Denial, as the joke goes, is a terrible place to live. Leading up to last Saturday, it would seem most of the common sense in Austin, Texas had just such a postmark.
Desperate to shake the 5-7 embarrassment from a year ago, Texas had allowed itself to take a comeback win over BYU, a victory over a hapless UCLA team, all capped by a double-digit win at Iowa State as proof to the world it was back, and was ready to stun the nation with an upset win over Oklahoma last Saturday.
In that vein, it was somehow strangely apropos that it was none other than Bob Stoops and Oklahoma to groin-kick the Horns back into reality.
With a rabid, red-meat defense to back its secondary-carving offense, Oklahoma browbeat the Longhorns into embarrassing submission with a 55-17 rout, exposing Texas as a team drastically closer to its 5-7 yesteryear predecessor than anything resembling the long-gone Case McCoy years.
The Sooners tossed around Texas' two-headed quarterback monster of David Ash and Case McCoy like a Toys-R-Us ragdoll on a Christmas closeout shelf. Hurried, beaten, slammed, and pressured, the Texas offense found itself unable to establish even a feint of rhythm, with the darkest series coming ironically at the end of its greatest success. After having driven to the Oklahoma 18, successive plays of fumble, sack, sack left Texas facing a fourth and forty-nine from its own 47. The ensuing punt didn't even reach the first down marker.
When Oklahoma wasn't pushing Texas around, they were stealing their football. In all, Oklahoma defenders forced five turnovers - two interceptions, three fumble recoveries, including one pick-six and two fumbles returned for touchdowns. The five turnovers led to 31 Sooner points, over half Oklahoma's total on the day, and left Oklahoma's defense having outscored Texas' offense 21-10.
Even when Texas showed signs of life, Oklahoma managed to respond. After Fozzie Whittaker's 100-yard kickoff return brought Texas to 24-10 with less than three minutes to the half, Oklahoma's Landry Jones guided the Sooners on a masterful 83-yard drive capped with a 17-yard strike to Kenny Stills with :31 remaining before intermission, extending the Sooners lead to 34-10.
Oklahoma's defense snuffed any remaining possibility of a Texas comeback on the first series of the third quarter. Frank Alexander pressured and hit David Ash on a 2nd down play at the Texas 20, and the ball sprang free. Oklahoma's David King scooped up the unattended pumpkin and raced (well, galloped) 19 yards for a score that sent OU up 41-10 and Texas fans looking for corny dogs on the State Fair midway.
When all was said and done, Oklahoma enjoyed a 55-17 blistering of Texas in the Cotton Bowl. For Texas fans, the greater frustration is in wondering when the sudden malaise that's hit Austin will end. Any illusions of a sudden return have been painfully washed away, and Oklahoma State returns to Austin next week with an offense every bit as deadly as the Sooners. Moreover, the real questions may stem from Brown himself, who blew up his staff and rebuilt his offense on the back of a coach whose philosophy isn't run or pass, but trick, fake, reverse, and gag. And every trick play the Horns tried on Saturday looked more like a bad gag than an offense of the future.
Youth and inexperience may solve part of Texas' woes, but one can't help but wonder if a gamble-first defensive concept combined with a trickeration-oriented offense is going to lead the Horns out of Denial anytime soon.
The Sooners certainly hope not.
Monday, October 10, 2011
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Football Saturday!!! Three games to watch
With realignment talk finally on the back burner for good (well, at least for now), let's look at three big matchups for today!
* Oklahoma State at Texas A&M
The Cowboys hit the road for a top-ten tilt that will give the winner a clear shot to challenge Oklahoma for the Big 12 conference title. Brandon Weeden has led the Cowboys to three straight lopsided wins over outmatched opponents, but has been inconsistent with a league-leading six interceptions thus far. Ryan Tannehill is still looking to quiet the doubters, sporting higher effeciency rating than Weeden (164.8/157.5) and only one interception.
The biggest question for both teams is arguably defense. Oklahoma State surrendered a jaw-dropping 365 yards rushing to Tulsa in their late night marathon a week ago, but most of those yards came with OSU playing out the string with a huge lead and Tulsa playing without their starting quarterback. A&M has played virtually no competition of much note, so how they will fare against Oklahoma State's high-powered passing attack remains to be seen.
It sez here that OSU on the road against one of the toughest home environments in college football will be just a bit too much for the Pokes to overcome. With A&M on its Big 12 Farewell tour, look for Texas A&M to post a wild 42-38 win over OSU this afternoon.
* Arkansas - Alabama
The Crimson Tide may have one of the the best defenses in the country, teamed up with one of the best pair of running backs in the country. So what's a Razorback fan to do? Still, Bama hasn't exactly blown out its first three opponents, but has never been seriously challenged, either. Arkansas did blow out its first two opponents, but found itself in a bit of a battle against Troy before prevailing 38-28. Neither team has enjoyed success in winning the turnover battle (Bama at -3, Arkansas at -4), and Bama's special teams - particularly in the FG department - has been less than special.
One interesting difference is offensive efficiency. While both offenses have been productive inside the redzone, Arkansas has been better at converting those trips into touchdowns, while 'Bama has been settling for field goals. The Razorbacks have converted 100% of its 13 trips into points, settling for field goals only three times. By contrast, Alabama has converted only eight into touchdowns. That highlights the potential risk for Bama should the game come down to one of trading TD's for field goals.
It sez here that, honestly, though, FG's and redzones won't matter. Playing at home, Alabama will use its defense to upend a solid but largely untested Arkansas offense, and secure a 27-14 win over the Razorbacks
* Oklahoma - Missouri
Last year, the Sooners went to Columbia as the #1 team in the country, but a mistake-prone Sooner offense stumbled its way to a 36-27 loss at the hands of Blaine Gabbert and the Missouri Tigers. This year, the Tigers visit Norman with a young, inconsistent quarterback, a nearly-as-young team, and a Sooner squad fresh off a national TV road win against then-#5 Florida State.
It seems too easy, doesn't it?
It seems impossible to think Oklahoma could enter its contest tonight with the same emotional intensity it showed against Florida State, and that gives Missouri an early-game opportunity to make things interesting. If Oklahoma's defensive tendency to play guts-and-blood defense 90% of the time while allowing an inexplicable big play the other 10%, Missouri has the offense to take advantage. The key: A great early start for Missouri quarterback James Franklin.
If the Oklahoma offense comes out and establishes tempo, Missouri will be in trouble. Combine that with Oklahoma's defense that held Florida State to 27 yards rushing a week ago, and Missouri had better pounce on any early game opportunities - or it could be a long day for the Tigers.
It sez here Oklahoma may have a sluggish early-game start, but the friendly confines of Oklahoma Memorial Stadium combined with a revenge mindset gives the Sooners every chance for a lopsided win. Look for Oklahoma to come away with a 41-20 win.
* Oklahoma State at Texas A&M
The Cowboys hit the road for a top-ten tilt that will give the winner a clear shot to challenge Oklahoma for the Big 12 conference title. Brandon Weeden has led the Cowboys to three straight lopsided wins over outmatched opponents, but has been inconsistent with a league-leading six interceptions thus far. Ryan Tannehill is still looking to quiet the doubters, sporting higher effeciency rating than Weeden (164.8/157.5) and only one interception.
The biggest question for both teams is arguably defense. Oklahoma State surrendered a jaw-dropping 365 yards rushing to Tulsa in their late night marathon a week ago, but most of those yards came with OSU playing out the string with a huge lead and Tulsa playing without their starting quarterback. A&M has played virtually no competition of much note, so how they will fare against Oklahoma State's high-powered passing attack remains to be seen.
It sez here that OSU on the road against one of the toughest home environments in college football will be just a bit too much for the Pokes to overcome. With A&M on its Big 12 Farewell tour, look for Texas A&M to post a wild 42-38 win over OSU this afternoon.
* Arkansas - Alabama
The Crimson Tide may have one of the the best defenses in the country, teamed up with one of the best pair of running backs in the country. So what's a Razorback fan to do? Still, Bama hasn't exactly blown out its first three opponents, but has never been seriously challenged, either. Arkansas did blow out its first two opponents, but found itself in a bit of a battle against Troy before prevailing 38-28. Neither team has enjoyed success in winning the turnover battle (Bama at -3, Arkansas at -4), and Bama's special teams - particularly in the FG department - has been less than special.
One interesting difference is offensive efficiency. While both offenses have been productive inside the redzone, Arkansas has been better at converting those trips into touchdowns, while 'Bama has been settling for field goals. The Razorbacks have converted 100% of its 13 trips into points, settling for field goals only three times. By contrast, Alabama has converted only eight into touchdowns. That highlights the potential risk for Bama should the game come down to one of trading TD's for field goals.
It sez here that, honestly, though, FG's and redzones won't matter. Playing at home, Alabama will use its defense to upend a solid but largely untested Arkansas offense, and secure a 27-14 win over the Razorbacks
* Oklahoma - Missouri
Last year, the Sooners went to Columbia as the #1 team in the country, but a mistake-prone Sooner offense stumbled its way to a 36-27 loss at the hands of Blaine Gabbert and the Missouri Tigers. This year, the Tigers visit Norman with a young, inconsistent quarterback, a nearly-as-young team, and a Sooner squad fresh off a national TV road win against then-#5 Florida State.
It seems too easy, doesn't it?
It seems impossible to think Oklahoma could enter its contest tonight with the same emotional intensity it showed against Florida State, and that gives Missouri an early-game opportunity to make things interesting. If Oklahoma's defensive tendency to play guts-and-blood defense 90% of the time while allowing an inexplicable big play the other 10%, Missouri has the offense to take advantage. The key: A great early start for Missouri quarterback James Franklin.
If the Oklahoma offense comes out and establishes tempo, Missouri will be in trouble. Combine that with Oklahoma's defense that held Florida State to 27 yards rushing a week ago, and Missouri had better pounce on any early game opportunities - or it could be a long day for the Tigers.
It sez here Oklahoma may have a sluggish early-game start, but the friendly confines of Oklahoma Memorial Stadium combined with a revenge mindset gives the Sooners every chance for a lopsided win. Look for Oklahoma to come away with a 41-20 win.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
And then? Nothing
As quickly as the rumors started, they stopped.
With the stroke of a virtual pen and a late-night press release, the seemingly inexorable move toward megaconferences came to a screeching halt late last night when the Pac 12 released a statement asserting its desire to remain at 12 members, eliminating the hope for OU and OSU to move from the beleaguered Big 12.
Now, all the dominoes that had started to align yesterday are back in their boxes.
Conference realignment will now stop with Syracuse, Pitt moving to the ACC, and Texas A&M moving to the SEC. Beyond that, a handful of leftovers will likely move to an again-rebuilt Big 12. Leading candidates making the Twitterverse rumormill are BYU, Louisville, and West Virginia. Missouri's prospective move to the SEC is almost certainly by the boards, as the Tigers' move was predicated upon the implosion of the Big 12.
Oklahoma released a statement late Tuesday asserting that it would look to strengthen the Big 12 by remaining as one of its members. Sources indicated that OU and Texas would meet this week to hammer out an arrangement that would keep both schools in the Big 12 for at least five years. BYU reportedly indicated their interest in joining the now-stabilized conference.
Who are the winners and losers in the Pac 12 decision? Clearly, Oklahoma president David Boren was left holding the empty bag of a gentleman's agreement with Pac 12's Larry Scott, losing the immense leverage he held to reform the Big 12 with the presumptive invitation to go west in hand. Now, it is hard to see Boren as anything but an unwitting pawn in a Pac 12 effort to gain Texas membership, but then discarded when it became clear Texas' terms were intolerable - most particularly, its revenue and LHN requirements. The other loser is Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe, who has reportedly been informed his services in that capacity are no longer desired. The clear winner is Texas, which now seems destined to keep its Longhorn Network and corresponding revenues virtually untouched, with only token concessions to allow OU some measure of face-saving.
As quickly as this story broke, now it ends, and now it looks once and for all we can get back to talking football. Actual football. And that should be a relief to everyone.
With the stroke of a virtual pen and a late-night press release, the seemingly inexorable move toward megaconferences came to a screeching halt late last night when the Pac 12 released a statement asserting its desire to remain at 12 members, eliminating the hope for OU and OSU to move from the beleaguered Big 12.
Now, all the dominoes that had started to align yesterday are back in their boxes.
Conference realignment will now stop with Syracuse, Pitt moving to the ACC, and Texas A&M moving to the SEC. Beyond that, a handful of leftovers will likely move to an again-rebuilt Big 12. Leading candidates making the Twitterverse rumormill are BYU, Louisville, and West Virginia. Missouri's prospective move to the SEC is almost certainly by the boards, as the Tigers' move was predicated upon the implosion of the Big 12.
Oklahoma released a statement late Tuesday asserting that it would look to strengthen the Big 12 by remaining as one of its members. Sources indicated that OU and Texas would meet this week to hammer out an arrangement that would keep both schools in the Big 12 for at least five years. BYU reportedly indicated their interest in joining the now-stabilized conference.
Who are the winners and losers in the Pac 12 decision? Clearly, Oklahoma president David Boren was left holding the empty bag of a gentleman's agreement with Pac 12's Larry Scott, losing the immense leverage he held to reform the Big 12 with the presumptive invitation to go west in hand. Now, it is hard to see Boren as anything but an unwitting pawn in a Pac 12 effort to gain Texas membership, but then discarded when it became clear Texas' terms were intolerable - most particularly, its revenue and LHN requirements. The other loser is Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe, who has reportedly been informed his services in that capacity are no longer desired. The clear winner is Texas, which now seems destined to keep its Longhorn Network and corresponding revenues virtually untouched, with only token concessions to allow OU some measure of face-saving.
As quickly as this story broke, now it ends, and now it looks once and for all we can get back to talking football. Actual football. And that should be a relief to everyone.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Pac 12 will not expand - now what?
Updates:
A few tidbits are emerging from the surprise decision by the Pac 12 not to expand:
* Conference leaders concluded they could not make a 14-team conference work (adding only OU and OSU)
* The Pac 12 would simply not agree to Texas' revenue demands
* Larry Scott realized that Texas could never be an equal with the other members of the Pac 12.
There is no light yet shed on the supposed arrangement OU president David Boren had with Scott giving assurance that OU and OSU would be accepted into a 14-team conference even without Texas. Now, this agreement clearly appears to have been nothing more than posturing to leverage interest from Texas, and once that arrangement wasn't going to work, Scott simply cast the OU agreement aside.
OU is now in the worst possible position, having no leverage to enforce its demands for Big 12 reform, revenue sharing, or even a new conference commissioner. How OU regroups and approaches what looks like a damaged-goods future with the Big 12 remains to be seen.
Late word now is that OU and Texas are going to meet in the next few days to hammer out an agreement that will keep both schools in the Big 12 for the next five years.
So much for realignment and superconferences.
The Pac 12 shocked the college football world tonight by releasing a statement that it will not be expanding beyond its current 12-team configuration.
In a statement released tonight by the conference, the conclusion was reached that the Pac 12 was delighted with its current situation.
The overwhelming consensus for this release is that Scott was unable to garner the necessary nine votes to accept the presumptive group of incoming Big 12 refugees of Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas and Texas Tech. It would further suggest that the Big 12's future is far from terminal.
The announcement came on the heels of a series of demands Oklahoma had made on the Big 12 in order for it to remain in the conference, with the Pac 12 the presumptive target. Now, with no clear alternative available, how OU would chart a future conference membership is unclear.
OU has released no formal response to this release.
A few tidbits are emerging from the surprise decision by the Pac 12 not to expand:
* Conference leaders concluded they could not make a 14-team conference work (adding only OU and OSU)
* The Pac 12 would simply not agree to Texas' revenue demands
* Larry Scott realized that Texas could never be an equal with the other members of the Pac 12.
There is no light yet shed on the supposed arrangement OU president David Boren had with Scott giving assurance that OU and OSU would be accepted into a 14-team conference even without Texas. Now, this agreement clearly appears to have been nothing more than posturing to leverage interest from Texas, and once that arrangement wasn't going to work, Scott simply cast the OU agreement aside.
OU is now in the worst possible position, having no leverage to enforce its demands for Big 12 reform, revenue sharing, or even a new conference commissioner. How OU regroups and approaches what looks like a damaged-goods future with the Big 12 remains to be seen.
Late word now is that OU and Texas are going to meet in the next few days to hammer out an agreement that will keep both schools in the Big 12 for the next five years.
So much for realignment and superconferences.
The Pac 12 shocked the college football world tonight by releasing a statement that it will not be expanding beyond its current 12-team configuration.
In a statement released tonight by the conference, the conclusion was reached that the Pac 12 was delighted with its current situation.
The overwhelming consensus for this release is that Scott was unable to garner the necessary nine votes to accept the presumptive group of incoming Big 12 refugees of Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas and Texas Tech. It would further suggest that the Big 12's future is far from terminal.
The announcement came on the heels of a series of demands Oklahoma had made on the Big 12 in order for it to remain in the conference, with the Pac 12 the presumptive target. Now, with no clear alternative available, how OU would chart a future conference membership is unclear.
OU has released no formal response to this release.
OU on Big 12; Other Realignment
Important Things to Remember:
Some media types have taken today's information from Oklahoma as an implicit suggestion that they intend to stay in the Big 12, or beyond that, know they cannot get into the Pac 12 because a pending vote will preclude their membership.
Put simply: Neither is true.
Analysis:
The release of information today indicates a set of demands that would have to be met in order for Oklahoma to consider staying in the Big 12, and those demands include a stripping of the LHN. If Beebe resigned today, it doesn't imply OU is staying in the conference.
Pac 12 Commissioner Larry Scott will only call for a vote of his member presidents if he knows the outcome. He won't bother them to get together and vote "no." And Oklahoma president Boren would not jeopardize his own credibility by putting OU so far out on a limb without knowing the firm footing on which he stood. That footing is based on the agreement in principle worked out with Commissioner Scott some two weeks ago, and nothing in that has changed.
Be careful what's being read and tweeted out there, folks. Some things are shot out there for good measure, and others are merely shot out for shock value. The things that resonate among multiple good sources are the ones to rely upon.
Even here, in this little blog, if I'm offering conjecture or analysis, I'll say so. No pretense of double-secret sources here.
