Links at Lunch: Pac-12 Standing Pat, Time for Big 12-Big East to Change Course
By Kyle Kensing
The Pac-12 rebuffing Oklahoma’s expansion interest puts Texas back in the driver’s seat per Barking Carnival. For the Longhorns, it’s a temporary but critical victory for keeping the Big 12 together. Oklahoma must now rethink its strategy, discussed at BlatantHomerism.com. Among the possibilities now is a Big East/Big 12 merger of the remaining programs in each. The CBS Eye on College Football blog reports Big East members aren’t particularly happy with ACC-bound Pitt and Syracuse and may seek their ouster before the 2013 deadline imposed by the conference. The same blog says East Carolina is interested in joining the future league, whatever that may look like.
- Current Big East member West Virginia’s match-up with LSU Saturday won’t be an SEC preview: Dr. Saturday’s Graham Watson wrote the conference is passing on the Mountaineers. So it may not be a conference preview, but it is an outstanding match-up, which HailWV.com breaks down by the numbers.
- WVa. beat Maryland last week despite the Terrapins’ furious rally effort. UM tries to rebound against an opponent coming off its own heartbreaking defeat, Temple. Pete Volk of TerrapinStationMD.com examines the depth charts for Saturday.
- Boston College’s shocking 0-3 start brings it into a must-win situation against UMass. The Minutemen are in their final season of FCS membership and have started off strong. Soaring To Glory analyzes what BC must do to get that elusive first victory.
- Conversely to BC, Michigan’s off to a 3-0 start but welcomes San Diego State to the Big House in a potentially emotional showdown between Brady Hoke’s new team and his old team. The Michigan Man podcast previews the SDSU game on Go Blue M Wolverine.
- Oklahoma State meets Texas A&M in a rematch of last September’s outstanding Thursday night pairing. The Aggies’ loss set the stage for Ryan Tannehill’s ascension to starting quarterback. Cincy Joe of Cowboys Ride For Free discusses Tannehill’s year as A&M’s top quarterback.