While it's not yet entirely official, there's so much smoke at this point that your MMQ feels comfortable jumping on this bandwagon and proclaiming the CornSuckers as the 12th team in the Big 10. After following Frank the Tank religiously and providing you updates with my opinion thrown in, this should be coming as no surprise to the faithful. What may be a surprise, but I believe is still a smokescreen is what the Pac 10 is doing and trying to make happen with the Big 12 South. Until I actually see Stanford and to a lesser extent, California Berkley stand up and say, "Yes, you're in!", I will hold off on any belief that the Pac 10 will be expanding by more than 1 or 2 teams.
So, the Cornsuckers officially become Big 10 fodder. This isn't the Big 12 North anymore, Nebraska fans. The Big 10 is tougher than it looks top to bottom. And you're about to find that out. Yes, like Penn State, I'm sure you will have the occassional season on top, but this ain't a cakewalk to a National Title Game....So, assume the position and get ready to take your lashings!
UPDATE: Joe Schad is reporting that Colorado does in fact have an invite from the Pac 10. Chip Brown has confirmed, or it's the other way around. Whatever it is, that's unfolding like I thought it would with Colorado and maybe Utah. Texas and the collective from Texas is a big bite for even the Pac 10 to swallow and I just don't think they're ready to do that just yet.
So, where does that leave us?
Um, yeah. We're going to need to work on that logo...
NEC? (North East Conference?), uh.....No.
Big 12 Redux? (Nah, too French....)
Big1T2en looks just plain stupid....
So, I guess we need to have a logo contest and see who can com up with what....
In the meantime:
1. Watch Texas. And I don't mean just UT. They are now the next "linchpin" in any realignment activity that takes place. My guess is that the Big 10, Pac 10 move to 12 Schools and we sit like that for the next 5-10 years and see how it all shakes out. The Big 12 will add either TCU or possibly BYU (whoever UT decides) and try to keep things together in the midwest. My guess is they won't add TCU because then it becomes too much like the old SWC and you have an imminent implosion waiting to happen....BYU at least diversifies the field and brings different TV sets into the Big 12. In addition, and this is probably the big hitch with Texas to the Pac 10 is that UT can launch its own network and see how that flies. If it doesn't work out, what have they really lost? I believe the Big 12 will be around awhile longer....Just a hunch.
2. Notre Dame: They would have been happy as a 12th team in the Big 10, assuming that the BEast was going to fold. When $warbuck$ writes his autobiography, I'm sure that's how that will play out. Once he put the caveat out there that the Domers were either #12 with no more expansion, than by default the BEast stayed alive. So until there is a complete and utter collapse of the BEast, the Domers are happy having their cake and eating it, too. But if things start to steamroll in conference re-alignment, the Domers are team #13 or 14 in the Big 10. Count on in it.
3. Keep an eye on the lesser players in the Big 12. You can BET that they aren't going to sit back and let themselves get the shaft 5-10 years down the road. Kansas, K-State, Iowa State, Missourri, and Baylor might start busting their collective asses to get into either the BEast or ACC, if the ACC decides to go beyond 12...After all, it's better to be pro-active than reactive if any of this has taught anyone anything. Most likely school to bolt if the opportunity arises: Kansas. Basketball program would be beneficial to the BEast and Football would add legitimacy to the BEast as well. And with added footprint, maybe the BEast can make a better deal come contract time when it comes to football.....
As always, I'll keep you posted....
The MMQ
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