s.Heres the outlook for the drivers, listed by their current NASCAR seeding, going into the semifinal round:1. Joey LoganoTeam Penske No. 22 FordSecond-rou

The NCAA volleyball championship will be held in Big Ten territory again this season, with the final four taking place in Columbus, Ohio, on Dec. 15 and 17. Last year, the season concluded in Omaha, Nebraska, with the Big Red favorites from down the road in Lincoln taking the title.The Huskers will start this season ranked No. 1, but there will be plenty of challengers on Nebraskas road to a possible repeat. Here are five questions to ponder as we get set for the season.1. Will it be Nebraska vs. Texas again in the final?The Huskers swept the Longhorns in the championship match last December, and the teams begin this season ranked 1-2 in the American Volleyball Coaches Association poll. So we might indeed see them in the 2016 final.However, since the NCAA volleyball tournament began in 1981, theres been only one instance of the same teams playing in back-to-back championship matches: Penn State and Stanford in 2007 and 08, with the Nittany Lions winning both.We dont have to wait until the NCAA tournament, though, for a Nebraska-Texas matchup; they play Saturday at the VERT Challenge in Eugene, Oregon.Any time Nebraska plays Texas, its a huge game, Huskers setter Kelly Hunter said. Last year we played them early on, and it didnt go our way. Then we saw them again at the end of the year. So its about who gets better throughout the course of the year.We finished on a high note, so were expected to start on a high note. And we have that expectation of ourselves.The Huskers, who won 16 consecutive matches to end last season, return 10 players, including the junior Hunter, the senior Rolfzen twins: Kadie (outside hitter) and Amber (middle blocker), and sophomore hitter Mikaela Foecke, the most outstanding player of the 2015 championship. Among the Huskers additions is junior middle blocker Briana Holman, who was a first-team All-American at LSU before transferring to Nebraska, and senior outside hitter Andie Malloy, who transferred from Baylor.Texas lost three seniors who were the glue last season, including Big 12 player of the year Amy Neal. But the Longhorns, whove advanced to the final four seven of the last eight years, never lack for talent. Among the standouts they have back are setter Chloe Collins and fellow senior Paulina Prieto Cerame, their returning leader in kills with 337 last year. Joining her at outside hitter are two players who were expected to be big contributors last year but were sidelined by injuries: Ebony Nwanebu and Micaya White.Texas is again the Big 12 favorite, but the Longhorns have some company near the top of the poll from Kansas. The Jayhawks -- who made a breakthrough last year by going to their first final four -- are ranked No. 5. They will try to challenge Texas stranglehold on the Big 12 and the league player of the year award, which a Longhorn has won the last seven seasons. This year, the preseason pick for that honor is actually a Jayhawk: junior right side hitter Kelsie Payne.2. Will the Big Ten be the toughest conference?When Nebraska coach John Cook says it might be harder to win a Big Ten title than an NCAA championship, its not just pro-conference hyperbole. The NCAA title requires six victories. The Big Ten title requires coming out on top after a 20-match gauntlet that typically includes several NCAA tournament-qualifying teams. Last year, the Big Ten had nine squads in the postseason.Nebraska joined the Big Ten in 2011 and won the conference title that year. Since then, the Big Ten title has gone to Penn State (2012 and 13), Wisconsin (2014), and Minnesota (2015). Those three schools join Nebraska in the preseason top 10, with Illinois, Ohio State, and Purdue also in the top 25.Seven-time NCAA champion Penn State finished fourth in the Big Ten in 2015, falling to Hawaii in the NCAA regional semifinals. But the Nittany Lions had won six of the previous eight NCAA titles, so they were due to have something of a rebuilding season, even though that term really never fits how good Penn State always is.Will it be another survival-of-the-fittest endurance test in the Big Ten? Of course, and it will be no surprise to see at least two teams from that conference in the final four. Thats been the case three of the last four years.3. Can Stanford make a title run?Before she became queen of the sand, Kerri Walsh Jennings was an indoor volleyball star, leading Stanford to two NCAA titles. That was during a stretch from 1992-97 when the Cardinal won four of six national championships. Stanford added two more titles in 2001 and 2004.But Stanford hasnt won an NCAA title in the past 11 years, and has made just one final four appearance in the last seven seasons. Its not for lack of success in the Pac-12, though. In the last 10 seasons, Stanford has won or shared the conference title seven times. (In all, Stanford has 16 Pac-12 crowns since league play began in 1986.)But the Cardinal have had several big disappointments over the past decade in the NCAA tournament, including last seasons 3-0 second-round loss to Loyola Marymount on Stanfords home court at Maples Pavilion.With four starters returning from a team that finished third in the Pac-12 in 2015, Stanford is picked to win the conference title this year. But can the