Ick's Corner

+     =    

So for the last few months rumors have been flying about some major moves in various conferences around college football.  There has been talk about the Big 10 (which is actually the big 11) adding 4 more schools.  There was talk about the SEC inviting schools in to make a super conference.  Now the PAC 10 is jumping on board with talks of adding schools to make a mega conference. At the center of all these rumors, Texas and Oklahoma. Lets be perfectly clear about one thing. In all these rumor scenarios, Texas is in the drivers seat. Forget Notre Dame and their *independent* status,  to these other conferences its all about the Texas Longhorns.

The Big 12 is a skeleton of itself these days,  and gets very little national media love.  Texas and Oklahoma are the exception to that statement.  The Big 12  (as a conference) has not seen much love since it was a dominate force to be reckoned with.  College football fans remember when going to Lincoln Nebraska was a terrifying experience.  When you saw R.C. Slocum and his Texas A & M Aggies on your schedule, you better pack a lunch cause it was going to be a long day.  Now a days  teams and fans mark both dates down as a win on the pre season schedule.  There has been one season in the last 10 years where multiple teams in the Big 12 were getting national love, and the BCS had ranked in the top ten.  For one glorious season  Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Texas Tech, and Oklahoma State found themselves ranked in the top ten for multiple weeks during the season.  The next year, Texas and Oklahoma were the only teams to consistently remain ranked in the top ten.  Oklahoma State would sniff the top ten, but only for a short time.  Let us not forget Mike Van Gundy is a man, he is forty!

The discussion of Texas and Oklahoma moving to another conference is an interesting one, and I really hope both schools make their *pros and cons* list prior to making any decisions.  If one school moves to another conference, the other will follow.  So here are a few things to think about.  Since Texas and Oklahoma have been brought up in the rumors surrounding the Big 10, PAC 10 and SEC  let me address a few of my concerns for each conference.

SEC

- It is easy for Mack Brown and Big game Bob Stoops to look really good when they are big fish in a little pond.  I don’t think either team would be as dominate in the SEC.  Game planning for an SEC team in a BCS bowl game is one thing, but on a week in week out scenario the 9-3 or better season both teams have become accustom to will no longer be an almost guaranteed thing.  Having to deal with the likes of Alabama and Florida year in and year out prove to much for both coaches to handle.  Though Texas to the SEC would bring back some of the old rivalries between Texas, Alabama, and Arkansas.  Old school fans of the Southwest Conference would salivate at seeing those teams on Texas schedule.

Big 10

- Geographic nightmare for both schools. And lets face it the Big 10 is one step up from the Big 12.  Thought I would like to see Texas and Oklahoma play Wisconsin and Penn State at least every other year.  Yes the Big 10 has its own cable channel, but lets face it there are only a handful of teams that get national love.  So in my opinion this would be a lateral move for both schools.

PAC-10

- After further review this one actually has me interested. Especially if the reports of the 6 teams the PAC-10 is trying to cherry pick from the Big 12 is correct.  Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, and Colorado. Once again Texas is in the drivers seat and the fate of the Big 12 rests squarely on Texas shoulders.  Oklahoma goes where Texas goes, and meanwhile Texas A&M and Oklahoma State are sitting in the back row begging the big boys to take them with them.  I will not go as far as to say if this expansion happens the PAC 10 will be more dominate then the SEC.  Financially speaking though this potential mega conference would make more money then any other conference in college football.  7 of the 10 major markets are all about Pac 10 football.  The Pac 10 has already made an offer to each of the 6 schools, $20 million a year to each school for making the conference switch.  Now add in the TV contract, this could very well turn into a billion dollar conference.  I must say some of the potential season team schedules could be very interesting.

The Big 10 and the PAC -10 need Texas and Oklahoma more then Texas and Oklahoma need the PAC 10.  I guess we will just have to wait and see.  While talking to Liverdamage last night he made the comment, *man I really miss the Southwest Conference*. Your not the only one buddy..