Arkansas I definitely believe would have stayed in the SWC had LSU and Ole Miss joined, part of the reason I hear about Arkansas leaving the conference was being the only school not in the state of Texas, and that was since 1925, but one could also wonder what if Oklahoma and Oklahoma A&M (now Oklahoma State) were still in the conference, very interesting what ifs and butterfly effects.
@@davidjaerobins4180 not sure, but given that conferences back then were based mainly on geography joining the Big 8 wouldn't have surprised me in retrospect.
Hmmm... if houston managed to end up in the Big 12 I think it's possible that the Astrodome would still be actively used as a venue, and the cougars maybe could've refurbished it and upgraded it to keep it going instead of playing at Robertson stadium
I agree. The rivalries were on par with the SEC, the schools were similar in their traditions and geography, and most importantly the games were important. The conference was just big enough where you had to win out to ensure a championship berth in the south (which was stacked between Texas, OU, A & M, OK State, and sometimes Texas Tech). And in the North there wasn't really a dominant team so it was always nuts watching the south produce 3 top 10 teams while the north struggled to get a top 25 team. I wish we could go back to the 2006 era Big 12. Except maybe add in TCU, Arkansas, and Houston.
I love the Kansas State national championship you snuck in there. Very subtle. hehe But I would totally be pulling for them in that game. Dan Snyder seems like a good guy, by all accounts.
K-State lost to Drew Brees and his Purdue team in the Alamo Bowl. Obviously the Wildcats were deflated after being upset in the Big XII Championship Game to Texas A&M. It is always fun to speculate what could have happened.
@@p-mashack K-State should never have landed in that bowl given that it entered the Big 12 Championship Game at No. 1 in the BCS poll. K-State's loss there to Texas A&M somehow took it out of the BCS structure entirely despite being No. 1 going in, so I can understand the Wildcats feeling deflated. The BCS subsequently put rules in place to prevent its affiliated bowls from pulling that kind of stunt again, but it was too late for that '98 K-State side.
@@marcus813 Yeah, I forgot that. Even with an OT loss to A&M, K-State should have been offered a better bowl destination than San Antonio (maybe the Orange or Sugar? I think part of the problem was they played in the Cotton Bowl the year before.) I just remember being annoyed that FSU backed into the Championship Game that year vs. Tennessee.
I doubt Florida State joins the SEC tbh. Their athletics department ran through Bobby Bowdens word and legacy and he went on record to Paul Finebaum to say, “I felt, Paul, that it was too difficult to win through the SEC to win a national championship. I felt like our best route would be to go through the ACC and that did prove out to be correct. But, I don’t know if we could have made it through the SEC.”
@@CarlaJenkinsTV This time around people care more about money and the allure of "better competition" where they are fully confident (delusional) that they could compete right away in the SEC or Big Ten right away. I think teams like Texas and Oregon are set up right now to compete next year changing over, but if FSU were to jump ship next year, they would be average like the Florida, Tennessee or South Carolina programs.
~08:57 Even if TXEAS had joined the SEC on this alternate timeline, the ACC would have still likely then paid more, been the better academic association, and offered a separate path to championships than FLORIDA. FSU would have still likely gone ACC. Even if not, I doubt the ACC would have taken USCAR given the ACC's goal for that expansion and the level of objections. The ACC would have shifted focus on MIAMI and then old BIGEAST as happened.
The Texas longhorns whole problem is their decision makers ego. They had a functional league in the big 12, but they wanted they to be kings of their league. The sec has always been egalitarian where its even share. The fact that theyve been bent over and are now sharing even pieces with tiny schools like Vanderbilt is a lesson to executives everywhere.
Your argument is flawed. Texas doesn’t care about the money. They are second only to Harvard with money. They just want to run everything. I’m not sure they even care about winning. They just crave power. They will bully the SEC just like they did the SWC and the big 12. They have 49 billion dollars that they just use to make more money with. They could let every kid in Texas go to school tuition free and still make money. That few million dollar raise they got by moving to the SEC is pocket change to them.
First things first. If Texas isn’t in the Big12 then Missouri and Nebraska, Colorado would have never left. Presumably TA&M would have been in the SEC at that time too. And who knows about where TTU and Baylor land. Perhaps TTU and TCU would have escaped to the Big8 which would then have 10 members. And the Longhorn Network would have shredded the SEC the same way it did the Big12. Which likely would have benefitted the ACC and Big12. The Big12 would have been better off without UT to start with.
Yeah, I don't think he took into consideration just how greedy and toxic Texas is, and how hated they were by others in the Big 12. This might have ended up being a terrible move for the SEC.
@@abelreyna8781 @alexcuevas5633 Texas will not be able to boss around the SEC like they did the B12. Too many other powerhouses-Bama, Ga, Miss(a soon to be PH), Tenn, etc.
The difference between the Big 12 & SEC is that the SEC would not have put up with Texas’ bs. They would’ve told Texas to piss off the moment they created Longhorn Network.
@@alexcuevas5633 No. Texas will just be another member in the SEC, altho a great one. It will not have the power it had in the B12. Power in SEC runs thru Bama and Ga. The ACC's controlling powers, the BIG4-UNC, NCS, Duke and WF-have seen their power wane as new schools have been added. Power has shifted to FSU and Clemson which are leaving. UNC has a half foot out the door.
Your speculations are fascinating! What happens between Texas and A&M and Arkansas going forth in the SEC is very interesting! As for superconferences...I think the Big 12 might be one at this point. They might have added more teams like you suggested and SEC and Big 10 would be forced to keep up. Awesome video. Really makes you wonder!
