2010 Sunday Brunch: Week One

Welcome to a new feature this year here at Pigskin Punditry: The Sunday Brunch, where we try to look at a few odds and ends from the Saturday games. This week's brunch will be brief because of my travel schedule, but we will have a fuller menu next week:

Coach(es) who deserve mimosas and bloody marys:

Craig Bohl, North Dakota State Bisons and Jack Crowe, Jacksonville State Gamecocks—these guys deserve a toast and a nice beverage for leading their teams to victory over Division 1-FBS competition. Yes, I know: they beat a rebuilding Kansas and a schizophrenic Ole Miss respectively.

But they still went on the road into hostile territory and beat teams from BCS automatic qualifying conferences.

The Bison upset the Jayhawks in a defensive struggle 6-3.

The Gamecocks won a shootout in Oxford with a bold gamble for a two point conversion in double overtime to seal a 49-48 win.

A huge platter of eggs Benedict for:

Coty Blanchard, quarterback, Jacksonville State: a big 30 yard touchdown pass on fourth-and-15 and then a game clinching two-point conversion. Not bad for a true freshman playing in his first game.

Denard Robinson, quarterback, Michigan: 383 yards of total offense. 19-22 passing. A school record for a quarterback with 197 yards rushing. Not a bad first start for the sophomore. Rich Rodriguez may have found his quarterback. Although I think we shall reserve judgment, because Tate Forcier looked impressive starting the year last year and we all know where things went as the season went on.

Coach who must be feeling nauseous:

Mike Riley, Oregon State: On the road (yes, it was technically a neutral site, but it was a road game on multiple levels) against one of the top mid major teams. A chance to drive down the field to tie the game (or even win it with a two-point conversion).

And the snap goes through the hands of your sophomore starting quarterback and he is forced to kick it out the back of the end zone.

Safety. Ball game. And with a trip to Boise State still looming later this month, it looks like yet another slow start for the Oregon State Beavers might be on the horizon.

Wednesday's Quick Slant: It's All About the "Y"

As I write this, BYU is holding the news conference to discuss the move to independence in football and to the WCC in some of their olympic sports.

Further proof that the mtn., a television network for the Mountain West Conference, was a big mistake.

Let me clarify that: It wasn't a mistake to create a television network for the conference, as the Big Ten has proved that a television network dedicated to one conference can be successful.

The debacle with regards to the mtn. is that it was poorly thought out and executed, and the inflexibility of either Comcast/CBS Sports or MWC commissioner Craig Thompson to renegotiate the deal or try to change parameters of coverage and exposure has led Utah to the Pac-10 (12) and BYU out the door as well.

Not that the people who actually broadcast game aren't good or don't work hard; this has nothing to do with on-camera or off-camera talent.

This is focused on the management, plain and simple.

It took well over a year for the mtn. to become available here in the Las Vegas Valley and in parts of San Diego (because the mtn. was not available on Cox). Hell, if you are in a place that carries Time Warner Cable (parts of San Diego County, for example), you still can't get the mtn.

TCU has emerged as a crown jewel of the conference in football, receiving a BCS bowl bid last season, but it's hard to find them in Dallas-Fort Worth on Versus and CBS College Sports. the mtn. also isn't available in Dallas-Forth Worth and it doesn't look like it will be anytime soon.

Heck, in 2007 BYU and Utah even went so far as to retain lawyers to look at the contract to see what could be done because they were not getting the exposure promised.

So is it any wonder that those two school and their rabid fan bases decided to leave for greener pastures?

Utah found a suitor in the Pac-10.

BYU is going it alone for football, although they found a partner in ESPN, who agreed to an eight year deal to broadcast BYU home games and also is allowing BYU-TV to rebroadcast the games on the same day as the initial airing.

That is a significant deal.

And while the WAC is crippled by the machinations of the Mountain West a couple of weeks ago when this story first started to evolve, WAC schools are giving BYU five games in 2011 and four games in 2012.

Is it a gamble? It sure is. Do I think it's going to fail? I don't think it will fail. But it's also too soon to call it a success for sure.

