Good read by Andy Staples, not so much because it's about Lanning not jumping to TAMU, but because it helps reset our collective (USC, UCLA, UW and UO fans') way of thinking going forward with basically 2 super conferences, and then everyone else.
Of course it depends on final rankings, but he's expecting 3 teams from the Power 2 (B1G and SEC) to get into the 12 team playoffs every season. That leaves 2 spots for the Big 12 and the ACC, plus an independent like ND and a Group of 5 champ.
From the link below:
Had the Pac-12 never fallen apart, this would be a different conversation. Texas A&M probably would be the better job. But with Oregon headed to the Big Ten, this one actually is pretty easy. And that’s how we need to train our brains going forward. If you’re judging jobs based on a Power 5 universe, you need to adjust your thinking for a universe where there is a Power 2 and and a robust middle class in the ACC and Big 12.
The Ducks have played for the national title twice since 2010. They’ve made the four-team College Football Playoff. They’ve won their conference, which, while not as rugged as the one they’re entering, demonstrates the administration’s ability to provide the infrastructure to win. More recently, Oregon’s Division Street collective has assured the Ducks are competitive in the NIL space. If they win their next two games, they’ll likely get a rematch with Washington — possibly with a CFP berth on the line. Going forward, Oregon will play in a league where the top three will be all but assured spots in the 12-team CFP.
Texas A&M has more money. It has better access to nearby talent. But it also — for whatever reason — hasn’t been able to get over the competitive hump. While it’s easy to say it’s because of dysfunction or poor hiring, that doesn’t explain it all. A program with Texas A&M’s advantages should have been able to fall ass-backward into national title contention at least once or twice in the past 40 years. But it hasn’t.
Meanwhile, Oregon has worked deliberately and strategically to turn a pretty good regional power into a national brand. That O is recognizable from coast to coast, which is good, because Oregon’s coach has to work a lot harder to land elite talent because so little of it lives in the Pacific Northwest.
The odds are way better in the big 12 being a top 2. Than a top 3 in big 10
Oh. And why is Autzen ruined with a DJ. Stfu already.