Former NCAA Doubles Champion Mahesh Bhupathi has won 12 grand slam titles during his illustrious pro career, but the one thing he has yet to take home is the season-ending ATP World Tour Finals trophy.  Four times a runner-up, Bhupathi will get another shot at the elusive trophy today with his current partner and fellow countryman, Rohan Bopanna, as the two take on the Spanish team of Marcel Granollers and Marc Lopez in the final. 

Tennis Channel will air the final at Noon CT.  This match will serve as an appetizer to the main course, the singles final featuring Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. 

Bhupathi and Bopanna, who won the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 trophy in Paris last week, reached the finals in London for the first time as a duo, beating Leander Paes and Radek Stepanek in three sets.  Click here for a recap of Bhupathi and Bopanna's thrilling semifinal win on Sunday. 

On hand in London this week to watch their former teammate are a couple of Rebel standouts themselves--All-Americans Johan Landsberg and Ali Hamadeh, who teamed up with Bhupathi to win the 1995 NCAA Doubles title. 

The European Tour School began play today this week with former Ole Miss golfer Callum Macaulay in the field.  The 304-player field tees off at four courses across Spain, where golfers compete to participate in a six-round final at the PGA Catalunya Resort and ultimately fighting for a European Tour card.  The four host venues for Stage Two include Campo de Golf El Saler, in Valencia, Las Colinas Golf & Country Club, in Alicante, Lumine Golf & Beach Club, in Tarragona, and El Valle Golf Resort, in Murcia where Macaulay will participate. A native of Scotland, Macaulay golfed at Ole Miss from 2003-2007, earning All-SEC honors in 2007 and leading the Rebels to the 2007 NCAA East Regional.

Like every college football program, we have what seems like more than 100 team managers, most of which I never get the chance to know. But I remember Garrett Jackson. The Brookhaven native was doing grunt work for Equipment Manager Ken Crain from 2005-08. I'm not going to claim I could always recall his name back then, but I have awesome memories of him cracking me up on some bus trips. Garrett would wear a coaches' headset during games, and his recount of staff dialogue from the Coach O years are to this day some of the most hilarious Ole Miss football stories I've ever heard.

Garrett has probably picked up a few more good tales since his days with the Rebels. Since 2010, he has been the personal assistant or "body man" for Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney. Since serving as the designated chair holder at an Iowa speaking event last fall, Garrett has been the subject of features by the New York Times, Associated Press, Clarion Ledger and even NBC's Rock Center (see below). Despite the chaos of the campaign trail, Garrett has continued to cheer hard for the Rebels with constant #hottytoddy and #flagshipfriday tweets from @dgjackson, including an occasional Ole Miss pic from the road.

We'll know tonight whether Garrett's next trip will take him to the White House, but regardless of the destination, you can guarantee the path will have plenty of laughs ... and a few hotty toddies.

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Follow me on twitter @CampbellKyle.

Ole Miss has three players on the watch list for the Conerly Trophy, which is presented annually to Mississippi's top college football player. Redshirt-freshman linebacker Denzel Nkemdiche, junior running back Jeff Scott and sophomore quarterback Bo Wallace made the list. See the press release below for more details, including a live forum at 1 p.m. today with Rick Cleveland to discuss the watch list:

Ridgeland, Miss. (November 5, 2012) - C Spire Wireless, the only wireless provider in the U.S. that offers consumers and businesses a suite of personalized wireless services, is hosting its first live online forum, in partnership with the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame, to officially announce the C Spire Wireless Conerly Trophy "watch list" and to discuss with fans which Mississippi collegiate football star is most likely to win the coveted award.

Rick Cleveland, the legendary Clarion-Ledger sports columnist and executive director of the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame, will lead the discussion and answer fan questions about who may have the "inside track" to win the C Spire Conerly Trophy, given annually to Mississippi's best college football player. 

The live discussion will take place on CIRCLE, C Spire's online community forum, on Tuesday, Nov. 6 at 1 p.m.   Anyone can join the online forum by visiting www.cspire.com/circle and registering for the discussion.  Fans will have the unique opportunity to ask questions, offer opinions and fully participate in the forum.  Just by registering and posting a question, participants will be entered into a drawing for prizes ranging from game tickets to smartphone devices.  

"The C Spire Wireless Conerly Trophy has become an annual tradition for both Mississippi college football fans and players.  This year, the race to win the award is a close one with so many talented athletes in the running," said Jim Richmond, vice president of Corporate Communications for C Spire Wireless.  "This year is particularly special with our new online, live forum on CIRCLE, engaging football fans throughout the state and giving them the opportunity to interact with Rick Cleveland and discuss who they think should be the rightful owner of the C Spire Conerly Trophy this year.  This forum is just another way C Spire is enhancing our customers' overall wireless experience with personalized, exclusive opportunities just for them." 