Pencil it in as a win, and let's reexamine it in four years.

Tuesday's Quick Slant: Wild Rebel on Hold

Pending a successful appeal, Ole Miss quarterback Jeremiah Masoli will not be eligible to play in 2010.

Masoli, who transferred from Oregon after being booted off of the team by Chip Kelly, transferred to Ole Miss in the hopes of playing this season. Masoli still has a redshirt year that he can use, so he could be eligible in 2011.

The NCAA refused to waive the one year residency requirement for transfers. Masoli was appealing the requirement since he transferred to Ole Miss and enrolled in Parks and Recreation for his master's degree. Masoli received his bachelor's in sociology this summer from Oregon.

From the outside, and I'm just speculating and paraphrasing here, it appears that this is the message that the NCAA is delivering to Masoli:

"Congratulations on getting your bachelor's degree and enrolling in a master's program. But given your off the field transgressions of recent past and farther back (documented here in detail), it might be in your best interests to sit for a year and see if you can keep your nose clean and stay out of trouble. We are not going to allow you to game the system this year by utilizing this transfer exemption.

Because let's be frank, Jeremiah: If you hadn't been kicked off the Oregon team, you would not have gone to Ole Miss."

In other words: Child, please.

UPDATE: Here is a statement from the NCAA regarding Masoli:

NCAA issues waiver decision for Ole Miss student-athlete

The NCAA staff has granted a graduate student transfer waiver for University of Mississippi football student-athlete Jeremiah Masoli, but he must wait until the 2011-12 academic year to compete. Mr. Masoli can continue to pursue his academic career, is eligible to receive athletics aid, and may practice with the team.

In its decision, the staff noted the student-athlete was unable to participate at the University of Oregon based on his dismissal from the team, which is contrary to the intent of the waiver. The waiver exists to provide relief to student-athletes who transfer for academic reasons to pursue graduate studies, not to avoid disciplinary measures at the previous university.

According to NCAA rules, created by member schools, football graduate student-athletes must receive a waiver in order to compete if they enroll in a university other than where they received their undergraduate degree.

After receiving information from both universities and the student-athlete, the NCAA staff obtained the final piece of information yesterday evening from the University of Mississippi and issued its decision today. The university may appeal this staff decision to the Subcommittee for Legislative Relief, an independent group comprised of representatives from NCAA member colleges, universities and athletic conferences.

Monday's Quick Slant: Preseason Prognostications 2010

It's almost here.

After months of talking about realignment and arrests and agents and investigations into shady living arrangements, the 2010 season kicks off on Thursday with a slate of games highlighted by a rematch of the 2005 Fiesta Bowl: Pittsburgh at Utah.

All I can say is: Thank goodness.

But, in advance of the start of the regular season, it's time to offer up some preseason prognostications for the division winners and the BCS title game:

ACC-Atlantic: Florida State
ACC-Coastal: Virginia Tech
ACC Champ: Virginia Tech
Big 12-South: Oklahoma
Big 12-North: Nebraska
Big 12 Champ: Oklahoma
Big East: Pittsburgh
Big Ten: Ohio State
C-USA-East: UCF
C-USA-West: Houston
C-USA Champ: Houston
MAC-East: Temple
MAC-West: Central Michigan
MAC Champ: Temple
MWC: TCU
Pac-10: Oregon State
SEC-East: Florida
SEC-West: Alabama
SEC Champ: Alabama
Sunbelt: Middle Tennessee
WAC: Boise State

BCS title game: Oklahoma wins over Ohio State

I also think Navy will finish with the best record of the three independent squads, but Army will make a bowl game at 6-6.

Additionally, I think Boise State loses two games this year. One of those losses will be to Idaho as a going away present from the Vandals.

Maybe Superconferences weren't the wave of the future

With the recent announcement that Texas and BYU are going to play a home and home series in 2013 and 2014, the rumor mill has started to churn. Again.

But the noise this time isn't relating to the still undecided positioning of BYU vis-a-vis its desire to be independent.

The noise this time is quite intriguing, though.