Cardinal climb to the very top spot in volleyball?It will help to have back middle blocker Inky Ajanaku, who missed 2015 with a knee injury. And outside hitter Hayley Hodson, who was the national freshman of the year last season, should be even better as a sophomore.Of course, just like with the Big Ten, the Pac-12 always has a pileup of very good teams who go to the NCAA tournament. Last year, seven from the Pac-12 made the postseason, but for the first time ever, there was no West Coast/Hawaii presence in the final four. It looked as if top-seeded Southern Cal was headed to Omaha, but the Trojans collapsed late in the fifth set against Kansas in the regional final, losing six consecutive points and the match.USC lost 2015 AVCA national player of the year Samantha Bricio to graduation, but still has plenty of talent, including sophomore Alyse Ford and junior Brittany Abercrombie.For what its worth, the AVCA poll has USC and Washington as the top-ranked Pac-12 teams, tied for seventh, with Stanford at No. 11.4. Will Texas A&M top the SEC again?The boss of this conference has, for the most part, been Florida. And the Gators are going to be in the thick of things again this season, especially with middle blocker Rhamat Alhassan and right-side hitter Alex Holston returning. Florida, which is a perennial contender, lost in a regional final last year to Texas. The Gators will open this season against No. 1 Nebraska on Friday.But the 2015 SEC champion was Texas A&M, led by setter/right side Stephanie Aiple and middle blocker Jazzmin Babers. The Aggies were picked by the SEC coaches to win the conference again in 2016, with the Gators picked to finish second. The AVCA poll, however, favors Florida at No. 10, with Texas A&M at No. 16.Last year, Texas A&M fell in the NCAA second round at home against Hawaii, and the Aggies definitely hope for a better postseason showing in 2016.5. Who are among the best of the rest?Hawaii?is No. 6 in the AVCA preseason poll and picked to win the Big West again. The Rainbow Wahine went 16-0 in conference play last year, then fell to Minnesota in a regional final.Colorado State has won the last seven Mountain West titles and is picked to make it eight in a row this year. But the Rams, ranked No. 25, may be challenged in the league by Boise State, which has preseason player of the year Sierra Nobley.The ACCs final four breakthrough came in 2011 with Florida State. The conference is still looking for a follow-up trip. North Carolina was chosen as the 2016 ACC favorite, followed by the Seminoles, Miami, and last years regular-season champion, Louisville. The highest ranked of the ACC teams is Florida State at No. 17.BYU, ranked No. 13, will be going for its third consecutive West Coast Conference title. Among the challengers is Loyola Marymount, which is ranked No. 21. Creighton advanced to the regional semifinals for the first time last season, and looks to build on that. The No. 18 Bluejays are the Big East favorites, having won the conferences regular-season and tournament titles last year. Air Jordan 6 Clearance . Dallas hasnt ruled out the star quarterback for Sunday nights game against Philadelphia, but all signs point to Romos back injury pushing Kyle Orton into the starting role after two years of limited play as the backup. Surely Ortons name isnt the first that comes to mind for fans wanting a change after years of damaging interceptions, fumbles or, most infamously, the field goal flub when Romo dropped the snap on a kick that could have won his first playoff game in 2006. Cheap Jordan Shoes Online . The 20-year-old Pelicans big man glanced up and smiled widely at the well-wishers -- a fitting end to a day he wont soon forget. Davis responded to his selection earlier in the day as a Western Conference All-Star with 26 points and 10 rebounds, and the New Orleans Pelicans overcame a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit to defeat the Minnesota Timberwolves 98-91 on Friday night. http://www.wholesalejordan11.com/discount-jordan-4.html . Hazard cut in from the left and scored with a swerving right-footed shot for ninth goal of the season, which proved to be enough for the victory despite Chelseas forwards again lacking a cutting edge up front. Jordan Wholesale Shoes Authentic . - Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie never doubted he would bring back coach Dennis Allen for a third year despite back-to-back 4-12 records. Jordan 1 Wholesale . -- Most satisfying to Russ Smith about No. Dont blame Jimmie Johnson if he feels confident about his chances advancing from the semifinal Round of 8 to one of the four drivers eligible for the championship at Homestead. He has earned any swagger he takes into this weekend at Martinsville.Johnson has 18 career victories at the three tracks in the semifinal round -- eight at Martinsville, six at Texas and four at Phoenix. His average finish at those tracks: 7.5, 8.3 and 7.8. Any conversation about Johnson winning his seventh Cup championship can start in earnest now as he should have that chance in less than four weeks.While Kevin Harvick does have eight career wins at Phoenix and Denny Hamlin has five at Martinsville, neither driver can boast of such a record across the three tracks. Hamlin, Kyle Busch and Kurt Busch are the only drivers other than Johnson who have won a Cup race at each track in the