Here are a few Tuesday afternoon tidbits on realignment:
Late report from the Birmingham News supposedly indicates a tentative plan for Missouri to join the SEC, and to have Auburn move to the SEC East. The latter would coincide with previous story in which Auburn officials said they wouldn't have a problem doing precisely that.
Oklahoma University apparently has relayed to sources the conditions under which they might entertain remaining in the Big 12:
* Commissioner Dan Beebe must be removed.
* New conference rules strictly governing the Longhorn Network would have to be drafted
* Conference revenues must be equally distributed.
OSU benefactor T. Boone Pickens asserts that the Big 12 could be saved, and that A&M might be persuaded to stay; however, that report was later flatly refuted by A&M officials who said they were firm in their decision to leave the Big 12.
Missouri is strongly rumored to have a standing, informal offer for membership from the SEC, but is willing to wait for the Big 12 to implode to make the invitation official. West Virginia, conversely, has reportedly been rejected by both the ACC and the SEC.
More as it develops
Some media types have taken today's information from Oklahoma as an implicit suggestion that they intend to stay in the Big 12, or beyond that, know they cannot get into the Pac 12 because a pending vote will preclude their membership.
Put simply: Neither is true.
Analysis:
The release of information today indicates a set of demands that would have to be met in order for Oklahoma to consider staying in the Big 12, and those demands include a stripping of the LHN. If Beebe resigned today, it doesn't imply OU is staying in the conference.
Pac 12 Commissioner Larry Scott will only call for a vote of his member presidents if he knows the outcome. He won't bother them to get together and vote "no." And Oklahoma president Boren would not jeopardize his own credibility by putting OU so far out on a limb without knowing the firm footing on which he stood. That footing is based on the agreement in principle worked out with Commissioner Scott some two weeks ago, and nothing in that has changed.
Be careful what's being read and tweeted out there, folks. Some things are shot out there for good measure, and others are merely shot out for shock value. The things that resonate among multiple good sources are the ones to rely upon.
Even here, in this little blog, if I'm offering conjecture or analysis, I'll say so. No pretense of double-secret sources here.
Here are a few Tuesday afternoon tidbits on realignment:
Late report from the Birmingham News supposedly indicates a tentative plan for Missouri to join the SEC, and to have Auburn move to the SEC East. The latter would coincide with previous story in which Auburn officials said they wouldn't have a problem doing precisely that.
Oklahoma University apparently has relayed to sources the conditions under which they might entertain remaining in the Big 12:
* Commissioner Dan Beebe must be removed.
* New conference rules strictly governing the Longhorn Network would have to be drafted
* Conference revenues must be equally distributed.
OSU benefactor T. Boone Pickens asserts that the Big 12 could be saved, and that A&M might be persuaded to stay; however, that report was later flatly refuted by A&M officials who said they were firm in their decision to leave the Big 12.
Missouri is strongly rumored to have a standing, informal offer for membership from the SEC, but is willing to wait for the Big 12 to implode to make the invitation official. West Virginia, conversely, has reportedly been rejected by both the ACC and the SEC.
More as it develops
OU's Boren comments on Big 12
Oklahoma president David Boren, with fresh authorization in hand to determine the university's future athletic affiliation, had pointed comments about the status of the Big 12 yesterday. A few summary notes/highlights:
* The threat of litigation by some conference members was not a helpful way to keep the conference together.
* Oklahoma has no desire to be in a position to dominate a conference politically.
* The ongoing instability of the conference going forward into next and later years was, essentially, intolerable.
* Boren's options are the Big 12 or the Pac 12
* OU wants to be in a conference with equally shared revenue.
* Nebraska's departure last season was "regrettable."
* The Big 12 conference office bears some of the burden for the conference's condition
Although remaining in the Big 12 is an option, the criticisms Boren laid out make it hard to believe that remaining there is a realistic option.
Oklahoma City's KWTV-9 sports anchor Dean Blevins reasserted yesterday that the framework of a deal sending OU and Oklahoma State to the Pac 12 regardless of Texas' decision remains in place as it has been for nearly two weeks. All that remains to make it official is to wait for the "ink" to dry.
* The threat of litigation by some conference members was not a helpful way to keep the conference together.
* Oklahoma has no desire to be in a position to dominate a conference politically.
* The ongoing instability of the conference going forward into next and later years was, essentially, intolerable.
* Boren's options are the Big 12 or the Pac 12
* OU wants to be in a conference with equally shared revenue.
* Nebraska's departure last season was "regrettable."
* The Big 12 conference office bears some of the burden for the conference's condition
Although remaining in the Big 12 is an option, the criticisms Boren laid out make it hard to believe that remaining there is a realistic option.
Oklahoma City's KWTV-9 sports anchor Dean Blevins reasserted yesterday that the framework of a deal sending OU and Oklahoma State to the Pac 12 regardless of Texas' decision remains in place as it has been for nearly two weeks. All that remains to make it official is to wait for the "ink" to dry.
Monday, September 19, 2011
Realignment: The Week Ahead
Update 9/19 @ 8:16 PM:
A few nuggets:
Oklahoma Board of Regents have formally authorized president David Boren to pursue any action necessary regarding conference alignment. Nothing surprising there.
Big East will apparently hold Pitt (and presumably Syracuse) to its contract, meaning a June 2014 exit date (earliest). No word on whether Pitt could buy its way out to an earlier date.
Mountain West and Conference-USA are discussing a merger.
Remnants of Big East likely to merge with remnants of Big 12. Both likely can't survive.
Posturing: Info from a few sources reiterates that the Pac 12 will not budge in its insistence that all third-tier revenues from networks be shared among all teams in the conference. OU insists that equal revenue sharing is the only way it would consider staying in Big 12. Not a great deal new there, but it does make one wonder....
Musing: If Texas has presumably been checkmated into an equal revenue sharing agreement no matter where they go, why would they not consider telling OU "okay, equal sharing, we stay if you stay," making OU and UT the kingpins of a dead-on-the-vine conference - a true "AL East" as postulated by Mark Cuban. Reality suggests that members of the presumably enlarged Pac 16 stand to earn as much as $35 million (nearly double) in an expanded conference, which would seemingly make that choice a near no-brainer.
Right now, I still think it's the Gang of Four heading west after some saber-rattling, but we'll see.
Clarification 9/19 @ 1:53PM Oklahoma's Board of Regents meeting now. Alignment (way) down the agenda.
One item I wanted to clarify in the midst of the updates is the issue of OU's "invitation" (or lack thereof) to the Pac 12. I stand behind (several) local media member reports over the last two wweeks (and tweets) that stated quite plainly that Oklahoma has a standing, informal, "unofficial" agreement with the Pac 12 to join their conference with Oklahoma State regardless of Texas' action. I have read nothing to contradict that issue, not even spin from Orangebloods.com.
This agreement, as best I can understand it, was worked out between OU Athletics Director Joe Castiglione and Pac 12 commissioner Larry Scott close to two weeks ago. When the agreement was reached, a local reporter said that "(Castiglione) looked the most relieved he'd been in weeks."
Right now, Texas is the team with no leverage. None. No conference wants the Longhorn Network as it sits. Public posturing indicates Texas is trying to play a measure of hardball with LHN in its Pac 12 negotiations, when in reality playing that kind of poker with a handful of blank cards and no chips gives you very little room to raise the stakes. With no alternatives, Texas either goes independent, or accedes to Pac 12 rules. There's really no middle ground. While Oklahoma is patient and wants to create at least the appearance of unity with Texas, don't think for a second David Boren won't press forward independently in a heartbeat should he decide it is in OU's best interests to do so .
This week stands to be the biggest yet in the shifting tides of conference realignment.
Texas and Oklahoma's respective Boards of Regents will be meeting to empower their presidents to make a deal with whatever conference they deem appropriate. The current speculation is that both are headed to the Pac-12, but hurdles - perhaps significant - remain, chief among them the Longhorn Network and Texas' willingness to shrink it to Pac-12 rules. Another hurdle is whether conference presidents are willing to admit schools with supposedly secondary academic status, although it would seem commissioner Larry Scott should be able to overcome them.
The Pac-12 is showing no signs of budging on its network rules, with the WilmerReport suggesting that Missouri could be on the conference's radar should Texas not come to terms. That would implicitly imperil Tech's move as well.
The SEC is reported quietly looking to jump to 16 teams, reportedly likely to accept West Virginia's upcoming application. The ACC apparently also believes that they are also about to lose Florida State to the SEC as well, meaning a currently unknown 16th team is likely brewing in the SEC's radar.
Acrimony in the Big East came to a head with the sudden departure of Syracuse and Pitt, and now suggestions are that the conference may not survive. Remants of the Big 12 and the Big East may merge to form a new regional conference.
This week should prove to be most interesting. Stay tuned.
A few nuggets:
Oklahoma Board of Regents have formally authorized president David Boren to pursue any action necessary regarding conference alignment. Nothing surprising there.
Big East will apparently hold Pitt (and presumably Syracuse) to its contract, meaning a June 2014 exit date (earliest). No word on whether Pitt could buy its way out to an earlier date.
Mountain West and Conference-USA are discussing a merger.
Remnants of Big East likely to merge with remnants of Big 12. Both likely can't survive.
Posturing: Info from a few sources reiterates that the Pac 12 will not budge in its insistence that all third-tier revenues from networks be shared among all teams in the conference. OU insists that equal revenue sharing is the only way it would consider staying in Big 12. Not a great deal new there, but it does make one wonder....
Musing: If Texas has presumably been checkmated into an equal revenue sharing agreement no matter where they go, why would they not consider telling OU "okay, equal sharing, we stay if you stay," making OU and UT the kingpins of a dead-on-the-vine conference - a true "AL East" as postulated by Mark Cuban. Reality suggests that members of the presumably enlarged Pac 16 stand to earn as much as $35 million (nearly double) in an expanded conference, which would seemingly make that choice a near no-brainer.
Right now, I still think it's the Gang of Four heading west after some saber-rattling, but we'll see.
Clarification 9/19 @ 1:53PM Oklahoma's Board of Regents meeting now. Alignment (way) down the agenda.
One item I wanted to clarify in the midst of the updates is the issue of OU's "invitation" (or lack thereof) to the Pac 12. I stand behind (several) local media member reports over the last two wweeks (and tweets) that stated quite plainly that Oklahoma has a standing, informal, "unofficial" agreement with the Pac 12 to join their conference with Oklahoma State regardless of Texas' action. I have read nothing to contradict that issue, not even spin from Orangebloods.com.
This agreement, as best I can understand it, was worked out between OU Athletics Director Joe Castiglione and Pac 12 commissioner Larry Scott close to two weeks ago. When the agreement was reached, a local reporter said that "(Castiglione) looked the most relieved he'd been in weeks."
Right now, Texas is the team with no leverage. None. No conference wants the Longhorn Network as it sits. Public posturing indicates Texas is trying to play a measure of hardball with LHN in its Pac 12 negotiations, when in reality playing that kind of poker with a handful of blank cards and no chips gives you very little room to raise the stakes. With no alternatives, Texas either goes independent, or accedes to Pac 12 rules. There's really no middle ground. While Oklahoma is patient and wants to create at least the appearance of unity with Texas, don't think for a second David Boren won't press forward independently in a heartbeat should he decide it is in OU's best interests to do so .
This week stands to be the biggest yet in the shifting tides of conference realignment.
Texas and Oklahoma's respective Boards of Regents will be meeting to empower their presidents to make a deal with whatever conference they deem appropriate. The current speculation is that both are headed to the Pac-12, but hurdles - perhaps significant - remain, chief among them the Longhorn Network and Texas' willingness to shrink it to Pac-12 rules. Another hurdle is whether conference presidents are willing to admit schools with supposedly secondary academic status, although it would seem commissioner Larry Scott should be able to overcome them.
The Pac-12 is showing no signs of budging on its network rules, with the WilmerReport suggesting that Missouri could be on the conference's radar should Texas not come to terms. That would implicitly imperil Tech's move as well.
The SEC is reported quietly looking to jump to 16 teams, reportedly likely to accept West Virginia's upcoming application. The ACC apparently also believes that they are also about to lose Florida State to the SEC as well, meaning a currently unknown 16th team is likely brewing in the SEC's radar.
Acrimony in the Big East came to a head with the sudden departure of Syracuse and Pitt, and now suggestions are that the conference may not survive. Remants of the Big 12 and the Big East may merge to form a new regional conference.
This week should prove to be most interesting. Stay tuned.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Realignment Clearing Up - Finally!
Update: 9:19 PM 9/18/11 Just when you thought things were clearing up, someone comes along and puts on the brakes.
And it looks like the foot attached to those brakes is wearing Burnt Orange.
Late word from multiple sources not originating in Austin indicates that the supposedly "done deal" is not, in fact, done. And guess the major sticking point: The Longhorn Network. Supposedly, the Longhorns' first stab at reorganizing the network to meet the Pac 12's branding, content, and rights demands may not be sufficient. Texas is holding on until its dying breath to as much of the LHN as it can, and one report suggested their initial offering should be seen as only an opening bargaining position.
Pete Thamel of the New York Times suggests there is still unresolved reticence among Pac 12 presidents about the apparently pending addition of OU, Ok State, Texas, and Tech to their lineup, and for varied reasons. Those issues combine with the Texas' decision to go down with a fight likely keeps the movement west in low gear for at least a big longer.
Analysis: The reality for Texas is that is no longer bargains from a position of strength. With ACC talks having collapsed quite spectacularly (assuming those talks were ever as mature as some Texas sources indicated), the Longhorns have no other conference options assuming Oklahoma and Oklahoma State make good on their intent to leave - and every report indicates that focus is unchanged. This means that the Pac 12 has considerable leverage to force Texas to mold LHN to its liking, or leave them with the prospect of going independent.
The conventional wisdom earlier today was that the Move of Four was possible to happen as early as tomorrow, with regents from UT and OU to meet and discuss alignment issues. That now seems unlikely. Ultimately, I believe the four will make the move to the Pac 12, if for no other reason than to avoid being left in the cold while everyone else ramps up around them. The only variable now is time.
For the first time since the initial shot fired late this past summer by Texas A&M, it finally appears that at least a degree of clarity is emerging in conference realignment.
Syracuse and Pitt surprised everyone by being the first to actually make a complete conference move, bolting a reportedly very annoyed Big East and landing in the suddenly more-important ACC. That's a done deal. The rest is still pending, but here's a rundown.
After hot last-minute speculation arose that Texas was going to preserve its Longhorn Network by joining the ACC, reports emerged that the deal Texas pushed was ultimately rejected. The package deal of Texas and Texas Tech was unacceptable due to Tech's academic standing, per one report, and the ACC would not accept Texas individually. When what appeared to be the final remaining option to preserve the LHN disappeared, Texas was faced with the choice of independence or following Oklahoma to the Pac 12, and chose the latter.
This means that the reported combination of Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, and Texas Tech going to the Pac 12 is likely to become reality as soon as this week. As previously posted here, regents' meetings for both Oklahoma and Texas are indepenently scheduled for Monday, and each has conference alignment and empowerment items on their agendas. Although every indication is that Oklahoma has successfully checkmated Texas into a decision forcing it to abandon (or substantially rework) its nascent $300 million Longhorn Network into something acceptable in the eyes of the Pac 12, it appears that Oklahoma wants to foster the appearance of unity with Texas in realignment. It wouldn't surprise me at all to see a joint teleconference announcing the move once the independent regents have acted.
Even without a public search for a 14th team, the SEC is likely to land one with the rumored application of West Virginia. The Big East, now absent two members, is likely to offer membership to two or more of the defunct Big 12's leftovers, implying some combination of Kansas, Kansas State, Iowa State, and Baylor. Less clear is the future of TCU, destined to become a Big East member next season, but with their AD casting doubt on the league's uncertain future following Syracuse and Pitt's unexpected departure.
There remains at least the possibility that a "reformed" Big 12 could emerge with the crumbs of the former conference, moving forward with teams such as Cincinnati, Louisville, Houston, or perhaps BYU. Either way, it seems that either the Big 12 or the Big East survives in some form, but not both. A merger of the two leagues isn't at all out of the question, either.
The first clear non-football result from the shuffling is that the ACC could emerge as the power basketball conference with its two new additions, and the possibility that Kansas could join the ranks not out of the question.
The road to realignment has been a bumpy one, and even now these seemingly clearer paths aren't set in stone. It seems clear that the formal result won't be known until Oklahoma and Texas formalize their intentions sometime tomorrow.
And it looks like the foot attached to those brakes is wearing Burnt Orange.
Late word from multiple sources not originating in Austin indicates that the supposedly "done deal" is not, in fact, done. And guess the major sticking point: The Longhorn Network. Supposedly, the Longhorns' first stab at reorganizing the network to meet the Pac 12's branding, content, and rights demands may not be sufficient. Texas is holding on until its dying breath to as much of the LHN as it can, and one report suggested their initial offering should be seen as only an opening bargaining position.
Pete Thamel of the New York Times suggests there is still unresolved reticence among Pac 12 presidents about the apparently pending addition of OU, Ok State, Texas, and Tech to their lineup, and for varied reasons. Those issues combine with the Texas' decision to go down with a fight likely keeps the movement west in low gear for at least a big longer.
Analysis: The reality for Texas is that is no longer bargains from a position of strength. With ACC talks having collapsed quite spectacularly (assuming those talks were ever as mature as some Texas sources indicated), the Longhorns have no other conference options assuming Oklahoma and Oklahoma State make good on their intent to leave - and every report indicates that focus is unchanged. This means that the Pac 12 has considerable leverage to force Texas to mold LHN to its liking, or leave them with the prospect of going independent.
The conventional wisdom earlier today was that the Move of Four was possible to happen as early as tomorrow, with regents from UT and OU to meet and discuss alignment issues. That now seems unlikely. Ultimately, I believe the four will make the move to the Pac 12, if for no other reason than to avoid being left in the cold while everyone else ramps up around them. The only variable now is time.
For the first time since the initial shot fired late this past summer by Texas A&M, it finally appears that at least a degree of clarity is emerging in conference realignment.
Syracuse and Pitt surprised everyone by being the first to actually make a complete conference move, bolting a reportedly very annoyed Big East and landing in the suddenly more-important ACC. That's a done deal. The rest is still pending, but here's a rundown.
