I've talked to three people I've known for a long time who cover Big 12/SEC teams. They're all very connected at the school level and at least one of them very connected at a conference level. I asked all three if they think there is legs to the OU/UT talk. Here are the answers:
"Absolutely."
"Sources went dark on me so yes."
"Big time."
I don't know if it will happen, but I also don't think it's complete crap being thrown against the wall. It makes sense from the OU/UT side in that with the playoff expanding to 12 they'd still have a decent shot to get there out of the SEC. If it's four, they probably wouldn't and are smarter to stay in the Big 12, but going to 12, they'd still have a decent shot in the SEC because the SEC would have 3/4 teams in a 12 team playoff every single year.
From the SEC you go from "We're the best conference in the country" to "We're the best conference in the country and if you even try to pretend we aren't by a large margin you're an idiot." It would allow you to go to 16, which has always made more sense than 14. Four four team pods. Play the three in your division every year, four in one other division, one from each division on the other side.
Here's my shot at the pods:
WEST
Pod 1: Texas, OU, Mizzou, Kentucky
Pod 2: Arkansas, A&M, LSU, Vandy
EAST
Pod 1: Alabama, Auburn, Ole Miss, Mississippi State
Pod 2: Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, Tennessee
Keeps most of the traditional rivalries together, gives A&M the bone of not having to play UT every year since they came to the SEC to get away from UT
Mizzou's hypothetical schedule: OU, Texas, Kentucky, Arkansas, A&M, LSU, Vandy every year. Rotate one team from each east pod every four years. Every player who goes through the league gets to play every team in the league at least once if he stays four years. Winner of the East faces winner of the West in the league title game. You're almost certainly going to get at least one or two other teams in a 12 team playoff every year. You name your price for TV contracts. You print money. You separate yourself from everyone else in the sport.
Meanwhile, if you're one of the eight left in the Big 12, you scramble. Kansas calls the Big Ten (and probably gets in IMO). Texas Tech, Okie State, Baylor, TCU maybe to a 16 team PAC 12. WVU joins the ACC. Sure wouldn't want to be KSU or ISU.
"Absolutely."
"Sources went dark on me so yes."
"Big time."
I don't know if it will happen, but I also don't think it's complete crap being thrown against the wall. It makes sense from the OU/UT side in that with the playoff expanding to 12 they'd still have a decent shot to get there out of the SEC. If it's four, they probably wouldn't and are smarter to stay in the Big 12, but going to 12, they'd still have a decent shot in the SEC because the SEC would have 3/4 teams in a 12 team playoff every single year.
From the SEC you go from "We're the best conference in the country" to "We're the best conference in the country and if you even try to pretend we aren't by a large margin you're an idiot." It would allow you to go to 16, which has always made more sense than 14. Four four team pods. Play the three in your division every year, four in one other division, one from each division on the other side.
Here's my shot at the pods:
WEST
Pod 1: Texas, OU, Mizzou, Kentucky
Pod 2: Arkansas, A&M, LSU, Vandy
EAST
Pod 1: Alabama, Auburn, Ole Miss, Mississippi State
Pod 2: Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, Tennessee
Keeps most of the traditional rivalries together, gives A&M the bone of not having to play UT every year since they came to the SEC to get away from UT
Mizzou's hypothetical schedule: OU, Texas, Kentucky, Arkansas, A&M, LSU, Vandy every year. Rotate one team from each east pod every four years. Every player who goes through the league gets to play every team in the league at least once if he stays four years. Winner of the East faces winner of the West in the league title game. You're almost certainly going to get at least one or two other teams in a 12 team playoff every year. You name your price for TV contracts. You print money. You separate yourself from everyone else in the sport.
Meanwhile, if you're one of the eight left in the Big 12, you scramble. Kansas calls the Big Ten (and probably gets in IMO). Texas Tech, Okie State, Baylor, TCU maybe to a 16 team PAC 12. WVU joins the ACC. Sure wouldn't want to be KSU or ISU.
