SEC Expansion: 4 Schools SEC Could Poach If Texas A&M Falls Through

For the past few months, rumors of Texas A&M joining the powerhouse Southeastern Conference in college football have been swirling.

Until a couple days ago, that is all the story was, a rumor. Texas A&M is all but officially accepted into the SEC as long as Baylor steps out of the way and allows the Aggies to leave the Big 12.

In the case that the Aggies are unable to join the SEC, there are multiple other schools that would love to join the conference and will be available to do so over the next year or two.

University of Texas Longhorns (Big 12)

One of the many teams the SEC could gain if Texas A&M isn't able to transfer is the Texas Longhorns.

The Longhorns have been wanting to play in a more competitive conference for several years now, and the SEC could be the perfect fit.

Another team coming from what appears to be a deteriorating conference in the Big 12, the Longhorns could renew an intense rivalry that stems back to Texas' days in the debunked Southwest Conference with the Arkansas Razorbacks.

Another reason Texas may want to leave the Big 12 is due to the fact that there will no longer be separate divisions, as well as no more conference championship games.

The Longhorns pulling out of the Big 12 and joining the SEC would not only be huge for their program for recruiting purposes, but it would help the SEC turn into the super conference it seemingly aspires to be.

Clemson Tigers (ACC)

There are more reasons than just one that the SEC would like to have the Clemson Tigers as members.

One is their geographical location, giving them close proximity to the rest of the SEC schools.

Clemson used to have an intense rivalries with the Georgia Bulldogs, Auburn Tigers and South Carolina Gamecocks, and those would be renewed if Clemson were to join.

Another incentive for the SEC taking on the Clemson Tigers would be the recruiting talent they could use from South Carolina, and not just leave all the top players from the Carolinas to the Gamecocks.

The Clemson Tigers, though not always the best football team, play a hard-nosed style of football that is well-suited for the SEC. A move of Clemson to the SEC would only be beneficial for the annual success of the conference.

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (ACC)

The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets would be a much-welcomed team back into the SEC (where they played until 1964).

They have storied rivalries with both Auburn and UGA, and have a knack for upsetting top teams in the nation, most of which seem to come out of the SEC each season.

In recent history, the Yellow Jackets have played in bowl games in eight of the last 10 seasons, losing all but two of them. Included in those bowl games was a BCS bowl game appearance at the Orange Bowl in a loss to Iowa in 2010.

The Yellow Jackets have shown their ability to compete, but have struggled to prove themselves in the big games recently.

The SEC could raise their level just enough to help them become a strong program once again.

Oklahoma State Cowboys (Big 12)

The Oklahoma State Cowboys are the only team on this list without any specific historical ties to the SEC with exceptions to a couple recent bowl games against Ole Miss and Alabama, but they also could bring a new flavor to the SEC.

The Cowboys' high-powered offense is something that differentiates them from the hard-nosed defensive style that the SEC has become famous for. The Cowboys are practically the opposite of that.

They are consistently in high-scoring battles that are tremendous to watch and would significantly increase SEC TV ratings nationwide.

Of all the possible teams that could make a move to the SEC, OSU could be the most intriguing and unexpected team to make the transition; they surely would improve the SEC that much more.