Baylor coach Dave Aranda and Houston coach Dana Holgorsen both made the trek to Indianapolis to support the Bears and Coogs basketball teams in the Final Four. Now, if only they can capture some of the magic for their football teams …
On to the mailbag.
Would an all-Texas football conference ever be feasible? — Dave K.
The first question is near and dear to my Texan heart. As some of you may know, I wrote a Southwest Conference retrospective while with my former employer. I love and miss so much about the SWC. Would it be feasible again? Only if you could get Texas A&M to leave the SEC, which ain’t happening. Hell might freeze over before the Aggies agree to share a conference with the Longhorns again.
Advertisement
But even in a fantasyland scenario where you could get the old eight SWC members back together, would it thrive? I hate to admit it, but no.
Here’s why: a one-state media footprint won’t thrive in the current college football television landscape. Conferences with small regional footprints became less viable after the landmark 1984 Supreme Court decision, NCAA v. Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma, which pulled control of television contracts from the NCAA and put it into the hands of the conferences and schools.
There are several reasons the SWC broke up, but the biggest was television households. Once market size and TV sets became a factor for college conferences, a Texas-only league was no longer appealing to ESPN, Fox, CBS, etc. That’s why the SWC and Big 8 merged. Media-rights revenue drives the bus, and the way to get more is to have the highest number of eyeballs possible on your product. Texas is a big state, and the TV markets in it are valuable in the college sports television landscape but mostly as a part of a multi-state conference, like the current Big 12 or SEC.
Again, I preface this as a dream scenario that ignores contracts, financial implications, fan desires and the intraconference hatred that hastened the SWC’s demise: What I believe could survive is what I’d call a “Super Southwest Conference.” It would be Texas-heavy but include a few schools from just outside the state. You could take the nine 1980s SWC members — Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, TCU, Arkansas, Baylor, Houston, SMU, Rice — bring Oklahoma and Oklahoma State in and then sprinkle one wild card to make it 12 teams: maybe Cincinnati, Memphis or Nebraska. That would be a deep, competitive and fun league.
You could rekindle some old rivalries (Texas-Texas A&M, Oklahoma-Nebraska) and the geographic proximity of the schools to each other would recapture some of the feelings that made SWC rivalries so personal to fans and alumni. And recruiting? Woo boy, it would be messy, but that’s what made it a ton of fun.
Advertisement
Side note: The financial issues college athletic departments dealt with amid the pandemic caused administrators to rethink how they do things. Wouldn’t it be nice if college football got back to smaller, more regional conferences, rather than leagues that span a half-dozen (or more) states? An annual Arkansas-Texas game sounds more interesting to me than Texas-West Virginia. Plus, travel would be more cost-effective. It’ll never happen, but it’s fun to dream.
Do you see any possibility of a Big 12 realignment involving the two elephants in the room, SMU and Houston? Or should the league chase after new recruiting and/or TV grounds with teams like UCF or Arizona State? — Yannick P.
For the reasons stated above, if the Big 12 ever expanded, it would seek new TV footprints. SMU would be a non-starter for the simple fact that the league already has TCU in the Dallas-Fort Worth market. The league doesn’t have a team in Houston, but with four teams already in-state, I don’t see it adding another.
It won’t be for lack of trying on the part of either of those programs. Houston made a massive commitment to facilities upgrades in football and basketball over the last seven years (new football stadium and indoor practice facility, new basketball arena and player development center). Athletic director Chris Pezman made it clear to me the plan is for that to continue — UH still hopes to build a football-only operations building to headquarter the team, but money still needs to be raised. Similarly, SMU opened a new indoor practice facility in 2019 and has made several upgrades to Ford Stadium in the last six years. Both programs showed a willingness to compensate coaches at rates competitive to those in Power 5 programs.
Although those two make logical and geographical sense, and I believe both would be assets to the Big 12’s competitive depth, it’s highly unlikely the league includes either in a potential expansion. I would look at one of the schools you mentioned — UCF — as a possibility, as well as BYU or Cincinnati.
Who do you see as the most likely player in Texas to compete for a Heisman at the end of the year and why? — Clayton H.
Texas running back Bijan Robinson. From a pure talent standpoint, he’s a no-brainer. Just turn on the video from last year’s Kansas State or Colorado games and it slaps you in the face, to the point where you wonder why he didn’t get more touches as a freshman last season. Then think of how new coach Steve Sarkisian used Alabama running back Najee Harris, who finished fifth in the Heisman voting last season. Envisioning Robinson having a breakout season as the Longhorns’ star is a logical leap, especially when you consider that Robinson is the most talented offensive player returning at Texas.