First of all, Lukas, great job as always. I am honored and privileged to be a proud fan of yours. I love and appreciate all the work you do in your videos. I’d like to give you my take now on what I think would’ve happened if Texas joined the SEC in 1989: If Texas joined the SEC in 1989, the Longhorns, in my opinion, would’ve become an SEC powerhouse. However, whether or not Texas would’ve won multiple national championships would’ve depended on a couple of things. 1: Hiring the right coach. Nick Saban & Jimmy Johnson are the first 2 coaches that came to my mind (especially if Jimmy REALLY wanted to stick it to Jerry Jones), but Howard Schnellenberger or Phil Fulmer would’ve made sense, too. 2: Modernizing their style of play. Do you remember when Steve Spurrier was Florida’s head coach, and his pass-first, Fun ‘n’ Gun offense was taking all of college football by storm? Well, Texas would’ve had to employ an aggressive, pass-oriented offense revolving around 5-star quarterbacks, especially if the ‘Horns kept facing the Gators in the SEC Championship Game. Those are just my thoughts, Lukas. Let me know what you think. And keep up the great work! 👍👍
how did you manage to mention every big east team other than syracuse as possible ACC additions in the late '90s, including teams that not only weren't in the big east yet but weren't even I-A yet
I think ultimately it would’ve been harder for them and they may have seen a lot of down years. I think they moved to the sec at the right time when the program is starting to look up and recruits are starting to ge reinvested to what sark is bringing to the program, not to mention NIL
your whole premise is wrong-- Texans are not proud of being southern; Texans are proud of being Texans. Texas, once you get past the golden triangle and into the Houston (thus college station's inclusion), is a completely other region separate from the rest of the south. even back to civil war times, Texas' ability to escape relatively unscathed caused resentment from the rest of the south. And Texas did not care.
I don't see OU leaving Nebraska because that was our biggest rival until the Big 12s division keeps us from playing them each year SMH that one still pisses me off if we was to play anyone every other year it should of been Texas not Nebraska our oldest conference rival
I swear to God: I clicked on the video, and ten seconds into it I thought "man, there's something so right about the Longhorns in the SEC..." Five seconds later, you confirmed I wasn't tripping. Hahahahah
I do wonder what would happen to SMU, TCU, Rice and Baylor in this scenario, Do they still head off to make the Super WAC, do they go to a proto-Metro/Conference USA that got started earlier in the timeline? Or for that matter would they try to raid the independents in the early 90s (Probably going after most of the Metro schools) in an attempt to save the SWC, or do they just bounce their separate ways?
My guess is their (Baylor, SMU, TCU, Rice) original plan would be to try to rebuild the Southwest into a sort of proto-CUSA, maybe yanking New Mexico, Tulsa, and Tulane, since those would be the highest priority schools to add. From there, maybe LTU, Memphis, and Southern Miss to get to 10. UTEP and NMSU would be some solid additions as well. So this could potentially prevent the CUSA from forming AND handicap the WAC leading to an early Mountain West as well.
I know I’m late, but if Texas were to join the SEC early and South Carolina were to head back to the ACC, our football program might be a little more prestigious than it is now. We probably win a decent amount of CCGs, NY6 bowl games and hell, might even compete for a title.
I'm a USC GC fan and am glad Texas said no to the Pac12 and no to a semi-invite from the SEC. Am glad that USC didn't rejoin the skid prone ACC. Texas being a Southern school belongs in the SEC. The ACC is frantically trying to remain a conference. Suing its own members to try to prevent them from leaving. A very bad look, ACC. Bad Karma has caught up with you, ACC. You should have been more respectful of USC, a founding member, but you practically kicked them out in early 70s and when USC tried to rejoin a few years after 1971 the ACC said NO!
@@DaninVa-gt9njdon’t get me wrong, I’m glad Carolina is in the SEC, I was just theorizing what we could be if we were back in the ACC. Yea long term may not be the greatest, but you can’t lie that our trophy room is lacking because of the years spent in independence, and then the 30 years of being in the toughest conference in America
Baylor got in due to governor of Texas Ann Richards being a Baylor grad. I believe Texas’ LT. governor at the time was a tech grad. Plus Tech is a major state school. Houston at the time was woeful and was coming off probation. TCU is a private school and at that time had 4 winning seasons from 1972-1994.
@@Hutch76k Richards being the reason Baylor got in is actually a common misconception. She had nothing to do with it, and even went on record to say she was never approached about it, which was backed up by the same guys who, in fact, did pull strings to get Baylor and Tech in
@@lukeontheplains it’s widely believed here. Thanks for clearing it up. The fact is: the reason it’s such a common misconception is the influence of Texas $$$$$ in politics on college athletics. Bear in mind the governor of Texas, Bill Clements was involved in the SMU slush fund that led to the death penalty.
Thank you all for responding! I was genuinely curious hard to look through the lens of where things were so long ago today Houston and TCU feel like a bigger deal than they were back then.
As a Gamecock fan, the "What if Florida State joined the SEC in the early 90s?" scenario is an interesting reminder of how things could have been much worse. I don't think SC is invited to the ACC in this timeline, as the ACC schools of the Carolinas probably still had it out for SC and would have the excuse of wanting to expand outside of the Carolinas. Most likely Miami takes FSU's spot in this scenario, and the best case scenario is the Gamecocks join the Big East and the Big 12 during the 2010s realignment. Worst case scenario is ending up in Conference USA and later the American.
@Ianmccor I'm a longtime GC fan, also. It has been a mostly rough road for us. The stars aligned perfectly for USC to join the SEC in the early 90s altho USC might have been invited when A&M joined instead of that awful Mo. school.
@@DaninVa-gt9nj uSC joined the Big 10. You people aren’t USC. Try winning at least one national title in your history before trying to steal the name of one of the historically great college football programs
One other major difference: No Longhorn Network, which would allow for the Big XII to have a true conference cable channel akin to every other P5 Conference. Big XII only had ESPN+ (or whatever it was called at the time) and local affiliate stations. May not have happened in time to stop Nebraska, A&M, and Missouri from leaving, but there would be a lot less reason to leave with a good cable deal as well... unless that's part of the Texas effect already mentioned...
Sticking to the BIG 10 adding possible 12th team in 1990 in response to Texas, if they didn't grab Notre Dame, I feel like Pitt would have joined in 1990 to make it a 12 team conference.
@@nickparadies350 IMO Pitt makes the most sense, it's in Eastern PA so no too far away from the other schools, plus at the time, at least in football, Pitt was more prestigious, only being about 15 years removed from a natty.
I definitely prefer the alternate reality you propose. Obviously its hard to say, but Texas sure seemed to be a destabilizing force during their tenure in the Big 12.