After hot last-minute speculation arose that Texas was going to preserve its Longhorn Network by joining the ACC, reports emerged that the deal Texas pushed was ultimately rejected. The package deal of Texas and Texas Tech was unacceptable due to Tech's academic standing, per one report, and the ACC would not accept Texas individually. When what appeared to be the final remaining option to preserve the LHN disappeared, Texas was faced with the choice of independence or following Oklahoma to the Pac 12, and chose the latter.
This means that the reported combination of Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, and Texas Tech going to the Pac 12 is likely to become reality as soon as this week. As previously posted here, regents' meetings for both Oklahoma and Texas are indepenently scheduled for Monday, and each has conference alignment and empowerment items on their agendas. Although every indication is that Oklahoma has successfully checkmated Texas into a decision forcing it to abandon (or substantially rework) its nascent $300 million Longhorn Network into something acceptable in the eyes of the Pac 12, it appears that Oklahoma wants to foster the appearance of unity with Texas in realignment. It wouldn't surprise me at all to see a joint teleconference announcing the move once the independent regents have acted.
Even without a public search for a 14th team, the SEC is likely to land one with the rumored application of West Virginia. The Big East, now absent two members, is likely to offer membership to two or more of the defunct Big 12's leftovers, implying some combination of Kansas, Kansas State, Iowa State, and Baylor. Less clear is the future of TCU, destined to become a Big East member next season, but with their AD casting doubt on the league's uncertain future following Syracuse and Pitt's unexpected departure.
There remains at least the possibility that a "reformed" Big 12 could emerge with the crumbs of the former conference, moving forward with teams such as Cincinnati, Louisville, Houston, or perhaps BYU. Either way, it seems that either the Big 12 or the Big East survives in some form, but not both. A merger of the two leagues isn't at all out of the question, either.
The first clear non-football result from the shuffling is that the ACC could emerge as the power basketball conference with its two new additions, and the possibility that Kansas could join the ranks not out of the question.
The road to realignment has been a bumpy one, and even now these seemingly clearer paths aren't set in stone. It seems clear that the formal result won't be known until Oklahoma and Texas formalize their intentions sometime tomorrow.
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Sooners Post Big Win in Tallahassee
Sooners 23, Florida State 13
Big Game Bob is Back
Bob Stoops would never admit it, but you know it bugged him.
Big Game Bob had gone Bust.
After multiple BCS losses and latter-day road game collapses, OU and Bob Stoops faced the national stage again. The stage was set for the Sooners to, once again, fail.
Not tonight.
In a game that lived to every bit of its two weeks of hype, Stoops took his #1 ranked Sooners and topped the Seminoles on a loud, crazy, balmy Saturday night in Tallahassee, with a national TV audience watching. And guess what - while everyone watching expected a shootout of offensive fireworks, the Sooners and the 'Noles cooked up an old fashioned defensive dogfight.
There had to be special satisfaction for Stoops in that defense starred in this game - enough to make Momma Stoops proud. Moreover, the Sooners added in just enough offense at just the right time to secure a win against what could have been the toughest defense they'll face all season.
This was the biggest win for Stoops arguably since the 2000 title game, and the Sooners walked away as double-digit winners - not that it was pretty, or any rerun of last year's 47-17 walloping OU applied to FSU's backsides. This was an old fashioned defensive slugfest, with FSU and Oklahoma's defenses responding to punch and counterpunch seemingly all night. And when its seemed FSU was on the verge of turning the game their way, even with a backup quarterback in to replace the injured E.J. Manuel, there came Landry Jones.
Aside from a brilliant opening drive that staked the Sooners to an early 7-0 lead, Jones was rattled and confused most of the night, tossing two ugly interceptions amid a furious FSU defense that never allowed OU to gain any rhythm. With the defense holding FSU and the Sooners taking the ball midway through the 4th quarter and the game tied at 13, it was time for the Oklahoma offense to show up.
Show up it did.
With 7:00 to play, Jones shook off those two early interceptions and broke the tie for good with a 37-yard touchdown toss to Kenny Stills, who made a dazzling catch on the underthrown ball before cradling it safely behind Greg Reid to put OU up 20-13.
Jimmy Stevens toed a shaky 31-yard field goal with 2 minutes left following an interception to put the game out of reach at 23-13.
Oklahoma now looks ahead to a schedule where it will be favored in every game it plays the rest of the way, with the hope of a national title berth at the end of the road.
And Big Game Bob couldn't be happier.
Big Game Bob is Back
Bob Stoops would never admit it, but you know it bugged him.
Big Game Bob had gone Bust.
After multiple BCS losses and latter-day road game collapses, OU and Bob Stoops faced the national stage again. The stage was set for the Sooners to, once again, fail.
Not tonight.
In a game that lived to every bit of its two weeks of hype, Stoops took his #1 ranked Sooners and topped the Seminoles on a loud, crazy, balmy Saturday night in Tallahassee, with a national TV audience watching. And guess what - while everyone watching expected a shootout of offensive fireworks, the Sooners and the 'Noles cooked up an old fashioned defensive dogfight.
There had to be special satisfaction for Stoops in that defense starred in this game - enough to make Momma Stoops proud. Moreover, the Sooners added in just enough offense at just the right time to secure a win against what could have been the toughest defense they'll face all season.
This was the biggest win for Stoops arguably since the 2000 title game, and the Sooners walked away as double-digit winners - not that it was pretty, or any rerun of last year's 47-17 walloping OU applied to FSU's backsides. This was an old fashioned defensive slugfest, with FSU and Oklahoma's defenses responding to punch and counterpunch seemingly all night. And when its seemed FSU was on the verge of turning the game their way, even with a backup quarterback in to replace the injured E.J. Manuel, there came Landry Jones.
Aside from a brilliant opening drive that staked the Sooners to an early 7-0 lead, Jones was rattled and confused most of the night, tossing two ugly interceptions amid a furious FSU defense that never allowed OU to gain any rhythm. With the defense holding FSU and the Sooners taking the ball midway through the 4th quarter and the game tied at 13, it was time for the Oklahoma offense to show up.
Show up it did.
With 7:00 to play, Jones shook off those two early interceptions and broke the tie for good with a 37-yard touchdown toss to Kenny Stills, who made a dazzling catch on the underthrown ball before cradling it safely behind Greg Reid to put OU up 20-13.
Jimmy Stevens toed a shaky 31-yard field goal with 2 minutes left following an interception to put the game out of reach at 23-13.
Oklahoma now looks ahead to a schedule where it will be favored in every game it plays the rest of the way, with the hope of a national title berth at the end of the road.
And Big Game Bob couldn't be happier.
Report: ACC off the table for Texas?
Chip Brown reports on Orangebloods.com that the ACC option for Texas may be "decreasing," and that the conference may have "moved on without Texas." Brown also reports that the best remaining option for Texas will be to join the Pac 12. Texas was supposedly caught completely off-guard by the Syracuse-Pitt move to the ACC, and how that has played in this "end-game" is unclear.
Analysis: Rumors spun earlier today that suggested Texas was told by the ACC they wanted two teams from Texas, but when Texas Tech was asked by UT to join the ACC, Texas Tech declined. When Baylor was proposed as an alternate, the ACC declined. Shortly after this negotiation broke down, supposedly, the Syracuse/Pitt move happened with startling speed.
There are huge ramifications if this report holds true. Reports held that short of remaining in the Big 12, the ACC was Texas' last, best hope for retaining the Longhorn Network in its current form. If the door to the ACC has closed, and the Longhorns are unwilling to go independent (as they've repeatedly stated), it looks very much like the stage would be set for Texas and Texas Tech to follow the Sooners and the OSU Cowboys to the Pac 12+
Obviously, all of this is very fluid, and at times Orangebloods.com has been a bit dicey in credibility, but the fact that this current report matches earlier rumors gives this curernt info a bit more credibility.
More as it develops!
Analysis: Rumors spun earlier today that suggested Texas was told by the ACC they wanted two teams from Texas, but when Texas Tech was asked by UT to join the ACC, Texas Tech declined. When Baylor was proposed as an alternate, the ACC declined. Shortly after this negotiation broke down, supposedly, the Syracuse/Pitt move happened with startling speed.
There are huge ramifications if this report holds true. Reports held that short of remaining in the Big 12, the ACC was Texas' last, best hope for retaining the Longhorn Network in its current form. If the door to the ACC has closed, and the Longhorns are unwilling to go independent (as they've repeatedly stated), it looks very much like the stage would be set for Texas and Texas Tech to follow the Sooners and the OSU Cowboys to the Pac 12+
Obviously, all of this is very fluid, and at times Orangebloods.com has been a bit dicey in credibility, but the fact that this current report matches earlier rumors gives this curernt info a bit more credibility.
More as it develops!
We interrupt realignment to bring you some actual football
It's been a wild day of college football, so lets take a break from the dizzying rumors of realignment to talk actual games:
Clemson 38, Auburn 24 - We all knew that Auburn was probably the worst 2-0 team in the country, with last-gasp wins against marginal foes staking them to an unbeaten early start and a top 25 ranking. Clemson, however, exposed all that is wrong with Auburn, especially on defense. After falling into a 21-7 hole, Clemson reeled off a 38-3 rally that carved up the Tiger secondary like so much Thanksgiving turkey. Throw in a bushel-basket full of bad and broken arm tackles, and you have all you need to know about Clemson's win. Of course, Clemson being what it is, they'll try to make this win into something akin to an upset of the '74 Steelers, with Dabo Sweeney bellowing like a madman to the ESPN cameras in a post-game interview. C'mon, Dabo.
Iowa 31, Pittsburgh 27 - After staking the Panthers to a 24-3 lead early, the Hawkeyes pounded Pitt just as the ink dried on their application to the ACC. You know, since their national title in 1976 with Tony Dorsett, has Pitt really done anything of significance?
Texas 49, UCLA 20 - Okay, with Garrett Gilbert permanently on the sidelines and a guy named McCoy at the helm, Texas looks like a legitimate football team again. Then again, I think Paul Rhoads' Iowa State juggernaut could probaubly hang 30+ on UCLA. As Texas rolls, the one thing for Horn fans to worry about is that the Bruins' best weapon was - get this - running right at the Horns. Which was eerily like UT's biggest defensive liability last year, too. UT fans should be cautiously optimistic - they've got a QB, a RB, and they're already clearly better than last year. But temper that with the reality that UCLA will struggle to find a winning record this year. I can't believe a program like UCLA has allowed itself to get this bad.
Ugly Stat: In four years under Rick Neuheisel, UCLA is a dreadful 2-19 against teams that go on to finish at or above .500.
Seems to me a long year is ahead for the Bruins, and a new job is in Neuheisel's future. Despite his baggage, I still think Mike Leach would be a perfect fit for that job, football-smart to get the job done, wacky enough to fit into LA culture like a glove. Question is whether the support is there for UCLA football to get it back to its former level....who knows..
More commentary and updates as the mood hits...
Clemson 38, Auburn 24 - We all knew that Auburn was probably the worst 2-0 team in the country, with last-gasp wins against marginal foes staking them to an unbeaten early start and a top 25 ranking. Clemson, however, exposed all that is wrong with Auburn, especially on defense. After falling into a 21-7 hole, Clemson reeled off a 38-3 rally that carved up the Tiger secondary like so much Thanksgiving turkey. Throw in a bushel-basket full of bad and broken arm tackles, and you have all you need to know about Clemson's win. Of course, Clemson being what it is, they'll try to make this win into something akin to an upset of the '74 Steelers, with Dabo Sweeney bellowing like a madman to the ESPN cameras in a post-game interview. C'mon, Dabo.
Iowa 31, Pittsburgh 27 - After staking the Panthers to a 24-3 lead early, the Hawkeyes pounded Pitt just as the ink dried on their application to the ACC. You know, since their national title in 1976 with Tony Dorsett, has Pitt really done anything of significance?
Texas 49, UCLA 20 - Okay, with Garrett Gilbert permanently on the sidelines and a guy named McCoy at the helm, Texas looks like a legitimate football team again. Then again, I think Paul Rhoads' Iowa State juggernaut could probaubly hang 30+ on UCLA. As Texas rolls, the one thing for Horn fans to worry about is that the Bruins' best weapon was - get this - running right at the Horns. Which was eerily like UT's biggest defensive liability last year, too. UT fans should be cautiously optimistic - they've got a QB, a RB, and they're already clearly better than last year. But temper that with the reality that UCLA will struggle to find a winning record this year. I can't believe a program like UCLA has allowed itself to get this bad.
Ugly Stat: In four years under Rick Neuheisel, UCLA is a dreadful 2-19 against teams that go on to finish at or above .500.
Seems to me a long year is ahead for the Bruins, and a new job is in Neuheisel's future. Despite his baggage, I still think Mike Leach would be a perfect fit for that job, football-smart to get the job done, wacky enough to fit into LA culture like a glove. Question is whether the support is there for UCLA football to get it back to its former level....who knows..
More commentary and updates as the mood hits...
OU, Texas Regents to Meet - Is The First Shot to be Fired?
Update 9/17: 1:26PM - New rumor making the rounds is that Texas is running out of options. The reported deal with the ACC has fallen through because they could not secure Texas Tech's agreement to go along with UT to the ACC, and the ACC rejected Baylor as an alternative. If this is true, it leaves Texas with only two options for itself and its nascent network: Independence or the Pac 12+.
Update 9/17 @ 9:50AM - Looks like for all the discussion of the Big 12 imploding, the Big East might actually beat them to the punch. ESPN and several other media outlets are reporting that Pitt and possibly also Syracuse have already submitted paperwork for admission to the ACC, jumping ship from the Big East.
The Board for Regents for both the University of Oklahoma and the University of Texas independently plan to meet Monday to discuss the issue of conference realignment. The results of either or both of those meetings stands to serve as the shotgun start to an overhaul the in the face of college football.
The likely results of that meetings are all-but impossible to predict, but rumors across the Internet abound. Some suggest that Texas, despite a carefully orchestrated PR campaign involving the ACC, has found no home for itself and its infamous Longhorn Network should the Big 12 fold its tents. Some suggest independence is ahead for the Horns, although this is in opposition to the stated objectives of Texas AD DeLoss Dodds. The four alternatives ahead for Texas seem to lead either to remaining in a gutted Big 12, moving to the ACC, moving to the Pac 12, or going independent.
For Oklahoma, the paths seem less muddled. Speculation has been rampant for weeks that the Sooners are headed to the Pac 12 along with Oklahoma State. Although other reports have suggested (and yet still maintain) that Texas and Texas Tech will follow Oklahoma west, there are still some who believe the Pac 12 is stringing along the Sooners with the notion of an invitation in the hopes of gaining Texas in the deal.
Multiple sources reported last night that Syracuse and Pittsburgh were in talks to move to the ACC, with other rumors suggesting that long-standing "gentleman's agreements" about the SEC not inviting schools from states already having SEC members are likely to be discarded. The end-game is impossible to predict.
The gunshot starting conference realignment fires on Monday. Until then, the rest is pure speculation.
Update 9/17 @ 9:50AM - Looks like for all the discussion of the Big 12 imploding, the Big East might actually beat them to the punch. ESPN and several other media outlets are reporting that Pitt and possibly also Syracuse have already submitted paperwork for admission to the ACC, jumping ship from the Big East.
The Board for Regents for both the University of Oklahoma and the University of Texas independently plan to meet Monday to discuss the issue of conference realignment. The results of either or both of those meetings stands to serve as the shotgun start to an overhaul the in the face of college football.
The likely results of that meetings are all-but impossible to predict, but rumors across the Internet abound. Some suggest that Texas, despite a carefully orchestrated PR campaign involving the ACC, has found no home for itself and its infamous Longhorn Network should the Big 12 fold its tents. Some suggest independence is ahead for the Horns, although this is in opposition to the stated objectives of Texas AD DeLoss Dodds. The four alternatives ahead for Texas seem to lead either to remaining in a gutted Big 12, moving to the ACC, moving to the Pac 12, or going independent.
For Oklahoma, the paths seem less muddled. Speculation has been rampant for weeks that the Sooners are headed to the Pac 12 along with Oklahoma State. Although other reports have suggested (and yet still maintain) that Texas and Texas Tech will follow Oklahoma west, there are still some who believe the Pac 12 is stringing along the Sooners with the notion of an invitation in the hopes of gaining Texas in the deal.
Multiple sources reported last night that Syracuse and Pittsburgh were in talks to move to the ACC, with other rumors suggesting that long-standing "gentleman's agreements" about the SEC not inviting schools from states already having SEC members are likely to be discarded. The end-game is impossible to predict.
The gunshot starting conference realignment fires on Monday. Until then, the rest is pure speculation.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
It's quiet. Too quiet.
Wednesday night and all's quiet on the realignment front.
Too quiet.
Normally, there are rumors, threats, hints, and outrageous emails a poppin' faster than Tony Romo late-game collapses - but not tonight.
The only thing swirling like the bottom of the toilet is the ongoing all-smoke-but-no-fire-so-far story about how awesome Texas thinks it would be to join the ACC. Reaction to that is roughly divided into thirds; one-third disbelief that Texas would seriously join the ACC, one-third insistence that it's all a bluff to leverage the Pac 12, and one-third belief that the ACC really is the best choice for Texas among the dozens of conferences begging Texas to join up with the network albatross in tow.
The other third is hanging chads.
All that is to say there's really nothing new on the alignment front, just the same rumors, not even enough to speculate or analyze right now. I could make something up to see if it would float around the Net and gain traction, but that's really not how I roll..
-David
Too quiet.
Normally, there are rumors, threats, hints, and outrageous emails a poppin' faster than Tony Romo late-game collapses - but not tonight.
The only thing swirling like the bottom of the toilet is the ongoing all-smoke-but-no-fire-so-far story about how awesome Texas thinks it would be to join the ACC. Reaction to that is roughly divided into thirds; one-third disbelief that Texas would seriously join the ACC, one-third insistence that it's all a bluff to leverage the Pac 12, and one-third belief that the ACC really is the best choice for Texas among the dozens of conferences begging Texas to join up with the network albatross in tow.
The other third is hanging chads.
All that is to say there's really nothing new on the alignment front, just the same rumors, not even enough to speculate or analyze right now. I could make something up to see if it would float around the Net and gain traction, but that's really not how I roll..
