It's a little ironic but the LHN, the tool Texas thought it had to completely and utterly control the Big 12 and cement themselves a permanent advantage over their competition...may actually be the same tool that costs them all of their power in the conference.

You see, Texas' power in the conference has always been the fear of them leaving and the other schools being left out. They used last year's near death experience with the PAC to turn that fear of being left behind and left out into enough power to force the Big 12 to accept the LHN.

They created a prison out of the Big 12 and assumed that they alone controlled the keys to the gate. They assumed A&M could not leave without them and neither could OU. They assumed that every other conference in the nation wanted them as a stand alone school but none of the other 9 unless they came as part of a Texas approved package. They assumed that in this prison, all they had to do was rattle their "Do what I say or else I leave and decide who I will save and bring me with me to the AQ promised land, and who I will cast out and leave for the MWC!"

All these assumptions proved to be wrong.

A&M tunneled it's way to freedom and OU proved that they can leave as well under the right timing.

More importantly though, now that it is clear none of the other power conferences will take UT because of their network and demands for special treatment, the LHN has proved to be a key that has locked Texas in just as much as the other inmates.

They now know that Texas' threats to leave the Big 12 are hollow...thanks to LHN. They are now free to put all sorts of rules, demands and limitations on LHN until it's no more effective than late night PBS commercials. Texas may be disgusted by that, but Bevo has no choice but to finally submit to the majority who are no longer afraid of him or his reprisals and are now completely free to tell him to go eff himself when he proposes next year that all Big 12 games be refereed by UT alums.

How has it been proven that OU can leave?

clarify: I meant to say proven that OU can and will try to leave, as it has long been assumed that OU would just do whatever Texas told them and that they would never try to leave each other because of the Red River Shootout game being too important for OU to risk. Clearly, that is no longer the case.

For OU they are hosed right now. They apparently have to take their academic joke of a brother OSU with them where ever they go. The PAC 12 said no without UT. Now if the B1G wanted to add KU and OU and call it a day, that would be OU's only hope. I don't see the SEC calling on them or ACC. The only other hope for them which is totally in UT's hands is if UT unilaterally decided to go to the ACC without OU. If that happened, then OU would have some breathing room to make some deals. Add in that UT will blackball TCU, SMU, UH, Rice or UTEP in the Big XII and you've got a tough situation.

IF Texas is serious about wanting to keep the Big XII together, the conference needs to move closer to the equal-sharing revenue model of the B1G, SEC, and PAC conferences.

I realize in the past they all voted against it, but based on everything that's happened in the last couple of months, it's clear that right now, the conference is a house of cards.

The good news is, it can be fixed. If Texas is willing.

(09-21-2011 12:23 PM)10thMountain Wrote:  It's a little ironic but the LHN, the tool Texas thought it had to completely and utterly control the Big 12 and cement themselves a permanent advantage over their competition...may actually be the same tool that costs them all of their power in the conference.

You see, Texas' power in the conference has always been the fear of them leaving and the other schools being left out. They used last year's near death experience with the PAC to turn that fear of being left behind and left out into enough power to force the Big 12 to accept the LHN.

They created a prison out of the Big 12 and assumed that they alone controlled the keys to the gate. They assumed A&M could not leave without them and neither could OU. They assumed that every other conference in the nation wanted them as a stand alone school but none of the other 9 unless they came as part of a Texas approved package. They assumed that in this prison, all they had to do was rattle their "Do what I say or else I leave and decide who I will save and bring me with me to the AQ promised land, and who I will cast out and leave for the MWC!"

All these assumptions proved to be wrong.

A&M tunneled it's way to freedom and OU proved that they can leave as well under the right timing.

More importantly though, now that it is clear none of the other power conferences will take UT because of their network and demands for special treatment, the LHN has proved to be a key that has locked Texas in just as much as the other inmates.