No, Texas did not stop competing against Oklahoma when Mack Brown was fired. Bob Stoops owned Mack Brown. 12 Conference Titles Vs 2. The rivalry itself has always been 50/50.
So I think you got it right with the swap out of Baylor with Houston in the B12, and I think without Texas in that league, it is much more cohesive. I doubt any of the teams who left in 2010 leave in this scenario. The only exception might be aTm, in which case, the SEC probably adds Miami with them (assuming your scenario with FSU already there). aTm wouldn't be a huge loss for the B12, so they either replace it with another Texas school or BYU. I also do not see Oklahoma leaving. People forget that for most of their history, OU and Texas were not in the same conference, and since in this scenario they still aren't, I don't see a need for them to feel like it's necessary. The B1G never adds ND, and I think JoePa lobbied hard to keep Pitt out, so the only other potential 12th team would be Missouri, who tried many times to join the B1G but was rebuffed. Maybe the league finally consents and adds them. That is also not a big loss for the B12 either, and maybe that's where they pick up a Memphis or Louisville.
Wish the SEC had added WVa instead of Mo. Mo. is not a good cultural for the SEC and it should have gone to school about the fact that the B10 did not want them.
in 92, the Texas $$$ train wasn't on the tracks yet. in fact, we couldn't hire john cooper from arizona state because we couldn't outbid them. now, if we're hypothesizing a windfall of cash due to joining the sec, then maybe we pull cooper and have a great run. but does that mean we lose out on the mack brown era? who's to say
People never know what they’re talking about when they bring up briles. Houston would probably still hire him away from tech and they would have done well in the big 12. Scandal at Baylor was an institutional failure not a briles or coaching failure.
@@lukeontheplains I’ve heard people say that but nobody has ever been able to explain to me what briles actually did that was wrong. Evident by him being dismissed from any and every lawsuit against Baylor that’s named him. Also evident by the fact he was fired without cause and was paid the rest of his contract by Baylor. Also evident by the ncaa saying briles actions related to the SA scandal violated no rules. The briles position was always that criminal issues were for law enforcement to handle. You’re talking about adult men responsible for their own actions. Briles is a football coach not a babysitter. All that for just one SA conviction for the transfer Boise player who never even played a down for the team. The real problem was Ken star thought title 9 was unconstitutional and was heavily neglected at Baylor and provided alleged victims little to no support or investigative abilities. The whole issue left a bad taste in my mouth for the university. If briles ever coached again and played baylor I wouldn’t be wearing green or gold that day.
I wonder if this move would've had any effect on the Metro Conference's football dreams. If the Metro was able to launch a football wing in the early '90s, it and Raycom would've had a license to print money.
SC was a member of that conference. As a longtime USC fan, I didn't particularly care for the competition. Ga Tech backed out of that conference and took USC's place in the ACC. Even back then, Joe Morrison the USC FB coach was making some noise about joining an eastern conference.
Bill Snyder deserved a Natty. Unfortunately, Sir Parker had other ideas and made one of the greatest plays in A&M history. It’s still shown before every football game. Nothing but love for you and Coach Snyder. Here’s to the Purple Wizard, from an Aggie. 💜👍
I looked somewhat like you as far as hair when I visited Aggieland back in the day and was called a hippy stoner. I left and have hated Aggy ever since.
the big ten goes to 12 much earlier in this scenario. the 12th team would probably be mizzou, but it could be nebraska. the 90s would be very interesting, especially if it was nebraska joining the big ten. a couple of what ifs would be solved with that… who was the real champion in 1994, penn state or nebraska? michigan/nebraska wouldn’t split the natty in 1997. those are big ten championship games instead
I think if Texas does hypothetically run their division in the SEC with LSU, I think they win more than one national title, especially one with ricky Williams.
This is why I will never respect Texas..... Looking back at what's going on with college football right now, I wish Oklahoma didn't actually win against the NCAA. I wish conferences made sense again.
Not to be longhorn bias towards it but honestly, I think the Longhorn should’ve went to the SEC right after national championship from 05 or instead of A&M going to the SEC Texas should’ve joined in 2011 and the could’ve been better than what it is now today
Very interesting and subbed. I'm glad Texas did not join the SEC earlier as I am a gamecock fan and USC might have been left out. Interesting that the SEC wanted FSU back in early 90s but Bowden said no and joined the Weak Sisters Conference instead. It took 30 yrs for FSU to see its mistake and now pants for the SEC. Once read an article from an anti-Southern writer who stated that Texas Would Never join the SEC. Ok. Texas is a part of the South and was a Confederate member but some snooty anti-Southern writers refuse to acknowledge this fact. BTW, look at this 1957 FB record of USC. A game that Texas, to this day, denies ever happened. 1957-South Carolina (ACC) 9/21 vs. *Duke (6-3-2) L 14 26 9/28 vs. Wofford (non-IA) W 26 0 10/5 @ Texas (6-4-1) W 27 21 10/12 vs. Furman (3-7) W 58 13 10/24 vs. *Clemson (7-3) L 0 13 11/2 vs. *Maryland (5-5) L 6 10 11/9 @ *North Carolina (6-4) L 6 28 11/16 @ *Virginia (3-6-1) W 13 0 11/23 vs. *North Carolina State (7-1-2) L 26 29 11/30 @ *Wake Forest (0-10) W 26 7
Texas if this happened would have continued to suck and make bad decisions like they do in our current timeline waiting every 15 years to create a competitive team before taking a nose dive after…Guys it’s Texas. Doesn’t matter what conference they are in, they always will be mid.
2007 was the "year of weirdness". When your natty contenders include Missouri, Kansas, West Virginia, the number 2 gets upset 10 different times and appy state steals a win at the big house anything can happen
What if a new conference is added to football 1. Oregon State 2. Washington State 3. Portland State 4. Sac State 5. Idaho 6. Idaho State 7. Montana State 8. Montana 9. EWU 10. North Dakota 11. NDSU 12. South Dakota 13. SD State 14. Cal Davis Other suggestions 1. Southern Utah 2. Utah Tech 3. Cal Poly 4. No. Colorado 5. Northern Iowa 6. Weber State
@@nickparadies350 I mean a half pac and half MW schedule isn’t good, and for some reason if the MW can’t get OSU or Wazzu to join with tv money. We can assume these schools will push a little aside and also SDSU and NDSU could compete almost every year tbh
With Dodds as AD? It would have been a disaster because that dude was a chump. Then, they name a street after him. Wow, just wow. With CDC as AD we’d have done well, but not with that arrogant Dodds. He would have fired Mackovic and hired Gary Barnett, his twin.
