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SEC questions and observations

Figured I would come on over and see what Sooner thoughts are:

1. Sounds like this is all but a done deal.

2. Thoughts on UT boards are rest of Big 12 will be scrambling for a chair before the music stops and the conference collapses earlier meaning we could be in the SEC by 2023.

3. What’s the scoop with OU - OSU? Can Oklahoma legislature cause any problems?

4. Do you guys think SEC would set up as 8 teams east and west or four 4 team pods?

5. Hope there’s a way to ensure we play each other every year. Would hate for that to end.

Interesting times for sure. Looking forward to your thoughts.

Ten reasons it makes sense to make the move to the SEC ...

Here's 10 reasons (some funny, some not) it makes sense for Oklahoma to make the move to the Southeastern Conference.

10. The Grove. Plain and simple. It's time to admit it. I want to know what chicken on a stick is all about. I want to frolic from tent to tent. It's been on the sports bucketlist for awhile now. Yet somehow the pilgrimage has alluded me for a lifetime. Put Lane Kiffin and the Rebs (we can still call them that right?) on the schedule and pow. We've got a great reason to make the trip. Tailgating in the Grove is a staple of the college football experience. I yearn for this kind of atmosphere. Might even pick up a searsucker suit. Hell. Let's get crazy and drink a little bourbon while rubbing elbows with the southern elites.

grove.jpg


9. Would be a lot easier to build Queen Patty Gasso a 30,00 seat softball stadium when the Sooners go undefeated in the mighty SEC. That's right. Football wouldn't be the only sport to capitalize off a move to the SEC. In all seriosness, would other conferences even want to continue playing college softball?

8. Trading getting screwed in the second half at Allen Fieldhouse for getting screwed on the road at Rupp Arena seems like a fair trade. I would hope John Higgins makes the move along with Oklahoma and Texas but we should warn you.

7. When we're on the road covering Oklahoma football options for fine dining can be limited. A move would surely remedy this with new places for the Scoop crew. Namely two places that bring with them the highest of recommendations and can (sometimes) be found on the Michelin list of culinary perfection. Enter Bojangles and Cook Out stage right. Need I say more?

6. I forgot how fun it is to troll Aggieland. It's too easy. God love 'em. I don't know what it is about the A&M fanbase that makes them such an easy target but I've laughed way too many times at stupid GIFs over the last few days. I've even made a couple, too.

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5. If you look at this and don't think it's fun I really need to follow up and ask you spend your college football Saturdays. Perhaps it's time to look in a mirror.

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It's also a great idea because of people like Dennis Dodd. What a slap in the face.

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That is the definition of fun in a conference that is known as the best of the best. And okay. See No.4. It's time we admit something.

4. It's just us. Don't go telling anyone that we made this admission. Pause. The Southeastern Conference is the best college athletics conference in the land. Yikes. That killed me. Oklahoma and Texas want what Texas A&M has had. A seat at the table. No, I'm not saying you need to run and learn how to chant 'SEC'. Ugh. But the jig is up. It's a place where the elites of college athletics belong. Vandy we'll need to speak with you privately. There I did it. That's the dirty little secret we can't admit publicly but think about at night.

If Oklahoma and Texas are looking ahead with the future in mind it would be imperative they align themselves with the forward thinking, big brained thinkers of the SEC.

They fit. It makes sense.

From a recruiting standpoint the possibilities are endless. Slowly but surely Lincoln Riley, Alex Grinch have dug Oklahoma out of the defenseless recruiting hole. Now it's time to captitalize as outlined by Recruiting Editor Josh McCuistion here.

2. I mean this is fairly simple right. The bossman @Carey Murdock made it pretty clear on Wednesday night when the news first broke. It's a decision about money. And lots of it.

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There's obviously no way of my public schooled education ass can figure out how much money exactly Oklahoma and Texas stand to gain but historical figures should be expected. I wouldn't be surprised to see SEC institutions receiving somewhere just north of $70 million annually. That's not money you leave on the table. It also answers half the question of, 'why now?'. This is a decision with historical factors at play. That sound you hear the changing landscape of college football and for the first time in a longtime it seems Oklahoma isn't going to be left waiting on the Big 12 Conference. Taking initiative. I like it.

1. A chance to room with Billy Luicci and Geoff Ketchum at SEC Media Days. Talk about content bonanza. I'll even let them take the twin beds if I can stay on the rollout couch/bed in Hoover. Can you imagine us three kings choreographing a dance/performance at the famed SEC Media Day Karaoke Night? Something I literally fantasize about. Let's make a deal Pornhub.

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I hope you have a fullblown SEC boner now.

Why Baker might be the most-important Oklahoma player

This SEC move doesn't happen without Baker walking on to Bob Stoops' team and changing the trajectory of the program that was in an uncertain spot. Four appearances in six playoffs later, the program is seen as one of the top five in the country and an absolute must-get for the SEC. Could have gone a different way had Trevor Knight been the starter in 2015. Now OU's future in college athletics is secured. The challenge is to figure out how to stay elite.

Good info from Ketch

d. A source told me on Thursday that the rubber met the road on discussions with the SEC the very moment that the Big 12's TV partners indicated that early negotiations on a new TV deal were a non-starter. "That was the moment that we knew there could not be more waiting around. The sentiment was shared by (OU)," one source told me on Thursday.

e. Speaking of the boys in Norman... they don't give a ****. You want to talk all gas, no brakes, just look at OU's role in this. If it took three hours for the UT side to come to grips with the fact the entire world now knew about the plans that have been in the works for some time, it took the Sooners about three minutes. I had UT sources telling me about the loud victory parties that were taking place in the OU athletics offices once the news broke. Hell, in a world where the Aggies didn't obviously leak this story, you'd halfway suspect that the giddy Sooners might have because they are in YOLO-mode.

