[NU Sports] More on OU

[SjT (Stephen J. Truog)]

I agree - Texas really brought this on itself with the way it stacked the deck on the penalty payments and then announced its own network (which still isn't available in most of Texas apparently).

I kind of liked the Horns' absolute rejection of the SEC overtures again and again during last year's conference shuffle (that says something good about 'em!), preferring instead to flirt with the Pac 12 and Big Ten ... but this hubris seems a bit much, even in a state where hubris runs big. I mean, at least Notre Dame's won a ton of national titles and Heismans ... Texas seems to win a title once every 35 years or so and their Heisman case is a lot less full than the one in Columbus.

I think Texas overreached here -- they're not Notre Dame, and some of their league schools at least had other options. Nebraska and Colorado look smart for bolting, as does ATM - the Horns probably should have tried to support their league instead of getting greedy. They still would have been the Big Fish in the Big XII and given how the league is overrated year after year, they would have had a pretty easy path to a title shot. Now they're trying to save a sinking ship.

Like I said, I feel worst for Mizzou and Kansas. Iowa State, Baylor and Kansas State probably don't merit being with the big boys, but the Tigers and Jayhawks are going to be left in the cold when this is all said and done. And Okie State and Texas Tech had better grab on to the Sooners' and Longhorns' legs tighter than Jeff Van Gundy during a Knicks-Heat melee.

As you said, it will be entertaining to watch. Texas could still get a pretty sweet deal with Big Ten or Pac 12 money (but have to give up their network). The Pac 12 especially would probably give them anything they wanted as it would get the league a much better national profile for TV contract time. The Big Ten can (and should) be more choosy and might prefer to wait and see if Oklahoma goes the SEC's way or if the SEC poaches someone from the ACC, leading to their merge with the Big East (which could leave Notre Dame out in the cold).

Get your popcorn ready, eh?
GO CATS!!!
-SjT
 
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STEPHEN J. TRUOG
sjtruog at yahoo.com
GO CATS!!! GEAUX SAINTS!!!
Super Bowl XLIV Champions!
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