The Big 12 expansion groundswell

[outlier]

Regarding academics, I don't see how the SEC is not a step up from the Big 12. Mostly state flagship schools, with double the AAU members.

Interesting and thanks for the tip -- hadn't ever counted them. I think the ratio is actually 4-to-3 though: TAM, UF, Mizzou, Vandy vs. ISU, UKan, UT. Which, when you divide by total conference membership, is pretty close to a wash. Okay, I'll quit OU when they move to the SEC just because I don't like the south then, not for academic superiority reasons.

o

[Jeff Lebowski]

So when did the JL/Creekster feud become a thing?

It's a mystery. He seems obsessed with arguing with me at every opportunity. Go figure.

[Paperback Writer]

OU doesn't have many inherent, structural advantages that suggest they should be a top football team -- tradition and great coaching keep them up. Biggest structural advantage is probably proximity to the state of Texas and city of Dallas. Give them a couple mediocre coaches while playing SEC competition -- and only one Texas team on the schedule -- and they could find themselves in a hole that would be much more difficult to get out of compared to playing in the Big 12.

Regarding academics, I don't see how the SEC is not a step up from the Big 12. Mostly state flagship schools, with double the AAU members.

The same could be said about Alabama...not many inherent structural advantages except tradition and great coaching. And both schools have found themselves in "a hole" after coaching legends left their programs. Which means it's only a matter of finding the "right" coach to put them back on top. You're correct about the advantage OU has with being close to the Dallas metro area - it's an area of about 5 million with some of the best prep football in the country.

OU was in "a hole" post-Barry Switzer. They got out of it with Bob Stoops while playing in the Big 12 against Nebraska (when they were a top ten program), a rejuvenated Texas under Mack Brown, some very good Texas Tech teams under Mike Leach, KSU with Bill Snyder, along with usually competitive A&M and Missouri. OU would be just fine in the SEC with the "right" coach. Alabama would struggle in the Big 12 with the "wrong" coach. Fan support and tradition usually mean it's not long before the "right" coach is hired at schools like OU and Alabama.

[creekster]

It's a mystery. He seems obsessed with arguing with me at every opportunity. Go figure.

Really? That's what you think? Paranoid much?

[Jeff Lebowski]

Really? That's what you think? Paranoid much?

See what I mean?

[creekster]

See what I mean?

You announce to the board your conclusion that I am obsessed with arguing with you (which is sort of funny) and you find that my response proves your point? Whatever, dude. And that is a most decidedly non-lebowski sense of dude. So I can say nothing, which you would take as a concession, or I can say you're wrong, which you then say proves your point. Nice job.

I will try to get treatment for my obsession. thanks for your help.

[Armenag]

The same could be said about Alabama...not many inherent structural advantages except tradition and great coaching. And both schools have found themselves in "a hole" after coaching legends left their programs. Which means it's only a matter of finding the "right" coach to put them back on top. You're correct about the advantage OU has with being close to the Dallas metro area - it's an area of about 5 million with some of the best prep football in the country.

OU was in "a hole" post-Barry Switzer. They got out of it with Bob Stoops while playing in the Big 12 against Nebraska (when they were a top ten program), a rejuvenated Texas under Mack Brown, some very good Texas Tech teams under Mike Leach, KSU with Bill Snyder, along with usually competitive A&M and Missouri. OU would be just fine in the SEC with the "right" coach. Alabama would struggle in the Big 12 with the "wrong" coach. Fan support and tradition usually mean it's not long before the "right" coach is hired at schools like OU and Alabama.

Good points, but I think Alabama has definite structural advantages in terms of easily reached high school talent -- the state is usually top 10 in terms of players in the NFL, with more than double the state of Oklahoma, and Tuscaloosa is the same distance from Atlanta that Norman is from Dallas -- with New Orleans just another hour away and Memphis and Nashville closer. The state of Oklahoma produces more NFL players than only Arkansas and Kentucky in the SEC, and those three are almost the same.

Interesting and thanks for the tip -- hadn't ever counted them. I think the ratio is actually 4-to-3 though: TAM, UF, Mizzou, Vandy vs. ISU, UKan, UT. Which, when you divide by total conference membership, is pretty close to a wash. Okay, I'll quit OU when they move to the SEC just because I don't like the south then, not for academic superiority reasons.

Good point; forgot about Iowa State.

[BlueK]

So this Oklahoma sportswriter was on a conference call with OU president Boren and came away thinking that Boren's favorite choice for expansion is BYU.

https://twitter.com/john_shinn

[Omaha 680]

Boren is our best (only?) friend right now.

Bump.

[kccougar]

Bump.

[The_Douger]

Preparing the kidney again.

[myboynoah]

Next three months could determine future of Big 12

[SandYFan]

Reddit thread on this contains a lot of comments that BYU is not a good fit geographically.

[Paperback Writer]

Reddit thread on this contains a lot of comments that BYU is not a good fit geographically.

Neither was West Virginia when they got invited to the Big 12.

[falafel]

Reddit thread on this contains a lot of comments that BYU is not a good fit geographically.

Nobody's a perfect candidate. If they were, they would have been added already.