What if the hare hadn't stopped to go potty? Perhaps he would have beat the tortoise, perhaps another distraction would have caught him. Who know? Who cares?
I recall reading an LA Times article from the late 80’s that stated that the SEC wanted Texas and Miami in order to facilitate Roy Kramer’s vision of an SEC championship game. Texas was 💯 in, however Texas A&M got wind of it and demanded that they go as well. The SEC wanted nothing to do with the Aggies and the Aggies took their beef to the state legislature. The SEC not wanting to deal with the political BS grabbed Arkansas who wasn’t subject to Texas politics. Miami decided to join the Big East and Florida State joined the ACC. Bobby Bowden is rumored to have said he liked winning too much to play in the SEC or he was still upset that he had tried to join previously and was denied. There fore they took South Carolina. Texas as well as almost everyone else in the SWC knew it was doomed. The scandals and that fact that only 6% of the nations 📺 were in Texas and Arkansas. And Texas isn’t the south. And Texans aren’t proud of being southern because they aren’t. Texas is Texas and its residents are Texans.
and OU would have been perfectly content to remain in the Big 12 had their good friend Texas not convinced them to leave with them, this has been reported on time and time again
As a die hard Louisville fan I will always HATE Texas and their arrogant country bumpkin fans, Texas A&M please give Texas exactly what’s coming to them their first year in the SEC
Bob Bullock was a Tech alumnus
He went to Tech for undergrad, but Baylor for law school, so I guess - both? Good catch though.
Both. Tech undergrad, Baylor Law.
The butterfly effect in college football is one of the craziest things in the world
I agree
Man, seeing Nick Saban’s head in a shirt with burnt orange, and holding up the horns. I almost gagged!
What if LSU and Ole Miss had accepted their invitation to the Southwest Conference??? The T.V. set issue is instantly resolved
Arkansas I definitely believe would have stayed in the SWC had LSU and Ole Miss joined, part of the reason I hear about Arkansas leaving the conference was being the only school not in the state of Texas, and that was since 1925, but one could also wonder what if Oklahoma and Oklahoma A&M (now Oklahoma State) were still in the conference, very interesting what ifs and butterfly effects.
The SWC+Big 8 should have been the SEC West.
TV set issue? What do you mean?
@@Canam1975Did Arkansas had intentions of joining the Big 8?
@@davidjaerobins4180 not sure, but given that conferences back then were based mainly on geography joining the Big 8 wouldn't have surprised me in retrospect.
Hmmm... if houston managed to end up in the Big 12 I think it's possible that the Astrodome would still be actively used as a venue, and the cougars maybe could've refurbished it and upgraded it to keep it going instead of playing at Robertson stadium
Nope, astrodome was shit and way too big for anyone in cfb besides maybe 10 schools
Nobody cares about Cougar High
I know that I say this all the time but I miss the original big 12 it was great and I'm a life long volunteers fan
Original Big 12 before Nebraska n A&M got tired of Texas BS was a powerhouse in its prime
I agree.
The rivalries were on par with the SEC, the schools were similar in their traditions and geography, and most importantly the games were important.
The conference was just big enough where you had to win out to ensure a championship berth in the south (which was stacked between Texas, OU, A & M, OK State, and sometimes Texas Tech). And in the North there wasn't really a dominant team so it was always nuts watching the south produce 3 top 10 teams while the north struggled to get a top 25 team.
I wish we could go back to the 2006 era Big 12. Except maybe add in TCU, Arkansas, and Houston.
I love the Kansas State national championship you snuck in there. Very subtle. hehe
But I would totally be pulling for them in that game. Dan Snyder seems like a good guy, by all accounts.
K-State lost to Drew Brees and his Purdue team in the Alamo Bowl. Obviously the Wildcats were deflated after being upset in the Big XII Championship Game to Texas A&M. It is always fun to speculate what could have happened.
@@p-mashack K-State should never have landed in that bowl given that it entered the Big 12 Championship Game at No. 1 in the BCS poll. K-State's loss there to Texas A&M somehow took it out of the BCS structure entirely despite being No. 1 going in, so I can understand the Wildcats feeling deflated. The BCS subsequently put rules in place to prevent its affiliated bowls from pulling that kind of stunt again, but it was too late for that '98 K-State side.
@@marcus813 Yeah, I forgot that. Even with an OT loss to A&M, K-State should have been offered a better bowl destination than San Antonio (maybe the Orange or Sugar? I think part of the problem was they played in the Cotton Bowl the year before.) I just remember being annoyed that FSU backed into the Championship Game that year vs. Tennessee.
You should definitely do a video on the biggest rivalries in the SEC with the addition of Texas and OU
I doubt Florida State joins the SEC tbh. Their athletics department ran through Bobby Bowdens word and legacy and he went on record to Paul Finebaum to say, “I felt, Paul, that it was too difficult to win through the SEC to win a national championship. I felt like our best route would be to go through the ACC and that did prove out to be correct. But, I don’t know if we could have made it through the SEC.”
You're right. That is why FSU is scared to death to join the SEC upon leaving the ACC. FSU is going to the Big 12 like they should have in 1991.
@@CarlaJenkinsTV nahhhh FSU is gonna join the B1G. they’ll take Miami, Duke, UNC, and the rest of Notre Dame with them
yeah south carolina would still be the SEC’s eastern addition
@@CarlaJenkinsTV This time around people care more about money and the allure of "better competition" where they are fully confident (delusional) that they could compete right away in the SEC or Big Ten right away. I think teams like Texas and Oregon are set up right now to compete next year changing over, but if FSU were to jump ship next year, they would be average like the Florida, Tennessee or South Carolina programs.
