Pachyderm_Wave
Hartselle Tigers (15-0) 5-A State Champ
- Joined
- Jul 28, 2008
- Messages
- 15,323
- Reaction score
- 13,905
Now that the Big-10 is now the Big-12, and the Big-12 is now the Big-10, and the Pac-10 is at 11 and holding, it's time to reflect on the last 2 weeks in college football and try to figure out exactly what happened to this seemingly perfectly engineered scenario that would have created 4 or 5 super conferences and reworked the college football landscape forever...
Winner - Texas: Here's why:
Texas played the Svengali role to a big orange T, manipulating the Pac-10, forcing out Big-12 malcontent Nebraska, getting clearance to pursue it's own television network, ridding itself of that pesky Big-12 conference championship game (for now), thus ensuring the winner of the Red River Shootout is basically the conference champion, and perhaps more importantly, demonstrating to the rest of the college football world that when it says "jump", Oklahoma and Texas A&M mount pogo sticks.
Loser - Texas A&M: Here's why:
The Aggies could've joined the SEC and reversed their fortunes, which at this point appear condemned to be Longhorn shadow-dwellers for all eternity. Texas' maneuverings make it virtually impossible for A&M to keep pace, but diehard Aggie fans will certainly assert otherwise, even in the face of mounting losses and a widening gap in both talent and interest in the program outside the state's borders. The SEC would have offered A&M it's best chance to carve out an identity seperate from big brother Texas, but it's not happening now, and A&M may have shuffled its way out of future invites should the Big-12 implode again at a later date. When the SEC comes calling, you go.
Loser - Oklahoma: Here's why:
Texas A&M's cold feet are somewhat understandable; Oklahoma's decision to ride Texas' coattails come hell or high water makes no sense at all. Oklahoma was fully prepared to follow Texas to the Pac-10 and barely took the time to return the SEC's phone calls. Staying in the Big-12 is actually the best thing for the Sooners, but that's not the point. Oklahoma lost when it failed to listen to the SEC's pitch. Furthermore, for such a prestigious program to essentially let Texas be the shot-caller in some kind of jailhouse relationship is embarrasing. Oklahoma fans should demand better of it's leaders.
Winners - Colorado, Nebraska: Here's why:
They got out when the gettin' was good, and in the process put themselves in better situations. Nebraska may not dominate the Big-10...yet.., but if the Big-10 divides along east-west geographical lines for a potential conference championship game, the Huskers will likely only have to contend with Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana and Northwestern (Michigan and Michigan St., though farther west than Indiana, would likely be kept together in the Big-10 East.) Colorado, meanwhile, finally gets to join a conference with similar makeup to its own, and with USC about to enter a decade long funk, the conference bellcow now becomes....Oregon?
Loser - Math: Here's why:
Big-12 does not equal 10, and Big-10 does not equal 12. Funny.... because a lot of these schools were allegedly considering their moves over issues of academics.
Winners - Missouri, Kansas, Kansas St., Iowa St., and Baylor: Here's why:
That collective release of millions of pounds of carbon dioxide you feel blowing in from the west is the fleeing breath from the lungs of fans of these 5 schools, which were looking at either the MWC or C-USA if the Big-12 went nipples up.
Loser - Pac-10: Here's why:
They went from adding Texas, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Oklahoma St., and Texas Tech to getting Colorado, and likely Utah. That's a bit like going shopping for a vintage Rolls Royce and coming home with a late-80's Sterling: It's still a British car, but it's not going to get you a front row parking space at the Country Club for Sunday brunch.
Winner - Utah: Here's why:
Utah now has some serious options. The Big-12 needs two teams to keep its conference championship game, and Utah and BYU are the strongest 2 programs in that area right with the possible exception of TCU-- but the Horned Frogs simply don't have the following or the facilities. Or, Utah could slide over to the Pac-10, which needs (and will get, one way or the other) a 12th team for it's conference championship game. Then there's always the issue of staying in the MWC, which now claims Boise St. among it's ranks and is 2 teams away from hosting it's own conference championship game.