When all of the sturm und drang of the potential Pac-16 came down this spring and earlier this summer, and Texas decided to come back to the Big 12 minus two and "save it," everyone was focused on the idea of superconferences and whether they were going to be the future of Division 1-FBS football.

But as Texas has stepped up its non-conference schedule lately, adding the BYU series to a future series with Southern Cal and a four game deal with Notre Dame, some are wondering if this means a move to independence for the Longhorns is in the works.

After all, this marriage with the rest of the Big 12 is shotgun, at best, unless Dan Beebe can show the schools the money.

Notre Dame might wind up being vindicated in all of this. As BYU continues to decide its football future, and Hawai'i has mentioned that given the state of the WAC that they might go independent as well.

Maybe we were all wrong. Perhaps the future isn't in 16 team leagues like the old Western Athletic Conference or the proposed Pac-16.

Maybe the future is a return to independence.

Michigan, Ohio State, and the Tradition Paradox

tra·di·tion\trə-ˈdi-shən\ noun

1 a : an inherited, established, or customary pattern of thought, action, or behavior (as a religious practice or a social custom) b : a belief or story or a body of beliefs or stories relating to the past that are commonly accepted as historical though not verifiable

2

: the handing down of information, beliefs, and customs by word of mouth or by example from one generation to another without written instruction

3

: cultural continuity in social attitudes, customs, and institutions

4

: characteristic manner, method, or style tradition>

Tradition. It's a loaded word when it comes to life at colleges and universities. I've joked with some of my colleagues in higher education that if something happens two years in a row, it's considered a tradition by the students.

But the reason I'm bringing up the word tradition is the debate surrounding the Big Ten and what to do with Michigan and Ohio State's annual late November tilt.

It's not very often that one can find something that will bring Buckeyes and Wolverines together, but apparently the controversy surrounding splitting Ohio State and Michigan into separate divisions and possibly moving the rivalry game is galling enough to both sides to forge an almost unholy alliance against such a thing.

I'm a fan of a Somerset Maughm quote when it comes to thinking about the power of tradition. The quote is, "Tradition is a guide and not a jailer."

I'm not saying that traditions aren't important; they serve as cross-generational touchstones. They do have a significance in imparting a shared experience and concept.

But one should never become slaves to tradition, because then you are trapped.

Back when the season really did end with Michigan and Ohio State playing the last week of the season, it made sense.

But the sport has evolved and the culture of sport has evolved. With the addition of the 12th regular season game, and the creation of conference title games, the end of November has not been the end of the regular season in a long, long time.

Yes, "The Game" had the attention of the entire nation in 2006, and it was memorable. But that was a perfect storm situation because of the number one versus number two element (a first for the series, if I recall).

Does The Game really lose its luster if it moves to October 22 or November 8? Do Wolverines hate Buckeyes less or more because they're playing a month earlier? Do Buckeyes not want to beat the tar out of the Wolverines because there are still regular season games left?

Of course not. To me, and this is my own inherent bias, the vitriol for your most hated rival exists no matter when that game is played. It could be first game, it could be the last game on the schedule, it could be game seven of the season—I don't find the calendar to be that important.

Vince Lombardi and I have a question...

Couldn't have said it better myself, Vince.

I've been swamped at my day job, which is par for the course when you work in higher education. Tuesday night, as I was winding down for the evening, I saw something flash across the ESPN bottom line that caught my attention. To paraphrase, "BYU considering going independent in football."

My first reaction was, "Huh?"

My second reaction is noted above.

Come Wednesday morning, it seemed that the Cougars were close to forgoing the Mountain West and joining the WAC with their Olympic sports and basketball, and playing as an independent in football. In a deal with the WAC, they would be able to schedule somewhere between four and six WAC opponents to help fill out their schedule.

This would allow BYU to increase its profile by coming up with a television contract with ESPN to carry some games and would allow BYU to expand their own broadcasting network (which is transitioning to HD). BYU would get to keep revenue from all television appearances and any bowl games—especially if they made a BCS game as an at-large.

Wednesday afternoon, the Mountain West announced it had invited Fresno State and Nevada to join the conference, and both institutions quickly accepted.

