A Whole New World

I hope you aren't too enamored with the last decade, because it's all about to change. First off, it was announced that filming for The Hangover 2 will start in October, joining Anchorman 2 and Zoolander 2 to the list of comedies that shouldn't get sequels, but are nonetheless. I will most certainly watch all three, but will probably not find any of them funny, considering prior comedic sequels have bombed miserably (notably Major League 2, Major League: Back to the Minors, Caddyshack 2, Slap Shot 2, Dumb and Dumberer, and anything National Lampoon has done in the last fifteen years). But secondly -- and much, much more problematic -- is how we've seen the end of college football as we know it. In a span of three days the nation's second-strongest conference has begun its seemingly inevitable demise, two others are ready to start super-conferences, and the most dominant team of the last decade has been erased from the record books, with a long and dark future ahead of them. At this rate, it's not a matter how much the landscape of the sport will change. It is quite clear the change will be drastic and of massive proportions. The question to eventually look at will be: who is the new power in football?

We'll start with the downfall of the Big 12. Remember two years ago, when Oklahoma played for the national title, while Texas and Texas Tech were right at their heels, vying for a shot at a championship? Oh, how money makes those memories fade away. Because now, the Big 12 is becoming an auction, and everyone in the neighborhood is placing a bid for the items. For weeks there was speculation as to what teams would go where. The Pac-10 was rumored to be reaching out to Texas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, and Texas A&M, with Colorado and Baylor vying for the sixth invitation. The Big Ten, with an abundance of teams from the Big 12, ACC, Big East, and Notre Dame to consider, was leaning towards inviting Nebraska and Missouri, who were given an ultimatum by Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe with a Friday deadline. Wednesday night there were rumors flying that Nebraska was going to depart for the Big Ten, but nothing "official" has been stated by the university. But at this rate it would be far more shocking if the Huskers didn't leave the conference. Then on Thursday morning Colorado became the first team to officially show their hand, announcing they were leaving for the Pac-10. So there's two teams gone. One anonymous coach in the conference said that Nebraska was the key, and if they left, the Big 12 would crumble. That same coach also believes the five previously mentioned teams will join Colorado in their venture west to the Pac-10. Seven teams: good as gone.

Assuming Missouri leaves for the Big Ten with Nebraska, that leaves Baylor, Iowa State, Kansas, and Kansas State. Those four schools have good football traditions, with a combined 436 seasons, but a very noticeable number of national championships: zero. The other eight schools? A combined 907 years of football, and eighteen national titles, including sixteen between Oklahoma (7), Nebraska (5), and Texas (4). Even if the Big 12 were to raid a mid-major conference like the Sun Belt, MAC, or Conference USA, much like the Big East did with Conference USA in 2005, it would not be enough to keep the conference alive. There would be no star power, no team good enough next year to pull off a BCS win like West Virginia did in '05, probably saving the Big East from going defunct (for now...). This would essentially become a big name mid-major, one certainly not worthy of an automatic BCS bid. Michael Crabtree's magical last-second scamper to beat Texas seems like light years ago, eh?

To sum it up in short, when all is said is done, the Big 12 will be left in shambles. But for the Big Ten and Pac-10, it means the beginnings of a long reign of terror on the rest of the country. It will be college football's version of Sparta vs. Athens, imperial Spain vs. imperial England, or the Americans vs. the Soviets. Two super-powers competing for power each and every year. It will be old versus new. The Big Ten will have four of the most historic teams in history, with Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State, and Nebraska. The Pac-10, meanwhile, would have the more recent kings in Texas, Oklahoma, and, until they are set back a decade by the NCAA, Southern Cal (more on that in a bit). Add in the ridiculous SEC, by far the best conference in football right now, and this 3-way battle will leave the ACC, Big East, and every other conference trailing in the dust. Imagine that annual BCS predicament. Who do you leave out of the BCS title game? Whoever survives long enough to win a conference title in any of those three leagues will most certainly deserve a shot at the AFCA National Championship Trophy (worst name for a trophy ever, perhaps only seconded by the Larry O'Brien Trophy). If you think the controversy now is bad, just think of the potential firestorm that could -- and probably will -- come from expansion.

Each year for the foreseeable future you can imagine who will be competing for the conference title in the new Pac-10. Texas. Oklahoma. Oregon if they can get over the loss of quarterback Jeremiah Masoli. But there is one very obvious absence. USC. Thursday the Trojans were given a two-year postseason ban for recruiting violations going back to Reggie Bush and, for basketball, OJ Mayo. There are three key components to this:

• For the Pac-10, this expansion is absolutely brilliant timing. To lose its premiere program to a scandal such as this would have been devastating. But to add the likes of Mack Brown and the Longhorns and Bob Stoops' Sooners would smoothly pave over any damage that will come from SoCal.
  It would be the ultimate way to move on from what otherwise would be a dark period for a mediocre conference.
• For USC, this is devastating. Lane Kiffin is enough of an idiot as is. He doesn't need another reason for recruits to not go to his school. Now that other top-tiered programs could be joining their conference, expect many 5-star recruits to avoid the Trojans at all costs, because what player doesn't want a chance to go to a bowl game? It will take a long time for the school to regain a good reputation and get enough top-flight recruits if it wants to return to its former glory.
• For history, vacated wins and a national championship will mean one of the greatest teams ever assembled will be erased from the record books in the 2004 Trojans. The 12-win team that lost to Texas in the epic 2006 Rose Bowl could also have their wins vacated, unless a last-ditch appeal somehow works. Congratulations, Vince Young. You're famous 9-yard scramble with 19 seconds left now happened against no one. Not impressed. And those 467 yards of total offense (200 rushing, 267 passing)? It's almost as if the USC defense wasn't even on the field. And in the minds of the NCAA, they weren't. Again, even I could do that. Of course I'm being facetious. It is arguably the single-greatest performance in history. He left his heart on the field. Who knew he would get a title either way? And Reggie Bush, one of the most electrifying players on the college level ever, could lose his 2005 Heisman Trophy. Again, history is unfortunately erased, and it could get to the point where the top officials in the NCAA will pretend this never happened.

The greatest team of the past decade, coming off a very bad season comparatively speaking as it is, could very easily get lost in the mix of average teams for a very long time. Think of it as Miami from 2005-now. Only switch "loads of criminals, having crappy coaching, then hiring a good coach" to "loads of greedy teenagers, having a good coach, then downgrading to Lane Kiffin, who has a category all to himself".

The last decade saw USC dominance, Big 12 shootouts, and SEC dogfights. The SEC dogfights will remain the same, as they have for sixty years. But as for those Trojan titles and the Big 12 offensive fire-shows, they will most likely disappear, lost amidst the expansion craze and scandal repercussions. In the span of a week one of the superior conferences will be left in ruins, two others will reign supreme, and one of football's great powers will go from a roaring, vicious lion, to a docile housecat, owned by the NCAA, an incredibly strict and greedy cat-lady that no one wants to deal with.

Welcome to the future. Hope you enjoy...