They now know that Texas' threats to leave the Big 12 are hollow...thanks to LHN. They are now free to put all sorts of rules, demands and limitations on LHN until it's no more effective than late night PBS commercials. Texas may be disgusted by that, but Bevo has no choice but to finally submit to the majority who are no longer afraid of him or his reprisals and are now completely free to tell him to go eff himself when he proposes next year that all Big 12 games be refereed by UT alums.

Or Texas can become an independent in football, make a scheduling alliance with the BE or MWC and wallow in arrogant self congratulatory narcisistic adulation, televise all their games on the LHN.

OU's not going anywhere. Texas may make a few concessions on revenue sharing, but they're the ones who won this round. They wanted to keep the Big 12 together, and that's just what they did, apparently losing only the Aggies. Other than the Big 12, OU's only viable options right now are independence and the SEC - neither of which appears to be attractive to them.

(09-21-2011 01:10 PM)SmallVoice Wrote:  OU's not going anywhere. Texas may make a few concessions on revenue sharing, but they're the ones who won this round. They wanted to keep the Big 12 together, and that's just what they did, apparently losing only the Aggies. Other than the Big 12, OU's only viable options right now are independence and the SEC - neither of which appears to be attractive to them.

Just guessing, but in a perfect world Ou would love to go to the SEC.
They, however, have an OSU problem that makes it impossible.
SEC does not want two Oklahoma schools.

Too much grief to be had on the political level. Boone Pickens and OSU's other allies would mean there was hell to pay. So OU is stuck, not because of Texas, but in spite of the fact that Texas is in a weakened position. There are conferences that want OU, but no one wants UT right now.

In a perfect world OU would like for Texas to act like a partner than a boss. The Big 12 is where OU belongs and again from OU sources, the Sooners have no desire to be in the SEC. If they did they would be there along with OSU because the SEC would take them both with no problems or questions asked.

(09-21-2011 01:17 PM)gotohelltu Wrote:  

(09-21-2011 01:10 PM)SmallVoice Wrote:  OU's not going anywhere. Texas may make a few concessions on revenue sharing, but they're the ones who won this round. They wanted to keep the Big 12 together, and that's just what they did, apparently losing only the Aggies. Other than the Big 12, OU's only viable options right now are independence and the SEC - neither of which appears to be attractive to them.

Just guessing, but in a perfect world Ou would love to go to the SEC.
They, however, have an OSU problem that makes it impossible.
SEC does not want two Oklahoma schools.

Too much grief to be had on the political level. Boone Pickens and OSU's other allies would mean there was hell to pay. So OU is stuck, not because of Texas, but in spite of the fact that Texas is in a weakened position. There are conferences that want OU, but no one wants UT right now.

I don't know, obviously, but I think OU wouldn't want the SEC. They're already willing to play a relatively tough schedule OOC, so being in the SEC would make it all but impossible for them to think in terms of a national championship unless they stuck to low-level FBS and FCS schools OOC. You got to hand it to the Sooners - they want a national championship and are willing to prove themselves by playing a Top 5 OOC team AWAY. We can kiss games like the OU/FSU match-up good-bye once we have super conferences. Nobody will be playing anybody OOC but Pixley State and Central Northeast Delaware if it comes to that.

OU is in a holding pattern for now. Because of T. Boone's money and the political influence he's bought with it, OU can't fly away without little bro.

OU has the advantages of being a very valuable property and being able to geographically sortakinda fit into the Pac-12, or the SEC, or the B1G. But, the marketplace has spoken, at least for now, and when the property on offer is a two-school OU/OSU combo, the Pac-12, SEC, and B1G are not buying.

(09-21-2011 01:23 PM)BamaScorpio69 Wrote:  In a perfect world OU would like for Texas to act like a partner than a boss. The Big 12 is where OU belongs and again from OU sources, the Sooners have no desire to be in the SEC. If they did they would be there along with OSU because the SEC would take them both with no problems or questions asked.

I think the bigger problem is that OU doesn't want the SEC not that OSU is tied to them. I think the SEC would take OSU for OU especially since OSU is showing they can play a high level of football.

