The history of college football conference lame ducks, and what it means for Texas and Oklahoma
Big 12 teams have never had to muster enthusiasm to take on Texas or Oklahoma. The Sooners have won 14 Big 12 titles in the league's 24 years, including the past six. The Longhorns won the first Big 12 title in 1996 before adding two more in 2005 and 2009, and Texas' self-assuredness (school motto: "What Starts Here Changes The World") and standing in college football history elicits strong emotions from rivals.
But on Saturday, the Big 12's departing heavyweights will play their first conference road games since opting for the greener pastures of the SEC, which means the Sooners and Longhorns can expect even more hostility than usual.
"When you go on a trip, you just expect to arrive with the respect of who you are and what you represent," said Jack Crowe, who coached against the Longhorns as a coordinator and head coach at Arkansas and later as an assistant at Baylor. "Good luck on that one, boys. When they line up to boo you from between the bus and the door, you'll know things have changed."
Crowe would know. He was the Arkansas head coach in 1990 and 1991 when the Razorbacks were in the same boat. Crowe didn't know the Hogs would be leaving the Southwest Conference for the SEC when he took the job. Even further, he said he didn't know athletic director Frank Broyles would announce on Aug. 1, 1990, that the Razorbacks were departing, just three days before the Southwest Conference's annual media event.
Arkansas' experience three decades ago -- as well as a handful of others since -- could be a preview of what Texas and Oklahoma can expect.
In the recent history of college football realignment, Arkansas' move is probably the closest comparison to the Big 12's predicament, leaving a football-driven conference that was already facing questions about its future viability.
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Former Nebraska coach Bo Pelini wasn't just worried about the fans heading into the Cornhuskers' lame-duck season in the Big 12 in 2010. He was already convinced the Cornhuskers were getting a raw deal from the league.
The season before, Nebraska celebrated on the field after Colt McCoy threw an incomplete pass as the final seconds ticked off the clock in the Big 12 championship game. But following a booth review, officials put a second back on the clock, and Texas kicked the game-winning field goal.
Now the Huskers were spurning the league and heading north.
"The league office was not happy and now you've got to play a whole year like that," he said. "I remember telling the team, 'Don't expect any help from the referees. We're changing conferences and that's just the way it is.' That's the way it turned out to be."
Late in the season, the 9-1 Huskers, ranked No. 8, traveled to Texas A&M for a big game against the No. 19 Aggies. Nebraska was penalized 16 times for 145 yards. Texas A&M had two penalties for 10 yards. The Aggies won 9-6.
Pelini cited several calls he considered puzzling. A pass interference call on A&M was waved off by officials. A player got called for what he considered an errant late hit. Another was flagged for targeting when Pelini said the film showed the player hitting the quarterback in the middle of his back.
"We didn't get any breaks from the referees, I tell you that," he said. "In my opinion, we got ripped off. It was a joke."
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Entire article:
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