I've always loved the what if scenario off Arkansas and Iowa going to the Big 8 instead of the Big 10 and SEC
I think he put on a community post that he is working on that video as we speak.
~08:57 Even if TXEAS had joined the SEC on this alternate timeline, the ACC would have still likely then paid more, been the better academic association, and offered a separate path to championships than FLORIDA. FSU would have still likely gone ACC. Even if not, I doubt the ACC would have taken USCAR given the ACC's goal for that expansion and the level of objections. The ACC would have shifted focus on MIAMI and then old BIGEAST as happened.
The Texas longhorns whole problem is their decision makers ego. They had a functional league in the big 12, but they wanted they to be kings of their league. The sec has always been egalitarian where its even share. The fact that theyve been bent over and are now sharing even pieces with tiny schools like Vanderbilt is a lesson to executives everywhere.
Your argument is flawed. Texas doesn’t care about the money. They are second only to Harvard with money. They just want to run everything. I’m not sure they even care about winning. They just crave power. They will bully the SEC just like they did the SWC and the big 12. They have 49 billion dollars that they just use to make more money with. They could let every kid in Texas go to school tuition free and still make money. That few million dollar raise they got by moving to the SEC is pocket change to them.
Very cool video!
First things first. If Texas isn’t in the Big12 then Missouri and Nebraska, Colorado would have never left. Presumably TA&M would have been in the SEC at that time too. And who knows about where TTU and Baylor land. Perhaps TTU and TCU would have escaped to the Big8 which would then have 10 members. And the Longhorn Network would have shredded the SEC the same way it did the Big12. Which likely would have benefitted the ACC and Big12. The Big12 would have been better off without UT to start with.
Yeah, I don't think he took into consideration just how greedy and toxic Texas is, and how hated they were by others in the Big 12. This might have ended up being a terrible move for the SEC.
@@abelreyna8781 what if they continue with their greed in the SEC? Could it be destabilized?
@@abelreyna8781 @alexcuevas5633 Texas will not be able to boss around the SEC like they did the B12. Too many other powerhouses-Bama, Ga, Miss(a soon to be PH), Tenn, etc.
The difference between the Big 12 & SEC is that the SEC would not have put up with Texas’ bs. They would’ve told Texas to piss off the moment they created Longhorn Network.
@@alexcuevas5633 No. Texas will just be another member in the SEC, altho a great one. It will not have the power it had in the B12. Power in SEC runs thru Bama and Ga. The ACC's controlling powers, the BIG4-UNC, NCS, Duke and WF-have seen their power wane as new schools have been added. Power has shifted to FSU and Clemson which are leaving. UNC has a half foot out the door.
Your speculations are fascinating! What happens between Texas and A&M and Arkansas going forth in the SEC is very interesting! As for superconferences...I think the Big 12 might be one at this point. They might have added more teams like you suggested and SEC and Big 10 would be forced to keep up. Awesome video. Really makes you wonder!
The meh 12 is a filler conference. They are bye week games for the two big conferences.
As a Texas fan, I assume this means we lose the OU and A&M rivalries in 1989?
It’s here🫡
Love your stuff man keep it up!!!
First of all, Lukas, great job as always. I am honored and privileged to be a proud fan of yours. I love and appreciate all the work you do in your videos. I’d like to give you my take now on what I think would’ve happened if Texas joined the SEC in 1989:
If Texas joined the SEC in 1989, the Longhorns, in my opinion, would’ve become an SEC powerhouse. However, whether or not Texas would’ve won multiple national championships would’ve depended on a couple of things.
1: Hiring the right coach. Nick Saban & Jimmy Johnson are the first 2 coaches that came to my mind (especially if Jimmy REALLY wanted to stick it to Jerry Jones), but Howard Schnellenberger or Phil Fulmer would’ve made sense, too.
2: Modernizing their style of play. Do you remember when Steve Spurrier was Florida’s head coach, and his pass-first, Fun ‘n’ Gun offense was taking all of college football by storm? Well, Texas would’ve had to employ an aggressive, pass-oriented offense revolving around 5-star quarterbacks, especially if the ‘Horns kept facing the Gators in the SEC Championship Game.
Those are just my thoughts, Lukas. Let me know what you think. And keep up the great work! 👍👍
Great video and I would've love for this to have happened in real life (OK State fan and alum).
I really want to do an alternate history in CFB 25 where Texas and Texas A&M both join the SEC rather than the Big 12 from the SWC when I get CFB 25
IRL, Arkansas should have waited it out and gone to the Big 8 with Texas and A&M, I will die on that hill
I believe USF is going to be a power school soon anywau
USF fan and alum here. I'm hoping it's not a diminished ACC. If its tentpole members jump ship, the ACC's payouts might plummet.
@@marcus813 oh it definitely will be, but hey it’s better than the AAC
how did you manage to mention every big east team other than syracuse as possible ACC additions in the late '90s, including teams that not only weren't in the big east yet but weren't even I-A yet
I forgor
I think ultimately it would’ve been harder for them and they may have seen a lot of down years. I think they moved to the sec at the right time when the program is starting to look up and recruits are starting to ge reinvested to what sark is bringing to the program, not to mention NIL
your whole premise is wrong-- Texans are not proud of being southern; Texans are proud of being Texans. Texas, once you get past the golden triangle and into the Houston (thus college station's inclusion), is a completely other region separate from the rest of the south. even back to civil war times, Texas' ability to escape relatively unscathed caused resentment from the rest of the south. And Texas did not care.
A snobbish untruthful post. Texas is a proud member of the South. Check a map and see where Texas is located.
This. 100%
You nailed it. Being a Houstonian, we are our own thing down here😂😂😂
Nobody has been more proud anything than Texans are proud of happening to have been born in Texas.
OU, TX, and TxAM should have joined the SEC long ago. The old Big 8 would get TCU, Houston, and SMU.
Yes, they belong in the SEC culturally and geographically and athletically.
I don't see OU leaving Nebraska because that was our biggest rival until the Big 12s division keeps us from playing them each year SMH that one still pisses me off if we was to play anyone every other year it should of been Texas not Nebraska our oldest conference rival
I swear to God:
I clicked on the video, and ten seconds into it I thought "man, there's something so right about the Longhorns in the SEC..."
