As many of you surely know, there has been much debate lately about the future of the Big 12 as a conference in college sports. Luckily, at this point it appears that OU will continue to stay a part of our Midwest conference and we can all breathe a collective sigh of relief! There were many Musil family members/friends that were worried about trips to faraway lands such as California and Oregon!
In the process of this week-long debate, there were numerous articles posted on Rivals.com. One of these articles mentioned Marshall. As you read you'll see how. :)
OU Coaches Would Embrace Move to the Pac-10
Publish date: JUNE 10
With Oklahoma's football camps going on the last six days, it's been awfully busy around here. But clearly we haven't been as busy as Joe Castiglione, DeLoss Dodds and Pac-10 Conference Commissioner Larry Scott or Nebraska's Tom Osborne.
The crazy thing about all of this is that while trying to shoot video and take pictures and just watch some of the best recruits in the region the last few days, I've had plenty of coaches come up to me and ask what was going on in conference realignment scenarios.
Will the Sooners still be playing in College Station in the year's to come?
I've also had a chance to get a lot of opinions on the matter.
The one thing I can tell you about the mood of the OU coaching staff, is that they are overwhelmingly in favor of a move to the Pac-10 Conference. They all seem to be excited about it.
It was brought up to me that OU has always wanted to recruit California more heavily, that Arizona is a state that has given them several players over the years and they would love a chance to cultivate those relationships even further.
But that doesn't mean they are going to abandon Texas. In fact, they like the scenario of Oklahoma moving with Texas, Texas A&M and Texas Tech to the Pac-10 Conference.
Why? Because they can maintain their roots in Texas, but they can also extend out west and be a real player for recruits in California.
Missouri and Kansas have been fertile recruiting grounds for Oklahoma over the years. I don't think Oklahoma will totally abandon the state of Kansas because they still have great connections up there.
And to be honest, Oklahoma will probably be the most attractive destination for those types of players. Who knows where Kansas, Kansas State and Missouri will end up? If they are not in BCS conferences, OU will have a decided advantage over those teams in recruiting.
But if you can go to California or Arizona for your Brody Eldridges and your Marshall Musils, you can now go to California, or Arizona, or just back to Kansas.
The other good thing about a Pac-10 merger is that the conference fits Oklahoma's style of play. California kids have been wanting to throw and catch the football since John Elway became a legend and Bill Walsh invented the West Coast Offense.
Oklahoma can continue playing the type of offensive football Bob Stoops, Kevin Wilson and Josh Heupel want to play.
No one has told the staff as of this morning that Oklahoma is definitely headed to the Pac-10 Conference. Joe Castiglione's comments to Dave Sittler of the Tulsa World certainly paint a grave picture for the future of the Big 12.
"It feels like somebody died," Castiglione told the World after reports surfaced that Nebraska was leaving for the Big 10. ""It's that emotional for so many people who put so much into creating the Big 12."
Castiglione is still putting on a brave front. He's not one to tip his hand before the cards have all been dealt.
This is the same guy who keeps all of his hirings top secret, the same guy who shocked every media member in the state when Bob Stoops was announced as head coach. The same guy who hired Jeff Capel when no one had mentioned his name as a possible candidate.
It's just in Castiglione's nature to surround himself with people who value the bond of silence.
And it's in his nature to not speak on things regarding The University of Oklahoma until they happen.
As of this afternoon, there have been no meetings between the athletics department and the Oklahoma football coaching staff. But that doesn't mean OU isn't working hard to make sure they end up in the best possible situation.
OU has had talks with the SEC, but as we've stated numerous times, the Sooners are best served to remain in business with Texas. Castiglione confirmed that philosophy to the Tulsa World late last night.
"I think it would be a horrendous decision for OU and Texas to break up," Castiglione said. "We're going to stick together if it's at all possible."
There are still a few wrinkles to be ironed out before OU and Texas make their move. Even though Castiglione isn't completely giving up the Big 12, others already are leaving.
The Pac-10 Conference announced today that Colorado was leaving the Big 12 and joining their league.
"This is an historic moment for the Conference, as the Pac-10 is poised for tremendous growth. The University of Colorado is a great fit for the Conference both academically and athletically and we are incredibly excited to welcome Colorado to the Pac-10," said Commissioner Larry Scott in a statement released by the conference.
So OU and Texas are joined together. The only question now remains whether A&M is ready for the switch.
Reports say officials from Texas and Texas A&M are meeting to discuss their futures and whether both institutions are ready for a move as well.
If A&M is ready for the move, Oklahoma will be ready as well.
The move to the Pac-10 is ready to move forward.
And that's just fine with members of the Oklahoma football coaching staff.
Yes, his name was only mentioned once, but to be considered a type of player coaches are looking for AND to be mentioned in the same sentence as Brody Eldridge is quite an honor!
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