"Texas high school coaches get real on recruiting" (article from The Athletic)

Some great stuff here (and yes, you have to pay for it you cheap sumbitches, but it's a STUPIDLY cheap sub, and The Athletic puts out some great freakin stuff... well worth it)...

https://theathletic.com/2707348/202...-horns-vs-aggies-and-whos-invading-the-state/

A small excerpt from it...

"

How has Steve Sarkisian’s staff recruited your school since taking over at Texas and how has it been different, if at all, from the previous staff?​

Coach 2: (Quarterbacks) coach (AJ) Milwee recruited our school, and he is a pretty nice guy. He is probably a little more friendly than the last quarterbacks coach. There’s a little arrogance in the last staff. I think the new staff is going to do a better job. Hiring (former Lancaster High) coach (Chris) Gilbert (as director of high school relations) was a home-run hire. He’s going to be able to bridge the gap, especially on that (Interstate) 20 corridor, where you’ve got to have somebody really good.

Coach 3: I don’t think it’s been very good. Since Gilbert has been there, I think it’s been good. I’ve spoken to Gilbert more than I’ve spoken with any coach on that staff. I’ve only talked to Sark one time. I’ve talked to (special teams coordinator Jeff) Banks one time (since his arrival from Alabama). I called Banks recently about one of my kids, and he called me right back. That’s the fastest I’ve ever seen him call me back. I think they kind of know, and some things got back to them, that they’re not recruiting (my school) like they should be. … I talk to Alabama coaches more than I talk to Texas coaches. Over the last four months, I’ve talked to Nick Saban way more than I’ve talked to Sark. That’s no joke. … But Gilbert has done a great job there.

Coach 4: The big difference is Chris Gilbert. We’ve gotten real close over the years. My relationship with the University of Texas is a little bit different now than it has been in the past. I’ve had probably three conversations with (Sark) now, probably the most conversations I have with any head coach there besides Charlie Strong.

Coach 8: They’ve been very thorough. I’ve been very, very impressed with how professional they’ve been. Coach Sarkisian has reached out to me before anything happened with our players.

Coach 9: The biggest difference is their straight line recruiting. They contact the head coach instead of using some other source. I’ve got some personal relationships with guys on that staff, and it’s been nothing but upfront 100 percent from the day he got the job. The guy called me the day of the national championship game and introduced himself. It tells me a lot about him. He understands the importance of recruiting Texas and doing it right.

Coach 12: They’ve done a great job. They have some real dudes there. I have a strong relationship with Jeff Banks. Sark’s a guy that can really relate with kids and coaches.

Coach 14: He’s all over Twitter, they’ve got a really good presence and voice on there. Chris Gilbert, I know him and feel like we have a way to talk to Texas now. When Tom Herman was there, it was more standoffish. I don’t know Sarkisian personally, but he’s been everywhere.

Coach 16: Hustle. Straight hustle. Very impressive. Came in, got red hot in a hurry and stayed that way.

Coach 19: I haven’t heard much. I’ve only heard from one coach and that was in regards to one of my players who was there. That’s the only dialogue I’ve had with anybody from the new staff at Texas.

Thursday Notes...

Guys, something came up during the pod and I realized I hadn't covered it on the board.

It's nothing huge but obviously you all noted the absence of Noah Nelson from the official roster and I'm told that this isn't a transfer portal situation, at least not at this point. Perhaps that changes given time but it sounds like Nelson is just mulling some things over.

At this point there's not a LOT more to report than that but just telling you I don't think this is a 'I'm unhappy with OU' scenario so much as a guy who just needs some time to think things through.

OT - If you could attend any University IN THE WORLD - where and why?

My OU buddies and I were randomly discussing the different Ivy League's and which we would prefer to attend if we had full rides. I would prefer to go overseas to Oxford or Cambridge because the UK is sick AF, but most of them were saying the standard answers i.e. Harvard, Stanford, Columbia.

Just curious to see where some of y' all would go if you could go anywhere - doesn't have to be Ivy League btw. I wouldn't question anyone if they choose Arizona State... for obvious reasons.

Tennessee 2015 game

The 2015 Tennessee 4th quarter just came across a recommended video on youtube.. Boys can we just take a minute and realize how far our OL has come? BB rolled out a RS Fr Orlando Brown at LT. Jonathan Alverez at LG. Darlington at C. Nila Kasitati at RG and St John at RT. WOOOOOFFFFFF. That was a rough group. Baker was running for his life.

OT: Which athlete do you most despise?

Sitting here watching Pat Bev and I’m reminded all over again why I have so much disdain for this dude. Obviously goes back to when he injured Westbrook when OKC had a legit shot at winning it all. And it got me thinking…

Which athlete do you most despise and why? Not asking which athletes are easiest to hate for anyone. Asking which one YOU can’t stand.

Winfrey…

He’s not just a dude… he’s a fricking leader… and I love that he’s tweeting stuff like this out. His whole Twitter feed is filled with stuff about focusing on this season.

If he has an AA season… we got #8 in the bag. I’m calling it. Guys like him inspire the shit out of others on the D. His attitude has got to be infectious for other guys…
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