It is what it is and it appears to be a done deal. Texas has destroyed the Big 12 Conference and is now trying to find a way to save face. Even going as far as traveling to Norman over the weekend to try and talk the Sooners into being humble, obedient servants keeping the conference together. However, enough is enough. With three teams gone now Oklahoma has had enough of instability and ficklenes and are moving on. Now, if we could just wait until after the football season ends to further this discussion. I know, I know, its not gonna happen. Especially when its a front page story on just about every SBN site.
- It was nice to read Commissioner Slive's comments on accepting A&M's application to the SEC. I'm not sure what the next move is from here (official announcement from A&M that we've joined the SEC and will begin play during the 2012 season?), but I expect things to get very interesting during the next few weeks. I think the SEC's move to 13 is going to spur the Pac-12's move to 14 to try to stay ahead in the game. I am wondering if the B1G has any plans to add any teams, too.
- Reports are all over Twitter from several sources saying that Oklahoma and Oklahoma State are expected to leave the Big 12 by the end of the month and apply to join the Big 12. With A&M leaving for the SEC and OU and OSU going to the Pac-12, I would guess the next school to make a move would be Missouri. I don't see the Big 12 remaining in any form or fashion after membership falls to seven schools, regardless of the wishful thinking of Baylor or Kansas State fans. I do think it is interesting that texas fans might actually be questioning if they have overplayed their hand in the realignment game. They're just now beginning to wonder if they screwed up? - I Am The 12th Man
SBN's Oklahoma State site has an entertaining take on the chop-block penalty.
Much has been made of the astounding number of drive killing Chop-Blocks (or Crack-Back-Blocks depending on which part of Subjectivia you are from) the Cowboys have been flagged for this season, and even more has been made of Coach Gundy's comment when asked about it:
I told the team after the game that I am really unsure, myself, of what [the chop block] rule is and we will identify what the problem is and we'll get it cleaned up.
Who would have thought this was possible just a week after sneaking past Northern Iowa.
- Steele Jantz was named Big XII Offensive Player of the Week. Admittedly, this was in a week when only half of the conference even had games, and Robert Griffin III did not play. Still, it was an absolutely fantastic performance and he deserves every accolade that comes his way regarding it.
- Iowa State got two votes in the USA Today Poll. While it would likely take a win against Texas on Oct. 1st to actually catapult the Cyclones into the Top 25, a win at UConn may send a few more voted their way. - Clone Chronicles
Rock Chalk Talk has come out with their first Big 12 Power Rankings of the season
Only about half the league was actually in action this weekend with Texas, Kansas, Oklahoma State and Iowa State securing wins. Missouri of course was the lone loss, but in reality I didn't think it was a bad loss for the Tigers. The biggest concern in Columbia might be the growing list of injuries.
In Austin a QB switch was made, Ames stormed the field and broke the trophy against the Hawkeyes, Okie Light dominated Arizona and of course we all know what happened in Lawrence. With that, let's break down the power rankings for week three.
With the conference realignment blowing up in their faces even some Texas fans are wondering if the Longhorns have overplayed their hand.
Texas, these posters would argue, didn't care about seeking out a conference of fellow athletic or academic heavyweights. Instead, Texas sought to create and control what would be in essence a Texas & The Seven Dwarfs Conference, one which Texas could dominate not only on the field with regularity but in the conference boardroom as well. An ugly conference to pretty much any fan and supporter of the University but one which would guarantee that Texas, Inc. could continue to fill its coffers.
I usually dismissed these posters without so much as a counter-argument, since they always seems vehemently anti-Texas in their outlooks to begin with, and this theory simply fit in with their worldview of Texas being the center of All Things Evil in the world of college athletics.
But were they right after all? I'm beginning to wonder. Or, in the alternate, is a Seven Dwarf Conference what Texas will be stuck with if it continues to overplay its hand? - Burnt Orange Nation
However, there's still a small glimmer of hope that the conference could remain together.
Optimism surfaces that Big 12 can be salvaged without Texas A&M | Big 12 | Star-Telegram | Big 12 survival hopes surge - San Antonio Express-News
Long-time respected reporters, FWST's Jimmy Burch and SAEN's Tim Griffin (yes, he used to write the Big 12 blog before Ubben) are hearing that the Big 12 could stay together. Here's Burch:Could the other Big 12 teams remain together without A&M?
That's a possibility. Optimism seemed to be building in that direction Friday and Saturday, with Big 12 administrators discussing options to add more stability to the league, which lost Nebraska and Colorado to other conferences last year, in an effort to entice Oklahoma officials to remain part of a nine-school nucleus that would explore Big 12 expansion.
One bargaining chip involves a possible move toward equal revenue sharing from all league-generated TV revenues.
That would be unprecedented for the Big 12, although it is common in other leagues.
From all indications, every school but Oklahoma seems to be on board with that proposal. Under that model, each school would then retain its third-tier TV rights and the option to create its own network -- by itself or in conjunction with other schools -- similar to the Longhorn Network and keep those revenues for itself.
OU officials have considered creation of their own network, an idea the school would have to abandon or modify as a Pac-12 member.
Unfortunately we saw this coming. The success of Brennan Clay, Roy Finch and recruitment of Brandon Williams leads to transfers.
OU and Coach Stoops announced after practice Monday night that one time five star RB recruit Jermie Calhounhas decided to transfer at the end of the semester. It's the second such announcement in as many weeks after Jonathan Miller announced his intention to do the same recently. - Crimson And Cream Machine
Rock M Nation has one of the better photo caption contests that I've seen in a while at the expense of the Michigan Wolverines.
Its no surprise that the smaller revenue schools are keeping up with the conference realignment talk because above all else their future is the least clear.
Mike Slive is talking about Texas A&M and scheduling for a 13-team conference in 2012-13, so it sounds like, threat of litigation or not, that the SEC plans to add the Aggies (no surprise).
Texas considers the survival of the Big 12 its top priority, with a move to the ACC second, and independence third. Conspicuous by its absence: Pac-12.
Pacific Takes has a look at who could become the 15th and 16th schools in the Pac-12 if OU and OSU become members, but Texas declines. K-State, KU and Missouri are discussed. Beware, one of the natives in the comments is very anti-KSU. One thing the commenter, and a lot of fans around the country who complain about certain rumored additions to their conferences, doesn't realize is that if you want 16-team conferences, you're not going to have 16 schools that are perfect fits. The Pac-12 conference sits way out there on the west coast, and there just aren't 16 perfect options that are a reasonable geographic fit. Colorado was a geographic stretch to begin with, now we're talking about the states of Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri? And if you're against K-State, then what are your other options? BYU isn't a fit for cultural and scheduling reasons, Boise State is a worse academic fit than K-State and the Oklahoma schools, and beyond that you're left with choosing schools from New Mexico, Nevada, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and the other western states. Bottom line is that if you want to add schools that have been in an AQ conference, you can't be especially picky. Of course, Texas could solve that problem for Pac-12 fans, athletic directors, chancellors and Larry Scott, but it's not a sure bet it will. - Bring On The Cats