2010 football

[Lew]

I'm kind of cut off down here.  What are the opinion for this years outlook.  I'm thinking is we make a bowl game I'll be happy, just because we graduated so many key starters.  I might be selling up short though.  I know the quality of our second string has improved a lot the last few years, maybe we can win a few more.

[Head]

I'm kinda curious how all this Big 12 bruhaha is going to ultimately play out and where all the teams in the Big 12 will eventually wind up.  That's about the only thing I've sorta been paying attention to.

[Cope]

Things are very optimistic in OSU land......most people think 7-8 wins in the regular season and decent bowl.

New offensive scheme - QB - Weeden cannot get hurt. There is no experience behind him - 2 freshmen.
Skill players are looking good. Kendall Hunter is 100% and a big key.

Defense will be solid.
Linebackers are young but better prospects. Orie Lemon is the key on D. He is the leader.
CB and safeties look really good. Maybe better than last year.

As far as conference realignment - expect OSU to be in the PAC10 by Wednesday. We have pretty strong ties to Texas, thank GOD.

[Lew]

Weeden did show promise last year, so I'm not feeling to gloomy.  Missing a bowl could set back the progress of the last few years, so I see this as "reloading" year as a key season.

I'm very anxious to see is the defense is really better.  Guess we always hope, but it seems there is more potential this year. 

[Lew]

The Big 12 lives?

Sounds like a few teams are drawing a line in the sand and trying to keep things together.  Surely they'll try to build the conference to 16 teams, which seems to be the new magic number.

They'll at least need to add back the two that have defected. 

TCU, Tulsa, Houston . . . .

Does that put OSU in the North.   

[Dj]

I've been busy and didn't follow the conference changes. Anyone volunteer to summarize what happened?

[Lew]

In a nut shell, Nebraska and Colorado have left the big twelve.  Not sure when that will start to effect scheduling or otherwise take effect. 

Terry probably knows more about the motivating factors than me, but my impression is the the big money (TV?) is trying to encourage the creation of 4 16 team mega conferences, with all the good teams included.  The question seems to be what will those for end up being.  Recent rumors include that Fox is pushing for the big twelve to remain intact.  I've also heard that Texas had strictly short term goals and is already planning to bail on the conference in a couple years.

My 

The Red River Conference

OSU
OU
TULSA
ARKANSAS
ARKANSAS STATE
TU
TCU
A&M
TECH
HOUSTON
BAYLOR
NORTH TEXAS
NEW MEXICO
KANSAS
KANSAS STATE
MISSOURI

[Cope]

Great thought Lew.....but right now NO teams will be added to any league that can't bring more tv sets. This is all about money and tv contracts.

Adding more teams in Texas brings nothing. Texas and AM bring 90% of the tv sets in the state. As much as I would love to see Arkie, I can't see them leaving the SEC.

Look for the league to stay at 10 for a couple of years and then the Super Conference idea will come back. OSU must be in a place to look attractive.....

[Cope]

One more thing about the Super Conferences of the future......ABC/ESPN is not going to let this happen until 2016 (unless something huge changes) They spent BILLions on tying up the BCS title games and they want the revenue. This is one of the reasons the BIG 12 TV contracts weren't nulled with the loss of Neb and Col.....They are losing the Big 12 Championship game but still paying the whole contract just to keep Texas happy for a few more years. Look for a ton of moves in 2014-15 in preparation of the BCS getting completely redone.

This is also one of the reasons why I don't see the conference adding teams. Why share your revenue?

[Dj]

 
As much as I hate the BCS, it may truly be the lesser of all evils. In my opinion, I'd rather watch 32 games of different teams than an 4-bracket tourney of the same 8 teams repeated thru to a final winner. Plus, the money should be better from multiple bowls.

[Cope]

I think several of the bowls will stay around.....the biggest scare for me (and it might be a good thing) isthe power conferences breaking away from the NCAA and BCS to start their own by-laws etc.

The lesser teams in the conferences will get killed by the NCAA in other sports as retaliation.

[Lew]

It will never happen, but wouldn't it be interesting if enough of the country's biggest programs got together to control their own destiny.  The NCAA forms it's own television network and muscles out the meddling mainstream.  With exclusive rights to college games an intant media power house is born and no longer does anyone have to give a crap about what Fox or ESPN want.

I'm not saying the universities are being taken advantage of and, in truth, this little fantasy of mine would probably make many things worse about college sports.  But it would be cool.