Loser - Notre Dame: Here's why:
Notre Dame, it would seem, could have joined the Big-10 and become relevant once again. The Irish still haven't figured out that it's football program needs a conference more than a conference needs it.... not from a monetary standpoint, but from a practical standpoint.
Winners - Big-10, Big East, ACC: Here's why:
The Big-10 now gets it's coveted conference championship game, as well as welcoming one of college footballs top 10 programs of all time, and didn't have to bow before Notre Dame in order to get it. The Big East and ACC, meanwhile, manage to hold off a major raid upon their ranks from the SEC and Big-10.
Push - SEC: Here's why:
The Big-10, which already controls the largest television revenue share among conferences, just got richer. THe SEC could have leapfrogged them, added the state of Texas as home recruiting territory and weakened its neighbors immediately to the west in the process, to say nothing of destabilizing the ACC (and by default, the Big East) by inviting North Carolina, Duke, and/or the Virginia schools. The SEC's dominance is what triggered all this in the first place... the SEC didn't lose any ground, but they didn't gain any either. What was proven in all this is that the SEC has mind control in college football.
Winners - Arkansas, South Carolina, Auburn, Tennessee: Here's why:
Arkansas surely gained ground. The Razorbacks might get an invitation to the Big-12 out of this, which could at least give them some leverage over the rest of the SEC in issues of scheduling or revenue, and that's on top of the collective sigh of relief these 4 schools are breathing over not having Oklahoma or Texas in the conference. Had the SEC added these two powerhouses, the teams in the conferences "second tier" would have faced a monstrous task in getting back to the top (or, in South Carolina's case, to the top the first time.)
Loser - Big-12: Here's why:
While the Big-12 would seem like a winner at first glance, the conference actually comes out on the short end of the stick, (other than Texas and Oklahoma.) Texas now controls the conference even more than it did before. The loss of Colorado and Nebraska can't be overcome by adding a couple of these MWC schools, or any of the smaller Texas schools, and the Big-12 overnight became the most top heavy conference in the country. Many believe the Big-12 has a short life expectancy anyway-- that Texas simply stalled the process in order to get better control over little brother Texas A&M's wishes to join the SEC, before making a second run at the Pac-10 in the future.
Whatever happens in the days, months, even years ahead, the absurd relationship between Texas and it's minions inside the Big-12 conference has been exposed for all of the college football world to see.
Winner - Texas: Here's why:
Texas played the Svengali role to a big orange T, manipulating the Pac-10, forcing out Big-12 malcontent Nebraska, getting clearance to pursue it's own television network, ridding itself of that pesky Big-12 conference championship game (for now), thus ensuring the winner of the Red River Shootout is basically the conference champion, and perhaps more importantly, demonstrating to the rest of the college football world that when it says "jump", Oklahoma and Texas A&M mount pogo sticks.
Loser - Texas A&M: Here's why:
The Aggies could've joined the SEC and reversed their fortunes, which at this point appear condemned to be Longhorn shadow-dwellers for all eternity. Texas' maneuverings make it virtually impossible for A&M to keep pace, but diehard Aggie fans will certainly assert otherwise, even in the face of mounting losses and a widening gap in both talent and interest in the program outside the state's borders. The SEC would have offered A&M it's best chance to carve out an identity seperate from big brother Texas, but it's not happening now, and A&M may have shuffled its way out of future invites should the Big-12 implode again at a later date. When the SEC comes calling, you go.
Loser - Oklahoma: Here's why:
Texas A&M's cold feet are somewhat understandable; Oklahoma's decision to ride Texas' coattails come hell or high water makes no sense at all. Oklahoma was fully prepared to follow Texas to the Pac-10 and barely took the time to return the SEC's phone calls. Staying in the Big-12 is actually the best thing for the Sooners, but that's not the point. Oklahoma lost when it failed to listen to the SEC's pitch. Furthermore, for such a prestigious program to essentially let Texas be the shot-caller in some kind of jailhouse relationship is embarrasing. Oklahoma fans should demand better of it's leaders.