As of last night, Mountain West commissioner Craig Thompson was saying that BYU is still a member of the conference, which is true.

A couple of questions come to mind:

1) BYU has looked at being independent before, but it was with the risk of being independent in all of their sports. Joining the WAC was supposed to offer stability to those other teams. But with the Mountain West crippling the WAC by taking (arguably) three of the top programs this decade in Boise State, Fresno State and Nevada, there is not much left of the WAC. Does this move force BYU into check and bring them back into the fold for now?

2) If BYU returns to the fold, the Mountain West will sit at 11 teams, one team short of the tantalizing figure of 12 required to have a conference championship game. Does the league bite the bullet and try to get someone from the West Division of Conference USA (UTEP, Tulsa, Houston) to round out the league?

3) Does this move, with or without BYU, force ESPN and the Mountain West to come back to the table and negotiate some kind of a partial television contract? Or is such a plan already in the works?

4) Karl Benson needs to decide on a plan of action. Does he try and recruit schools from Conference USA or the Sun Belt to join? Do you look at adding Division 1-FCS schools Montana, Northern Arizona, Weber State or Eastern Washington (to name a few)? Because while you can still be a Division 1 school in some other sports with a reduced conference, it's not going to work for football to remain a FBS conference with only six members. The rumor yesterday about trying to poach UNLV and San Diego State is a total non-starter at this point; neither school is going to leave the Mountain West at this juncture.

So it looks like we are back to being in the midst of Expansionpalooza™ once again, and the ground is shifting. It's just smaller tremors than anticipated.

Why College Football Matters to Me

I've had this blog for about a year now, but I don't think that I formally introduced myself and explained the love I have for college football. I wanted to take some time this week and tell a story about the importance of college football in my life.

I went to the University of Missouri for my bachelor's degree and went on to study for a master's degree at Illinois State University. We aren't talking about college football powerhouses here. While in graduate school, I met someone and things got pretty serious – to the point where we were living together.

I received my master's degree in higher education and I was anxious to start my career. But employment opportunities in my field simply were not happening locally. An opportunity presented itself in southeast Michigan in a town called Ypsilanti (right next to Ann Arbor) at Eastern Michigan University. I jumped at the opportunity, packed up a U-Haul and moved away.

It was a rough time for us. Things were not going well. There were lots of long, late night phone calls and tears being shed. A lot of heartache. But a salve would soon appear unexpectedly that at least temporarily healed some of the wounds.

It was college football. My girlfriend and I would spend time talking on the phone and watching the games. It was a way for us to stay connected on those weekends we couldn't be together during that fall. Plug in the cell phone, turn on the tube and spend the day watching the games.

At a rough time in our relationship, it was college football that saw us through.

So this time of year reminds me of that dark place, and as each passing day brings us closer to kickoff, I can't help but feel excited for the sport that brought be back closer to my girlfriend (and now wife).

It ties into one of the greater things I think about sports. Do we care about what happens on the field too much? Of course. But there are times that the outcome on the field is not nearly as important as the ability to simply share the experience with someone you love.

So that's where my love of college football comes from, in part. It is a reminder of the love of my wife.

(A version of this piece appears on Southern Pigskin.)

Three Grudge Matches To Watch in 2010

One of the great things about college football is the rivalry games—those clashes between fanbases and teams that plain old don’t like each other. The intensity on the field (and occasionally in the stands or the parking lot) can get ugly from time to time, but if the two teams are evenly matched, they can provide great theater and some instant classics.

Heading into this season, with the realignment mess that took place in May and June, three rivalry games coming up in 2010 are going to be worth taking a look at. Because depending on how things shake out, outside of a bowl game, this might be the last time these three matchups will be scheduled.

Texas at Nebraska (October 16): As the Big 12 teetered on the brink of collapse, Nebraska was able to find a lifeline and will be departing for the Big Ten starting next season. Texas (depending on your perspective) either saved the Big 12 or used their position as a potential cash cow to elevate themselves over their peers.

