Interesting blog piece on OU and the Big 12

[Alum-Ni]

Link: http://frankthetank.me/2015/07/29/big-12-expansion-or-contraction-watch-out-for-oklahoma/

 

[Section22Sooner]

That was a good read Alim-Ni. Thanks.

"....we might as well say that Texas would be willing to join the MAC if Notre Dame comes along with them."

Classic.

 

[Alum-Ni]

C'mon Sooners.......come North and let's get the Thanksgiving rivalry back on the books

 

[K2C Sooner]

C'mon Sooners.......come North and let's get the Thanksgiving rivalry back on the books

Get your butts back to the Big 12 and bring either Arkansas or Louisville with you. I can't believe you let the horns run you off.........

 

[Dastardly Deed]

Please, anywhere but the B1G! That would be the death knell for recruiting in Texas.

 

[Section22Sooner]

Please, anywhere but the B1G! That would be the death knell for recruiting in Texas.

Players from outside of the state of Texas have been doing pretty dang good in college football. Of about 630 kids on the rosters of the past 6 national championship teams, just 21 were from Texas. These were just on the roster. Doesn't even mean they all played much.

2014 Ohio State
3

2013 FSU
3

2012 Alabama
4

2011 Alabama
4

2010 Auburn
2

2009 Alabama
3

 

[Soonerborn59]

Nice article and enjoyed reading it. Even my son-in-law who is a Hog fan thought it was interesting.

 

[CTOkie]

Players from outside of the state of Texas have been doing pretty dang good in college football. Of about 630 kids on the rosters of the past 6 national championship teams, just 21 were from Texas. These were just on the roster. Doesn't even mean they played all played much.

2014 Ohio State
3

2013 FSU
3

2012 Alabama
4

2011 Alabama
4

2010 Auburn
2

2009 Alabama
3

The impact of OU's recruiting in Texas if OU jumped to the Big10 can be debated, but it's not debatable that recruiting in Texas has been and always will be OU's recruiting foundation. Each year, so goes OU's recruiting in Texas....so goes its overall recruiting.
Alabama's starting QB in its 2009 championship season was Greg McElroy from Texas, so saying that only 21 players from Texas had little or no bearing on the six teams' championships is a bit misleading. (Alabama has primarily the entire South as its recruiting turf. If it had to rely on just in-state talent it would be in trouble).
While teams like Alabama, Auburn, FSU and Ohio State can cherry pick a player or two out of Texas some years, OU generally has to pull at least 8-10 players from Texas.
On the 2000 championship team OU "only" had 6 Texans of star quality.....but how would the season have gone without Griffin, Norman, Fagan, Strait, Everage and Fisher ?

 

[American Male]

The impact of OU's recruiting in Texas if OU jumped to the Big10 can be debated, but it's not debatable that recruiting in Texas has been and always will be OU's recruiting foundation. Each year, so goes OU's recruiting in Texas....so goes its overall recruiting.
Alabama's starting QB in its 2009 championship season was Greg McElroy from Texas, so saying that only 21 players from Texas had little or no bearing on the six teams' championships is a bit misleading. (Alabama has primarily the entire South as its recruiting turf. If it had to rely on just in-state talent it would be in trouble).
While teams like Alabama, Auburn, FSU and Ohio State can cherry pick a player or two out of Texas some years, OU generally has to pull at least 8-10 players from Texas.
On the 2000 championship team OU "only" had 6 Texans of star quality.....but how would the season have gone without Griffin, Norman, Fagan, Strait, Everage and Fisher ?

If OU is still playing the Horns in the RRR, I don't see why going to the BIG would hurt the Sooners in any way...Besides, You'd pick up recruiting in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia and the Chicago and Indianapolis areas, while still recruiting Texas...Nothing to sneeze at!!!

 

[Section22Sooner]

...so saying that only 21 players from Texas had little or no bearing on the six teams' championships is a bit misleading.

I must have someone on ignore, because I don't see where anyone said this in this thread.

My ONLY point is that the state of Texas doesn't have some glowing aura over it as if Texas players are better than anywhere else. I'd have to see rosters loaded with Texas kids winning national championships year after year before I'd fall for that myth. Lots of non-Texas kids are winning national championship these days.

 

[CTOkie]

I must have someone on ignore, because I don't see where anyone said this in this thread.

My ONLY point is that the state of Texas doesn't have some glowing aura over it as if Texas players are better than anywhere else. I'd have to see rosters loaded with Texas kids winning national championships year after year before I'd fall for that myth. Lots of non-Texas kids are winning national championship these days.

Point taken 22....my point is that as far as OU goes, Texas recruiting is crucial.
Obviously, any SEC team, Ohio State, Oregon, FSU, etc. won't have a roster "loaded with Texas kids". But considering that there are more former Texas high school players currently on NFL rosters, I would think the state of Texas is either at the top of producing football talent with Florida and California....and the last time I looked, it bordered Okahoma, with a population 7 times greater.

 

[Tuloma]

OU's best days in recruitng Texas were when OU was in the Big8 and only played Texas nonconference....and they were the only team OU played from Texas

 

[CTOkie]

Well sure....if OU goes anywhere and retains its annual game with Texas, that would be huge.

 

[sooner_mike]

Well sure....if OU goes anywhere and retains its annual game with Texas, that would be huge.

Fellas, OU is tied to Texas period. The Big 12 is not going to break up anyways.

 

[barkingwater2000]

Well sure....if OU goes anywhere and retains its annual game with Texas, that would be huge.

CT would you be okay with giving up the game with OSU? I would personally hate to see that happen. Too many rivalries have been ended the last few years

 

[CTOkie]

CT would you be okay with giving up the game with OSU? I would personally hate to see that happen. Too many rivalries have been ended the last few years

No I wouldn't....but not as much as I hated seeing OU-Nebraska vanish.
If losing OSU as a rival (which probably will never happen regardless of any scenario) restores OU's elite status as a powerhouse as it moves to another conference, then I favor it.
The Big12 has been greatly diminished since ATM and Nebraska left. Those were two great rivals. Imagine having them in the conference again with TCU and Baylor and a now very good OSU program. That puts Texas, Texas A&M, K-State, Tech, TCU, Baylor, OSU, Nebraska on the schedule....eight marque matchups....and a conference that can stand toe-to-toe with any other conference. Yes, ESPN, even the deified SEC.
Until OU either leaves the Big 12 or the Big 12 can expand with two elite programs, OU's days as a championship team are over. And I don't see two elite teams joining in time to save the conference.
Frankly, I believe OU has painted itself into a corner. Whatever happens in the next 2-3 years will make or break OU.