Five seconds later, you confirmed I wasn't tripping. Hahahahah
20:20 Even in most of these alternate scenarios, Bill Self probably still wins the Big 12 20+ times.
Have you seen the k-state greatest turn around video?
absolute cinema
I do wonder what would happen to SMU, TCU, Rice and Baylor in this scenario, Do they still head off to make the Super WAC, do they go to a proto-Metro/Conference USA that got started earlier in the timeline? Or for that matter would they try to raid the independents in the early 90s (Probably going after most of the Metro schools) in an attempt to save the SWC, or do they just bounce their separate ways?
Nobody likes any of those schools and the church affiliated ones are the worst.
My guess is their (Baylor, SMU, TCU, Rice) original plan would be to try to rebuild the Southwest into a sort of proto-CUSA, maybe yanking New Mexico, Tulsa, and Tulane, since those would be the highest priority schools to add. From there, maybe LTU, Memphis, and Southern Miss to get to 10. UTEP and NMSU would be some solid additions as well. So this could potentially prevent the CUSA from forming AND handicap the WAC leading to an early Mountain West as well.
@@lukeontheplains yawn I almost went to sleep reading that. What a bunch of garbage teams. I wouldn’t watch any of those games.
@@lukeontheplainsso does Louisville join the Mac
15:33 Southern Miss To The- T-Top? 🥲 *awkward eagle screech*
Seriously. That came out of nowhere! SMTTT!
I know I’m late, but if Texas were to join the SEC early and South Carolina were to head back to the ACC, our football program might be a little more prestigious than it is now. We probably win a decent amount of CCGs, NY6 bowl games and hell, might even compete for a title.
I'm a USC GC fan and am glad Texas said no to the Pac12 and no to a semi-invite from the SEC. Am glad that USC didn't rejoin the skid prone ACC. Texas being a Southern school belongs in the SEC.
The ACC is frantically trying to remain a conference. Suing its own members to try to prevent them from leaving. A very bad look, ACC. Bad Karma has caught up with you, ACC. You should have been more respectful of USC, a founding member, but you practically kicked them out in early 70s and when USC tried to rejoin a few years after 1971 the ACC said NO!
@@DaninVa-gt9njdon’t get me wrong, I’m glad Carolina is in the SEC, I was just theorizing what we could be if we were back in the ACC. Yea long term may not be the greatest, but you can’t lie that our trophy room is lacking because of the years spent in independence, and then the 30 years of being in the toughest conference in America
I can see TCU and Baylor being added in 1992 also because the conference will want to out-compete the SEC in terms of numbers
I always wondered why they added Baylor and Texas Tech over schools like TCU or Houston.
I could be wrong but I think it was because Baylor and Tech grads were in high positions in the Texas government.
Baylor got in due to governor of Texas Ann Richards being a Baylor grad. I believe Texas’ LT. governor at the time was a tech grad. Plus Tech is a major state school. Houston at the time was woeful and was coming off probation. TCU is a private school and at that time had 4 winning seasons from 1972-1994.
@@Hutch76k Richards being the reason Baylor got in is actually a common misconception. She had nothing to do with it, and even went on record to say she was never approached about it, which was backed up by the same guys who, in fact, did pull strings to get Baylor and Tech in
@@lukeontheplains it’s widely believed here. Thanks for clearing it up. The fact is: the reason it’s such a common misconception is the influence of Texas $$$$$ in politics on college athletics. Bear in mind the governor of Texas, Bill Clements was involved in the SMU slush fund that led to the death penalty.
Thank you all for responding! I was genuinely curious hard to look through the lens of where things were so long ago today Houston and TCU feel like a bigger deal than they were back then.
As a Gamecock fan, the "What if Florida State joined the SEC in the early 90s?" scenario is an interesting reminder of how things could have been much worse. I don't think SC is invited to the ACC in this timeline, as the ACC schools of the Carolinas probably still had it out for SC and would have the excuse of wanting to expand outside of the Carolinas. Most likely Miami takes FSU's spot in this scenario, and the best case scenario is the Gamecocks join the Big East and the Big 12 during the 2010s realignment. Worst case scenario is ending up in Conference USA and later the American.
That rooster crowing at your home field is one scary SOB. I prefer Clemson, myself.
@Ianmccor I'm a longtime GC fan, also. It has been a mostly rough road for us. The stars aligned perfectly for USC to join the SEC in the early 90s altho USC might have been invited when A&M joined instead of that awful Mo. school.
@@DaninVa-gt9nj uSC joined the Big 10. You people aren’t USC. Try winning at least one national title in your history before trying to steal the name of one of the historically great college football programs
One other major difference: No Longhorn Network, which would allow for the Big XII to have a true conference cable channel akin to every other P5 Conference. Big XII only had ESPN+ (or whatever it was called at the time) and local affiliate stations. May not have happened in time to stop Nebraska, A&M, and Missouri from leaving, but there would be a lot less reason to leave with a good cable deal as well... unless that's part of the Texas effect already mentioned...
LHN existed because the Big 12 didn’t want a network
Sticking to the BIG 10 adding possible 12th team in 1990 in response to Texas, if they didn't grab Notre Dame, I feel like Pitt would have joined in 1990 to make it a 12 team conference.
Pitt or Syracuse most likely
@@nickparadies350 IMO Pitt makes the most sense, it's in Eastern PA so no too far away from the other schools, plus at the time, at least in football, Pitt was more prestigious, only being about 15 years removed from a natty.
I definitely prefer the alternate reality you propose. Obviously its hard to say, but Texas sure seemed to be a destabilizing force during their tenure in the Big 12.
What if Texas A&M tries to join the B10? There has been rumors about this happening since their not happy about Texas joining the SEC.
Good riddance.
No, Texas did not stop competing against Oklahoma when Mack Brown was fired.
Bob Stoops owned Mack Brown. 12 Conference Titles Vs 2. The rivalry itself has always been 50/50.