-David
Monday, September 12, 2011
A&M is now in the SEC: OU, OSU on way to Pac 12
Update 9/13/2011 @ 9:59pm CDT
Probably the last update for the night, but a bit of interesting news coming around. One independent writer is at least suggesting the possibility that "UT to ACC" talk is being orchestrated by Austin, and that contacts with ACC ties have no clue of any such discussions ongoing. As I said, interesting. FWIW.
Update 9/13/2011 @ 6:37pm CDT
Possible big news pending, but still presently VERY iffy: Texas is apparently seriously considering a move to the ACC solely to preserve the Longhorn Network. Again, *very* sketchy and *not* confirmed, but this is at a minimum an increasing possibility. Hang on.
Stay tuned.
Update 9/13/2011 @ 4:53pm CDT
Not a great deal of startling new news, but some tidbits:
Multiple media sources indicate that the Big 12 conference is finished. Oklahoma has made clear its intent to depart the conference in search of "stability," presumably in the Pac 12-14-16, and formal application/acceptance could occur as early as Monday/Tuesday of next week...however...
Oklahoma will allow Texas the opportunity to make an independent decision regarding Pac 12 membership, in the event UT would not want to have the appearance of "following" Oklahoma. The mutual preference is for both schools to move together. While Oklahoma is playing a strong hand, they're working hard not to alienate UT in the process.
Texas is at least contemplating the possibility of joining the ACC. The exact terms of how the Longhorn Network would fit in the ACC are unclear, as that conference also has an equal-sharing rights revenue model. One scenario discussed included all non-football sports going to the ACC, but football remaining independent. Although possible, my opinion is this option is unlikely.
ESPN continues to spin that Texas is acting even now to save the conference, casting them in a noble light, and vilifying Oklahoma. This is, at best, a mischaracterization of reality. Texas has already acknowledged internally that the Big 12 is not viable without Oklahoma and Oklahoma State, and will dissolve. Oklahoma made its intentions clear to Texas during meetings last weekend.
Missouri is a possible candidate for the SEC's 14th team, despite Mike Slive's claims that he won't immediately seek a 14th team following A&M's addition.
Most OKC media reports indicate Oklahoma and Oklahoma State will being playing its Pac 14 schedule with the 2012 season. Although there continue to be reports that Texas will explore other options, I still hold that the most likely reality to emerge is OU, Ok State, Texas, and Texas Tech to move to the Pac 16.
More as I hear it.
-David
Things moved very quickly this afternoon, which we have now found out to be a result of high-level weekend meetings, decisions, and the leading edge of what stands to be a tumultuous series of weeks before conference realignment settles.
Here's what we've learned from this weekend.
Over the weekend, a high-level delegation from the University of Texas flew to Norman and engaged in "friendly," high-level talks to determine what criteria, if any, were available to persuade Oklahoma to remain in the Big 12 Conference. Oklahoma, led by David Boren, is reported to have enumerated a specific list of requirements, a list that Texas was not willing to accede. As a result, the talks concluded politely, but unproductively, and the die was cast for Oklahoma to move with its intentions to depart the conference.
Today, the OU Board of Regents is said to have met, and after a briefing of the weekend's talks from President Boren, unanimously voted to move forward with the process of applying for membership in the Pac 12 conference. Press reports indicate that while the process is expected to complete within two weeks, the Board is actually expected to vote formally on the application process by Monday, September 19th, with a possible announcement by the Pac 12 shortly thereafter.
Other press reports stress that the high-level talks between Texas and Oklahoma were friendly, not confrontational or adversarial, with each school recognizing the mutual value their relationship holds to each other. To that end, it is reported that both schools apparently expressed a preference to move to a new conference home together - presumably the Pac 12 - which still implies that a disposition of the Longhorn Network pursuant to Pac 12 network rules remains to be negotiated and resolved. Oklahoma has conveyed to Texas its willingness to allow Texas to assess its own options independently. One observation emerging from these reports is that, while they may differ on the best way to run a conference, Oklahoma and Texas desire to foster their relationship regardless of their conference affiliations.
Nearly coincident with the reported decision of the OU Board of Regents was the announcement by SEC commissioner Mike Slive that his conference had now accepted Texas A&M's membership application, apparently implying that Baylor's threat to sue was no longer an obstacle or was now seen as posturing given Oklahoma's apparent resolve to leave the conference anyway. Slive, for now, is claiming that the SEC plans to add A&M in time for next season and play an unbalanced, 13-member schedule rather than rush to find a 14th member.
How Oklahoma's reported intentions affect the balance of the Big 12 is unclear. What is clear, however, is that only three reasonable scenarios remain at this time:
1. Oklahoma and Oklahoma State move to the Pac 12 alone, with Texas remaining atop a gutted Big 12.
2. OU, OSU, Texas, and Texas Tech move to the Pac 12.
3. OU, OSU, Kansas, and Missouri move to the Pac 12.
The latter two options almost certainly imply the end of the Big 12, as a conference of only five members isn't viable and would offer little in the way of value to prospective new members unless lower-tier progarms were considered, thus diluting the conference's value further. The Big East was reportedly involved in unofficial overtures to Missouri, Baylor, and possibly one or both Kansas schools over the weekend. The ACC is also reported to have expressed interest in both OU and Texas, although that possibility seems remote at this time.
If Texas is unable to work out a deal to allow the Longhorn Network into the confines of the Pac 12, the possibility #3 arises, which would almost certainly force the Longhorns to go independent, or move to the ACC, or possibly even the Big 10. Such moves, at this point, are highly speculative.
This is but the first step in what stands to be a rocky road through realignment. We'll try to keep information consolidated here with as little wild speculation as possible.
Stay tuned!
Probably the last update for the night, but a bit of interesting news coming around. One independent writer is at least suggesting the possibility that "UT to ACC" talk is being orchestrated by Austin, and that contacts with ACC ties have no clue of any such discussions ongoing. As I said, interesting. FWIW.
Update 9/13/2011 @ 6:37pm CDT
Possible big news pending, but still presently VERY iffy: Texas is apparently seriously considering a move to the ACC solely to preserve the Longhorn Network. Again, *very* sketchy and *not* confirmed, but this is at a minimum an increasing possibility. Hang on.
Stay tuned.
Update 9/13/2011 @ 4:53pm CDT
Not a great deal of startling new news, but some tidbits:
Multiple media sources indicate that the Big 12 conference is finished. Oklahoma has made clear its intent to depart the conference in search of "stability," presumably in the Pac 12-14-16, and formal application/acceptance could occur as early as Monday/Tuesday of next week...however...
Oklahoma will allow Texas the opportunity to make an independent decision regarding Pac 12 membership, in the event UT would not want to have the appearance of "following" Oklahoma. The mutual preference is for both schools to move together. While Oklahoma is playing a strong hand, they're working hard not to alienate UT in the process.
Texas is at least contemplating the possibility of joining the ACC. The exact terms of how the Longhorn Network would fit in the ACC are unclear, as that conference also has an equal-sharing rights revenue model. One scenario discussed included all non-football sports going to the ACC, but football remaining independent. Although possible, my opinion is this option is unlikely.
ESPN continues to spin that Texas is acting even now to save the conference, casting them in a noble light, and vilifying Oklahoma. This is, at best, a mischaracterization of reality. Texas has already acknowledged internally that the Big 12 is not viable without Oklahoma and Oklahoma State, and will dissolve. Oklahoma made its intentions clear to Texas during meetings last weekend.
Missouri is a possible candidate for the SEC's 14th team, despite Mike Slive's claims that he won't immediately seek a 14th team following A&M's addition.
Most OKC media reports indicate Oklahoma and Oklahoma State will being playing its Pac 14 schedule with the 2012 season. Although there continue to be reports that Texas will explore other options, I still hold that the most likely reality to emerge is OU, Ok State, Texas, and Texas Tech to move to the Pac 16.
More as I hear it.
-David
Things moved very quickly this afternoon, which we have now found out to be a result of high-level weekend meetings, decisions, and the leading edge of what stands to be a tumultuous series of weeks before conference realignment settles.
Here's what we've learned from this weekend.
Over the weekend, a high-level delegation from the University of Texas flew to Norman and engaged in "friendly," high-level talks to determine what criteria, if any, were available to persuade Oklahoma to remain in the Big 12 Conference. Oklahoma, led by David Boren, is reported to have enumerated a specific list of requirements, a list that Texas was not willing to accede. As a result, the talks concluded politely, but unproductively, and the die was cast for Oklahoma to move with its intentions to depart the conference.
Today, the OU Board of Regents is said to have met, and after a briefing of the weekend's talks from President Boren, unanimously voted to move forward with the process of applying for membership in the Pac 12 conference. Press reports indicate that while the process is expected to complete within two weeks, the Board is actually expected to vote formally on the application process by Monday, September 19th, with a possible announcement by the Pac 12 shortly thereafter.
Other press reports stress that the high-level talks between Texas and Oklahoma were friendly, not confrontational or adversarial, with each school recognizing the mutual value their relationship holds to each other. To that end, it is reported that both schools apparently expressed a preference to move to a new conference home together - presumably the Pac 12 - which still implies that a disposition of the Longhorn Network pursuant to Pac 12 network rules remains to be negotiated and resolved. Oklahoma has conveyed to Texas its willingness to allow Texas to assess its own options independently. One observation emerging from these reports is that, while they may differ on the best way to run a conference, Oklahoma and Texas desire to foster their relationship regardless of their conference affiliations.
Nearly coincident with the reported decision of the OU Board of Regents was the announcement by SEC commissioner Mike Slive that his conference had now accepted Texas A&M's membership application, apparently implying that Baylor's threat to sue was no longer an obstacle or was now seen as posturing given Oklahoma's apparent resolve to leave the conference anyway. Slive, for now, is claiming that the SEC plans to add A&M in time for next season and play an unbalanced, 13-member schedule rather than rush to find a 14th member.
How Oklahoma's reported intentions affect the balance of the Big 12 is unclear. What is clear, however, is that only three reasonable scenarios remain at this time:
1. Oklahoma and Oklahoma State move to the Pac 12 alone, with Texas remaining atop a gutted Big 12.
2. OU, OSU, Texas, and Texas Tech move to the Pac 12.
3. OU, OSU, Kansas, and Missouri move to the Pac 12.
The latter two options almost certainly imply the end of the Big 12, as a conference of only five members isn't viable and would offer little in the way of value to prospective new members unless lower-tier progarms were considered, thus diluting the conference's value further. The Big East was reportedly involved in unofficial overtures to Missouri, Baylor, and possibly one or both Kansas schools over the weekend. The ACC is also reported to have expressed interest in both OU and Texas, although that possibility seems remote at this time.
If Texas is unable to work out a deal to allow the Longhorn Network into the confines of the Pac 12, the possibility #3 arises, which would almost certainly force the Longhorns to go independent, or move to the ACC, or possibly even the Big 10. Such moves, at this point, are highly speculative.
This is but the first step in what stands to be a rocky road through realignment. We'll try to keep information consolidated here with as little wild speculation as possible.
Stay tuned!
SEC Takes A&M....dominoes falling
Mike Slive, head of the SEC, said that his conference was accepting Texas A&M as its 13th member....
Things happening fast..stay tuned..
OU readying Pac12 bid after failed Longhorn talks
Quick update....
Rumors circlong the web indicate Oklahoma is ready to make its bid for the Pac 12 as soon as the end of September. OU regents unanimous on making move following failed talks with Texas about saving conference.
More later....
Saturday, September 10, 2011
MIchigan-Notre Dame finish what makes college game great
It was a slot machine that spun up three cherries three times in a row. It was lightning striking the same spot not twice, but three times - all in the span of 72 seconds. It was joy, heartbreak, joy, heartbreak, and for good measure, joy and heartbreak one more time - all in a span of timer shorter than your average infomercial.
It was Michigan 35, Notre Dame 31, a finish of epic proportions that would almost seem video game silly and Hollywood stupid if you pitched it as a Movie of the Week, with all the requisite bad fake football such cinematic encounters typically offer.
The great thing about it was that it was College Football at its emotional best. During the game, ESPN's Adam Shefter tweeted "I'd like to see the NFL come up with a finish like Notre Dame-Michigan." And I replied, "Not in a million years."
With three cross-country touchdown drives spanning the games final 1:12, a mass of 21 points flipped across the Michigan Stadium scoreboard and flipped what seemed a moderately comfortable Notre Dame victory suddenly into a Michigan upset. The epic and sudden shifts and turns roll at the very core of what makes college football so grand, and worthy of differentiation from its professional counterpart. Are Michigan and Notre Dame the stuff of championship caliber? Hardly. The Irish can't hold onto the ball inside the 10 yard line, and neither team sports much of a defense - that final span included close to 200 yards of offense, enough to make any defensive coordinator lose his lunch - but that was secondary to the emerging spectacle.
It was momentum's evil infidelity jumping sidelines like a malevolent gremlin, letting each team think it had won the game - only to jump across the field seconds later, and again still, until simply no more seconds remained. It was Michigan having overcome a 14-0 deficit early to lead 24-21 late; then, Notre Dame regaining the lead at 28-24 with but :30 to play; it was Michigan claiming the lead a final time at 35-31 only 28 game seconds later. For Michigan, truly the thrill of victory; for the Irish, truly, the agony of defeat.
Michigan fans stood 100,000 strong in Michigan Stadium for at least an hour after the game was over and the ESPN cameras had moved on, but even Brent Musberger and Kirk Herbstriet were struck by the epic, magical finish they had seen. No, it was not the most well-played game technically, but who cares? It was a great game, a great finish, part of what makes college football such a fun obsession. It reflected too well the exuberance of the youth that play it, and the exhausting joys among those that watch it.
Long live college football!
It was Michigan 35, Notre Dame 31, a finish of epic proportions that would almost seem video game silly and Hollywood stupid if you pitched it as a Movie of the Week, with all the requisite bad fake football such cinematic encounters typically offer.
The great thing about it was that it was College Football at its emotional best. During the game, ESPN's Adam Shefter tweeted "I'd like to see the NFL come up with a finish like Notre Dame-Michigan." And I replied, "Not in a million years."
With three cross-country touchdown drives spanning the games final 1:12, a mass of 21 points flipped across the Michigan Stadium scoreboard and flipped what seemed a moderately comfortable Notre Dame victory suddenly into a Michigan upset. The epic and sudden shifts and turns roll at the very core of what makes college football so grand, and worthy of differentiation from its professional counterpart. Are Michigan and Notre Dame the stuff of championship caliber? Hardly. The Irish can't hold onto the ball inside the 10 yard line, and neither team sports much of a defense - that final span included close to 200 yards of offense, enough to make any defensive coordinator lose his lunch - but that was secondary to the emerging spectacle.
It was momentum's evil infidelity jumping sidelines like a malevolent gremlin, letting each team think it had won the game - only to jump across the field seconds later, and again still, until simply no more seconds remained. It was Michigan having overcome a 14-0 deficit early to lead 24-21 late; then, Notre Dame regaining the lead at 28-24 with but :30 to play; it was Michigan claiming the lead a final time at 35-31 only 28 game seconds later. For Michigan, truly the thrill of victory; for the Irish, truly, the agony of defeat.
Michigan fans stood 100,000 strong in Michigan Stadium for at least an hour after the game was over and the ESPN cameras had moved on, but even Brent Musberger and Kirk Herbstriet were struck by the epic, magical finish they had seen. No, it was not the most well-played game technically, but who cares? It was a great game, a great finish, part of what makes college football such a fun obsession. It reflected too well the exuberance of the youth that play it, and the exhausting joys among those that watch it.
Long live college football!
Actual College Football!!
For those of you getting sick to death of realignment updates, take heart. Here's a post on ACTUAL college football for September 10th!
Later Games:
In one of the most phenomenal finishes you'll ever see, Michigan upends Notre Dame on a 18-yard Denard Robinson pass with 2 seconds left to propel the Big Blue to an absolutely stunning 35-31 win. Robinson's heroics capped an 80-yard touchdown drive in 28 seconds, taking possession at their own 20 after Notre Dame scored what appeared to be the game-winning touchdown themselves with 30 seconds to play.
This is one of the truly classic wins in CFB history.
South Carolina 45, Georgia 42: The seat couldn't get any hotter for Georgia coach Mark Richt, who just led the Bulldogs to their first 0-2 start in 15 years. Georgia came *that* close to rallying from a 10-point deficit and getting a final chance to close the gap late, only to miss an onside kick and allow South Carolina to pick up a game-sealing first down and run out the clock. Four Aaron Murray touchdown passes could not overcome turnovers and 68-yard run off a fake punt for the Gamecocks. This may be the beginning of the end for Richt.
Texas 17, BYU 16: With Garrett Gilbert looking lost an inept, throwing two early first-half interceptions, UT found itself in a 13-0 hole. Enter the tandem of David Ash and Chase McCoy, who sparked the Horn offense to life and two second-half touchdowns that staved off BYU's upset bid. The Cougars drove the ball deep into 'Horn territory twice in the first half, but settled for field goals both times; clock mismanagement just before halftime cost BYU at least a chance at another long-range FG. The decisive factor: No serious interior run game from BYU, and second-half defensive adjustments shut down the Cougar passing game. Most important takeaway: Gilbert's likely seen his last duty as Texas' starter.
USC 17, Utah 14: This game had the wildest ending you've probably never seen. Down only 3 with but seconds to play, Utah drove the ball to the USC 49. On 4th and 10, Utah completes a pass to the USC 38 for an apparent first down, only to have the officials mark the ball a full yard short of the receiver's forward progress. Measurement for first down comes up short, ball goes to USC - until a replay review puts the ball at the 39 (still short), and gives Utah a first down. Following a pass interference penalty, Utah tries a 41-yard field goal with 11 seconds left, only to have the ball blocked and returned by USC for a touchdown to give the ridiculously deceptive final score. USC escaped this one with its lives.
More updates later...
Arizona State 37, Missouri 30 - OT: Mizzou QB James Franklin's two-touchdown, 319-yard aerial performance against the Sun Devils fell short in overtime against Arizona State, as ASU upended the Tigers just as lightning approached Sun Devil Stadium. For ASU, it was the biggest win at home in years, against a ranked opponent from a name conference. For Mizzou, one can't help but wonder why coach Gary Pinkel purposely opted to call two straight timeouts just as his Tigers were lining up to kick a likely game-winning field goal - one that was finally missed (badly) left to force the OT. Gary, why ice your own kicker? Isn't that the other team's job?
