CBS Announces Some of Its 2012 Football Selections

CBS gets the first pick of SEC games each week, so it can afford to be flexible by waiting to select games. Even so, it always picks a few games out before the season begins, and today it announced those selections.

Only three of its 15 games are set. It will broadcast Georgia-Florida on 10/27, Alabama-LSU as its sole prime time game on 11/3, and LSU-Arkansas on Friday, 11/23 at 2:30 Eastern. November 3 will be one of two doubleheader dates, with the following week 11/10 being the other (with a noon Eastern game to go along with the customary 3:30 Eastern slot).

It's somewhat unusual for the network to pick out its doubleheaders this early, but it's safe to say that LSU-Bama will be one of the most highly anticipated games of the season. As for which game will be the afternoon game on that day, Florida-Missouri looks like the best bet. The next best game is Mississippi State-Texas A&M, which might get chosen if either hasn't been on the network by then. The only other option is Ole Miss-Georgia, and that will likely be a blowout.

It's more difficult to guess which games will make up the November 10 doubleheader. The only games I can say for sure won't get chosen are Ole Miss-Vanderbilt and Florida-ULL. Georgia-Auburn has a pretty good shot of being one of them as one of the conference's most storied rivalries. Alabama-Texas A&M might get picked for the Bear Bryant/Gene Stallings storyline. Arkansas-South Carolina likely will have division title implications for both teams, while Missouri-Tennessee might have some as well depending on how they fare this fall. LSU-Mississippi State might even have a shot if LSU is undefeated, as CBS likes to put the conference leaders on as much as possible.

Which games get picked up will be announced six to 12 days ahead of time. CBS's SEC schedule doesn't begin until September 15, so it will not be broadcasting any of the three conference matchups on September 8.