The Big 12 expansion groundswell

[Portland Ute]

The Big 12 didn't make a mistake by letting Colorado go. That was a blessing. The mistake was not bending over backwards to keep Nebraska and then plugging in BYU to replace Colorado and keep on moving. Had they done that, they would be challenging the SEC as the premier football conference. Instead it is questionable if they will even survive.

You really think keeping Nebraska and adding BYU would have put the Big12 on par with the SEC?

You think BYU has that much juice?

[Portland Ute]

Except the most competent conference in CFB.

One could argue the SEC is more competent.

[Jacob]

You really think keeping Nebraska and adding BYU would have put the Big12 on par with the SEC?

You think BYU has that much juice?

Since the B12 was pretty close to the SEC already, probably. Not because they added BYU, but because several of the programs seem to have rebounded...Nebraska especially.

[TripletDaddy]

One could argue the SEC is more competent.

I don't think there is any doubt, at least not from a football perspective. The SEC is the premiere football conference by a wide margin.

I think from an overall athletic perspective (all sports programs), the PAC is the winner, again by a wide margin.

From an combined academic and athletic perspective, I would say it is an interesting debate among the B1G, the PAC, and the ACC.

From the perspective of being a huge piece of poo, I think the Big East is the winner.

[Omaha 680]

You really think keeping Nebraska and adding BYU would have put the Big12 on par with the SEC?

You think BYU has that much juice?

Since the B12 was pretty close to the SEC already, probably. Not because they added BYU, but because several of the programs seem to have rebounded...Nebraska especially.

Jacob said what I was getting at. BYU wouldn't have been the reason, they just would have been a suitable replacement for Colorado to keep the conference stable at 12. Given my opinion of Colorado stated above, you shouldn't mistake that to mean I overestimate BYU's value. I just think Colorado was in the basement of the Big 12 and didn't matter.

Nebraska is well on their way back. Texas and Oklahama will never go anywhere. Kansas State is showing signs of life, and Oklahoma State is becoming a staple in the top 10. If Missouri and Texas A&M stayed, you have a conference as powerful as it was in the late 90s/early 2000s. Baylor is also playing well and ISU is halfway respectable. Replacing Colorado with BYU, you would have a conference with no dogs at all and very strong top to bottom. The Big 12 is already considered the 2nd best football conference even after losing all those schools. I don't think it's a stretch to think they'd at least challenge the perception of the SEC as king if they hadn't screwed things up so badly.

[Omaha 680]

Let me add that if you replace Colorado with BYU, you have Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri, Texas, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, and BYU for hoops. The Big 12 really was a fantastic conference, especially in football and basketball. It's sad to see what incompetence has done to it.

[Flattop]

Jacob said what I was getting at. BYU wouldn't have been the reason, they just would have been a suitable replacement for Colorado to keep the conference stable at 12. Given my opinion of Colorado stated above, you shouldn't mistake that to mean I overestimate BYU's value. I just think Colorado was in the basement of the Big 12 and didn't matter.

Nebraska is well on their way back. Texas and Oklahama will never go anywhere. Kansas State is showing signs of life, and Oklahoma State is becoming a staple in the top 10. If Missouri and Texas A&M stayed, you have a conference as powerful as it was in the late 90s/early 2000s. Baylor is also playing well and ISU is halfway respectable. Replacing Colorado with BYU, you would have a conference with no dogs at all and very strong top to bottom. The Big 12 is already considered the 2nd best football conference even after losing all those schools. I don't think it's a stretch to think they'd at least challenge the perception of the SEC as king if they hadn't screwed things up so badly.

Or maybe just if Oklahoma would stop losing so badly to SEC teams in MNC games.

Edit: The Big 12 is 2-5 in MNC games while the SEC is 7-0

Texas is 1-1 in MNC games while Oklahoma is 1-3 and Nebraska is 0-1. Actually, Oklahoma's worst MNC loss was to USC, 19-55. The Sooners lost by just seven to LSU and ten to Florida.

[Portland Ute]

[QUOTE=Omaha 680;708541]Jacob said what I was getting at. BYU wouldn't have been the reason, they just would have been a suitable replacement for Colorado to keep the conference stable at 12. Given my opinion of Colorado stated above, you shouldn't mistake that to mean I overestimate BYU's value. I just think Colorado was in the basement of the Big 12 and didn't matter.

[QUOTE]

Colorado was the basement of the Big12?

Does everyone forget about the awesomeness that is Iowa State? K-State until Snyder Part Deux was equally shitastic. Sure, Baylor is having it's hey-day in football, but come on....Baylor is in it's modern golden age. Outside of this, Baylor has been a joke.

From a market perspective, losing Colorado was a blow.

Was Colorado Texas, TAMU, Nebraska, OU, OSU or maybe even Texas Tech? No. But it's not like they were clearly the worst and over a longer span, they were far from the worst.

[Marvelous]

No one cares about Colorado like no one cares about BYU right now. Colorado actually has a national championship in the nineties and Big 12 championships since then, including big bowl appearances. Colorado will be back. It is in a populous, sports crazy state.

As if any of us needed another reason to completely discredit everything you say, I present the above as item #1,928,271.

[Blueintheface]

A PAC-1/Big 2 showdown.

[SeattleUte]

As if any of us needed another reason to completely discredit everything you say, I present the above as item #1,928,271.

Whatever you say. Apparently you think you know more than the Pac 12 administrators and its commissioner. There's nothing I care to discuss with you about this.

[Jacob]

Or maybe just if Oklahoma would stop losing so badly to SEC teams in MNC games.

Edit: The Big 12 is 2-5 in MNC games while the SEC is 7-0

Texas is 1-1 in MNC games while Oklahoma is 1-3 and Nebraska is 0-1. Actually, Oklahoma's worst MNC loss was to USC, 19-55. The Sooners lost by just seven to LSU and ten to Florida.

Why MNC? What does the M stand for?

[creekster]

Why MNC? What does the M stand for?

Mythical

[Jacob]

Mythical

Why mythical? I thought that applied to old-time, pre-BCS champions who played weak schedules. You apply it to all champs because there was no real playoff?

[creekster]

Why mythical? I thought that applied to old-time, pre-BCS champions who played weak schedules. You apply it to all champs because there was no real playoff?

I didn't apply it to anything. I just answered your question.