Iowa State 37, Iowa 30 - 3OT: Paul Rhoads is quietly becoming a giant killer in college football. In his first three years, he's upended Nebraska, Texas, and now Iowa. Not bad on your coaching resume. The Clones simply refused to cave to conventional wisdom and razzled, dazzled, and threw their way to a thrilling three-overtime win against the Hawks. Where it seemed Iowa was content to muscle its way down the field, a late shift to a pass-oriented philosophy put the Hawks behind the eightball and the Cy-Hawk trophy into the hands of the folks in Ames.
Ohio State 27, Toledo 22: That Ohio State won isn't surprising. That Toledo had the ball with a chance to win with under 2 minutes on the clock most certainly is - which is almost as surprising as the fact that Toledo outgained the Bucks on offense - and all this coming in front a Buckeye home crowd at the 'Shoe. Methinks more games like this are ahead for the Bucks until their eligibility issue(s?) are sorted out, and the accountants run through all the receipts (sarcasm). Next up for tOSU: Miami. How poetic is that? Maybe we should call it the Ineligibowl. :)
Auburn 41, Miss 34: Gene Chizik must be getting his tacos and ridiculous luck from the same vendor as Les Miles. The Tigers pulled off yet another hold-your-breath finish, but this time courtesy of the defense, as Miss QB Chris Relf was stung at the Auburn goal line as time ran out to preserve the Tigers' second consecutive breathless victory.
More comments as they come...
Later Games:
In one of the most phenomenal finishes you'll ever see, Michigan upends Notre Dame on a 18-yard Denard Robinson pass with 2 seconds left to propel the Big Blue to an absolutely stunning 35-31 win. Robinson's heroics capped an 80-yard touchdown drive in 28 seconds, taking possession at their own 20 after Notre Dame scored what appeared to be the game-winning touchdown themselves with 30 seconds to play.
This is one of the truly classic wins in CFB history.
South Carolina 45, Georgia 42: The seat couldn't get any hotter for Georgia coach Mark Richt, who just led the Bulldogs to their first 0-2 start in 15 years. Georgia came *that* close to rallying from a 10-point deficit and getting a final chance to close the gap late, only to miss an onside kick and allow South Carolina to pick up a game-sealing first down and run out the clock. Four Aaron Murray touchdown passes could not overcome turnovers and 68-yard run off a fake punt for the Gamecocks. This may be the beginning of the end for Richt.
Texas 17, BYU 16: With Garrett Gilbert looking lost an inept, throwing two early first-half interceptions, UT found itself in a 13-0 hole. Enter the tandem of David Ash and Chase McCoy, who sparked the Horn offense to life and two second-half touchdowns that staved off BYU's upset bid. The Cougars drove the ball deep into 'Horn territory twice in the first half, but settled for field goals both times; clock mismanagement just before halftime cost BYU at least a chance at another long-range FG. The decisive factor: No serious interior run game from BYU, and second-half defensive adjustments shut down the Cougar passing game. Most important takeaway: Gilbert's likely seen his last duty as Texas' starter.
USC 17, Utah 14: This game had the wildest ending you've probably never seen. Down only 3 with but seconds to play, Utah drove the ball to the USC 49. On 4th and 10, Utah completes a pass to the USC 38 for an apparent first down, only to have the officials mark the ball a full yard short of the receiver's forward progress. Measurement for first down comes up short, ball goes to USC - until a replay review puts the ball at the 39 (still short), and gives Utah a first down. Following a pass interference penalty, Utah tries a 41-yard field goal with 11 seconds left, only to have the ball blocked and returned by USC for a touchdown to give the ridiculously deceptive final score. USC escaped this one with its lives.
More updates later...
Arizona State 37, Missouri 30 - OT: Mizzou QB James Franklin's two-touchdown, 319-yard aerial performance against the Sun Devils fell short in overtime against Arizona State, as ASU upended the Tigers just as lightning approached Sun Devil Stadium. For ASU, it was the biggest win at home in years, against a ranked opponent from a name conference. For Mizzou, one can't help but wonder why coach Gary Pinkel purposely opted to call two straight timeouts just as his Tigers were lining up to kick a likely game-winning field goal - one that was finally missed (badly) left to force the OT. Gary, why ice your own kicker? Isn't that the other team's job?
Iowa State 37, Iowa 30 - 3OT: Paul Rhoads is quietly becoming a giant killer in college football. In his first three years, he's upended Nebraska, Texas, and now Iowa. Not bad on your coaching resume. The Clones simply refused to cave to conventional wisdom and razzled, dazzled, and threw their way to a thrilling three-overtime win against the Hawks. Where it seemed Iowa was content to muscle its way down the field, a late shift to a pass-oriented philosophy put the Hawks behind the eightball and the Cy-Hawk trophy into the hands of the folks in Ames.
Ohio State 27, Toledo 22: That Ohio State won isn't surprising. That Toledo had the ball with a chance to win with under 2 minutes on the clock most certainly is - which is almost as surprising as the fact that Toledo outgained the Bucks on offense - and all this coming in front a Buckeye home crowd at the 'Shoe. Methinks more games like this are ahead for the Bucks until their eligibility issue(s?) are sorted out, and the accountants run through all the receipts (sarcasm). Next up for tOSU: Miami. How poetic is that? Maybe we should call it the Ineligibowl. :)
Auburn 41, Miss 34: Gene Chizik must be getting his tacos and ridiculous luck from the same vendor as Les Miles. The Tigers pulled off yet another hold-your-breath finish, but this time courtesy of the defense, as Miss QB Chris Relf was stung at the Auburn goal line as time ran out to preserve the Tigers' second consecutive breathless victory.
More comments as they come...
After all this, nothing??
Update 1:23 CDT Sat: Orangebloods.com is reporting that the P12 is telling OU and OSU they have no expansion plans at this time, spinning that as an end to the presumed Sooner option of the Pac 12. I cast great doubt on that spin. Of course Pac 12 wants no part of predator perception, and of course Texas wants to make OU think it has no options. That this story comes from a Texas Rivals site makes me all the more suspicious - of course it would be a willing "mouthpiece" for such a spin. Does anyone really, really believe the Pac 12 wouldn't take an OU if they became available?
Saturday morning brings with it the hope of *actual* football, not merely the public bickering and rumoring over whose team belongs with which conference. Yet in the shadow of the goalposts does realignment loom, and while there's not a great deal of new news on that front, we can take a moment to see where we are, and make a subject-to-change conclusion:
Right now, I have this sinking feeling we may end up right where we are now, with no big realignment after all.
Why? Baylor continues to serve as the roadblock to Texas A&M's departure, refusing to waive its rights to sue both A&M and the SEC for tortious interference in its conference membership activities. Simply put, if no resolution to the Baylor Stalemate is found, there may be no other option for the Aggies but to return, hat-in-hand, to a crippled and self-mutilated Big 12. It's been said that A&M's move represents the first domino in realignment, but if it never falls...nothing else happens. Even if Oklahoma re-ups with the Big 12, allowing A&M to depart, the big four-team prize of OU, Oklahoma State, Texas, and Texas Tech to the Pac 12 would have inherently been blown apart, leaving the SEC looking for a 14th team that it might not grab until next season, willing to play an unbalanced schedule in the near-term.
The other thing pointing in the we-go-nowhere direction is T. Boone Pickens' comment on ESPN last Thursday that suggested the Pokes were interested in staying in the Big 12. That could be taken one of two ways: That some sort of agreement was nearly hammered out, or talks were in a last-gasp phase. It could be that Pickens is riding point for a behind-the-scenes negotiation between OU president David Boren and, well, the rest of college football.
To cap it off, Pac 12 commissioner Larry Scott came out last night stating he personally was against conference expansion. But you and I both know that if the SEC does, in fact, jump to a 13th, and 14th team, there's no way on earth his conference would stand pat and not respond.
There is obviously critical momentum riding decidedly against the Big 12's survival, chief among them being the question of how this fractious, embarrassed, dysfunctional conference family could ever reconstitute itself into a cohesive, respected, collegial athletic entity. Nationally, the conference is a laughingstock, a target of unrelenting media ridicule, with bridges burned between high-profile members. UT and A&M have never been so close to outright armed conflict. Oklahoma and Oklahoma State have expressed outright anger over apparent orchestrations from Baylor to put each, in their own way, in a bad light. With so much angst, how could anyone in this conference trust anyone else? And why would anyone on the outside want to join?
Regardless of the outcome, no one, repeat, no one looks worse or less competent in this fiasco than Dan Beebe who, besides carrying the title of worst sports leader this side of Bug Selig, has seemingly stood by and allowed the Big 12 to burn while he fiddles. Perhaps a "reincarnated" Big 12 could survive, but only if every vestige of Beebe's (lack of) leadership were vanquished from the books - as in new leadership, a new conference charter (with equal revenue sharing), even a new headquarters. How anyone nationally could perceive that as anything other than lipstick on a pig is beyond me.
Oklahoma still seems to hold the cards, but rest assured the Sooners won't make a move until the weekend passes, particularly considering this weekend includes services for its late, great Lee Roy Selmon. Until then, anyone - even yours truly - who says they know what happening is sniffing that smoke coming from that Big 12 fire.
And Dan Beebe is still fiddling.
Saturday morning brings with it the hope of *actual* football, not merely the public bickering and rumoring over whose team belongs with which conference. Yet in the shadow of the goalposts does realignment loom, and while there's not a great deal of new news on that front, we can take a moment to see where we are, and make a subject-to-change conclusion:
Right now, I have this sinking feeling we may end up right where we are now, with no big realignment after all.
Why? Baylor continues to serve as the roadblock to Texas A&M's departure, refusing to waive its rights to sue both A&M and the SEC for tortious interference in its conference membership activities. Simply put, if no resolution to the Baylor Stalemate is found, there may be no other option for the Aggies but to return, hat-in-hand, to a crippled and self-mutilated Big 12. It's been said that A&M's move represents the first domino in realignment, but if it never falls...nothing else happens. Even if Oklahoma re-ups with the Big 12, allowing A&M to depart, the big four-team prize of OU, Oklahoma State, Texas, and Texas Tech to the Pac 12 would have inherently been blown apart, leaving the SEC looking for a 14th team that it might not grab until next season, willing to play an unbalanced schedule in the near-term.
The other thing pointing in the we-go-nowhere direction is T. Boone Pickens' comment on ESPN last Thursday that suggested the Pokes were interested in staying in the Big 12. That could be taken one of two ways: That some sort of agreement was nearly hammered out, or talks were in a last-gasp phase. It could be that Pickens is riding point for a behind-the-scenes negotiation between OU president David Boren and, well, the rest of college football.
To cap it off, Pac 12 commissioner Larry Scott came out last night stating he personally was against conference expansion. But you and I both know that if the SEC does, in fact, jump to a 13th, and 14th team, there's no way on earth his conference would stand pat and not respond.
There is obviously critical momentum riding decidedly against the Big 12's survival, chief among them being the question of how this fractious, embarrassed, dysfunctional conference family could ever reconstitute itself into a cohesive, respected, collegial athletic entity. Nationally, the conference is a laughingstock, a target of unrelenting media ridicule, with bridges burned between high-profile members. UT and A&M have never been so close to outright armed conflict. Oklahoma and Oklahoma State have expressed outright anger over apparent orchestrations from Baylor to put each, in their own way, in a bad light. With so much angst, how could anyone in this conference trust anyone else? And why would anyone on the outside want to join?
Regardless of the outcome, no one, repeat, no one looks worse or less competent in this fiasco than Dan Beebe who, besides carrying the title of worst sports leader this side of Bug Selig, has seemingly stood by and allowed the Big 12 to burn while he fiddles. Perhaps a "reincarnated" Big 12 could survive, but only if every vestige of Beebe's (lack of) leadership were vanquished from the books - as in new leadership, a new conference charter (with equal revenue sharing), even a new headquarters. How anyone nationally could perceive that as anything other than lipstick on a pig is beyond me.
Oklahoma still seems to hold the cards, but rest assured the Sooners won't make a move until the weekend passes, particularly considering this weekend includes services for its late, great Lee Roy Selmon. Until then, anyone - even yours truly - who says they know what happening is sniffing that smoke coming from that Big 12 fire.
And Dan Beebe is still fiddling.
Friday, September 9, 2011
Realignment Latest: Things MAY be breaking...some...
There's a least a gleam of light that things may be moving on the conference realignment front. Not a lot, but some.
Jay Phillips, a South Carolina radio host for FM107.5 "The Game", tweets that University of South Carolina president Harris Pastides believes Texas A&M will be the 13th member of the SEC "very soon." How soon is "very" is left open to interpretation.
More as it happens.
After all this, nothing???
Reports in various newspapers combined with quotes from influential boosters such as OSU's T. Boone Pickens are shedding new light on conference realignment from the BIg 12: As in there won't be any.
Yes, you read that right. After weeks of wrangling, rumors, and negotiation, momentum right now has squarely shifted to everyone - even including Texas A&M - staying in the fractured and fractious Big 12. Sources also indicate that a reworked revenue sharing agreement that eliminates the tiered revenue system are also in the works.
Obviously, this can change with the wind, but just as the smart money a week ago was on OU, Texas, TTech, and OSU heading to the Pac 12+, it looks now like all bets are off, and everything will be exactly as it is.
If so, I can't wait to see how Dan Beebe is painted as the savior of the conference, even though he's the most chronically inept and impotent sports administrator in sports this side of Bud Selig.
More as I hear it.
Yes, you read that right. After weeks of wrangling, rumors, and negotiation, momentum right now has squarely shifted to everyone - even including Texas A&M - staying in the fractured and fractious Big 12. Sources also indicate that a reworked revenue sharing agreement that eliminates the tiered revenue system are also in the works.
Obviously, this can change with the wind, but just as the smart money a week ago was on OU, Texas, TTech, and OSU heading to the Pac 12+, it looks now like all bets are off, and everything will be exactly as it is.
If so, I can't wait to see how Dan Beebe is painted as the savior of the conference, even though he's the most chronically inept and impotent sports administrator in sports this side of Bud Selig.
More as I hear it.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Thursday Realignment Saga Update
There's not a great deal of new news to report on the realignment front, but there are a few pieces worth mentioning:
1. Oklahoma State issued a tersely worded release saying that anonymous reports mentioning OSU as part of some legal action against SEC and A&M were false.
2. Per tweets from a couple of different sources, OU will NOT recommit to the Big 12. Reports from some message boards rumoring that OU had decided to stay in the Big 12 are false.
3. Rumors circulating that there had been a "conspiracy" uncovered among Texas and the Big 12 are false.
4. Baylor is apparently very interested in overtures from the Big East, and an invitation from a BCS AQ conference may go a long way to pacifying their current refusal to sign a lawsuit waiver.
5. BYU has reportedly expressed interest in joining the Big 12 if Oklahoma stays. This is in direct contradiction to reports I trust that said the BYU flatly turned down the Big 12 before Oklahoma's conference exploration went public.
6. Oklahoma officials are, to be kind, not at all happy with what appears to have been a fabricated (?) report, possibly (allegedly?) initiated/planted by Baylor, implying OU could save the Big 12 by staying
Analysis: Not a great deal to analyze, except a bit of speculation Texas may have no choice but to go independent by 2012. Baylor is fishing for a soft-landingn in an AQ conference, and I somehow suspect an invite from the Big East would end their huffy holdout over A&M, and ISU would have no teeth to perpetuate the battle. Oklahoma's apparent option not to reaffirm commitment to Big 12 is important, meaning it is not going to be intimidated by reports (true or otherwise) about their relative ability to "save" conference. Beyond that, I seriously doubt OU will make any kind of announcement prior to next week, because of pending serivces for the late Lee Roy Selmon pending in Tampa and Oklahoma City over the next few days.
Ultimately, we're not much farther than we were the other day. All we can do is watch and wait.
Updates as they make sense.
Please feel free to join the EndZoneRevivew as a follower (on the links to the right) or chime in with a comment below.
1. Oklahoma State issued a tersely worded release saying that anonymous reports mentioning OSU as part of some legal action against SEC and A&M were false.
2. Per tweets from a couple of different sources, OU will NOT recommit to the Big 12. Reports from some message boards rumoring that OU had decided to stay in the Big 12 are false.
3. Rumors circulating that there had been a "conspiracy" uncovered among Texas and the Big 12 are false.
4. Baylor is apparently very interested in overtures from the Big East, and an invitation from a BCS AQ conference may go a long way to pacifying their current refusal to sign a lawsuit waiver.
5. BYU has reportedly expressed interest in joining the Big 12 if Oklahoma stays. This is in direct contradiction to reports I trust that said the BYU flatly turned down the Big 12 before Oklahoma's conference exploration went public.
6. Oklahoma officials are, to be kind, not at all happy with what appears to have been a fabricated (?) report, possibly (allegedly?) initiated/planted by Baylor, implying OU could save the Big 12 by staying
Analysis: Not a great deal to analyze, except a bit of speculation Texas may have no choice but to go independent by 2012. Baylor is fishing for a soft-landingn in an AQ conference, and I somehow suspect an invite from the Big East would end their huffy holdout over A&M, and ISU would have no teeth to perpetuate the battle. Oklahoma's apparent option not to reaffirm commitment to Big 12 is important, meaning it is not going to be intimidated by reports (true or otherwise) about their relative ability to "save" conference. Beyond that, I seriously doubt OU will make any kind of announcement prior to next week, because of pending serivces for the late Lee Roy Selmon pending in Tampa and Oklahoma City over the next few days.
Ultimately, we're not much farther than we were the other day. All we can do is watch and wait.
Updates as they make sense.
Please feel free to join the EndZoneRevivew as a follower (on the links to the right) or chime in with a comment below.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Legal Knots: Realignment Wednesday
Update 9:47 9/7: Word started to trickle in about 90 minutes ago that doubt was being cast on the veracity of the Waco Tribune story that said six Big 12 schools were working in concert to block the A&M move to the SEC unless Oklahoma agreed to stay. Subsequent updates and tweets from several sources now indicate the Waco story was, at best, bogus, and that the actual primary actors are most likely Baylor via Ken Starr and, possibly, Iowa State.