Rick Cleveland, executive director of the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame, echoed Richmond's excitement for the upcoming forum, which he will lead.  "I've had a passion for Mississippi football my entire life and I've been lucky enough to write about it and be a part of all of its thrills," Cleveland said.  "C Spire's live forum on CIRCLE to discuss this year's Conerly Trophy watch list is an entirely new way to engage fans who are passionate about Mississippi college football. I'm looking forward to discussing these talented young athletes and interacting with all of the forum participants."

The 2012 C Spire Conerly Trophy watch list, in alphabetical order:

• Mississippi College wide receiver Alex Archer: Added three catches for 38 yards on Senior Day in MC's 70-28 loss to Louisiana College.  Now has 37 catches for 712, ranking him second in the American Southwest Conference.

• Mississippi State cornerback Johnthan Banks: The senior All America candidate was in on eight tackles against Texas A&M.  He is a semifinalist for both the Jim Thorpe and Chuck Bednarik national awards.
• Southern Miss defensive end Jamie Collins:  A bright spot in a dismal season, Collins had nine tackles (four for losses) and three sacks.  He also forced two fumbles and broke up a pass in USM's loss to UAB.  He leads USM with 73 tackles, 16 tackles for losses and nine sacks.
• Jackson State defensive end Joseph LeBeau:  A senior from New Orleans, LeBeau had six tackles and one sack in a victory over Grambling.  Now has 15.5 tackles for loss.
• Alcorn kick returner Terrance Lewis: Caught five passes for 35 years in loss to Mississippi Valley State.  Now has 27 catches on the season.  The senior all-SWAC returner ranks second in the league in kickoff returns and fourth in all-purpose yardage.
• Belhaven cornerback Justin Mims:  Had five tackles and broke up three passes in a victory over Pikeville.  The junior ranks fourth in NAIA with four interceptions, including two he has returned for touchdowns.
• Ole Miss linebacker Denzel Nkemdiche: Had eight tackles and forced two fumbles in loss to Georgia.  He leads Ole Miss with 60 tackles, including nine for losses and two sacks.  He also has two pass interceptions.
• Mississippi State running back LaDarius Perkins: Carried the ball 13 times for 42 yards against Texas A&M.  He ranked second in the SEC in rushing and first in all-purpose yardage entering the weekend.
• Millsaps quarterback Garrett Pinciotti: Completed 27 of 41 passes for 310 yards in a victory over Austin.  The senior has thrown for 24 touchdowns and only three interceptions and has won conference player of the week twice.
• Jackson State wide receiver Rico Richardson: Had five catches for 115 yards and a touchdown in JSU's victory over Grambling.  This senior from Natchez has caught 50 passes for 927 yards and eight touchdowns.
• Mississippi State quarterback Tyler Russell: Completed 19 of 30 passes for 212 yards against Texas A&M.  The junior has thrown for 16 touchdowns, compared to just three interceptions.  He has thrown for 1,944 yards.
• Ole Miss running back Jeff Scott:  Ran 13 times for 21 yards and caught three passes for 24 yards against Georgia.  The junior has run for 633 yards on 126 carries.  He has six touchdowns rushing and another on a pass reception.
• Mississippi Valley State defensive tackle Robert Simpson:  Recorded three tackles, one and half for loss and a sack in a victory over Alcorn.  Leads the NCAA championship division with 17.5 tackles for loss.
• Delta State linebacker Ixavier Triplett: Did not play Saturday.  The junior from Scott Central has amassed 29.5 tackles for loss and nine forced fumbles in his career at DSU.
• Ole Miss quarterback Bo Wallace: Completed 16 of 25 passes for 187 yards and a touchdown against Georgia.  He has thrown for 1,836 yards and 11 touchdowns.  Has also scored five touchdowns running and one receiving.
• Southern Miss cornerback Deron Wilson: Wilson  had eight tackles and a pass interception, which returned for 20 yards against UAB.  He ranks second on USM's all-time passes defended list with 33 passes broken up.
• Mississippi Valley linebacker Keven Woods:  The senior has recorded 71 tackles, seven for a loss, four sacks, three forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.

CIRCLE

C Spire's CIRCLE engages consumers in a two-way conversation and offers them a unique platform to communicate and share their thoughts, opinions, likes and dislikes with other CIRCLE members - creating a true wireless community.  CIRCLE also allows C Spire to listen to what their customers have to say - giving the company the ability to create unique experiences based on direct customer feedback. 

"Personalizing the wireless experience isn't just about products and services, it's also about creating a community where sharing and engaging with others is encouraged and rewarded," Richmond said.  "CIRCLE gives us the opportunity to get to know our customers better and provide them with a unique, personalized wireless experience that is tailored just for them - something that just can't be found at any other wireless provider."

Personalized Wireless

Personalized wireless at C Spire is a compilation of a number of different wireless services and programs that combine to reflect and serve each customer's unique needs.  Customers will see this unique personalization in apps and content that fit who they are, services that anticipate their needs, and rewards they'll get just for using their phone in new ways. 

