We're doing our best here not to get caught up in ridiculous hype of THE MOST IMPORTANT FOOTBALL GAME EVER PLAYED. Sure, the outcome of this game will determine my happiness levels for the next 12 months, but let's not focus on that right now.
Let's take some time out and revisit our favorite football related insanity topic: conference re-alignment.
The story has lost a little bit of momentum (ok, a lot) here on ATVS because, well, we got what we wanted. We wanted A&M, we got A&M. Everything else is gravy. The battle of Number 14 is one that Tiger fans should just sit out. The SEC did us a solid by inviting our traditional rival into the fold, it's really unbecoming to ask for another favor right after getting one. I'll happily abide by the decision of the majority of the conference in the name of solidarity.
Well, as long as they don't do something stupid like invite Memphis. But that isn't happening. Which means we can take this bye week to once again point and laugh at the Big Integer. Seriously, what is going on in that conference? I understand wanting to take Louisville over West Virginia (actually, I don't, but work with me), but to accept WVU and then un-accept them? And am I the only one who notices they can take, well, BOTH schools and still have one more slot to get back to 12 and have a title game?I hear those title games make money (well, except in the ACC). Aren't they going to want to go to 12 teams anyway? Why not take both of the Big East refugees on the table, as well as USF?
Hell, why stop there? After the PR beating the Big Integer has taken over the past year, not to mention Texas and Oklahoma, why not try and do something bold and get yourself back on top?
Why not be the first to go to 16 and become the nation's first Super Conference? Instead of a conference fighting for survival, the Big XVI could position itself as the trend setter. Not to mention add a little bit of stability by making everybody's current home more attractive than other potential destinations.
Add Houston and SMU to make Texas happy, reuniting them with their old SWC rivals. Then add BYU and Air Force to expand back into Colorado (and Utah) and add two programs with some national appeal. This also has the added benefit of keeping Texas and Oklahoma in the same conference BUT IN DIFFERENT DIVISIONS. It's becoming apparent that these two schools hate each other, and not just on the field. It's never good when the two big dogs in the conference are publicly sniping at one another. If you put Oklahoma back in a modified Big 8 and Texas in a modified SWC - perhaps the two can live together with that much space.
Each school would have their own fiefdom, they could preserve the Red River Rivalry, but other than that, deal with each other as little as possible. A loose confederacy is a pretty crappy organization for a conference, but it might be the most workable model for the Big Integer.
Outside of Texas and OU, pretty much every other school in the conference will be happy just to have a BCS conference home. The rabble rousers will all be gone, allowing the top two schools to politically dominate the administration.
Also, if you haven't noticed, the conference is playing some pretty good football right now. Oklahoma St and Kansas St are both undefeated. Baylor has one of the most exciting players in the country. Iowa St isn't playing dead, fielding a competitive team. Texas Tech just knocked off Oklahoma. OK, Kansas stinks, but there's always basketball. The eight returning Big Integer schools form the core of an entertaining conference.
And that's what this should be about: entertaining football. Make the bold step. Do something unexpected instead of just fighting to survive until the next crisis. Become the Big XVI.
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