western team would move to the Eastern Division? Probably Auburn. They would still face Alabama every year in the Iron Bowl and gain the opportunity to be situated in the same division with bitter foe Georgia. If that's not acceptable, the SEC might simply place either the Longhorns or Aggies in the SEC East despite the geographic absurdity.

Here is how I think the SEC should look if Texas and Texas A&M join the conference:

EAST: Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vanderbilt.

WEST: Alabama, Arkansas, LSU, Miss. State, Ole Miss, Texas, Texas A&M.

In my opinion, should Nebraska and Missouri bolt, the Big 12 will try to add TCU and another Lone Star State school (Houston? SMU?) in order to move a step closer to recreating - think Frankenstein here - the old Southwest Conference.

Arkansas would be a possibility, of course, but I believe the large check the Razorbacks receive every year from the SEC will keep them around. That means more trips to Fayetteville. Yippee.

Ultimately, though the best option might be to stand pat and do nothing for several years while surveying the situation and continuing to collect the fat TV paychecks. Maybe the Big 10 will grow in power and prestige, maybe not. What will happen to the Big 12? Will the Pac-10 try anything? What will happen to the Big East?

In this case, patience could be a virtue. But can the SEC afford to wait?

Good question.

But it's one only Slive and the 12 league presidents can answer.

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