Should've listened when they said don't mess with Texas. (Unless you're Alabama)
I want to give a big shout out this week to the Texas Longhorns for sticking it to the 'man' (Newly selected Pac-10 commissioner Larry Scott). Thank you for standing up and addressing that you had no interest in any 'superconferences' or Justice Leagues that were in need of members. Finally, thank you for being the nucleus that saved the Big 12, for now.
Moving on, the widespread panic of total geographic obliteration and conference annihilation seemed inevitable. Everyone imagined a sixteen team conference that would probably dissemble within ten years. Turns out that doomsday dropped a grenade instead of a nuke. Only four teams left their respected conferences when it was all said and done. The Pac-10 will probably end up with twelve teams as I believe that Utah will join, and the Big Twelve will turn into a mixture of ten teams. This is still chaotic in a sense. Things won't be normal, but it's better than jumping right into the abyss. I fear that we are nearing a time where there will be four superconferences. At least, we may be able to analyze and understand that day in the next few years instead of making a superbly rash decision.
The only reason Texas did not go to the Pac-10 was the fear of competition. They werent standing up to anybody. Think about it, why would Texas leave the Big Twelve? It is a one game season for the Longhorns,(beat Oklahoma), and they are headed to the national championship, although the occasional slip up to mediocre teams(Texas Tech). Texas has the easiest rode to the crystal football than any other team. What would Texas gain by joining the Pac 10 besides a larger gas bill with all the traveling they would be doing to the west coast? thats right absolutely nothing. Texas has it made. They are not leaving the Big 12 until they are forced to. so in other words texas isnt sticking it to the man. They made a smart but cowardly decision thats going to help them in the long run. If it aint broke dont fix it.
ReplyDeleteOkay, I see where you're coming from, but I don't think that the Pac-10 offers that much more competition. I think the Pac-10 may surpass the Big 12 competition-wise within the next couple of years. Right now, it still looks pretty even. Oregon is ranked ten, but they desperately need a reliable quarterback. USC is ranked in the teens, but, with all that is going on there, I don't see them being any better than last year. Besides those two teams, all I see is mediocrity. The Big Twelve boasts Oklahoma as its biggest threat who should be a little better as of next year, and Texas A&M may have one of the most improved teams in the country. Besides that, there is mostly mediocrity. I don't care personally what reasons Texas had for not taking the Pac-10 offer, but I'm just happy to know we're not jumping into a 'superconference' before we know how that situation will hold up.
ReplyDelete