The story started to unravel when Texas Tech denied any involvement with any lawsuits (heck, their legal team is still tied in Mike Leach knots), and Oklahoma denied any knowledge that it was being made into the fall guy for the Big 12's future. Ultimately, this appears to have been a craftily laid land mine possibly set into motion by Ken Starr of Baylor.
How this does or doesn't affect the Big 12 issues at hand remains to be seen, but clearly the line of the night award belongs to ESPN's Pat Forde, who lead off his column tonight with the following gem:
With the SEC vote to accept Texas A&M now known, it became clear early today that the invitation wasn't quite that clean cut. Word had been communicated to the SEC that one or more Big 12 schools weren't crazy about the pending departure, and were not standing by a previous agreement from the Big 12 to release any claims the conference had against A&M for their departure. As a result, the SEC's invitation was conditional upon a waiver from each Big 12 school of their right to sue.
Word comes down that eight of nine schools are refusing to waive that right, unless Oklahoma decides to remain in what's left of the Big 12.
Now, no one knows quite what will happen next. As for an opinion, I believe the refusal to waive rights has been orchestrated by Texas itself in order to put that "extreme pressure" on OU to remain in the Big 12. Texas would like nothing better for OU to take the role of villain in the dismantling of the Big 12. For OU, it seems imperative that they not knuckle to this lowest-common-denominator blackmail, and pursue its own best interests.
Something's rotten in Denmark: CBS reports that Texas Tech has denied any threat to sue anyone regarding conference realignment. George Schroeder tweets that some info he's learned makes him skeptical of the original Waco news report indicating this "band of 6 threat." Exactly what is going on is unknown, but something is clearly rotten in Denmark. At worst, its ridiculous propaganda, at worst its malevolent posturing.
Where is this all heading? No one really knows. To an extent, the entire theater is getting a bit ridiculous. The core of this round of realignment is the Longhorn Network, and for Texas to shift the blame to any other party is laughably disingenuous.
Stay tuned
The story started to unravel when Texas Tech denied any involvement with any lawsuits (heck, their legal team is still tied in Mike Leach knots), and Oklahoma denied any knowledge that it was being made into the fall guy for the Big 12's future. Ultimately, this appears to have been a craftily laid land mine possibly set into motion by Ken Starr of Baylor.
How this does or doesn't affect the Big 12 issues at hand remains to be seen, but clearly the line of the night award belongs to ESPN's Pat Forde, who lead off his column tonight with the following gem:
There is nothing funny about what's going on in the Big 12 right now. Except for the fact that it's fall-down hilarious.Stay tuned. Please feel free to add your comments below, or join EndZoneReview!
With the SEC vote to accept Texas A&M now known, it became clear early today that the invitation wasn't quite that clean cut. Word had been communicated to the SEC that one or more Big 12 schools weren't crazy about the pending departure, and were not standing by a previous agreement from the Big 12 to release any claims the conference had against A&M for their departure. As a result, the SEC's invitation was conditional upon a waiver from each Big 12 school of their right to sue.
Word comes down that eight of nine schools are refusing to waive that right, unless Oklahoma decides to remain in what's left of the Big 12.
Now, no one knows quite what will happen next. As for an opinion, I believe the refusal to waive rights has been orchestrated by Texas itself in order to put that "extreme pressure" on OU to remain in the Big 12. Texas would like nothing better for OU to take the role of villain in the dismantling of the Big 12. For OU, it seems imperative that they not knuckle to this lowest-common-denominator blackmail, and pursue its own best interests.
Something's rotten in Denmark: CBS reports that Texas Tech has denied any threat to sue anyone regarding conference realignment. George Schroeder tweets that some info he's learned makes him skeptical of the original Waco news report indicating this "band of 6 threat." Exactly what is going on is unknown, but something is clearly rotten in Denmark. At worst, its ridiculous propaganda, at worst its malevolent posturing.
Where is this all heading? No one really knows. To an extent, the entire theater is getting a bit ridiculous. The core of this round of realignment is the Longhorn Network, and for Texas to shift the blame to any other party is laughably disingenuous.
Stay tuned
Realignment Summary
As of 6:30 AM Wednesday morning, here's where we are:
* SEC voted to extend membership invitation to A&M, with two diesents
* SEC would pursue Missouri or West Virginia as 14th member
* New rumor are suggesting SEC's offer is contingent upon a waiver of lawsuit from Big 12, but this is unconfirmed and reported only from Orangebloods.com
* Most sources continue to believe notion of Texas joining ACC as not credible, being used as leverage to discourage Oklahoma from busting the Big 12 and ending the OU-Texas rivalry
* A&M is expected to announce their acceptance of the SEC invitation today. If the lawsuit waiver issue is true, that could be delayed
Thoughts: If the Big 12 had designs to sue the SEC, why would they agree to a mutual waiver of claims in allowing Texas A&M to depart in the first place? That is, if there's tortious interferene on one side, there's a willful breach of contract on the other - but the Big 12 released those claims, did they not? Besides, if the Big 12 dissolves, what entity would engage in the lawsuit? A threat from individual schools, such as Baylor, would be more credible, but one would assume a waiver of claims by the conference would presumably extend to each of its members individually and possibly survive the conference itself.
With the Big East courting (at least) Big 12 refugees Kansas and Kansas State, it would seem the Big 12 is destined to dissolve. With multiple sources - notably OKC and Houston broadcast and print media - reporting that the Longhorn Network would be converted into something amenable to the Pac 12, it still seems that the smart money is on OU, OkState, Texas, and Texas Tech heading to the Pac 12.
Stay tuned.
* SEC voted to extend membership invitation to A&M, with two diesents
* SEC would pursue Missouri or West Virginia as 14th member
* New rumor are suggesting SEC's offer is contingent upon a waiver of lawsuit from Big 12, but this is unconfirmed and reported only from Orangebloods.com
* Most sources continue to believe notion of Texas joining ACC as not credible, being used as leverage to discourage Oklahoma from busting the Big 12 and ending the OU-Texas rivalry
* A&M is expected to announce their acceptance of the SEC invitation today. If the lawsuit waiver issue is true, that could be delayed
Thoughts: If the Big 12 had designs to sue the SEC, why would they agree to a mutual waiver of claims in allowing Texas A&M to depart in the first place? That is, if there's tortious interferene on one side, there's a willful breach of contract on the other - but the Big 12 released those claims, did they not? Besides, if the Big 12 dissolves, what entity would engage in the lawsuit? A threat from individual schools, such as Baylor, would be more credible, but one would assume a waiver of claims by the conference would presumably extend to each of its members individually and possibly survive the conference itself.
With the Big East courting (at least) Big 12 refugees Kansas and Kansas State, it would seem the Big 12 is destined to dissolve. With multiple sources - notably OKC and Houston broadcast and print media - reporting that the Longhorn Network would be converted into something amenable to the Pac 12, it still seems that the smart money is on OU, OkState, Texas, and Texas Tech heading to the Pac 12.
Stay tuned.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Early rumor: SEC VOTES TO EXTEND A&M INVITE
This is very early and unconfirmed, but David Sandhop, the publisher of Aggie Websider has tweeted that he believes the SEC has voted to extend a conference membership invitation to Texas A&M! Slive has also reportedly been authorized to negotiate with Missouri and West Virginia about becoming the 14th team.
Confirmation as I hear it!!!
Update: Aggie Websider has published a story on the SEC vote:
Update 10:39 PM: Chip Brown now says West Virginia was initial target for 14th team, but with Big 12 apparently imploding, Missouri is legit target.
SEC votes to invite A&M, negotiate with Missouri, W. Va.
Confirmation as I hear it!!!
Update: Aggie Websider has published a story on the SEC vote:
Update 10:39 PM: Chip Brown now says West Virginia was initial target for 14th team, but with Big 12 apparently imploding, Missouri is legit target.
SEC votes to invite A&M, negotiate with Missouri, W. Va.
Stoops: OU-Texas could end
Update: Putting this at the top for emphasis. A later post from ESPN reporter Jake Trotter indicates that Stoops was, in his words, "playing cards" with his comments regarding the future of the OU-Texas game. While Stoops said he wouldn't be in favor of adding a prospective out-of-conference Texas to new, future conference schedules, he did suggest that Oklahoma would likely seek to get out of upcoming games against Ohio State and Notre Dame (among others) to preserve the Texas matchup.
In short, this is appearing more and more to be an offhanded comment that was only slightly conveying a degree of brinksmanship that has been blown just a bit out of proportion. Stoops recognizes the important of the OU-Texas weekend in Dallas for non-football purposes and was not seriously suggesting the series would end.
-----------
Possible Shocker: During his Monday morning press conference, Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said he could see the OU-Texas rivalry stopping, and said that "proximity" to Texas is more important than "playing" in Texas.
Wow. Just plain wow.
Update: I believe this may indicate part of the "intense talks" Chip Brown mentioned last night, wherein I speculated that UT would put RRR on the chopping block (at least as a threat) to prevent OU from going west. I think OU is calling UT's bluff. Hard to fathom OU-Texas ending. We'll see.
Update: Some local OKC media types insist that Stoops is bluffing due to Texas' ambivalence re Pac 12, that OU-TX not really thought to be in danger at the moment.
In short, this is appearing more and more to be an offhanded comment that was only slightly conveying a degree of brinksmanship that has been blown just a bit out of proportion. Stoops recognizes the important of the OU-Texas weekend in Dallas for non-football purposes and was not seriously suggesting the series would end.
-----------
Possible Shocker: During his Monday morning press conference, Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said he could see the OU-Texas rivalry stopping, and said that "proximity" to Texas is more important than "playing" in Texas.
Wow. Just plain wow.
Update: I believe this may indicate part of the "intense talks" Chip Brown mentioned last night, wherein I speculated that UT would put RRR on the chopping block (at least as a threat) to prevent OU from going west. I think OU is calling UT's bluff. Hard to fathom OU-Texas ending. We'll see.
Update: Some local OKC media types insist that Stoops is bluffing due to Texas' ambivalence re Pac 12, that OU-TX not really thought to be in danger at the moment.
LHN: "No longer a problem" for Pac 12
The Houston Chronicle is reporting this morning that the Longhorn Network is no longer considered an "impediment" to Texas joining the Pac 12+.
The Chronicle story indicates that the LHN could be reworked as a regional Texas network, incorporating Texas Tech into its coverage fold. That would merge perfectly within the Pac 12 preferred model, and still allow Texas to retain the notion of a Texas-focused network.
http://www.chron.com/sports/college/article/Big-12-football-coaches-deal-with-situation-out-2156676.php
This is also consistent with OKC sports reporter Dean Blevins reported the other night, specifically that the Longhorn Network would be "reworked" to fit in the Pac 12.
I think the handwriting is on the wall in all this - OU, Ok State, UT, and Texas Tech to the Pac 12.
Stay tuned.
The Chronicle story indicates that the LHN could be reworked as a regional Texas network, incorporating Texas Tech into its coverage fold. That would merge perfectly within the Pac 12 preferred model, and still allow Texas to retain the notion of a Texas-focused network.
http://www.chron.com/sports/college/article/Big-12-football-coaches-deal-with-situation-out-2156676.php
This is also consistent with OKC sports reporter Dean Blevins reported the other night, specifically that the Longhorn Network would be "reworked" to fit in the Pac 12.
I think the handwriting is on the wall in all this - OU, Ok State, UT, and Texas Tech to the Pac 12.
Stay tuned.
Monday, September 5, 2011
Big 12 Shuffling - Separating Fact from Fiction
Update 9/6/2011:
New info from several tweets:
1. Pac 12 doesn't want to expand. They're happy with current situation...but
2. If Big 12 explodes with A&M's departure, they would likely accept OU and OkState even without Texas. A&M must move first, however.
3. Academics are a concern among some schools, although there is no hard AAU membership requirement in the Pac 12.
4. Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy was quoted as saying that it "didn't look like the Big 12 could be saved."
5. ACC denies last night's report that TX was joining their conference in non-football sports.
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Update 9/5/2011:
Last Update - 10:52PM - ACC commish denies TX membership pending.... Last tweet from Chip Brown @ Orangebloods says Texas in "intense" talks with OU to "save Big 12 - may work, may not." I personally think UT is going to try and bluff OU on status of OU-TX game should TX go ACC and OU go west to Pac 12. I think its all a bluff - OU needs Texas, Texas needs OU now that A&M is gone (or will be shortly). We'll see how it all works out, but my money for now still sits with the reports that seem to make the most sense - OU, Texas, Tech, and OSU to the Pac 12+, with a reworked LHN. We'll see. G'nite.
------------
Two reports emerging that indicate things are moving, but which direction is unclear. OKC sports reporter Dean Blevins from CBS affiliate KWTV-9 tweets that the Longhorn Network is the "only obstacle" to Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, and Texas Tech moving to the Pac 12+, but that it "will be reworked."
The other report that tends to work against this is that of Chip Brown at Orangebloods.com, wherein he states that Texas is working to salvage the Longhorn Network, and may be entertaining a move to the ACC!
My personal opinion is that's a load of, ahem, "surplus bevo," with almost no chance of seeing the light of reality. Texas to the ACC makes no sense under nearly any theory. But we'll see. Ultimately, I think OU will lead the charge of the four named schools west in short order.
The ESPN (and other) message boards are rife with speculation about the final destinations of Texas, OU, and other Big 12 schools pending the apparent demise of that flailing conference. Amid the speculation is quite a bit of sheer nonsense, and I'd like to try to separate some of that fiction from the facts:
That's a summary of the biggest red herrings out there for the moment. Any others?
New info from several tweets:
1. Pac 12 doesn't want to expand. They're happy with current situation...but
2. If Big 12 explodes with A&M's departure, they would likely accept OU and OkState even without Texas. A&M must move first, however.
3. Academics are a concern among some schools, although there is no hard AAU membership requirement in the Pac 12.
4. Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy was quoted as saying that it "didn't look like the Big 12 could be saved."
5. ACC denies last night's report that TX was joining their conference in non-football sports.
-----
Update 9/5/2011:
Last Update - 10:52PM - ACC commish denies TX membership pending.... Last tweet from Chip Brown @ Orangebloods says Texas in "intense" talks with OU to "save Big 12 - may work, may not." I personally think UT is going to try and bluff OU on status of OU-TX game should TX go ACC and OU go west to Pac 12. I think its all a bluff - OU needs Texas, Texas needs OU now that A&M is gone (or will be shortly). We'll see how it all works out, but my money for now still sits with the reports that seem to make the most sense - OU, Texas, Tech, and OSU to the Pac 12+, with a reworked LHN. We'll see. G'nite.
------------
Two reports emerging that indicate things are moving, but which direction is unclear. OKC sports reporter Dean Blevins from CBS affiliate KWTV-9 tweets that the Longhorn Network is the "only obstacle" to Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, and Texas Tech moving to the Pac 12+, but that it "will be reworked."
The other report that tends to work against this is that of Chip Brown at Orangebloods.com, wherein he states that Texas is working to salvage the Longhorn Network, and may be entertaining a move to the ACC!
My personal opinion is that's a load of, ahem, "surplus bevo," with almost no chance of seeing the light of reality. Texas to the ACC makes no sense under nearly any theory. But we'll see. Ultimately, I think OU will lead the charge of the four named schools west in short order.
The ESPN (and other) message boards are rife with speculation about the final destinations of Texas, OU, and other Big 12 schools pending the apparent demise of that flailing conference. Amid the speculation is quite a bit of sheer nonsense, and I'd like to try to separate some of that fiction from the facts:
- Myth 1: OU is in secret talks to go to the SEC.
- Myth 2 - Texas really wants to go independent.
- Myth 3 - Texas can keep Oklahoma in check by threatening the future of their rivalry game
That's a summary of the biggest red herrings out there for the moment. Any others?
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Texas legislature worried about OU, Texas moves?
Orangebloods.com reporter Chip Brown is reporting that movers within the Texas legislature are moving rapidly to "slow down" conference movement actions from Texas A&M and Texas. Most interesting is that Texas officials have reportedly told legislative contacts that OU's moving kills the Big 12, and that UT should follow suit, but that those same legislative contacts are telling UT reps to, in turn, tell OU to "slow down."
Somehow, I don't think the suggestion that the Texas legislature is trying to muscle OU will go over very well in Norman. The idea that UT is now, apparently, worried about what OU is doing is almost staggering.
The legislature is apparently also letting A&M know it no longer has their blessing to jump to the SEC. Now, why they waited to make this known to the Aggies four days after they announced the move is stupefying, which suggests perhaps that the OU rumblings are making a lot of people in the power structure of Texas very, very nervous very quickly.
Right now, claims are that the legislature received assurances that the Big 12 would survive without A&M, which means they never expected OU to publicly contemplate a serious jump to a different conference. That means that OU president David Boren could be playing a serious poker game with Texas, and they might do well to remember that Boren's past history as a former governor and powerful, multi-term senator gives him more than enough political acumen to stare down sabre rattling from the state powerbrokers in Austin. It also means that Texas legislators only view A&M as relevant to the extent it protects the Big 12, and by extension only to the extent the Big 12 protects Texas' interests as they relate to its nascent Longhorn Network.
The bigger question is whether Boren and Castiglione are playing an "all-in" game with Texas, even risking the future of the OU-Texas rivalry to make the Pac 12+ happen. Texas has vowed never to play A&M in any sport again should it depart, but can it make a similar threat to the Sooners and eliminate their only other high-profile rival in the process? Texas never doubted that OU would follow its lead; now, the Horns are terrified that the Sooners will go rogue, and bust the LHN by killing the Big 12.
Texas worried about what OU does? Whoulda thunk it?
Somehow, I don't think the suggestion that the Texas legislature is trying to muscle OU will go over very well in Norman. The idea that UT is now, apparently, worried about what OU is doing is almost staggering.
The legislature is apparently also letting A&M know it no longer has their blessing to jump to the SEC. Now, why they waited to make this known to the Aggies four days after they announced the move is stupefying, which suggests perhaps that the OU rumblings are making a lot of people in the power structure of Texas very, very nervous very quickly.
Right now, claims are that the legislature received assurances that the Big 12 would survive without A&M, which means they never expected OU to publicly contemplate a serious jump to a different conference. That means that OU president David Boren could be playing a serious poker game with Texas, and they might do well to remember that Boren's past history as a former governor and powerful, multi-term senator gives him more than enough political acumen to stare down sabre rattling from the state powerbrokers in Austin. It also means that Texas legislators only view A&M as relevant to the extent it protects the Big 12, and by extension only to the extent the Big 12 protects Texas' interests as they relate to its nascent Longhorn Network.
The bigger question is whether Boren and Castiglione are playing an "all-in" game with Texas, even risking the future of the OU-Texas rivalry to make the Pac 12+ happen. Texas has vowed never to play A&M in any sport again should it depart, but can it make a similar threat to the Sooners and eliminate their only other high-profile rival in the process? Texas never doubted that OU would follow its lead; now, the Horns are terrified that the Sooners will go rogue, and bust the LHN by killing the Big 12.
Texas worried about what OU does? Whoulda thunk it?
Football loses a gentle giant: Lee Roy Selmon dead at 56
Two days after suffering a massive stroke, former Oklahoma Sooner great and Tampa Bay Buccaneer star Lee Roy Selmon has died.
Selmon, 56, apparently collapsed following a workout at his home in Tampa.
I never had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Selmon, but I had the privilege of watching him play some of the most dominating defensive football I've ever seen. Growing up as a Sooner fan in the 70's, I watched the Selmon brothers as they became as much the standard bearer for the Sooners on the defensive side as the wishbone was on the offensive side. Barry Switzer referred to him as the most talented football player he'd ever coached.
Football has lost one of its truly great ambassadors. Amidst a contemporary landscape of players seemingly always dodging trouble, the Selmons were and are simple, family-centered people, endowed with tremendous physical talent brokered by a sense of selflessness that never allowed an unchecked ego to compromise who they were as human beings first, and football players second.
Blessings to the Selmon family in this tragic loss.
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Is OU heading to the Big 12 exit?
If Texas A&M's recent departure from the Big 12 put the conference on life support, word came yesterday that might just move it to the terminal list. Oklahoma president David Boren announced yesterday that the Sooners are "exploring" their conference options, and have received interest from "several" conferences.
Oklahoma has been conspicuously quiet throughout the conference realignment talk over the last year, seemingly willing to go along with the Longhorns as a tandem into whatever conference they align. Now, with A&M's departure, and OU's stated announcement, it seems to me the Big 12 has reached a crossroads - more accurately, a dead end.
OU AD Joe Castiglione served this week on a board to assess expansion to get the Big 12 back to at least ten, if not twelve, teams. Rumors circulating throughout the media indicated that BYU was prime among the expansion targets, but Oklahoma sports station WWLS reported late last week that the Cougars said "thanks, but no thanks." That Boren made his announcement about OU's future conference alignment shortly thereafter speaks volumes - with BYU saying no, and OU a member of the expansion team, there's an implicit admission that there aren't any teams of high enough caliber interested in joining the flailing and failing Big 12.
Talk radio speculation swirled that other schools such as Pitt, Lousiville, SMU, and Houston were either interested in or likely candidates for Big 12 expansion. It says here that the Big 12 realized that adding teams merely for the sake of numbers doesn't add value - it dilutes the league with second-tier programs, thereby diluting its value. And the previously silent Sooners finally decided it was time for them to play their own cards. That Boren mentioned OU's desire to ally itself with prestigious academic universities telegraphs the Sooners' preferred choices as either the Big Ten, which is unlikely, or the Pac 12, which was interested just last year.
There exists at least the chance that Boren's self-imposed "three-week" deadline to resolve OU's conference membership was really a clock for a prospective member such as BYU to change its mind. In reality, I think BYU is happy now as an independent, and OU's likely exit from the Big 12 will spell the end for a troubled, top-heavy conference, with too much power focused south of the Red River.
Stay tuned.
Oklahoma has been conspicuously quiet throughout the conference realignment talk over the last year, seemingly willing to go along with the Longhorns as a tandem into whatever conference they align. Now, with A&M's departure, and OU's stated announcement, it seems to me the Big 12 has reached a crossroads - more accurately, a dead end.
OU AD Joe Castiglione served this week on a board to assess expansion to get the Big 12 back to at least ten, if not twelve, teams. Rumors circulating throughout the media indicated that BYU was prime among the expansion targets, but Oklahoma sports station WWLS reported late last week that the Cougars said "thanks, but no thanks." That Boren made his announcement about OU's future conference alignment shortly thereafter speaks volumes - with BYU saying no, and OU a member of the expansion team, there's an implicit admission that there aren't any teams of high enough caliber interested in joining the flailing and failing Big 12.
Talk radio speculation swirled that other schools such as Pitt, Lousiville, SMU, and Houston were either interested in or likely candidates for Big 12 expansion. It says here that the Big 12 realized that adding teams merely for the sake of numbers doesn't add value - it dilutes the league with second-tier programs, thereby diluting its value. And the previously silent Sooners finally decided it was time for them to play their own cards. That Boren mentioned OU's desire to ally itself with prestigious academic universities telegraphs the Sooners' preferred choices as either the Big Ten, which is unlikely, or the Pac 12, which was interested just last year.
There exists at least the chance that Boren's self-imposed "three-week" deadline to resolve OU's conference membership was really a clock for a prospective member such as BYU to change its mind. In reality, I think BYU is happy now as an independent, and OU's likely exit from the Big 12 will spell the end for a troubled, top-heavy conference, with too much power focused south of the Red River.
Stay tuned.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
NCAA versus The Colleges: An OU-Georgia Legal Redux?
Most college football fans older than, say, 40, have at least a fleeting memory of the time when the NCAA controlled college football rights, and limited just about everyone to no more than two national TV appearances annually.
That's right, two.
Not quite thirty years ago, the universities of Oklahoma and Georgia grew tired of the NCAA's control, having started to realize the untapped value in the commercial sale of TV broadcast rights. Eventually, attorneys for one (or both) schools made a revelation - that the NCAA's control over broadcast rights was never part of NCAA membership, and that control was a violation of the Sherman Anti-Trust Act. The schools sued to get those rights back.
After some legal wrangling, the Supreme Court agreed, handing OU and Georgia a landmark victory in a case that quite literally reshaped the way college football is broadcast. The BCS itself, arguably, owes its very existence to the OU-Georgia lawsuit of not quite a generation ago.
Now, I can't help but wonder if a similar donnybrook is ahead, over what is arguably the purest expression of rights ownership - a university sports network.
This week, Texas launched its (in)famous Longhorn Sports Network, after a summer of arguing and fighting over the propriety of LHN carrying Texas high school football games. Members of the Big 12 screamed foul, pointing out a multitude of lesser promotional actions (such as showing a recruit on a scoreboard display) that have been nixed by the NCAA, meaning surely a television network can be held to no lower a standard.
For now, the Big 12 put its foot down (and, yes, I tried to say that without laughing), and told Texas, "no." And then the NCAA confirmed that ruling...and then, it didn't.
Almost without notice, the NCAA backtracked on that ruling, saying that ESPN could run "selected" high school highlights within its own content as partner for LHN. And I can't help but wonder what led to the NCAA's change of heart.
Methinks a flashback to OU-Georgia is part of their thinking.
If OU and Georgia successfully argued three decades ago that schools own their own broadcast rights, it doesn't take a great leap to say that no governing entity such as the Big 12 nor the NCAA can prevent Texas from exercising what it would argue were its First Amendment free speech rights - to broadcast on its own network anything it pleases.
It would start with Texas versus its own conference.
It would end with Texas versus the NCAA.
I'm no attorney, but my trick knee tells me that Texas would have a darned good chance to win that kind of fight. And if they did, there would be a free-for-all to follow regarding every other impingement of free speech that has capped certain recruiting activities for years - all gone at the drop of a gavel, along with any significant pretense on the part of any other school that the NCAA had any real enforcement powers over, well, anything.
I think the NCAA's about-face on an absolute prohibition of high school football on LHN is a tip of the hat to a more fundamental fear; that as rapidly as college football is growing, with newer and more creative ways found by the most powerful schools to slide craftily around the rules amid those who simply disregard them, that the NCAA is becoming an anachronism, a tip-of-the-hat to a bygone era when college football really was college football.
If the shadows of conference realignment cast by Texas A&M show anything, they demonstrate how quickly college football could reorganize itself and gravitate into a sport where the schools representing the top, oh, 50 elite programs simply consolidate, bid the NCAA and its byzantine rules farewell, and play ball with their own playbook.
Don't laugh. Surely, the NCAA isn't.
That's right, two.
Not quite thirty years ago, the universities of Oklahoma and Georgia grew tired of the NCAA's control, having started to realize the untapped value in the commercial sale of TV broadcast rights. Eventually, attorneys for one (or both) schools made a revelation - that the NCAA's control over broadcast rights was never part of NCAA membership, and that control was a violation of the Sherman Anti-Trust Act. The schools sued to get those rights back.
After some legal wrangling, the Supreme Court agreed, handing OU and Georgia a landmark victory in a case that quite literally reshaped the way college football is broadcast. The BCS itself, arguably, owes its very existence to the OU-Georgia lawsuit of not quite a generation ago.
Now, I can't help but wonder if a similar donnybrook is ahead, over what is arguably the purest expression of rights ownership - a university sports network.
This week, Texas launched its (in)famous Longhorn Sports Network, after a summer of arguing and fighting over the propriety of LHN carrying Texas high school football games. Members of the Big 12 screamed foul, pointing out a multitude of lesser promotional actions (such as showing a recruit on a scoreboard display) that have been nixed by the NCAA, meaning surely a television network can be held to no lower a standard.
For now, the Big 12 put its foot down (and, yes, I tried to say that without laughing), and told Texas, "no." And then the NCAA confirmed that ruling...and then, it didn't.
Almost without notice, the NCAA backtracked on that ruling, saying that ESPN could run "selected" high school highlights within its own content as partner for LHN. And I can't help but wonder what led to the NCAA's change of heart.
Methinks a flashback to OU-Georgia is part of their thinking.
If OU and Georgia successfully argued three decades ago that schools own their own broadcast rights, it doesn't take a great leap to say that no governing entity such as the Big 12 nor the NCAA can prevent Texas from exercising what it would argue were its First Amendment free speech rights - to broadcast on its own network anything it pleases.
It would start with Texas versus its own conference.
It would end with Texas versus the NCAA.
I'm no attorney, but my trick knee tells me that Texas would have a darned good chance to win that kind of fight. And if they did, there would be a free-for-all to follow regarding every other impingement of free speech that has capped certain recruiting activities for years - all gone at the drop of a gavel, along with any significant pretense on the part of any other school that the NCAA had any real enforcement powers over, well, anything.
I think the NCAA's about-face on an absolute prohibition of high school football on LHN is a tip of the hat to a more fundamental fear; that as rapidly as college football is growing, with newer and more creative ways found by the most powerful schools to slide craftily around the rules amid those who simply disregard them, that the NCAA is becoming an anachronism, a tip-of-the-hat to a bygone era when college football really was college football.
If the shadows of conference realignment cast by Texas A&M show anything, they demonstrate how quickly college football could reorganize itself and gravitate into a sport where the schools representing the top, oh, 50 elite programs simply consolidate, bid the NCAA and its byzantine rules farewell, and play ball with their own playbook.
Don't laugh. Surely, the NCAA isn't.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
A&M to the SEC: Round Two
With all the surprise of a blue light special at K-Mart, Texas A&M confirmed two weeks of speculation today by sending its formal notification to the Big 12 of its intent to explore other avenues of conference membership. While the unofficial, behind-the-scenes wheels continue to churn, this is the first official, legal step that makes the move that much closer to reality.
This is going to play out in myriad ugly ways. Chip Brown at Orangebloods reports that Texas has made it clear they'll make no special effort to schedule A&M as a non-conference opponent should he Ags bolt, possibly pursuing Notre Dame as a Thanksgiving replacement. That Texas would so broadly reach for the Irish tells me that independence is on the Horns mind, or perhaps even grander things - an entirely new conference anchored by Texas and Notre Dame, which could take startling new directions.
No matter how the details shake out, there will be hurt feelings that will last across generations, and fans of 2011 will be the ones to see how realignment, power consolidation, and money have cost the game of college football yet another great rivalry. Just as the Big 12 ended Oklahoma Nebraska, the death of the Big 12 will likely end Texas-Texas A&M. The only question now, sadly, is what's next?
This is going to play out in myriad ugly ways. Chip Brown at Orangebloods reports that Texas has made it clear they'll make no special effort to schedule A&M as a non-conference opponent should he Ags bolt, possibly pursuing Notre Dame as a Thanksgiving replacement. That Texas would so broadly reach for the Irish tells me that independence is on the Horns mind, or perhaps even grander things - an entirely new conference anchored by Texas and Notre Dame, which could take startling new directions.
No matter how the details shake out, there will be hurt feelings that will last across generations, and fans of 2011 will be the ones to see how realignment, power consolidation, and money have cost the game of college football yet another great rivalry. Just as the Big 12 ended Oklahoma Nebraska, the death of the Big 12 will likely end Texas-Texas A&M. The only question now, sadly, is what's next?
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
College Football: The Next Generation
With Texas A&M sending shockwaves through college football barely three weeks before kickoff, it doesn't take a rocket scientist from either the Pac 12 or the SEC to know that change is, again, on its way, and that change is going to be monstrous.
And in the midst of the change there will be winners and losers.
And I'm not sure the broader sport of college football won't be on the losing side of the ledger.
No, it isn't because of the greed of the game, or the money-grab spoiling the "purer" part of amateur athletics. It's simpler than that.
Its in knowing that once this next round of realignment happens, the face of the game will change, and some colleges playing now may not be playing tomorrow.
For every Texas, Oklahoma, Florida, and Nebraska that headlines ESPN in the fall, there's an Iowa State, a Baylor, a Colorado State, and a Kansas State that lives on the fleeting notoriety of a few magical seasons, but more largely on the coattails of the larger, more traditional programs. When this next shakeout occurs, it will consolidate the power of college football at the top. There will be a mad scramble to snag the membership of the few scattered power programs should conferences fracture, looking for Oklahoma and Texas, but hardly anyone will be too worried about the likes of Iowa State. Or Central Michigan. Or (insert mid-level program here).
Mind you, this is not intended as an insult to the Cyclones. Its just a recognition that a great many of these programs, full of dedicated, hard-working players and coaches, are quite likely to slip through the cracks and become forgotten in college football's race to power conferences and big-game payouts.
If Division I (sorry, it will never be "FBS") sports over 100 teams - perhaps closer to 120 - but the rumbling suggests that the superconference era might consist of four conferences of 16 teams each, that leaves those 120 teams vying for 64 spots. Let's get even more optimistic, and suggest a way is found to manage 24 teams in a conference - that's still only 96 teams, leaving close to two-dozen looking for a home.
If "traditional" college football is on a journey to its own future, the sad reality for smaller schools is that they may well find themselves on the Titanic, realizing they are among the unfortunate passengers stranded on deck, only to see the lifeboats to better conferences have set sail without them.
For college fans, that leaves one with a sinking feeling, indeed.
And in the midst of the change there will be winners and losers.
And I'm not sure the broader sport of college football won't be on the losing side of the ledger.
No, it isn't because of the greed of the game, or the money-grab spoiling the "purer" part of amateur athletics. It's simpler than that.
Its in knowing that once this next round of realignment happens, the face of the game will change, and some colleges playing now may not be playing tomorrow.
For every Texas, Oklahoma, Florida, and Nebraska that headlines ESPN in the fall, there's an Iowa State, a Baylor, a Colorado State, and a Kansas State that lives on the fleeting notoriety of a few magical seasons, but more largely on the coattails of the larger, more traditional programs. When this next shakeout occurs, it will consolidate the power of college football at the top. There will be a mad scramble to snag the membership of the few scattered power programs should conferences fracture, looking for Oklahoma and Texas, but hardly anyone will be too worried about the likes of Iowa State. Or Central Michigan. Or (insert mid-level program here).
Mind you, this is not intended as an insult to the Cyclones. Its just a recognition that a great many of these programs, full of dedicated, hard-working players and coaches, are quite likely to slip through the cracks and become forgotten in college football's race to power conferences and big-game payouts.
If Division I (sorry, it will never be "FBS") sports over 100 teams - perhaps closer to 120 - but the rumbling suggests that the superconference era might consist of four conferences of 16 teams each, that leaves those 120 teams vying for 64 spots. Let's get even more optimistic, and suggest a way is found to manage 24 teams in a conference - that's still only 96 teams, leaving close to two-dozen looking for a home.
If "traditional" college football is on a journey to its own future, the sad reality for smaller schools is that they may well find themselves on the Titanic, realizing they are among the unfortunate passengers stranded on deck, only to see the lifeboats to better conferences have set sail without them.
For college fans, that leaves one with a sinking feeling, indeed.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
And then the SEC tells A&M...."Never mind...."
Update Monday, 6:54 AM CDT: Well, the saga continues...Multiple reports, spearheaded by Chris Brown at Orangebloods.com, indicate that yesterday's announcement by the SEC "reaffirming" their satisfaction with their current 12-team alignment, is posturing, and A&M's move is still going to happen.
Supposedly the announcement will come within the next 20 days, with yesterday's announcement giving SEC some public, "legal" distance from A&M's plans to defect from the Big 12. Some even suggest that an announcement from A&M that they will leave the Big 12, even without an existing formal invitation from another conference, may take place.
At this point, all we can do is watch and wait. - David
With all the diplomatic aplomb of an ill-timed belch, SEC leadership groin-kicked Texas A&M late this afternoon, voting not to extend the Aggies their heavily expected invitation to bolt the Big 12 and join the SEC.
Now, with A&M spending the weekend poising itself to make the grand announcement of their own independence from their hated Austin rivals and the broader Big 12 in general, A&M has the unenviable task of walking back home to the conference it hates, hat in hand, tail between its legs, trying to figure out a way to mend fences and reconstruct bridges it had spent the last week burning.
