This is an interesting take on conference realignment from two OU podcasters. Their Houston talk is flattering but it’s stuff we already know.
Realignment talk at minute mark 22:40.
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One of them thinks OU can take Okie State with them to the SEC. They’re nuts.
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‘B12 is embedded in the Houston market’
no its not
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So you think there aren’t a lot of Texas fans in this city??
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Of course you pipe up
Sure, along with a myriad of other schools from the SEC, B10, ACC, and believe it or not, which I know will be REALLY REALLY hard for you to fathom…UH
No single conference is ‘embedded’ in Houston
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This might come as a shock to you, but multiple entities can be embedded in a geographic area at one time.
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This may come as a complete utter shock to you, but that is semantics and you know it, especially in the context of the podcast. But since your job on the board is to give the anti-UH/pro-UT agenda, I am sure you will disagree
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embedded
/imˈbedəd/
adjective
(of an object) fixed firmly and deeply in a surrounding mass; implanted.
Yes, Big 12 fan bases are embedded in Houston. Just like they’re embedded in DFW, San Antonio etc. What you said in your first post makes no sense. It would be like saying the SEC isn’t embedded in Atlanta, Nashville or New Orleans.
And my job on this board is to bring a dose of reality; as harsh as that may sound.
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You aren’t paid. You have no job here. You just do it because you enjoy being an troll.
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Who hired you for this job? That’s what I thought. You don’t have the life experience to bring ANY of us a dose of reality. Stop being such a tool.
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Embedded - a state that Gadfly’s head finds itself regularly in his gluteus maximus (Websters).
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Brilliant, old timer.
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It’s really hilarious how they’re saying, “Oh man! We can’t have Houston. They’d be really good! Except for OU and Texas, everyone else would get annihilated!” What other “power” conference is so pathetic that it would be afraid to admit a school because of its great potential? Imagine the SEC telling OU, “No thanks! You might beat us,” or the Big 10 saying the same thing to Nebraska back some 10 years ago. Amazing.
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How do you know what life experience I have?
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This really is the problem with the conference. Members of the conference (UT namely, refusing to schedule a regular T-Day opponent from the other Texas schools) are actually worried about elevating other members of the conference. It’s not even a case of not wanting to elevate a team by bringing them into the conference, but worried about a team that’s already there.
That mentality really is at the root of their problems and always have been. It doesn’t exist (nearly to that extent) anywhere else.
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So what’s the reality? B12-2 sees UH as a threat, adding no value, an inner-city school that would roll over TCU, OSU, TTee, Baylor, etc., in recruiting. Hell’s bells, 3 B12 coaches have said so. As much as many of us old timers would love to see age-old competition amongst Texas schools, not likely to happen. As much as I’d love to see us part of the B12 (yeah, beat the crap out of the Whorns), they will never tolerate it. If TV (ESPN) doesn’t impose 4 super conferences, then I fear our best bet is for PAC 12.
It’s the off season. Everyone has an opinion. UH to the SEC would be my dream, but it’s only a dream.
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No, only UT has a strong following in Houston. The rest of the big12 are just along for the ride. Look at merchandise in any store in town and it’s obvious. There is as much OU stuff as there is Michigan. Good luck finding the second and third tier teams stuff.
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Reality Bites (partially filmed in Houston by the way). Ok, on a serious note, I’ll try to answer that by addressing some of the points brought up in the podcast.
- OU will pull strings to bring OSU with them- OU will not be able to take OSU with it to any conference it so chooses, including the SEC. The days of package deals are likely in the rearview mirror since every conference, aside from the Big 12, has a network to take into consideration. For example, the B10 or SEC adding OU and Kansas would make more sense than OU/OSU because you can charge higher subscriber fees for the conference network in two states rather than just one. When the Big 10, SEC and ACC have added schools in the last ten years, it has been a 1 to 1 ratio. One new school is added along with one new state. OU and OSU tried to muscle into the PAC12 back in 2011 when it became clear that A&M was leaving for the SEC. They were rejected. OU fans have selective amnesia about that, which must have really bruised their egos. (Report: Oklahoma, Oklahoma State surprised by Pac-12 snub - NBC Sports)
For the conference network reason, UH going the SEC is even less likely than UH going to the Big 12 because the SEC already has a network and a school that is in-state. - Texas as an independent- Texas will never go independent. I’m not sure why the idea of Texas going independent still has traction with some people. BYU is a true independent in football (unlike Notre Dame) and it’s a scheduling nightmare. They have to frontload their schedule every year and spend the last two months playing whatever schools are available. The same would go for non-football sports. Texas has exactly what they want in the Big 12: A conference schedule and an independent network.
I don’t think they touched on it during the POD cast, but I can also picture the playoff expanding as soon as the contracts are up. If that happens, changing conference affiliations for UT or OU will come with some huge disincentives since the whole season will revolve more around the playoff than it already does. So I am not sold on the idea that the Big 12 is going to disband when the GoR expires. If the Big 12 stays intact, I have trouble seeing the Big 10, PAC12 or the ACC reaching over 600 miles to invite schools not named Texas or Oklahoma.
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From local sports radio today, did you know so far signing class of 2020 Clemson has more 5 star recruits than Texas, OU, oh wait the whole B12. Combined. Thankful to live in a state where local radio knows exactly what the B12 is on the national stage. Irrelevant.
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