For more information on C Spire's Conerly Trophy CIRCLE Forum, or C Spire's Personalized Wireless services, visit www.cspire.com.

About C Spire Wireless

C Spire Wireless is a diversified wireless communications company passionately committed to helping customers by personalizing wireless services designed just for them.  The company is the first provider in the U.S. to personalize customers' wireless experience by offering apps that fit who they are, services that anticipate their needs, and rewards for using their phone in new ways - all with seamless ease and at amazingly fast speeds.  This news release and other announcements are available at http://www.cspire.com/news/.  For more information about C Spire Wireless and its products and services, visit www.cspire.com or follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/cspire or Twitter at www.twitter.com/cspire.

Former Rebel pitcher Aaron Barrett will take the field tonight for the Arizona Fall League's annual Rising Stars Game as a member of the East Division Team. The game will be broadcast at 7 p.m. CT on the MLB Network. He posted 16 saves for Hagerstown in Low A ball before moving up to High A where he has posted a save and a 1.06 ERA through 11 appearances since moving up.

Barrett helped the Rebels claim the 2009 SEC Championship and was drafted in the ninth round by the Washington Nationals following the 2010 season.

Rebel netter alum Mahesh Bhupathi punched his ticket to the ATP World Tour Finals in doubles with his partner Rohan Bopanna.  The pair clinched the eighth and final spot in the season-ending event, which kicks off next week in London.

On Friday, the fifth seeded Indian duo scored a 6-7, 6-3, 10-4 win over 4th seeds Mariusz Fyrstenberg/Marcin Matkowski in the quarterfinals of the BNP Paribas Open in Paris. The Polish pair were also in contention for the final spot in London and the winner of Friday's quarterfinal was going to clinch the final spot.

Bhupathi and Bopanna have won 2 ATP titles this season.

If you've watched any Ole Miss Football this year, you've seen Denzel Nkemdiche flying around the field. Known to some as the "Tasmanian Denzel," he is always around the ball and makes huge plays despite his smallish frame for a linebacker (5-foot-11, 203 pounds).

Well, now the nation is starting to take notice. On Tuesday, the College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) added Nkemdiche to the 2012 CFPA National Freshman Performer of the Year Watch List. He is one of 32 Division I FBS players on the list.

The redshirt-freshman from Loganville, Ga., leads Ole Miss with 52 tackles, 9.0 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and two interceptions. He is tied for sixth in the SEC in TFLs and leads all freshmen in that category. He has helped the Rebels to an amazing turnaround from last year with a 5-3 record through eight games, just one victory shy of bowl eligibility.

Previous FBS recipients of the CFPA National Freshman Performer of the Year include Ohio State quarterback Braxton Miller (2011), South Carolina running back Marcus Lattimore (2010), and Oregon running back LaMichael James (2009).

Other SEC players on this year's watch list include Amari Cooper (Alabama WR), T.J. Yeldon (Alabama RB), Todd Gurley (Georgia RB), Keith Marshall (Georgia RB), Landon Foster (Kentucky P), Jeremy Hill (LSU RB) and Johnny Manziel (Texas A&M QB).

Originally published September 26, 2012

I am constantly asked for my best guess on game times, so here goes. I preface this post by saying these are GUESSES. Do not invest heavily in travel plans or set your wedding time based on the following kickoffs. These are shots in the dark based on other matchups, frequency on TV network, etc. If I miss one, I could miss them all. That's the way it goes. ESPN often moves SEC games around in their lineup, so that really makes it unpredictable (that 8:15 p.m. slot could end up at 11 a.m.). However, all that said, if you are looking for an educated guess, I'm giving it you. I will update this throughout the season as the landscape changes and indicate my makes and misses.

UPDATE: ESPN is moving more and more games to 11 a.m. slots, making times even harder to predict. I feel good about LSU and my network picks for the others games, but times for UGA, Vandy and MSU are anyone's guess at this point.

Auburn, SEC Network, 11:21 a.m. - CORRECT
@ Arkansas, SEC Network, 11:21 a.m, - CORRECT
@ Georgia, ESPN, 6 p.m. - INCORRECT (CBS, 2:30 p.m.)
Vanderbilt, ESPNU, 6 p.m. - CORRECT
@ LSU, CBS, 2:30 p.m. - CORRECT
MSU, ESPN OR ESPN2, 6 p.m. OR 8 p.m.

All Times Central

Follow me on twitter @CampbellKyle.

Denzel Nkemdiche has been starring on the field as well as the small screen lately. The Rebel linebacker gave a tour of the Indoor Practice Facility during ESPNU's "All-Access: Ole Miss Football" last week, and now he is the subject of a feature produced by ESPNU Campus Connection, in conjunction with RebelVision's Kayla Lusby.





Follow me on twitter @CampbellKyle.