Winners - Colorado, Nebraska: Here's why:
They got out when the gettin' was good, and in the process put themselves in better situations. Nebraska may not dominate the Big-10...yet.., but if the Big-10 divides along east-west geographical lines for a potential conference championship game, the Huskers will likely only have to contend with Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana and Northwestern (Michigan and Michigan St., though farther west than Indiana, would likely be kept together in the Big-10 East.) Colorado, meanwhile, finally gets to join a conference with similar makeup to its own, and with USC about to enter a decade long funk, the conference bellcow now becomes....Oregon?
Loser - Math: Here's why:
Big-12 does not equal 10, and Big-10 does not equal 12. Funny.... because a lot of these schools were allegedly considering their moves over issues of academics.
Winners - Missouri, Kansas, Kansas St., Iowa St., and Baylor: Here's why:
That collective release of millions of pounds of carbon dioxide you feel blowing in from the west is the fleeing breath from the lungs of fans of these 5 schools, which were looking at either the MWC or C-USA if the Big-12 went nipples up.
Loser - Pac-10: Here's why:
They went from adding Texas, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Oklahoma St., and Texas Tech to getting Colorado, and likely Utah. That's a bit like going shopping for a vintage Rolls Royce and coming home with a late-80's Sterling: It's still a British car, but it's not going to get you a front row parking space at the Country Club for Sunday brunch.
Winner - Utah: Here's why:
Utah now has some serious options. The Big-12 needs two teams to keep its conference championship game, and Utah and BYU are the strongest 2 programs in that area right with the possible exception of TCU-- but the Horned Frogs simply don't have the following or the facilities. Or, Utah could slide over to the Pac-10, which needs (and will get, one way or the other) a 12th team for it's conference championship game. Then there's always the issue of staying in the MWC, which now claims Boise St. among it's ranks and is 2 teams away from hosting it's own conference championship game.
Loser - Notre Dame: Here's why:
Notre Dame, it would seem, could have joined the Big-10 and become relevant once again. The Irish still haven't figured out that it's football program needs a conference more than a conference needs it.... not from a monetary standpoint, but from a practical standpoint.
Winners - Big-10, Big East, ACC: Here's why:
The Big-10 now gets it's coveted conference championship game, as well as welcoming one of college footballs top 10 programs of all time, and didn't have to bow before Notre Dame in order to get it. The Big East and ACC, meanwhile, manage to hold off a major raid upon their ranks from the SEC and Big-10.
Push - SEC: Here's why:
The Big-10, which already controls the largest television revenue share among conferences, just got richer. THe SEC could have leapfrogged them, added the state of Texas as home recruiting territory and weakened its neighbors immediately to the west in the process, to say nothing of destabilizing the ACC (and by default, the Big East) by inviting North Carolina, Duke, and/or the Virginia schools. The SEC's dominance is what triggered all this in the first place... the SEC didn't lose any ground, but they didn't gain any either. What was proven in all this is that the SEC has mind control in college football.
Winners - Arkansas, South Carolina, Auburn, Tennessee: Here's why:
Arkansas surely gained ground. The Razorbacks might get an invitation to the Big-12 out of this, which could at least give them some leverage over the rest of the SEC in issues of scheduling or revenue, and that's on top of the collective sigh of relief these 4 schools are breathing over not having Oklahoma or Texas in the conference. Had the SEC added these two powerhouses, the teams in the conferences "second tier" would have faced a monstrous task in getting back to the top (or, in South Carolina's case, to the top the first time.)
Loser - Big-12: Here's why:
While the Big-12 would seem like a winner at first glance, the conference actually comes out on the short end of the stick, (other than Texas and Oklahoma.) Texas now controls the conference even more than it did before. The loss of Colorado and Nebraska can't be overcome by adding a couple of these MWC schools, or any of the smaller Texas schools, and the Big-12 overnight became the most top heavy conference in the country. Many believe the Big-12 has a short life expectancy anyway-- that Texas simply stalled the process in order to get better control over little brother Texas A&M's wishes to join the SEC, before making a second run at the Pac-10 in the future.
Whatever happens in the days, months, even years ahead, the absurd relationship between Texas and it's minions inside the Big-12 conference has been exposed for all of the college football world to see.
Last edited by a moderator:
