What's Up With The Big-12?

[1983 Cotton Bowl]

Notwithstanding the result of our game against Baylor (hope, of course, springs eternal for this coming Friday night), I'm kind of amazed at how bad the Big-12 has been in the first 3 weeks of the season. Texas' defense was shredded this week. UH and Ohio State were simply superior football teams than OU, physically, speed-wise, and by every other measure. OSU got beat by a FCS school (albeit in a controversial way). TCU had all they could handle from South Dakota State in week 1, and even Baylor did not impress me when we played them.

What's going on here? All these supposed blue chip kids out of the supposed best recruiting pool in the country are getting their asses kicked at the FBS level. Anyone have thoughts?

[Stallion]

No its pretty much recruiting

In last 4 recruiting years only Texas had a Top 10 recruiting Class in any of those years according to Rivals-and only 1 which was last year. OU recruiting has dropped off precipitously too from when they annually had Top 10 recruiting classes.

Big 12 teams are more competitive for Top 25 type classes-which I think is pretty much where they are

[DiamondM75]

What happened is SMU started recruiting Texas!!!!

[sbsmith]

OSU got beat by a FCS school (albeit in a controversial way).

They got beat by a MAC school.

[1983 Cotton Bowl]

OSU got beat by a FCS school (albeit in a controversial way).

They got beat by a MAC school.

There's a difference?

Just kidding. . .you're of course correct.

[1983 Cotton Bowl]

I just don't get the sense that, as a conference, the Big-12 is trending the right way. . . both on and off the field.

[SoCal_Pony]

I just don't get the sense that, as a conference, the Big-12 is trending the right way. . . both on and off the field.

You're joking, right???

The current Big12 has never 'trended' right, especially in terms of TV market share. Assume there was a beauty pageant between 3rd & 4th best schools in each of the major conferences. Guess who comes in last?

All this talk about B12 realignment is in large part due to the 2 Superpowers, OU & UT, giving themselves the easiest path to CFP, yet failing to capitalize on it.

[Comet]

Enjoy Big XII games while they last. That conference is doomed come 2023.

[Lebanese4Life]

the same can be said about other P5 conferences.

[SoCal_Pony]

3rd & 4th place team beauty pageant by conference:

SEC - so loaded, it's between LSU, Florida, Georgia & Tennessee (no Arky)
ACC - between North Carolina, Clemson, Miami, VT Tech, GA Tech
B10 - Penn St, Nebraska
PAC12 - between Washington, Oregon, UCLA, Arizona St

B10 - Kansas, TCU, 2Techs?????

[Glenn Sosbee]

Notwithstanding the result of our game against Baylor (hope, of course, springs eternal for this coming Friday night), I'm kind of amazed at how bad the Big-12 has been in the first 3 weeks of the season. Texas' defense was shredded this week. UH and Ohio State were simply superior football teams than OU, physically, speed-wise, and by every other measure. OSU got beat by a FCS school (albeit in a controversial way). TCU had all they could handle from South Dakota State in week 1, and even Baylor did not impress me when we played them.

What's going on here? All these supposed blue chip kids out of the supposed best recruiting pool in the country are getting their asses kicked at the FBS level. Anyone have thoughts?

This brings me to a theory I have as to why I think SMU has a real shot at joining the Big-12. This TCU/Baylor phenomenon has got to be making the big state schools like UT and OU just livid. They might just think if they just water down the smaller privates with SMU inclusion into the conference, SMU would get some of the players that the TCUs and Baylors have been getting (in some cases we already are) and it could create a permanent lower class, with occasional exceptions, similar to what the big state schools enjoyed for decades in the old SWC. If I'm right and I hope I am, I could see every school in that conference, except the privates, having no problem with SMU joining. TCU was a doormat in the SWC for 30 years, along with Rice. It's just a theory.

[leopold]

Mack went on record and said one of the biggest concerns he had when TAMU leaving for the SEC was it opened up Texas recruiting for that conference, and that's exactly what happened. Tjhat and in the past few years Houston has gotten better, we have gotten better, it's all gotten harder on the Big XII.
Plus, the conference has had multiple messy public divorces. That isn't good, especially for the likes of Kansas, KSU, and Iowa State. Even high school kids know where conferences are trending.

With only ten schools they simply have less options to compete for a spot in the CFP. They need more schools and better schools. If Baylor and TCU can benefit from inclusion in the Big XII there's no reason Houston and Cincy (or even us) can't as well.

[ponyinNC]

3rd & 4th place team beauty pageant by conference:

SEC - so loaded, it's between LSU, Florida, Georgia & Tennessee (no Arky)
ACC - between North Carolina, Clemson, Miami, VT Tech, GA Tech
B10 - Penn St, Nebraska
PAC12 - between Washington, Oregon, UCLA, Arizona St

B10 - Kansas, TCU, 2Techs?????

Clemson?? No way are they 3 or 4th in ACC.

[leopold]

Pffffttt

You seen Wake Forest this year?


Ah mA zing

[sbsmith]

the same can be said about other P5 conferences.

The other four look solid, the Big 12 is the only one with an existential crisis.