Tom Osborne, Nebraska Athletic Director and Icon, would take the second position, methinks. And all of this conference maneuvering came on the heels of what might go down in Nebraska lore as “:01,” referring to the second that was added back to the clock at the end of the Big 12 title game last December.

Of course, there is a chance that the October 16 meeting in Lincoln won’t be the only matchup between the two. If things play out as both fan bases would like them to, they would rematch for the conference title in December.

But that October 16 meeting will be a doozy.

BYU at Utah (November 27): One of the issues that was brought up time and time again during the realignment fiasco was BYU and their Mormon heritage, and how that would have potentially been an impediment to the Cougars finding a home in a new conference if the massive dominoes had fallen.

When the dust settled, though, it was Utah that was moving on up to the Pac-10 (soon to be 12) and BYU is left behind in the Mountain West Conference. Since these two have been battling for supremacy (along with TCU) in the Mountain West for the last few years, the questions about the continuation of this series when Utah leaves has yet to be resolved. It would be a shame if the “Holy War” ended after this season, but you have to believe that BYU would love nothing more than to ruin Utah’s chances at a third undefeated season in six years.

Boise State at Idaho (November 12): This one is going to be a barnburner. I thought a few weeks ago that it was one of the trap games that Boise State was going to have to avoid if they were to run the table yet again. That was before Boise State president Bob Kustra called Vandals fans, for lack of a better term, classless. According to the Idaho Statesman, Kustra was referencing an article in the Idaho student newspaper that was titled “Who do we hate?”:

“This is a great example of why my wife and I no longer travel to Moscow
games,'' Kustra said. "It's a culture that is nasty, inebriated and civilly
doesn't give our fans the respect that any fan should expect when visiting an
away team. ... I don't think at Boise State you're going to find that, so for me
personally, when I read what Pete said I knew, I knew.

"For me, this is not about football. For me, this is a cultural issue. It's
about fans having to learn how to treat other fans and universities. What
bothers me more than anything else, is that the fans are not about denigrating
our athletic program. ... What bothers me personally is the denigration of our
academic programming. That's what I simply can't tolerate.

"I've seen rivalries all over America…but I've never seen the nastiness
aimed at the quality of our academic program that I find here in Idaho from the
University of Idaho Vandals and as long as that goes on, why would I want to
encourage a game where people don't know how to act like grownups?”

Well, okay then. Kustra has not backed down from the comments, but I can guarantee you that the game at the Kibbie Dome will be an extremely difficult ticket to acquire, and that it will be a raucous atmosphere at kickoff. And if the Broncos are still undefeated and in position to make a run at a BCS title game appearance, I think the Vandals would cherish a win in that game more than any other.

I will watch a lot of college football, but these games will be must see television for me.

Running the numbers: Big 12 since 1996

Lately, as I've been driving around town, I've heard a promo for Colin Cowherd's radio show. I'm not the biggest fan of Cowherd (I find him to be condescending, pompous and arrogant) but the premise of the promo is interesting.

Cowherd was asking, based on the fact that Colorado and Nebraska are soon departing the Big 12, who the third best football program in the conference will be.

It got me to thinking: Based on record, who actually has been the best in the league over the last fifteen years.

So I went to the record book (i.e. College Football Data Warehouse) and took a look at the records for everyone in the conference from the inaugural season (1996) through last year (2009).

Note that in my analysis, I did not count title games as conference games, but I did color code the winner to clarify who is the recognized champion.

Some thoughts:

1. Texas is number one both in overall record and in conference wins/losses during this time period, posting a .785 record in conference games and .782 overall.

2. Nebraska and Oklahoma are tied for second in overall winning percentage (.716) but Oklahoma leads in conference winning percentage (.714 to .669).

3. Texas has almost as many losses (39) as Baylor does wins (43) in the same time period.

4. Three teams have won the South Division title outright (Texas, Texas A&M, Oklahoma) with one getting a partial share in 2008 (Texas Tech).

5. Four teams have won or shared the North title (Kansas State, Missouri, Nebraska, Colorado)

6. Oklahoma has won the conference title game six times. Second is Texas with three.

7. Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas have each won one BCS title.