Advertisement
The main challenge is whether Texas will be good enough for Robinson to be a finalist. Though an individual award, it’s often tied to team success, and I’m not sure Texas is ready to take the step into contending for the College Football Playoff just yet. The Texas team best positioned for such a run is Texas A&M, which flirted with the Playoff last year and returns numerous talented offensive players. If the Aggies made another run at the Playoff, I could see the versatile Ainias Smith — who plays running back, receiver and is a return specialist — as someone who could garner votes.
Do you believe the day Quinn Ewers decommitted from Texas was when, behind closed doors, the decision was made to fire Tom Herman? — Tanner K.
No. While big-time recruits’ decisions do play a role in how a coach is evaluated, hiring and firing decisions are still primarily made on wins, losses and program trajectory. What the decommitment of a five-star quarterback recruit like Ewers does affect is that third part: trajectory. If you’re losing the big-time recruits, it’s an indicator that your program isn’t heading in a favorable direction.
What sealed Herman’s fate was squandering a double-digit lead at home to Iowa State on Nov. 27. Going into that game, Texas still controlled its ability to make the Big 12 championship game. Once Breece Hall scored the winning touchdown for the Cyclones that afternoon, the Longhorns were virtually eliminated. Multiple key players began opting out, and, of course, the school’s brief flirtation with Urban Meyer came soon thereafter. Once that step was taken, it was virtually impossible to bring Herman back because it put him in an impossible spot in recruiting. But the chain of events started with the loss to Iowa State.
Losing to Iowa State in a vacuum wasn’t embarrassing, as the Cyclones went on to win the Fiesta Bowl. But the idea that Texas, with all its resources and talent, had been surpassed by a program that hadn’t won a conference title in more than a century proved too much for Texas Exes to stomach. Hall said it best: It was “five-star culture vs. five-star talent,” and the former won, which is why Sarkisian is now in charge.
Re-establishing a dominant offensive line or replacing Kellen Mond with a productive and more explosive young QB: Which is more vital to A&M’s offensive success in 2021? — Corey D., San Antonio
The offensive line is undoubtedly the most critical part to the Aggies’ offensive success this year. It’s no coincidence that the Aggies’ best season under Jimbo Fisher and Mond’s career year came when A&M’s offensive line performed its best.
The starting quarterback, whether it’s Haynes King, Zach Calzada or Eli Stowers, will likely have some growing pains as a first-year starter in Fisher’s offense, but the talent all three have should compensate for early mistakes. But if they don’t get good protection, it doesn’t matter how good they are or how well they’ve mastered the offense.
One positive development: All-American Kenyon Green made the move to left tackle. Green, a five-star recruit who signed in 2019, said Tuesday that “100 percent” of his time has been spent at tackle this spring. Green spent his first two years at guard and excelled, but he was recruited as a tackle, and that’s what he’ll likely be when he goes to the NFL. Having a player of his talent at the most important position up front is huge for the Aggies; now they just have to figure out who the other four starters are and develop some chemistry among that unit.
Advertisement
SMU has improved greatly the past two years, but it hasn’t made the jump from “good” to “great” in the AAC to the point where it can compete in the conference title game. What needs to happen to make that jump and do you think the Ponies can make that jump this season? — Drew V., Charlotte, N.C.
I caught up with Sonny Dykes recently, and he mentioned a few things SMU needs to take the next step.
One is improving defensively. The Mustangs were sixth in the American last season in scoring defense, allowing nearly 31 points per game. They’ve made strides there (they improved both in scoring defense and yards per play from 2019 to 2020), but he wants them to be more consistent. Dykes likes new defensive coordinator Jim Leavitt, a former USF head coach and 42-year coaching veteran, and said he has been “fantastic,” so far.
Confidence is another thing. Winning programs develop that over time. SMU is 17-6 in the last two years and even climbed high in the polls, but Dykes feels like there’s still another step to take mentally. “We have to believe that we belong,” Dykes said. “We’re getting there.”
Lastly, some of it is just luck. Perfect example: SMU did not lose a single game in the last two years that receiver Reggie Roberson started. Responding to tough breaks, like losing a key player to injury, is important. Some of that is tangible, with quality depth built over years of good recruiting, and some of it is just plain good fortune.
Whether SMU can make that jump this season hinges on all of the above, and also what kind of play they get at quarterback, whether it’s Oklahoma transfer Tanner Mordecai or Preston Stone, a four-star from Dallas Parish Episcopal who stayed home to play for the Ponies, taking the snaps. Shane Buechele was such a stabilizing force for them the last two years and won’t be easy to replace, but Mordecai and Stone are both talented options.
(Photo of Bijan Robinson: Tim Warner / Getty Images)
