As the regular season winds down and the NCAA Tournament looms, it's time to start thinking about the road Syracuse is going to take if they want a chance to actually get to the Final Four in Houston. There's plenty of bracketology seeds and regional placements out there. We spend most of our time focusing on the seed, but where we play those games is also going to have an impact.

Just looking at the places the Orange could end up in the first and second weekend, there's spots that look really appealing and there's spots that don't.

1st Weekend Locations: Washington, D.C., Tuscon, AZ, Denver, CO, Tampa, FL, Cleveland, OH, Charlotte, NC, Chicago, IL & Tulsa, OK.

2nd Weekend Locations: Anaheim, CA, New Orleans, LA, San Antonio, TX & Newark, NJ.

So what does the road to Houston look like for Syracuse? I want to know. And in order to grease the wheels, Supercuts has provided a prize pack for you.

All you need to do is say which two locations you'd like to see on Syracuse's road to Houston in the comments below. By doing so, you're automatically entered to win the following:

• $20 Supercuts Gift Card
• $20 Sports Authority Gift Card
• Desk/Office Basketball Game Set – Hoop/Ball
• Foam Finger

Also, Supercuts is hooking up a lucky winner with a trip for 2 to Houston from April 1 - 5, 2011. The package includes airfare, 4 nights’ hotel accommodations and $500 of spending money to help enjoy the on-court action. You can go to facebook.com/supercuts to find out more and learn how to enter to win.

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The Syracuse Fan Halloween Costume Contest is in effect, are you getting ready? You now know how to put together a solid Doug Marrone get-up. Next up let's take a look at what it will require to master the perfect RGL Charley Loeb look.

Editor's Note: I don't mean this as an attack but no matter how good your RGL Charley Loeb costume is, you will never, ever be able to emulate the ridiculously good-looking looks of Sir Loeb. It is physically impossible. You know that debunked science experiment where the guy said he could figure out how beautiful people are by measuring their skulls and face symmetry? Well it's actually true but Charley Loeb is such an outlier that he screws up the entire scale, rendering it null. I just don't want there to be any unrealistic expectations, okay?

BASICS

One (1) Black Wig

You will be hard-pressed to find a wig that matches Charley's tousled treasure top, so your best bet is to go with a greaser or 50's-style wig. It oozes the kind of rebel without a cause attitude that makes up Charley Loeb's essence.

One (1) Syracuse Football Jersey

Preferably No. 17 if we're going for authenticity. Oddly, it seems like they're sold out. A real collectors item...so I guess make-do with what you've got.

One (1) Clipboard

Hey, it's about being authentic.

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It's been a couple weeks, time for a contest.

Halloween is October 31st. You've got a lot of options this year, especially if you're trying to make your mark. There's Jersey Shore cast-members, Miley Cyrus, crazy Mel Gibson, Barack Obama... At least one of you is considering putting on a hard hat, smothering yourself in soot and going as a Chilean Miner. And there's going to be at least one of you that goes as Tiger Woods accompanied by a blonde blow-up doll (so 2009).

But let me throw another idea out there for you.  Go as a Syracuse athlete, coach or other person related to SU sports. If you do, there might just be some prizes in it for you.

So the question becomes...who do you dress up as? I will tell you this...I have a points system. I am not sharing this points system with you. The points system take into account things such as accuracy, details, creativity and uniqueness. So while dressing up like Doug Marrone will be smart, dressing up like Ger Schwedes and nailing it might even be better.

That's not to say I don't want to see Doug Marrones. I want to see Doug Marrones. And if I see a Doug Marrone far superior to anything else I could have ever imagined then I will put that Doug Marrone costume high on a pedastal.

Alright, so here's the deal:

1. Between now and October 31st, dress up like a Syracuse-related coach, athlete, administrator or other person. I'm willing to stretch the boundaries far here as long as you can justify it.

2. All entries must be received in photo form via FanPost/FanShot by November 1st.

3. Content is welcome to all ages. If you're forcing your three-month-old to be 'Lil DOCTOR Gross for Halloween, we want to see it.

4. I will select a group of semifinalists at my discretion. They will be put up to a vote on the site the week after Halloween. The person/persons (no one ever said you couldn't do this as a group) who gets the most votes, wins.

5. The Grand Prize - An autographed copy of Orange Tip-Off Magazine.

6. Second prize - A plain-old copy of Orange Tip-Off Magazine.

7. Third prize - YOU'RE FIRED. HIT THE BRICKS, PAL.

Over the next few days I'll be supplying you with some ideas and how to put them together. You can take my advice or you can go your own root. The only important thing is that your costume be as Cuse-y in nature. Good luck.