Now, here's the funny thing about the initial question as posed by Cowherd, and maybe it's the dirty little secret that some folks don't realize:

Colorado hasn't really been a player in the Big 12 since 2002. Sure, they won two North Division titles in 2004 and 2005, but 4-4 and 5-3 conference records don't exactly mean that you were a superpower. The North Division was going through, for lack of a better term, a malaise.

Okay, malaise isn't quite right. The North was putrid in 2004 and 2005. Someone had to win it, and Colorado was the best of a sad, sorry bunch of teams.

And yes, while Nebraska has name recognition and a great, glorious history, they haven't really been setting the world alight since Dr. Tom retired as head coach and Frank Solich was forced into exile in Athens, Ohio.

Bo Pelini has done a great job so far, and maybe he will be able to resurrect the program wholly and make the 'Huskers a national power again. Hell, if they can get a half decent, consistent offense that might do it. The defensive talent is definitely there.

Yes, losing Nebraska will deal a blow to the name recognition of the conference, and also may be the loss of a great program. I don't think the loss of Colorado hurts the Big 12 all that much.

But who will fill the void?

If one is to go by the numbers historically, it would be Texas A&M, Texas Tech or Kansas State. They are the only other programs (besides the aforementioned) that are over .500 in conference for the history of the league.

But Texas Tech is going through a coaching (and philosophy) transition, and I don't know if Tommy Tuberville will stay in Lubbock for that long if he can win and win big.

Texas A&M might be ascendant, but as long as defensive inconsistency continues to plague this team, they will spin their wheels under Mike Sherman.

And while Bill Snyder was called in to fix the mess of Ron Prince, Snyder's age, and the change in the college football universe since his first reclamation of the Wildcats don't seem to be in his favor.

Baylor and Iowa State don't have much of a track record at all.

Kansas is also going through a coaching change right now, and I wonder about Turner Gill and if he might be overrated for one winning season at Buffalo.

Missouri and Oklahoma State have had their moments lately, but are still viewed as nouveau riche programs that have to establish more of a work history (again, consistency) than the last four or five years.

Quite frankly, maybe there isn't anyone that will fill the "void" (if you want to view it that way) being left by Colorado and Nebraska. It could be that, really, since about 2002, there hasn't been a void anyway. There's been a glut of teams that go anywhere from 6-6 to 8-4 in the regular season, with maybe a program or two bubbling up to give Oklahoma and Texas a run for their money.

But from looking at things, it seems that the future of the Big 12 will be the same as its present a recent past:

Texas, Oklahoma and everyone else.

Brain Trauma and Football: Reform Of Some Kind Is Needed

My son was born on September 8, 2007, which I remember not just for his birth, but also because it was the day that Dennis Dixon ran wild against Michigan in the Big House on the heels of Appalachian State stunning the Wolverines a week earlier.

Now, in 2007 most of us football fans hadn’t yet heard of the term chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE. We might have heard of punch-drunk syndrome, which CTE is a variant of, but CTE itself was not really on the radar screen.

Well, over the last couple of years, thanks to the efforts of Dr. Bennet Omalu, a forensic pathologist in Pittsburgh, this condition is now known and public. CTE recently re-entered the news in football as Chris Henry, the former West Virginia Mountaineer and Cincinnati Bengal, was diagnosed as having the condition. Henry died last December when he fell from the back of a pickup truck during an argument with his fiancée.

One of the thoughts about what causes CTE is repeated blows to the head. They don’t have to be full on, diagnosed concussions, though; rather, a person can have lots of smaller blows to the head that cumulatively damage the brain.

Remember, the brain is not right up against the skull. There is a space between where the brain is located in the skull and the edge of the skull. Brain injury results from the brain hitting the skull with force.

According to Dr. Omalu in an article by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Chris Henry’s brain “didn’t look like the brain of a 26 year old.”

(Picture from Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

And keep in mind, Chris Henry was a young wide receiver. Not a retired offensive lineman like Pittsburgh Steelers Mike Webster or Justin Strzelzcyk. Not a retired safety like Philadelphia Eagle Andre Waters. Henry was an active player who had less than 60 NFL games played. Also, Chris Henry, for all of his issues, never missed a game with a diagnosed concussion.

