So this is what we waited 6 months for?

So after all the posturing, all the news reports and all the leaks we're going to wind up right where we were?  Well hell.  As a member of what I now consider to be the stupidest fan base in America, I am going to agree that we got played and played badly over the last few months.  But before we gather to walk to Mike Alden's house, pitchforks and torches in hand let's take a look at where we've been the last few months.
Last December we first heard about Big Ten plans to expand.  Over the next few months instead of merely adding a 12th team we heard that Jim Delaney was going to shake college football to the core and become the first "super-conference" of 16 teams.   Missouri, along with Rutgers immediately are mentioned as 2 of the front runners as well as Notre Dame.  Eventually Nebraska enters the picture as do Syracuse, Maryland, Virginia, Pitt, the University of Toronto and this dental assistants school on the 22nd floor of the Sears Tower in Chicago. 

In May, a Kansas City radio host, Kevin Keitzman reported that MU, Rutgers, Notre Dame and Nebraska had all been extended offers from the Big Ten.  Now he really had no proof of this other than he had heard it from his "sources".  From that moment on the whole expansion thing hit the nitrous and took off with a life of it's own.  Everyone from ABC to ESPN to the Sporting News, for some inexplicable reason took Keitz's report seriously and began to run with it.  In a feeding frenzy that would rival "Anaconda", every media outlet broke every rule of journalism in a desperate attempt to get the story first.
This apparently caused some consternation within the Pac 10 who suddenly realized that they were about to get put into a vulnerable position by this giant chess match.  In an attempt to match the Big Ten they began exploring realignment for their conference also.  Their original intent seemed to be adding 5 Big XII south teams and Colorado from the north to form their own 16 team league.

You know the details from here.  Texas says Missouri doesn't matter, conference can hold together as long as Nebraska remains.  Delaney promptly offers Nebraska and Texas says now that they, along with the other 5 south schools will be heading west.  Of course, Baylor will have to replace Colorado.  Pac 10 issues a huge middle finger to Texas by offering the Buffs first.  Texas A&M decides they've had about all the UT shit they want to eat for a lifetime and begin exploring a solo move to the SEC.  Rumors swirl that the Big East is willing to add the remaining Big XII schools, one of which is now Missouri as soon as their conference implodes.   Then suddenly Mizzou pops up as a possible travel companion for A&M and kansas appears as a serious candidate for the Pac 10 to replace A&M.  Larry Scott, the Pac 10 commissioner does a weekend tour of Texas to talk with his potential new partners.  On Sunday night at 6:00 pm his plane is reportedly set to travel to Kansas City to meet with beak officials the next day.
And then, just as quickly as it begins, it just stops.  I mean as in hit a brick fucking wall stops.  Within 6 hours we learn that the Big Ten will halt at 12 teams and the Big XII will hold together with 10 teams.  The Pac 10 will probably add one more team to go with their prize of adding the worst athletic department in college athletics and the SEC will just sit this one out.  Notre Dame's sphincter has sufficiently loosened so they won't be joining any conference soon.
Now I have to confess that I'm something of a conspiracy buff so take this with a grain of salt.  But something tells me that Delaney, Scott, Deloss Dodds and the SEC power brokers didn't suddenly and simultaneously developed guilt pangs and decided to stop and take a breath before breaking up the BCS and college athletics as we know it.  No, in my opinion someone with a lot of political crank, (I'm not going to say who, but his initials are Orrin Hatch) decided that college football wasn't going to take off in a new direction without Utah on the wagon.  Expect the Utes to be extended a Pac 10 offer within the next 2 weeks.

But for now, I believe we're going to enter a quiet period for the next 2 or 3 years.  This isn't over by a long shot, and in hindsight it was moving too damn fast.  We were looking at 4 super conferences of 16 teams controlling college football and that's just not enough.  Expect this to encompass about 96 teams before it's done and we're going to see a playoff.  The important thing now is to have a home over these next years and to make a statement that you're a football program to be reckoned with.  Gary Pinkel, you're about to earn your money like never before.
I've been thinking about who were the winners and losers here and I'm going to try to reconcile my thoughts on that.  Some of them are going to surprise you.  I guarantee it.  See you in a couple of days.