What if Nebraska Steve Pedersen didn't fired Frank Solich in 2003 had Solich retired and keep Bo Pelini as the new Coach in 2004 season
So I think you got it right with the swap out of Baylor with Houston in the B12, and I think without Texas in that league, it is much more cohesive. I doubt any of the teams who left in 2010 leave in this scenario. The only exception might be aTm, in which case, the SEC probably adds Miami with them (assuming your scenario with FSU already there). aTm wouldn't be a huge loss for the B12, so they either replace it with another Texas school or BYU. I also do not see Oklahoma leaving. People forget that for most of their history, OU and Texas were not in the same conference, and since in this scenario they still aren't, I don't see a need for them to feel like it's necessary. The B1G never adds ND, and I think JoePa lobbied hard to keep Pitt out, so the only other potential 12th team would be Missouri, who tried many times to join the B1G but was rebuffed. Maybe the league finally consents and adds them. That is also not a big loss for the B12 either, and maybe that's where they pick up a Memphis or Louisville.
Wish the SEC had added WVa instead of Mo. Mo. is not a good cultural for the SEC and it should have gone to school about the fact that the B10 did not want them.
in 92, the Texas $$$ train wasn't on the tracks yet. in fact, we couldn't hire john cooper from arizona state because we couldn't outbid them. now, if we're hypothesizing a windfall of cash due to joining the sec, then maybe we pull cooper and have a great run. but does that mean we lose out on the mack brown era? who's to say
What if we joined big 10 when we wanted to?
People never know what they’re talking about when they bring up briles. Houston would probably still hire him away from tech and they would have done well in the big 12. Scandal at Baylor was an institutional failure not a briles or coaching failure.
nah, i still think Art Briles is a trash human
@@lukeontheplains I’ve heard people say that but nobody has ever been able to explain to me what briles actually did that was wrong. Evident by him being dismissed from any and every lawsuit against Baylor that’s named him. Also evident by the fact he was fired without cause and was paid the rest of his contract by Baylor. Also evident by the ncaa saying briles actions related to the SA scandal violated no rules.
The briles position was always that criminal issues were for law enforcement to handle. You’re talking about adult men responsible for their own actions. Briles is a football coach not a babysitter. All that for just one SA conviction for the transfer Boise player who never even played a down for the team.
The real problem was Ken star thought title 9 was unconstitutional and was heavily neglected at Baylor and provided alleged victims little to no support or investigative abilities.
The whole issue left a bad taste in my mouth for the university. If briles ever coached again and played baylor I wouldn’t be wearing green or gold that day.
I wonder if this move would've had any effect on the Metro Conference's football dreams. If the Metro was able to launch a football wing in the early '90s, it and Raycom would've had a license to print money.
SC was a member of that conference. As a longtime USC fan, I didn't particularly care for the competition. Ga Tech backed out of that conference and took USC's place in the ACC. Even back then, Joe Morrison the USC FB coach was making some noise about joining an eastern conference.
0:25 ?
Bill Snyder deserved a Natty. Unfortunately, Sir Parker had other ideas and made one of the greatest plays in A&M history. It’s still shown before every football game. Nothing but love for you and Coach Snyder.
Here’s to the Purple Wizard, from an Aggie. 💜👍
I looked somewhat like you as far as hair when I visited Aggieland back in the day and was called a hippy stoner. I left and have hated Aggy ever since.
the big ten goes to 12 much earlier in this scenario. the 12th team would probably be mizzou, but it could be nebraska. the 90s would be very interesting, especially if it was nebraska joining the big ten.
a couple of what ifs would be solved with that… who was the real champion in 1994, penn state or nebraska? michigan/nebraska wouldn’t split the natty in 1997. those are big ten championship games instead
I think if Texas does hypothetically run their division in the SEC with LSU, I think they win more than one national title, especially one with ricky Williams.
This is why I will never respect Texas..... Looking back at what's going on with college football right now, I wish Oklahoma didn't actually win against the NCAA. I wish conferences made sense again.
0:21 tu is not the only flagship in Texas. Texas A&M is also a flagship. There’s also been some debate recently about Texas Tech being a flagship
I wonder if he meant the UT system as in UT, UTSA, UT Arlington,etc ..
You can only have one flagship. That's the definition of flagship
3 tries....horns down
This is such a massive change, it is hard to predict as it is a change thst impacts over 30 years. I do think Tennessee beats Kansas State though :)
Listen it's my hypothetical, I can say Peyton went to LSU instead of Tennessee in this timeline
@@lukeontheplains if that is case, would Tennessee even be there?
yes, because I don't want to think about it that hard. They get 1999 and 2000 though
@@lukeontheplainsTee Martin was the UT QB that year. Peyton was busy throwing 30 ints with the Colts lol
Not to be longhorn bias towards it but honestly, I think the Longhorn should’ve went to the SEC right after national championship from 05 or instead of A&M going to the SEC Texas should’ve joined in 2011 and the could’ve been better than what it is now today
Don’t think Texans take pride in being ‘southern’ so much as being Texan a whole different identity.
Check a map. Texas is not a northeastern school and is a proud member of the Southern region.
I think the Big 10 adds West Virginia, no reason just gut feeling
@ChrisD-vy4pt The only reason WVa is academically challenged is because the university is open to every WVa student.
Nah, please elaborate 😭
Nothing makes me happier than knowing Texas did not ruin everything for SMU, because they absolutely could have..
The real question is what happens to South Carolina? Do they win an ACC crown? Does Spurrier still become coach?
USC won an ACC FB championship in 1969.
@@DaninVa-gt9nj I’m aware. I meant do we win one during our hypothetical second tenure in the conference.
I think if Texas joined the sec in 89 then UConn wins a football national championship in 2008
You didn't mention Virginia Tech. Maybe the Hokies join the SEC in the the late 1990s after Beamer increase the program's visibility.
Very interesting and subbed. I'm glad Texas did not join the SEC earlier as I am a gamecock fan and USC might have been left out. Interesting that the SEC wanted FSU back in early 90s but Bowden said no and joined the Weak Sisters Conference instead. It took 30 yrs for FSU to see its mistake and now pants for the SEC. Once read an article from an anti-Southern writer who stated that Texas Would Never join the SEC. Ok.
Texas is a part of the South and was a Confederate member but some snooty anti-Southern writers refuse to acknowledge this fact.
