The Big 12 has a real problem.

Redwood Forrest

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For much of the past year, the Big 12’s leadership has tied itself in knots trying to figure out how to change the perception that it is falling behind the other power conferences. Everything from expansion to a championship game for football to a league television network has seemingly been discussed.

But the real solution for the Big 12 almost never gets brought up. It really comes down to recruiting better players.



http://www.usatoday.com/story/sport...ecruiting-texas-oklahoma-baylor-tcu/79643502/

This has been obvious for the past few seasons. But as Baylor points out, "stars don't mean much." ;) They do need better players.
 

deliveryman35

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Jul 26, 2003
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Many Big 12 folks are sadly still in denial on this. They think the SEC dominates recruiting because we cheat, gray shirt, oversign, etc. Just go read their boards. They are absolutely seething over Saban, Freeze/Ole Miss, LSU, etc. They just don't get it, or do and won't admit it.
 
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TideMan09

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Many Big 12 folks are sadly still in denial on this. They think the SEC dominates recruiting because we cheat, gray shirt, oversign, etc. They just don't get it, or do and won't admit it. How long has it been since Texas or OU has had a top 5 class?
Yup..I finally got tired of arguing with my ACC friends about this, the SEC puts its resources into our SEC Football, more so than any conference in the country, the results speaks for themselves & leaves no doubt whatsoever about that..Just like the ACC sinks more money into ACC B'Ball & they have better B'Ball teams..
 

B1GTide

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The Texas power play around the Longhorn Network and revenue sharing killed that conference. My boss is a Sooner and wishes that they would leave for any of the other P5 conferences other than the ACC.
 

tidefanbeezer

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The Texas power play around the Longhorn Network and revenue sharing killed that conference. My boss is a Sooner and wishes that they would leave for any of the other P5 conferences other than the ACC.
Agreed. The conference is being crushed under the weight of Texas' ego.
 

4Q Basket Case

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The Texas power play around the Longhorn Network and revenue sharing killed that conference. My boss is a Sooner and wishes that they would leave for any of the other P5 conferences other than the ACC.
UTw arrogance, combined with the acquisience of the rest of the Big 12-2 has crippled that conference.

I have never understood why the Oklahoma athletic program kowtows to Texas. True, they need the Texas HS recruiting base, but I don't see where that means callused knees from bowing down to UTw.

Oklahoma has the tradition, fan support and national reputation to tell them to take a hike. Why they haven't done so a long time ago is beyond me.
 

Go Bama

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The Texas power play around the Longhorn Network and revenue sharing killed that conference. My boss is a Sooner and wishes that they would leave for any of the other P5 conferences other than the ACC.
I don't see how you're making that connection. I agree the conference is down, Texas in as bad as I ever remember, but what has the revenue sharing or LHN got to do with that? Texas is still full of talent. The SWC was a two team conference. The Big 8 was a two team conference. Losing Nebraska and Arkansas has been no great loss so all the Big 12 had left was OU and Texas.

The Big 12 is down because Texas stinks. Texas will eventually be back.
 

B1GTide

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I don't see how you're making that connection.
Because it led to the defection of 4 teams. And because it makes it impossible to attract really good schools to that conference.

Texas thought that they owned the conference, and that destroyed the conference.
 

81usaf92

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Apr 26, 2008
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UTw arrogance, combined with the acquisience of the rest of the Big 12-2 has crippled that conference.

I have never understood why the Oklahoma athletic program kowtows to Texas. True, they need the Texas HS recruiting base, but I don't see where that means callused knees from bowing down to UTw.

Oklahoma has the tradition, fan support and national reputation to tell them to take a hike. Why they haven't done so a long time ago is beyond me.
Oklahoma stays put for two reasons, and they are recruiting and the fact that no conference wants them.

Oklahoma and Nebraska are in about the same boat in recruiting.but the biggest differences is that there is slightly more talent in Oklahoma and the pipeline to Texas. Oklahoma by themselves or in a weaker conference would fade away with the dinosaurs. Then the obvious question is why the pac 12 and sec don't take them. 1) the okc market doesn't substantially boost the current status quo and 2) okie lite has to come as well. The pac 12 would probably consider it before the sec would but Texas would probably have to be on the table as well. Oklahoma has sealed their fate long ago and I don't see it changing
 
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uaintn

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Because it led to the defection of 4 teams. And because it makes it impossible to attract really good schools to that conference.

Texas thought that they owned the conference, and that destroyed the conference.
B1GTide hits the nail on the head again. It is not just who Texas ran off, it's that no program of any quality wants to come in there and be another Texas handmaiden. So they are basically stuck with who they are and when Texas is down, it's awful. They all play each other and think they are good, then meet a halfway decent non-conference opponent and get their hats handed to them.

Now high school talent is starting to notice and take opportunities outside the conference, which makes it weaker. Sort of a spiral down....
 

TideEngineer08

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Oklahoma stays put for two reasons, and they are recruiting and the fact that no conference wants them.

Oklahoma and Nebraska are in about the same boat in recruiting.but the biggest differences is that there is slightly more talent in Oklahoma and the pipeline to Texas. Oklahoma by themselves or in a weaker conference would fade away with the dinosaurs. Then the obvious question is why the pac 12 and sec don't take them. 1) the okc market doesn't substantially boost the current status quo and 2) okie lite has to come as well. The pac 12 would probably consider it before the sec would but Texas would probably have to be on the table as well. Oklahoma has sealed their fate long ago and I don't see it changing
Oklahoma tried to get into the Pac 12 with Ok State a couple of years ago and Larry Scott basically said thanks, but no thanks. The Big Ten will not take Oklahoma because of the academic superiority complex. The SEC probably wouldn't take OU either without a suitable partner and Ok State isn't that. The ACC would probably take OU in a heartbeat but I doubt they want to go to the ACC.

I agree with you. They're stuck. For better or worse. Probably more worse than better.
 

B1GTide

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Oklahoma tried to get into the Pac 12 with Ok State a couple of years ago and Larry Scott basically said thanks, but no thanks. The Big Ten will not take Oklahoma because of the academic superiority complex. The SEC probably wouldn't take OU either without a suitable partner and Ok State isn't that. The ACC would probably take OU in a heartbeat but I doubt they want to go to the ACC.

I agree with you. They're stuck. For better or worse. Probably more worse than better.
Sad, but true. They are stuck, and they know it. They should have split for the SEC with aTm when they had the chance.
 

Go Bama

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Because it led to the defection of 4 teams. And because it makes it impossible to attract really good schools to that conference.

Texas thought that they owned the conference, and that destroyed the conference.
You are effectively saying if the Big 12 could get Colorado, aTm, Missouri, and Nebraska back then the conference would be OK and that Texas has no history of arrogance or that the LHN was the last straw.

If Texas had fielded a decent team this year, this conversation doesn't take place. TCU, Baylor, Okie Lite, and Oklahoma all had good teams this year. It's all about the Longhorns, not the Longhorn Network.

Oddly enough, Nick Saban could fix the whole conference. No wonder they don't give up.
 

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