Big 12 Realignment: Could Texas' Greed and Ego Cost Them Even More?

Larry Burton (Panama City Beach, Fla.) Texas' ego forced the other members of the Big 12 into the conference. You could easily call it a shotgun wedding. Some teams, like Nebraska, hated it from the beginning and continued to show displeasure over the years.

There were a lot of 11-1 votes, with Nebraska being the only team to stand up to Texas, who ran the Big 12 like it was their personal league; they merely let the other teams participate in.

There was never anything equal in the Big 12 concerning revenue or running the show, and finally Nebraska got the out they had always wanted to bolt to the Big 10. Colorado also bolted, but they went to the Pac 10.

Now that conference is at a crossroad, there are conflicting rumors that most will go the the Pac 10 and that others will stay together as a conference of 10.

Let's examine both scenarios.

If they go to the Pac 10, they will no longer be the deciding voice. They won't have the votes that the rest of the conference will have.

Texas will finally be put in a position where they won't run the show, and that is an idea they don't like.

So, if they choose to keep the remaining 10 together (and possibly add SMU and another team), then they could continue to run the show and run their own course.

What if Texas announces this is indeed what they intend to do and Texas A&M decides that they are tired of being a conference second fiddle, in the orange shadow, and tired of unequal payouts, and joins the SEC as many have said they might like to do?

Then, Texas would stand there with even more mud on their face. Now what? Hide your red face and go crawl back to the Pac 10? Leave with Texas A&M to the SEC, or maybe really go low and invite a North Texas State or some such school into the fold and bring down the talent level even lower?

Either way, Texas is going to have to take a blow to their ego, but they want a deal where their greed won't be affected.

Texas wants the lion's share of any TV revenue as well as retaining the ability to have their own network for games not shown nationally, and of course, they want all that money for themselves.

Though their greed may go unchecked, their ego will slapped no matter what happens. Don't get me wrong—greed for power, and not money, is not the issue at hand.

How will it all come down? At this point, roll the dice, check with your astrologer, or flip a coin. Anybody who says they know right now doesn't have a clue to all the back room deals and talk going on, and what may finally be the item that swings it one way or the other.

In the end, whatever happens all depends on Texas. Oklahoma appears to be the sheep following the shepherd, and schools like Baylor know that their survival is based on coat-tailing Texas.

Tom Osborne finally took a stand and punched Texas squarely in the nose; will anyone else besides Colorado have the nerve to quit playing follow the leader?

Only time will tell.