BTW, look at this 1957 FB record of USC. A game that Texas, to this day, denies ever happened.
1957-South Carolina (ACC)
9/21 vs. *Duke (6-3-2) L 14 26
9/28 vs. Wofford (non-IA) W 26 0
10/5 @ Texas (6-4-1) W 27 21
10/12 vs. Furman (3-7) W 58 13
10/24 vs. *Clemson (7-3) L 0 13
11/2 vs. *Maryland (5-5) L 6 10
11/9 @ *North Carolina (6-4) L 6 28
11/16 @ *Virginia (3-6-1) W 13 0
11/23 vs. *North Carolina State (7-1-2) L 26 29
11/30 @ *Wake Forest (0-10) W 26 7
5-5-0
202 147
As a fellow K-State fan, they definitely win the natty in 1998 because who else would have?
Texas if this happened would have continued to suck and make bad decisions like they do in our current timeline waiting every 15 years to create a competitive team before taking a nose dive after…Guys it’s Texas. Doesn’t matter what conference they are in, they always will be mid.
Oklahoma carried the big 12.
if the 2007 Arkansas Razorbacks played in the big 12 they woulda won a national championship
2007 was the "year of weirdness". When your natty contenders include Missouri, Kansas, West Virginia, the number 2 gets upset 10 different times and appy state steals a win at the big house anything can happen
Cases against Clemson get dropped Danny ford has no desire to go to Arkansas gets a second natty at Clemson probably gets another retires in 2003.
What if a new conference is added to football
1. Oregon State
2. Washington State
3. Portland State
4. Sac State
5. Idaho
6. Idaho State
7. Montana State
8. Montana
9. EWU
10. North Dakota
11. NDSU
12. South Dakota
13. SD State
14. Cal Davis
Other suggestions
1. Southern Utah
2. Utah Tech
3. Cal Poly
4. No. Colorado
5. Northern Iowa
6. Weber State
That’s a massive downgrade for the Cougs and Beavers, I can’t see it happening.
No Boise State, Wyoming or Colorado State (to get that Colorado rivalry money). Those names are downgrades.
@@nickparadies350 At the end of the day, they might not even have a choice.
@@CarlaJenkinsTV Im just going to assume that the moutain west teams will be loyal
@@nickparadies350 I mean a half pac and half MW schedule isn’t good, and for some reason if the MW can’t get OSU or Wazzu to join with tv money. We can assume these schools will push a little aside and also SDSU and NDSU could compete almost every year tbh
As far as conference, titles! NFL draft picks, #1 overall draft picks! Oklahoma and texas isnt close! Big 12 win loss % not close!
texan spurrier has to be the worst timeline
head ball coach throwing the horns up was definitely a moment where I had to stop and stare at the screen in disbelief
Two egos that would either take over the NCAA or self implode
As a Louisville fan, I knew I hated Texas
I think K-State still has 0 National Championships, in any sport
With Dodds as AD? It would have been a disaster because that dude was a chump. Then, they name a street after him. Wow, just wow. With CDC as AD we’d have done well, but not with that arrogant Dodds. He would have fired Mackovic and hired Gary Barnett, his twin.
I was hoping Texas would join the Ivy league.
What if the hare hadn't stopped to go potty? Perhaps he would have beat the tortoise, perhaps another distraction would have caught him. Who know? Who cares?
I mean at least 14k people care. Just because you don't doesn't mean nobody else does lmao
An “up-and-comer” like Schnelenberger……yikes
The SWC would be better off.
Let’s say this: K-State wins a national championship as long as Oklahoma State wins a national championship in 2011 😉🤝
that's a dang good deal. I'll take that deal
@@lukeontheplains sounds like a deal 🫡
He won’t respond to this comment
why would he
Idk
Texas isn’t the the south tho….
I recall reading an LA Times article from the late 80’s that stated that the SEC wanted Texas and Miami in order to facilitate Roy Kramer’s vision of an SEC championship game. Texas was 💯 in, however Texas A&M got wind of it and demanded that they go as well. The SEC wanted nothing to do with the Aggies and the Aggies took their beef to the state legislature. The SEC not wanting to deal with the political BS grabbed Arkansas who wasn’t subject to Texas politics.
Miami decided to join the Big East and Florida State joined the ACC. Bobby Bowden is rumored to have said he liked winning too much to play in the SEC or he was still upset that he had tried to join previously and was denied. There fore they took South Carolina.
Texas as well as almost everyone else in the SWC knew it was doomed. The scandals and that fact that only 6% of the nations 📺 were in Texas and Arkansas.
And Texas isn’t the south. And Texans aren’t proud of being southern because they aren’t. Texas is Texas and its residents are Texans.
Texas is not dragging Oklahoma anywhere! Oklahoma has more Heismans in 10 years then texas has conference titles!
and OU would have been perfectly content to remain in the Big 12 had their good friend Texas not convinced them to leave with them, this has been reported on time and time again
This guy is mad Baylor beat the shit outta Kstate in 2011 jk jk
Horns Down!!!!!! Boomer Sooner!!!
HORNSDOWN !!!
I think Nebraska would join Arkansas & Oklahoma in this hypothetical situation in joining the sec.
I can't imagine Nebraska wanting to join a conference so geographically different from them. Especially with no Texas ruining the Big 12.
K state wins 9 natties. Go. Cats
ah, a ball-knower
Interested. Funny how Texas fans want to bring in Kansas St, Oklahoma St, Texas Tech along with Florida St and Clemson. Removing Vanderbilt.
As a Texas fan, what the hell are you talking about? I don’t care about any of those ass turds.
vandy is rich enough like notre dame to be an independent
@@sominboy2757 what’s this stupid removing Vanderbilt crap? Nobody wants to be rid of them outside of a moron
@@sominboy2757 yes, but people actually care about Notre Dame.
The right FB coach can win at Vandy as when the current PSU FB coach was there.
What if a Cow had Balls?
It would be a Bull.
As a die hard Louisville fan I will always HATE Texas and their arrogant country bumpkin fans, Texas A&M please give Texas exactly what’s coming to them their first year in the SEC