By RICHARD JUSTICE, Copyright 2011 Houston Chronicle
Updated 10:26 p.m., Sunday, August 28, 2011
- Longhorns fans gathered on the UT campus at Austin on Friday to celebrate the Longhorn Network launch.
Photo: Associated Press, Ricardo B. Brazziell / Austin American-Statesman
I'm guessing there are plenty of Longhorns feeling just a little bit envious about how things are turning out for Texas A&M.
Oh, they'll never admit it because, well, you know how some people are just too proud to give the other guy credit. They'll puff up their chests and tell you about their little television network and how the world still revolves around them.
Two or three of them may still believe it. When they say these things, be kind to them. These are tough times. They're used to having their way. They thought they had surrounded themselves with schools happy to be in their shadow.
They just never counted on someone getting uppity, and that's the bottom line in all of this. Texas thought A&M was another Baylor.
The Longhorns never thought the Aggies would actually leave for the Southeastern Conference. Actually, they believed the SEC would take Texas A&M only if it brought Texas along. That has been their mantra for the last year.
Now they're watching the Aggies about to leave for a great adventure and thinking, "That sure looks like fun."
It ticks them off to know the Aggies outsmarted them, and it kills them to think the Aggies are moving into a better neighborhood.
All the things the Aggies think they're getting from the SEC - a unique identity, more prestigious conference and greater stability - might be true.
The Aggies are trading Waco, Lubbock and Stillwater for Athens, Oxford and Tuscaloosa, and who wouldn't make that swap?
I have no idea how competitive A&M will be, and I still think its easiest path to a BCS bowl is to remain in the Big 12. But as they like to say in Austin, it's about the branding.
The SEC is forever. Regardless of how many times college football's cards are shuffled over the next few years, A&M knows where it will be.
Meanwhile, the Big 12 remains a house of cards. When Oklahoma finally joins the Pac-12, the Big 12 is toast.
If you're an Aggie, you're looking at trips to some of college's football's iconic addresses: The Swamp. Death Valley. Neyland Stadium. Bryant-Denny.
School of choice: BYU
The Longhorns will tell you the Aggies are going to get their heads handed to them in the SEC, and maybe they will. But that's part of the challenge.
If you're wondering what's next for the Big 12, that's easy. Brigham Young is the least threatening choice to Texas, and so Brigham Young it's likely to be.
When that happens, it'll re-enforce many of the gripes A&M and Nebraska had about the Big 12.
First, it's a Texas production. As long as there are enough schools thrilled to be satellites of Texas, nothing will change.
That's why TCU won't be getting a call. Neither will SMU or Houston. Those three schools are threats to UT. They've all rebuilt their programs, hired terrific coaches and gotten themselves competitive on the field and off.
And that's the last thing Texas wants.
All three have the potential to cut into UT's recruiting dominance in a way BYU never will. Remember those beatings SMU and UH delivered to Texas in the Southwest Conference? The Longhorns sure do.
And forget that talk about television markets. Texas and Oklahoma drive the ratings wagon regardless of who else is in the conference. If TCU is put on a bigger stage, TCU will do just fine in the ratings game. Likewise, SMU and Houston are exciting teams. If America tunes in once, it'll tune back in.
Legislators powerless
But there's too much risk to Texas, so the Longhorns may talk up Notre Dame and Arkansas, but they'll end up with BYU.
There are state legislators saying they will press Texas to take SMU and/or Houston. They're wasting their breath. Texas listens to no one.
Besides, whatever Texas decides to do with the Big 12 is only temporary. The conference will be held together by the thinnest of strings.
Texas isn't compelled to do anything to strengthen it - say, make it a 12-team conference - because Texas is bulletproof. When the Big 12 collapses, UT will go independent and leave the others scrambling to find a rung on the ladder.
Texas A&M decided not to wait for that day. When the Big 12 blows up, the Aggies will have the upper hand on Texas. This time, the Aggie joke is on the Longhorns.
richard.justice@chron.com
twitter.com@richardjustice
Oh, they'll never admit it because, well, you know how some people are just too proud to give the other guy credit. They'll puff up their chests and tell you about their little television network and how the world still revolves around them.
Two or three of them may still believe it. When they say these things, be kind to them. These are tough times. They're used to having their way. They thought they had surrounded themselves with schools happy to be in their shadow.
They just never counted on someone getting uppity, and that's the bottom line in all of this. Texas thought A&M was another Baylor.
The Longhorns never thought the Aggies would actually leave for the Southeastern Conference. Actually, they believed the SEC would take Texas A&M only if it brought Texas along. That has been their mantra for the last year.
Now they're watching the Aggies about to leave for a great adventure and thinking, "That sure looks like fun."
It ticks them off to know the Aggies outsmarted them, and it kills them to think the Aggies are moving into a better neighborhood.
All the things the Aggies think they're getting from the SEC - a unique identity, more prestigious conference and greater stability - might be true.
The Aggies are trading Waco, Lubbock and Stillwater for Athens, Oxford and Tuscaloosa, and who wouldn't make that swap?
I have no idea how competitive A&M will be, and I still think its easiest path to a BCS bowl is to remain in the Big 12. But as they like to say in Austin, it's about the branding.
The SEC is forever. Regardless of how many times college football's cards are shuffled over the next few years, A&M knows where it will be.
Meanwhile, the Big 12 remains a house of cards. When Oklahoma finally joins the Pac-12, the Big 12 is toast.
If you're an Aggie, you're looking at trips to some of college's football's iconic addresses: The Swamp. Death Valley. Neyland Stadium. Bryant-Denny.
School of choice: BYU
The Longhorns will tell you the Aggies are going to get their heads handed to them in the SEC, and maybe they will. But that's part of the challenge.
If you're wondering what's next for the Big 12, that's easy. Brigham Young is the least threatening choice to Texas, and so Brigham Young it's likely to be.
When that happens, it'll re-enforce many of the gripes A&M and Nebraska had about the Big 12.
First, it's a Texas production. As long as there are enough schools thrilled to be satellites of Texas, nothing will change.
That's why TCU won't be getting a call. Neither will SMU or Houston. Those three schools are threats to UT. They've all rebuilt their programs, hired terrific coaches and gotten themselves competitive on the field and off.
And that's the last thing Texas wants.
All three have the potential to cut into UT's recruiting dominance in a way BYU never will. Remember those beatings SMU and UH delivered to Texas in the Southwest Conference? The Longhorns sure do.
And forget that talk about television markets. Texas and Oklahoma drive the ratings wagon regardless of who else is in the conference. If TCU is put on a bigger stage, TCU will do just fine in the ratings game. Likewise, SMU and Houston are exciting teams. If America tunes in once, it'll tune back in.
Legislators powerless
But there's too much risk to Texas, so the Longhorns may talk up Notre Dame and Arkansas, but they'll end up with BYU.
There are state legislators saying they will press Texas to take SMU and/or Houston. They're wasting their breath. Texas listens to no one.
Besides, whatever Texas decides to do with the Big 12 is only temporary. The conference will be held together by the thinnest of strings.
Texas isn't compelled to do anything to strengthen it - say, make it a 12-team conference - because Texas is bulletproof. When the Big 12 collapses, UT will go independent and leave the others scrambling to find a rung on the ladder.
Texas A&M decided not to wait for that day. When the Big 12 blows up, the Aggies will have the upper hand on Texas. This time, the Aggie joke is on the Longhorns.
richard.justice@chron.com
twitter.com@richardjustice
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