round.Winning will be big because a driver with one bad race likely wont advance on points when field is cut from eight to four; only one spot is guaranteed by points if the three races are won by three Chase drivers.Heres the outlook for the drivers, listed by their current NASCAR seeding, going into the semifinal round:1. Joey LoganoTeam Penske No. 22 FordSecond-round wins: OneSecond-round points: 3,089 (third)Why he will advance: His six Chase wins in the last three seasons is tied with Harvick for the most since the elimination-style format started in 2014. He carries the momentum from the win at Talladega. Oh, and he hasnt made anyone mad in the Chase this year.Why he wont: These three tracks do not rank among his top eight Sprint Cup tracks and the only one where he has a win is Texas. While third at Texas earlier this year, he was 11th at Martinsville and 18th at Phoenix.2. Jimmie JohnsonHendrick Motorsports No. 48 ChevroletSecond-round wins: OneSecond-round points: 3,100 (first)Why he will advance: Didnt you read the introduction? Hes won 18 times at the three tracks in this round. The only reason hes never had a chance at Homestead in this format is because he never made it to this round.Why he wont: Only twice this year has he had three-race stretches of top-10 finishes -- once early in the year and then with a four-race stretch in the Chase prior to Talladega. If the Toyotas have another level to bring to the track the way Johnson went from pre-August to now, then hes in trouble.3. Kevin HarvickStewart-Haas Racing No. 4 ChevroletSecond-round wins: OneSecond-round points: 3,082 (sixth)Why he will advance: His four wins this year ties him with Kyle Busch for the most among the remaining drivers in the Chase. One of those wins came at Phoenix, where he has won five of the last six races, and he did it in spectacular fashion by beating Edwards by inches. He has eight career wins at Phoenix and one at Martinsville.Why he wont: Inconsistency could end up biting this team in the semifinal round. In the Chase, he has three top-10 finishes and three finishes of 20th or worse. He cant rely on just winning in the clutch every round -- the odds say hes due for a round where he wont win.4. Matt KensethJoe Gibbs Racing No. 20 ToyotaSecond-round wins: NoneSecond-round points: 3,088 (fourth)Whyy he will advance: He led 116 laps at the last intermediate track and 105 laps at the last flat 1-mile track.dddddddddddd That bodes well for the races at Texas and Phoenix. Of all the Toyotas, he finished the last round with the most points.Why he wont:?Logano will take him out this year to repay for last year. Just kidding. The biggest question for Kenseth is whether he can win in the clutch in a three-race stretch at tracks where he has just a combined three wins and didnt record a top-5 this year.5. Carl EdwardsJoe Gibbs Racing No. 19 ToyotaSecond-round wins: NoneSecond-round points: 3,082 (seventh)Why he will advance: Some of his best non-winning races this year came in races at tracks in the semifinal rounds. He led 65 laps on his way to finishing second at Phoenix and 124 laps on his way to finishing seventh at Texas. Edwards and crew chief Dave Rogers have considerable Chase experience, and dont discount that when things get tough. Plus, what are the odds of a rainstorm keeping him from advancing as it did last year at Phoenix?Why he wont: He has recorded just one top-5 finish in his last 14 races. That inconsistency wont get it done in this round.6. Denny HamlinJoe Gibbs Racing No. 11 ToyotaSecond-round wins: NoneSecond-round points: 3,078 (eighth)Why he will advance: He has won five times at Martinsville, including in March 2015, so he has a chance of a win or a great finish to open the round and build his confidence. After barely getting out of the quarterfinal round -- he needed a tiebreaker to advance --Hamlin and his rejuvenated team have an energized outlook.Why he wont: Hamlin isnt exactly Mr. November as he seems to be the victim of mechanical gremlins or misfortune every year. He might have a false sense of confidence even at Martinsville -- he hasnt won the October race at Martinsville since 2009.7. Kurt BuschStewart-Haas Racing No. 41 ChevroletSecond-round wins: NoneSecond-round points: 3,099 (second)Why he will advance: He has been the epitome of consistently doing what it takes to advance. He hasnt finished worse than 15th in the Chase, and hes going to three tracks where he finished no worse than 13th earlier this year. Plus hes a Cubs fan and theres something in the air called destiny.Why he wont: He has been the epitome of consistently doing what it takes to advance. In this round, a driver has to do more. Hes going to three tracks where he finished no better than sixth earlier this year. Plus hes a Cubs fan and theres something in the air called being cursed.8. Kyle BuschJoe Gibbs Racing No. 18 ToyotaSecond-round wins: NoneSecond-round points: 3,084 (fifth)Why he will advance: He won at Martinsville and Texas earlier this year and led 461 laps in the races at Martinsville, Texas and Phoenix. While he hasnt won a race since the Brickyard, he had a second, third, fifth and sixth in the four races leading into Talladega. Busch and Johnson appear as close to a lock to advance more than anyone else in this round.Why he wont: Parts and pieces can break. Tires can blow. The team can beat itself. ' ' '