That makes this an issue that should cut across all levels of the sport. Do I think that football should be outlawed? Not at this time. Obviously, a lot more research needs to be done, but some changes do need to be made in the short term with regards to equipment and the (sometimes) false sense of security it can provide. Also, changes probably need to be made to how the game is administered on game day and also during practices and the teaching of the game at the high school and lower levels.

Change is going to need to come and be driven by individuals within the game. It is one thing to play a high risk sport. But with lives potentially on the line, I know in good consciousness I couldn’t allow my boy to play the game as it is right now.

Only One Winner in the Expansion Game

The 2010 expansion race ended not with the cataclysmic change that was expected, but instead with a small whimper.

The expected galvanization of the college athletics landscape never materialized in the manner many thought it would.

Instead of mega conferences, we had:

1) Colorado bolting to the Pac-10, where they seem to be quite happy with each other so far.
2) Nebraska bolting to the Big Ten, torching their peers and feeling like they were forced out. Stay classy, Nebraska administration.
3) Boise State moving up another weight class by joining the Mountain West Conference.

There are still a couple of smaller dominoes that need to fall, as it appears that the Pac-10 might invite Utah to join the conference as a 12th member and, it is assumed, that the Mountain West would then invite someone to replace Utah.

But the Big Ten going to 16 teams, plundering the Big East and the Big 12? Didn't happen.

The mega Pac-10, which would have encompassed three time zones and a large geographic footprint? Didn't happen.

The long desired marriage of the Big Ten and Notre Dame? Yeah, right. That didn't happen either.

Instead what we wound up with was a Big 12 with ten teams, a Big Ten with 12 teams, and a Pac-10 with 11 teams.

Larry Scott, Pac-10 commissioner, tried to hit a home run and instead appears to have hit a ground rule double.

Jim Delany, Big Ten commissioner, tried to swing for the fences as well as and came up short, too.

The Mountain West tried to get on base, but may have just hit a foul ball if they lose Utah.

As far as I can see, only one institution has emerged from this dust up as a winner.

It's Texas.

Texas has played the role of Verbal Kint/Keyser Söze brilliantly in all of this. Texas has controlled the narrative over the last week or so and played the media game with an amazing level of skill.

In fact, Texas has been so good at controlling the spin surrounding this conference expansion game that they have somehow managed to be painted as the savior of the Big 12 — even though they were talking with not one, not two but THREE different conferences. In addition to having the Pac-10 on the hook, Texas was chatty with the Big Ten (and there were emails that said as much) and met with the SEC.

No matter what anyone else says, this came down money. As Randy Moss would say:



Texas wins because:
1) They controlled the narrative from start (on June 9) to finish.
2) They will, if Dan Bebee's deus ex machina is working properly, a significantly larger amount of revenue from the Big 12 minus 2 television deal.
3) They have been given the go-ahead to create their own Longhorn Sports Network, which will reap them additional cash
4) Assuming most things in the conference play out like they have, it will truly come down to Texas and Oklahoma for the Big 12 title most years in the new round-robin format for the league. Considering that poll inertia occurs most years, Texas remains in the BCS hunt without having to play that pesky conference title game.
5) They have asserted their will and flexed their muscles, cementing their hold on a conference they already dominated to some extent. Hell, there is even a chance that the five lost souls (Missouri, Kansas, Kansas State, Baylor and Iowa State) have decided to vote the income that will be withheld from Colorado and Nebraska to be redirected towards Texas, Texas A&M and Oklahoma.

Gangsta.

Nothing about this situation suggests largesse on the part of the Longhorns; they held the power in this situation and used some well timed and placed media leaks to get information out there, and kept feeding that source to serve their own purposes.

Of course, again, I think it's prudent to remind folks that this is all dependent on a new Fox Sports Net television deal that is not exactly, um, real or finalized at this point; this whole thing is hanging by a handshake.

Plus, considering the enmity that this has brought out, I don't buy that this game is over.

So once again, congrats Texas. Check and mate. Job well done.