Just a little bit of sunshine in all this gloom and doom talk. Regardless of who the coach is, just a reminder that the future still looks bright!
The Big 12 is dead
When Oklahoma and Texas unexpectedly announced in July they were leaving the Big 12 for the SEC no later than the 2025 season, we all assumed that it might be a death knell for their former league. Without its two flagship programs, how could the Big 12 remain as relevant as the Big Ten and SEC?
Well, the Big 12 might not have added programs with brand names as powerful as the Longhorns and Sooners, but its future position looks pretty good right now. Oklahoma State, a current Big 12 team, and Cincinnati, a future one, might both make the playoff. Baylor has an outside chance too, and it seems the Bears might keep second-year coach Dave Aranda, who received some interest from LSU and USC. TCU just plucked Sonny Dykes, one of the sport's best offensive minds, away from SMU. Houston, another future Big 12 team, is in the CFP selection committee's top 25.
Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby took a lot of heat when OU and Texas pulled one over on his league, but he has to be smiling now. The Longhorns, who haven't won a conference title since 2009, went 5-7 under first-year coach Steve Sarkisian. The Sooners lost Riley, most of their nationally ranked recruiting class and a few of their key assistants. Karma.
https://www.espn.com/college-football/st...-12-demise