Technically OU can still leave but their choices (short of asking several teams to meet in an airport to talk about forming their own conference), would be a big step back for them. In the end Texas wins. They will keep their conference til they are ready to be an independent and they keep their network.

I think if OU and OSU were to call the SEC today, they'd be voted in tomorrow.

(09-21-2011 03:39 PM)Shannon Panther Wrote:  I think if OU and OSU were to call the SEC today, they'd be voted in tomorrow.

I agree, and Boren is no fool. He would not have laid down an ultimatum like he did this week, if OU didnt have options. I'm not talking about the PAC12. I'm talking about the SEC. This goes along with other rumors of Missouri being taken as #14, so that OU/OSU (#15 and #16) and Arkansas would have some regional rivalries, under the SEC flag.

This goes along with a caller on the Paul Feinbaum show.

The SEC already asked OU, but they said no. So I doubt they'll get another call...

If you think Texas doesn't wield a huge power stick, you aren't paying attention. They crashed Oklahoma-OSU to the Pac 12 by themselves and will soon have everything as they wished all along. Whats Oklahoma going to do? What about the other schools? They have nothing and they know that no one else wants them (except perhaps Missouri). Oklahoma played their best hand and it may get them a few concessions but Texas still out maneuvered them and now OU has no threat of leaving.

Texas is the most powerful entity in the sport.

(09-21-2011 03:39 PM)Shannon Panther Wrote:  I think if OU and OSU were to call the SEC today, they'd be voted in tomorrow.

The SEC has firmly stated that OSU is not even up for discussion. If OU wants to come alone, thats a different conversation. We'll see if the position on OSU changes down the road but I don't think OU is that excited for the SEC in the first place.

(09-21-2011 01:17 PM)gotohelltu Wrote:  

(09-21-2011 01:10 PM)SmallVoice Wrote:  OU's not going anywhere. Texas may make a few concessions on revenue sharing, but they're the ones who won this round. They wanted to keep the Big 12 together, and that's just what they did, apparently losing only the Aggies. Other than the Big 12, OU's only viable options right now are independence and the SEC - neither of which appears to be attractive to them.

Just guessing, but in a perfect world Ou would love to go to the SEC.
They, however, have an OSU problem that makes it impossible.
SEC does not want two Oklahoma schools.

Too much grief to be had on the political level. Boone Pickens and OSU's other allies would mean there was hell to pay. So OU is stuck, not because of Texas, but in spite of the fact that Texas is in a weakened position. There are conferences that want OU, but no one wants UT right now.

OU has turned down a previous offer from the SEC.....thye do not want any part of the SEC culture

(09-21-2011 02:53 PM)Sultan of Euphonistan Wrote:  

(09-21-2011 01:23 PM)BamaScorpio69 Wrote:  In a perfect world OU would like for Texas to act like a partner than a boss. The Big 12 is where OU belongs and again from OU sources, the Sooners have no desire to be in the SEC. If they did they would be there along with OSU because the SEC would take them both with no problems or questions asked.

I think the bigger problem is that OU doesn't want the SEC not that OSU is tied to them. I think the SEC would take OSU for OU especially since OSU is showing they can play a high level of football.

$EC wants the St Louis market, that's why they invited Mizzou.

Conference expansion isn't about how good a football team is, it's about getting your conference's product in as many households in a TV market; the more market share you have, the bigger the TV contract when negotiations come up again.

That's why the $EC doesn't want two Oklahoma teams..that's double coverage in a market, and a small one at that.

Is Mizzou even near in FB tradition as either of the Oklahoma teams? Heck no. But that Missouri/Eastern Illinois market is huge. Even if it's only 20 or 26% of the St Louis market, Bama vs Mizzou is going to get a big Neilson rating.
Even if 100% of the households in Oklahoma tuned into see Bama vs OK State, that doesn't come close to what less than a third of the St. Louis market can bring.

It's all about gettin' that paper.