What does the SEC's sudden spurning of A&M's advances really suggest? Just as I suggested when this story broke, the SEC's quiet action in the midst of A&M's chest thumping was cause enough for A&M to be very careful. It was simple logic that the Aggies weren't going to be invited alone, implying another team would have to be prepared to drop the hammer and keep the SEC's competitive balance at 14 schools. That meant that it was entirely possible A&M was not the prime target in the SEC's scouting efforts - that, in reality, another team was targeted, and A&M was the team to balance. Today's blow to the head tells me that negotiations with the SEC's true intended fell through, and A&M was no longer needed.
In effect, A&M was played, played savagely, in an increasingly brutal game of take-no-prisoners conference management. The SEC knew that A&M was unhappy in the Big 12, unhappy with its perpetually second-tier status nationally, unhappy with the fact that reality of its program has never matched the ego of its fans. And the SEC took that unhappiness, slid it in its hip pocket, and played the Ags like a violin when the glimmer of hope for the team the SEC really wanted arose, then faded.
Who did the SEC really want? I obviously don't know for a fact, but its easy for me to speculate. And I speculate that, somehow, Mike Slive and the SEC found out that Florida State, if given half a chance, would join the SEC tribe and deliver one of college football's great rivalries - Florida-Florida State. Somewhere, in the midst of the last week, FSU either had change of heart, or communicated they were never really interested in the first place. Who knows. In the end, the SEC is unchanged, the Big 12 continues to persist.
And Texas A&M is still very, very unhappy.
Supposedly the announcement will come within the next 20 days, with yesterday's announcement giving SEC some public, "legal" distance from A&M's plans to defect from the Big 12. Some even suggest that an announcement from A&M that they will leave the Big 12, even without an existing formal invitation from another conference, may take place.
At this point, all we can do is watch and wait. - David
With all the diplomatic aplomb of an ill-timed belch, SEC leadership groin-kicked Texas A&M late this afternoon, voting not to extend the Aggies their heavily expected invitation to bolt the Big 12 and join the SEC.
Now, with A&M spending the weekend poising itself to make the grand announcement of their own independence from their hated Austin rivals and the broader Big 12 in general, A&M has the unenviable task of walking back home to the conference it hates, hat in hand, tail between its legs, trying to figure out a way to mend fences and reconstruct bridges it had spent the last week burning.
What does the SEC's sudden spurning of A&M's advances really suggest? Just as I suggested when this story broke, the SEC's quiet action in the midst of A&M's chest thumping was cause enough for A&M to be very careful. It was simple logic that the Aggies weren't going to be invited alone, implying another team would have to be prepared to drop the hammer and keep the SEC's competitive balance at 14 schools. That meant that it was entirely possible A&M was not the prime target in the SEC's scouting efforts - that, in reality, another team was targeted, and A&M was the team to balance. Today's blow to the head tells me that negotiations with the SEC's true intended fell through, and A&M was no longer needed.
In effect, A&M was played, played savagely, in an increasingly brutal game of take-no-prisoners conference management. The SEC knew that A&M was unhappy in the Big 12, unhappy with its perpetually second-tier status nationally, unhappy with the fact that reality of its program has never matched the ego of its fans. And the SEC took that unhappiness, slid it in its hip pocket, and played the Ags like a violin when the glimmer of hope for the team the SEC really wanted arose, then faded.
Who did the SEC really want? I obviously don't know for a fact, but its easy for me to speculate. And I speculate that, somehow, Mike Slive and the SEC found out that Florida State, if given half a chance, would join the SEC tribe and deliver one of college football's great rivalries - Florida-Florida State. Somewhere, in the midst of the last week, FSU either had change of heart, or communicated they were never really interested in the first place. Who knows. In the end, the SEC is unchanged, the Big 12 continues to persist.
And Texas A&M is still very, very unhappy.
Friday, August 12, 2011
Conference Shuffling 2011 - More Talk...
Update Saturday, 7:10 PM CDT: Orangebloods.com is now reporting that the remaining Big 12 AD's (minus A&M) have vowed solidarity to the conference. OU has supposedly said it is not interested in the SEC. If A&M leaves, the Big 12 would look to fill the vacancy, with a current short list of BYU, Air Force, Houston, or TCU. Now, how TCU would fit in the picture given their new alignment with the Big East is unexplained.
It looks like the crippled, castrated Big 12 is going to try and limp along as an embarrassing, 9-member remnant of college football that seems to be shifting around its members without touching them. Even if they pick-up a leftover from a middling conference as a 10th member, its a pitiful shadow of what it was just one season ago. It's amazing to me that programs the stature of Oklahoma or even Texas aren't making overtures to conferences that have something more credible than Dan Beebe as their leader.
Update Saturday, 5:03 PM CDT: CBS Sports' Gregg Doyel reports that Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, and two other "unnamed" Big 12 schools inquired of the Big 10 about joining their conference. They were declined due to their academic standing.
This continues to reflect the ongoing scramble for conference realignment with virtually all major sources concurring that A&M will leave the Big 12 for the SEC, and the SEC apparently soliciting several other schools as well.
Update Saturday, 9:30 AM CDT: BIG NEWS: ESPN's Doug Gottlieb is now reporting from his own sources that A&M will, in fact, join the SEC. That's not necessarily new news; however, the other element he is reporting IS big news: Reportedly, three NEW teams are planning the SEC jump, and they are Clemson, Florida State, and Missouri. With A&M and now Missouri departing, the Big 12 is a dead duck. The only question now, where will Oklahoma, Texas, and the rest of the Castrated 12 go? All bets look like the Pac 12 will be the winner. More as it happens!
Update 11:03 CDT....One fairly significant event to note - A&M has apparently scheduled a regents' meeting for Monday to discuss "all matters....relating to conference alignment." Florida State still officially denies they are being courted.
I still think the NCAA is going to have a finger in this, and try its darndest to stop any potential expansion. The threat superconferences pose to the NCAA is very real, but exactly how they can prevent them without some sort of leverage is hard to contemplate.
Rather than continually update yesterday's post about A&M, it seemed ripe to start fresh and evaluate where we are in the whirlwind of new conference realignment talks.
What do we know now? For concrete facts, very little. We have strong indications that Texas A&M will formally announce its intent to join the SEC on or about August 22, although there have been "non-denial denials" all over the place. I think this aspect, with details pending, is going to happen.
The next question I asked here is simple: Given that the SEC wouldn't be taking just one team, they'd take at least two, and maybe four, who was the next school on the SEC's list? Current reports and rumors strongly indicate that other school is Florida State. Supposedly, one insider at the athletic department of one current SEC school claims the conference is "confident" they will announce A&M and FSU as new members within the next two weeks.
That same source also indicates that the SEC might be emboldened to jump to superconference status by ramping up to 16 teams, possibly seeking Oklahoma and possibly Clemson.
If the SEC plans a chess move to a superconference, one has to wonder if the same anonymous "interested parties" thatblocked the formation of the Pac 16 prserved what was left of the "Big" 12 would step in to prevent an "SEC 16?"
The NCAA wants no part of superconferences, for they fear the organization of an entity that jeopardizes their existence. It would not surprise me to find they were part of the "interested parties" that helped put the kibosh on the Big 12's split last year. If ESPN doesn't want to renegotiate its SEC deal and find its newly inked agreements with the BCS to be worth slightly less than the king's ransom they paid for it, it would seem logical they might use backdoor channels into the NCAA to solicit their assitance in stopping this iteration as well.
How? Stopping all the movement would presumably be simple - figure out a way to shut down the Longhorn Network, presumably the proverbial straw that broke A&M's back and led them to pursue the SEC. If the NCAA could apply pressure sufficient to force the Horns into shutting down their network before it started, A&M would have won the battle and the war. If the NCAA couldn't stop them, it would demonstrate just how serious a superconference threat would be to the NCAA's power and influence over college athletics.
How will it all shake out? At this point, who knows. COnventional wisdom holds that OU and Oklahoma State are tied at the hip, and would first want to head west to the Pac 12. OU wants no part of the SEC recruiting quagmire. Missouri has to be attractive to someone with its proximity to the St. Louis TV market, making a prospective Big 10 jump a very real possibility. Either way, it seems all-but impossible for what's left of the Big 12 to survive as a credible conference if A&M bolts.
Watch this space for updates as they come in!
It looks like the crippled, castrated Big 12 is going to try and limp along as an embarrassing, 9-member remnant of college football that seems to be shifting around its members without touching them. Even if they pick-up a leftover from a middling conference as a 10th member, its a pitiful shadow of what it was just one season ago. It's amazing to me that programs the stature of Oklahoma or even Texas aren't making overtures to conferences that have something more credible than Dan Beebe as their leader.
Update Saturday, 5:03 PM CDT: CBS Sports' Gregg Doyel reports that Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, and two other "unnamed" Big 12 schools inquired of the Big 10 about joining their conference. They were declined due to their academic standing.
This continues to reflect the ongoing scramble for conference realignment with virtually all major sources concurring that A&M will leave the Big 12 for the SEC, and the SEC apparently soliciting several other schools as well.
Update Saturday, 9:30 AM CDT: BIG NEWS: ESPN's Doug Gottlieb is now reporting from his own sources that A&M will, in fact, join the SEC. That's not necessarily new news; however, the other element he is reporting IS big news: Reportedly, three NEW teams are planning the SEC jump, and they are Clemson, Florida State, and Missouri. With A&M and now Missouri departing, the Big 12 is a dead duck. The only question now, where will Oklahoma, Texas, and the rest of the Castrated 12 go? All bets look like the Pac 12 will be the winner. More as it happens!
Update 11:03 CDT....One fairly significant event to note - A&M has apparently scheduled a regents' meeting for Monday to discuss "all matters....relating to conference alignment." Florida State still officially denies they are being courted.
I still think the NCAA is going to have a finger in this, and try its darndest to stop any potential expansion. The threat superconferences pose to the NCAA is very real, but exactly how they can prevent them without some sort of leverage is hard to contemplate.
Rather than continually update yesterday's post about A&M, it seemed ripe to start fresh and evaluate where we are in the whirlwind of new conference realignment talks.
What do we know now? For concrete facts, very little. We have strong indications that Texas A&M will formally announce its intent to join the SEC on or about August 22, although there have been "non-denial denials" all over the place. I think this aspect, with details pending, is going to happen.
The next question I asked here is simple: Given that the SEC wouldn't be taking just one team, they'd take at least two, and maybe four, who was the next school on the SEC's list? Current reports and rumors strongly indicate that other school is Florida State. Supposedly, one insider at the athletic department of one current SEC school claims the conference is "confident" they will announce A&M and FSU as new members within the next two weeks.
That same source also indicates that the SEC might be emboldened to jump to superconference status by ramping up to 16 teams, possibly seeking Oklahoma and possibly Clemson.
If the SEC plans a chess move to a superconference, one has to wonder if the same anonymous "interested parties" that
The NCAA wants no part of superconferences, for they fear the organization of an entity that jeopardizes their existence. It would not surprise me to find they were part of the "interested parties" that helped put the kibosh on the Big 12's split last year. If ESPN doesn't want to renegotiate its SEC deal and find its newly inked agreements with the BCS to be worth slightly less than the king's ransom they paid for it, it would seem logical they might use backdoor channels into the NCAA to solicit their assitance in stopping this iteration as well.
How? Stopping all the movement would presumably be simple - figure out a way to shut down the Longhorn Network, presumably the proverbial straw that broke A&M's back and led them to pursue the SEC. If the NCAA could apply pressure sufficient to force the Horns into shutting down their network before it started, A&M would have won the battle and the war. If the NCAA couldn't stop them, it would demonstrate just how serious a superconference threat would be to the NCAA's power and influence over college athletics.
How will it all shake out? At this point, who knows. COnventional wisdom holds that OU and Oklahoma State are tied at the hip, and would first want to head west to the Pac 12. OU wants no part of the SEC recruiting quagmire. Missouri has to be attractive to someone with its proximity to the St. Louis TV market, making a prospective Big 10 jump a very real possibility. Either way, it seems all-but impossible for what's left of the Big 12 to survive as a credible conference if A&M bolts.
Watch this space for updates as they come in!
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Texas A&M to the SEC - Update
Update @ 9:13 PM CST: Sporting News is reporting that stories of A&M joining the SEC are "just not true." However, considering the other stories that have come out tonight, this "high ranking SEC" statement is consistent with what we've known - that there cannot be a formal announcement until August 22.
Moreover, the SN story quoted their source as saying that various other leaders within the conference must be contacted before a formal invitation could be extended, which makes perfect sense given the 11 days between now and the reported August 22 announcement date.
It's all still fluid, and could still go by the boards, but right now I still stand on the side of A&M leaving. I keep wondering if we're going to hear rumors about contingency plans for OU, Texas, and the rest of the "Not Even Close to 12" should the A&M defection happen. Stay tuned.
Update @ 8:03 PM CST: Lots of media rumors and stories, hard to separate original reporting from reports-on-other reports. Newest source of fairly reliable information is coming from Orangebloods.com, link here, which says that A&M regents will vote on an SEC membership issue on August 22, and nothing official can be discussed before then.
Now, obviously, all of this is very fluid, and tons of hype is flowing everywhere, so all of this is subject to change, but the rumbling continue to suggest that A&M really is going to the SEC.
Update @ 7:47 PM CST: According to the Texas A&M Rivals site, A&M is going to the SEC!!! I must admit that I'm stunned. Read their story here. If this proves true, it almost certainly spells the end of what's left of the Big 12, and who knows where the dominoes will fall. Only time will tell!!!
Rumors on the Internet are like flies around the tail of a Texas horse - frequent, annoying, and generally swatted away.
Yet one such rumor - that of Texas A&M moving to the SEC - was promoted to full-fledged credible gossip when A&M president R. Bowen Loftin issued a curious statement pledging that he will always "look after" the best interests of the University.
You can read the entirety of the quote here.
Rumors of A&M to the SEC started last year as talks of a mass migration of teams from the Big 12 to the Pac 10 gained steam. Just as the move seemed an inevitability, an eleventh-hour deal among "interested parties" funneled more revenue to the conference and putting the kibosh on the move. Now the talks are, supposedly, starting up again.
There's only one problem. The SEC isn't going to accept just one team. If the SEC is serious about inviting A&M, it makes sense they're just as serious about inviting another, as yet unnamed school to compliment the Aggies.
The question is simple: What other school is in the SEC's gunsites? The only two high-profile programs that would seem likely candidates from the remnants of the erstwhile Big 12 would be Texas and Oklahoma; yet Texas with its new Longhorn Network hardly seems a fit for the SEC and its new ESPN contract. Oklahoma could be a legitimate second candidate, but chances are the Sooners would not move without a package deal including Oklahoma State.
The bigger fish is out there. Common sense says it has to be, with A&M serving only as the lure. That means that, as the Aggies deal with the SEC, they would do well to tread very, very cautiously. Why? If the second team on the SEC's agenda falls through, prospective talks with the Aggies could end abruptly, leaving A&M nowhere to go but back to league it, apparently, desperately wants to leave.
Let the rumors fly.
Update: Some media outlets have pointed out that the ONLY place from which the A&M-to-the-SEC rumors seem to be originating is College Station. There's been no vibe or rumor from any SEC outlets or sources, which means this may all be nothing more than disgruntled saber rattling by the Aggies....and, as of 5:30pm CST Thursday, College Station continues to be the only place other than the media talking this issue...
Moreover, the SN story quoted their source as saying that various other leaders within the conference must be contacted before a formal invitation could be extended, which makes perfect sense given the 11 days between now and the reported August 22 announcement date.
It's all still fluid, and could still go by the boards, but right now I still stand on the side of A&M leaving. I keep wondering if we're going to hear rumors about contingency plans for OU, Texas, and the rest of the "Not Even Close to 12" should the A&M defection happen. Stay tuned.
Update @ 8:03 PM CST: Lots of media rumors and stories, hard to separate original reporting from reports-on-other reports. Newest source of fairly reliable information is coming from Orangebloods.com, link here, which says that A&M regents will vote on an SEC membership issue on August 22, and nothing official can be discussed before then.
Now, obviously, all of this is very fluid, and tons of hype is flowing everywhere, so all of this is subject to change, but the rumbling continue to suggest that A&M really is going to the SEC.
Update @ 7:47 PM CST: According to the Texas A&M Rivals site, A&M is going to the SEC!!! I must admit that I'm stunned. Read their story here. If this proves true, it almost certainly spells the end of what's left of the Big 12, and who knows where the dominoes will fall. Only time will tell!!!
Rumors on the Internet are like flies around the tail of a Texas horse - frequent, annoying, and generally swatted away.
Yet one such rumor - that of Texas A&M moving to the SEC - was promoted to full-fledged credible gossip when A&M president R. Bowen Loftin issued a curious statement pledging that he will always "look after" the best interests of the University.
You can read the entirety of the quote here.
Rumors of A&M to the SEC started last year as talks of a mass migration of teams from the Big 12 to the Pac 10 gained steam. Just as the move seemed an inevitability, an eleventh-hour deal among "interested parties" funneled more revenue to the conference and putting the kibosh on the move. Now the talks are, supposedly, starting up again.
There's only one problem. The SEC isn't going to accept just one team. If the SEC is serious about inviting A&M, it makes sense they're just as serious about inviting another, as yet unnamed school to compliment the Aggies.
The question is simple: What other school is in the SEC's gunsites? The only two high-profile programs that would seem likely candidates from the remnants of the erstwhile Big 12 would be Texas and Oklahoma; yet Texas with its new Longhorn Network hardly seems a fit for the SEC and its new ESPN contract. Oklahoma could be a legitimate second candidate, but chances are the Sooners would not move without a package deal including Oklahoma State.
The bigger fish is out there. Common sense says it has to be, with A&M serving only as the lure. That means that, as the Aggies deal with the SEC, they would do well to tread very, very cautiously. Why? If the second team on the SEC's agenda falls through, prospective talks with the Aggies could end abruptly, leaving A&M nowhere to go but back to league it, apparently, desperately wants to leave.
Let the rumors fly.
Update: Some media outlets have pointed out that the ONLY place from which the A&M-to-the-SEC rumors seem to be originating is College Station. There's been no vibe or rumor from any SEC outlets or sources, which means this may all be nothing more than disgruntled saber rattling by the Aggies....and, as of 5:30pm CST Thursday, College Station continues to be the only place other than the media talking this issue...
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