SEC-Big 12 Champions Bowl: 9 Matchups We'd Love to See in 2014

With the SEC and Big 12 starting a new traditional champion vs. champion matchup in 2014, the matchups between college football elites couldn't be any more exciting.

Home to such schools like Alabama, LSU, Texas, Florida and Oklahoma, both conferences are spoiled with powerhouses, and future bowl games between both conference champions is massive enough to get any college football fan giddy.

But as you know, some things are just too good to be true, and that may very well be the case with this new bowl matchup. Should one or both of the conference champions be eligible for the four-team playoff (they most likely will), then another deserving club from the conference will represent them in the game.

Despite this buzzkill, there are plenty of compelling matchups to be made in this future bowl game, and with so many great teams in both conferences, here are nine matchups we're dying to see in 2014.

LSU vs. Oklahoma State

A matchup between the LSU Tigers and Oklahoma State Cowboys that fans feel we were slighted in the 2012 BCS National Championship Game.

Obviously, the BCS worked out perfectly because Alabama proved it was deserving by defeating the Tigers, 21-0, but a game between LSU and Oklahoma State would have been way more entertaining.

Picture Brandon Weeden and Justin Blackmon's high-powered offense going against LSU's stingy secondary. Because fans feel like they were deprived of this matchup in 2012, a matchup in 2014 will be sizzling following two years of hype.

Add in the fact that Les Miles coached at Oklahoma State before becoming LSU's head coach, and this matchup sells itself.

Oklahoma vs. Florida

Florida could really use Tim Tebow right about now.

As a matter of fact, the last time the Gators won a national title, it was Tebow who led them to a 24-14 victory over the Oklahoma Sooners in the 2009 BCS National Championship.

But things have changed for both teams since that championship game. Oklahoma was thought to be a favorite for the national championship last season, but it failed to live up to the expectations, while Will Muschamp led the Gators to an 8-5 season in his first year as head coach.

But don't get it twisted—these are still two of the most prestigious programs in the country. With athletes galore at each team's disposal, being the best in their respected conference is a viable option.

Alabama vs. Texas

What if Colt McCoy wouldn't have been injured in the 2010 BCS National Championship Game?

In the first four minutes of the championship game between Alabama and Texas, McCoy went down with a shoulder injury to his passing arm and was unable to play the rest of the game.

The Crimson Tide would go on to win the game, 37-21, and Saban's iron grip on the college football realm would only tighten. Following the game, many questioned whether or not the result would have been different with McCoy at quarterback.

Though no speculation can change the result of their previous encounter, it sure would be refreshing to watch a healthy Texas team play against a healthy Alabama squad.

LSU vs. Texas

For both being powerhouses in the 2000s, LSU and Texas didn't cross paths enough.

Between both schools, they won three national championships in the decade. Furthermore, Texas is the last non-SEC school to win the championship, as Vince Young led it to a 41-38 victory over USC in 2006.

Both schools only met once in the decade, and Texas defeated the Tigers, 35-20, in the 2003 Cotton Bowl. Though Texas is coming off back-to-back disappointing seasons, don't expect Mac Brown's club to float around mediocrity too much longer, so it could easily represent the Big 12 in this bowl game against the SEC.

And with the influx of talent that Les Miles brings into LSU, it should stay on top of the college football landscape for years to come.

The good folks of Texas and Louisiana deserve a Texas-sized showdown between the Longhorns and the Tigers, so hopefully, this bowl game can deliver just that.

South Carolina vs. Kansas State

South Carolina and Kansas State is the most unlikely of matchups, but it would be a doozy.

By the time the game takes place, the Wildcats will be without Collin Klein and South Carolina will be missing Marcus Lattimore. But the more intriguing matchup lies between Steve Spurrier and Bill Snyder.

Both coaches are legendary figures in college football, and when Snyder returned to Kansas State and Spurrier arrived in South Carolina, the teams' losing ways were thrown out of the window.

Last season, Kansas State made an incredible turnaround from a 7-6 record to 11-2, while despite battling injuries, the Gamecocks managed to record an 11-2 season as well.

At the end of the day, who wouldn't want to see Snyder and the ol' ball coach match wits?

Alabama vs. Oklahoma

Let's paint the town crimson.

Since 1925, Alabama and Oklahoma have totaled 21 national championships. Both teams' strong following and rich history should create quite a thrilling atmosphere.

The game would pit two of the most highly-respected coaches against one another, but it wouldn't be the first time Bob Stoops and Nick Saban met in a championship environment.

In the 2004 BCS National Championship, Nick Saban led LSU to its first championship since 1958 against a Bob Stoops-led Oklahoma team.

Keep in mind that both teams have a defensive-first mentality, and college football fans would be in for a hard-hitting affair.

Arkansas vs. Oklahoma State

An Arkansas and Oklahoma State matchup is a matchup that should excite Big 12 fans more than SEC fans.

SEC fans are known for loving brash defensive play, while Big 12 fans are the exact opposite. Though the Arkansas Razorbacks offense might not be as prolific as it has been in recent years with the departure of Bobby Petrino, offense should still be there forte in 2014.

Heck, Gus Malzahn could be there head coach by then. And as for Mike Gundy's Oklahoma State, don't expect a whole lot to change with them. With Todd Monken as offensive coordinator, the Cowboys should still have an explosive offense.

With these offensive elements in place, an Arkansas/Oklahoma State matchup in the postseason would be electric.

Texas vs. Texas A&M

Texas and Texas A&M might not meet on Thanksgiving night anymore, but a matchup in the SEC/Big 12 bowl game would carry more weight.

It's a shame that the Aggies and Longhorns will no longer meet in the regular season. The traditional rivalry was just thrown by the wayside like a stray cat in a dark alley.

As expected, fans were not pleased about this, so you could imagine just how much hype a matchup between Texas and Texas A&M would garner.

The Aggies and the Longhorns are destined to meet again, and a showdown with both teams playing at a championship level would be college football at its best.

Alabama vs. Oklahoma State

Think Oklahoma State can hang with the big boys in the SEC?

Most tend to think that the Cowboys offense in 2011 would have been able to score on the incredible defenses sported by LSU and Alabama, and while we can debate about the issue all day, we'll never truly know.

Fast forward two years, and we might have an opportunity to see Gundy's high-flying offense against Saban's fierce defense.

This is such an intriguing matchup that would turn into an entertaining chess match. The raw, athletic defenders of Alabama going against the speedy, talented Cowboy skill players. The tale of the 2011 season is more than enough reason to ensure everyone tunes in.