Friend of mine on Facebook is still looking to fill out his Fantasy Football team. I have exactly one team allegiance: My home team (the ever-risky Houston Texans). I'm not going to be rooting for the Minnesota running back just because I have a fantasy team. Fuck Minnesota. This is a team sport, not an individual sport. Make a Fantasy Track & Field team, or fantasy UFC team, and we'll see how things go. I feel guilty enough already rooting for the Texans and Seahawks simultaneously, and they only play each other once every four years.
Despite those diverse 32 teams, college football always has interesting storylines, particularly if you have any kind of investment in even one of the 120 teams playing at the highest level of college football this year. Next year that number moves to 122. That by itself is an interesting storyline, though I suppose less so if you have no Texas ties.
Or is it.....?
(1) If you DO have Texas ties, you know that since the old Southwest Conference imploded back in the 1990s, Texas has been a member of the 12-team Big 12 (see how that works?). Last year two teams left that conference. Which is fine; TV contracts were for 12 teams, now that dollar amount is divided 10 ways instead of 12, meaning everyone gets a little richer. Now Texas A&M wants out, citing interest in "an undisclosed conference." Now that's just silly. But everyone wants to get paid.
As a result, the Big 12 wants a replacement team immediately. Oh, 10 is okay, but 9 isn't? This makes no sense. There is no significant difference in revenue with a 9-team conference vs. 10. Granted, 10 is one higher than 9 (yes, I have a college degree), but with 12 you have a shit-load more money from a conference championship game. 12 is the magic number, hence why the Big Ten now has 12 teams, that's why the SEC went there in the 1990s, that's why we now, this year, have the Pac-12, and not that Pac-10. Does the Big 12 think nobody will WANT to join their conference if they wait? Silly Republicans. If you write the check, they will come.
Schools are still accepting membership in the Big East, for crying out loud, and that ship sailed years ago. The Big 12 will be just fine. Even without Texas, the remaining schools would be high-profile enough to make a go of it. You don't just STOP being a BCS team... there's a certain prestige that goes along with it. So much so that, even when the Big East gave up its only 3 good teams back on 2005, people are still taking that conference seriously 6 years later. And you're telling me Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Kansas State can't make a go of it? Pshaw. Pshaw I say. I SAYS PSHAW.
But, should the Big 12 jump and add a new 10th team, "dominos will fall," as the sports media keeps saying. Even if it's one team from the MWC or Big East, those conferences will absolutely choose replacement members. Probably from the WAC or Conference USA. The WAC will need to replenish or die; Conference USA would rather be at 12 than less; see above comment about championship game. Everyone slides up one. Teams you never gave a crap about are now rivals. GOOD TIMES. The system expands and diversity reigns. Let's get out of Texas for a minute, but this one point at the top is that this one thing affects EVERYONE.
(Beacuse Texas A&M is a beautiful butterfly. A beautiful butterfly that flaps its wings, and creates a tornado the size of AMERICA).
(2) The PAC-12. It's been the Pac-10 since 1978. Arizona and Arizona State have been largely coasting in football, while fielding occasionally decent basketball teams. The California schools have been doing vice versa (except UCLA). Now suddenly a team has a chance of finishing in 12th place, as opposed to 10th place? How embarrassing for you. Granted, it doesn't seem to bother Vanderbilt, Baylor, Duke football, Illinois, Indiana, Oregon State, Texas Tech, Mississippi, Mississippi State, or Virginia, but that's the price you pay. We hope everyone in this conference will try a little harder. But suddenly everyone pays a little more attention to Colorado (especially on the west coast), and Utah fields its first BCS-conference team, making it only the 3rd MST state to do so (after AZ and CO). The Mountain Time Zone is pretty sparse, population-wise, but they are growing. Next up, a school from Idaho. Or possibly, maybe, a 2nd school from either Colorado or Utah. Stay tuned.
(3) Nebraska in the Big Ten. Is every team in the old Big 12 North terribly overrated, or is the recent Big 10 terribly overrated? And if both are true, how will we know? Difficult to tell, but we know this much is true: In the last ten years, there have been a lot more people who actively care about the Big Ten, than actual quality teams. And now Ohio State is sanctioned, and Wisconsin and Penn State are coming off record years... after many previous years of mediocrity. Which do you think is more likely to manifest in 2011? Stay tuned.
(4) The Big East is still absolute crap, in football. If they tanked it this year, they might even stand a chance to lose their auto-BCS bid, EXCEPT, they have perennial BCS-favorite TCU joining in 2012. Those cheeky bastards. Maybe the Big 12 really will snatch up the Horned Frogs, thus driving the wooden stake through the heart of the undead BE. One can only dream.
(5) Boise State to the Mountain West. For one glorious year, they share a conference with a range of better teams than their old conference, most notably TCU. This will be entertaining football every week, which is the entire point of college football. And what makes them more worthy of an automatic bid than the Big East could ever hope. What's that, you say? West Virginia is playing Connecticut in a must-win game? That's okay. I'll flip over to it in a minute, after this rerun of "Who's the Boss?"*
(6) BYU. As in independent? Moderately hilarious. They have to do a lot better than Notre Dame to even be invited to a bowl game. Granted, their basketball team may be more interesting this year, what with joining the massively-underfunded WCC-- it's a bit like entering your Ford Focus in a bicycle race-- but an actual high-profile team joining the dregs of Independent-hood? Good luck with that. Enjoy your 8-4 season and no bowl game. Whatever makes the boosters happy... I guess....?
(7) The Sun Belt Conference. Wait, who? Shut up. They have three bowl tie-ins, which is technically more than the MAC (they only officially have two, but somehow manage to get a third team into some random game every year). They share the same geographical area as the SEC and C-USA. Barring poaching, they're moving up to 10 teams next year, which gives them more than the WAC and the same as the Mountain West. You might even find you enjoy the games, too... they're no longer the worst FBS conference. They're no longer even the 2nd-worst, and 2012 will absolutely cinch that.
(8) Texas State and UT-SA. Wait, who? Yes. The former has received an upgrade in both head coach and stadium, the latter has their first season this year, and will play in the Alamodome. San Antonio was previously the largest U.S. city WITHOUT a BCS team. Will local interest make them blow up like Boise State? Too early to tell. But everyone loves an underdog, and they're bound to be a damn site better than New Mexico State, Idaho, or San Jose State. Which is really all the WAC will have next year once these two teams join. Also San Marcos is awesome, and could use some FBS money. That town has far, far too much dirt.
... All this starts this week. It runs through the new year. Last year the teams in the championship game hailed from the SEC and Pac-10... this year I'm totally calling out the Big Ten and SEC... not because I have faith in the Big Ten in any way, but just because a late-season championship game will totally bump the winner up the rankings. Unless, of course, the Mountan West does something awesome with math.... which I'd love to see more than anything.
Except, of course, for my girlfriend naked. Hi, sweetie.
keeping it real,
wgh/paXIII
...
*author of blog does not actually watch "Who's the Boss?" for any reason. He does, however, enjoy the WNBA and re-runs of 'Knight Rider.'
