(10-18-2016 01:17 PM)jgkojak Wrote:  The B12 really screwed itself.

Especially the old Big 8 members who were behind keeping to 10.

Do they realize when Tex and OU blow this Popsicle stand they will be left without a home?

I bet they do realize that. But they also realize, or at least believe, that adding BYU, Cincy, Houston, and OK, USF, wouldn't solve that fundamental problem, which is captured by two points:

1) As long as TX and OU are in the conference, it is a Power conference, no matter what.

2) Should TX and OU leave, the conference will cease to be a power conference, no matter what**.

Given that reality, expansion, like anything else, makes no sense from the POV of an "Other Eight" so long as OU and TX are against it. If you are one of the Other Eight, it makes sense to do one thing at all times: Keep TX and OU happy. We can infer from yesterday's meeting that TX and OU were against expansion, or at least against expanding with any of the candidates on the table.

The Iowa State AD captured this sound logic when he said yesterday:

"The Big 12 exists because we have Texas and Oklahoma in the room. If we take Texas and Oklahoma out of the room, we are in the Mountain West Conference and we are going to get $3 million."

So doing what TX and OU want is, at all times, the only rational thing for an "Other Eight" to do when it comes to conference matters. Of course, if I were an Other Eight, I would hate the vulnerability of being dependent on OU and TX, and would try to improve my brand so that other P5 might find me attractive, but that's an internal matter.


** Save for something unrealistic and outlandish happening, like Notre Dame and USC taking their place.