Big 12 Football: What was the worst conference title game ever?

Breaking down conference championship games could not be easier, as the criteria to judge them by is very simple. Said criteria typically refers to who participated in the affair, its competitiveness, and even how forgettable it all may be in retrospect.

For Big 12 football, one “battle” stands out above all the others when under such terms: the 2005 edition, between the Texas Longhorns and Colorado Buffaloes.

Starting with some backstory, Texas was taking the college football landscape by storm under the leadership of quarterback phenom Vince Young and coaching legend Mack Brown. With an undefeated record heading into the postseason, they were in complete control of their own destiny and looked to do something big with it.

Upon taking a peek at the Buffs, there is only so much to say. Entering the conference title game with a record of 7-4, they — headlined by their own dynamic duo of quarterback Joel Klatt and head coach  Gary Barnett — were, well, OK.

No one should have to be spoon-fed the answer as to who the bigger dog was coming into this fight. However, some may be taken aback at just how lopsided the nightmare was.

Most would have probably guessed that the Horns would snatch this one away quite easily, winning by anywhere from 30 to 40 points, but how does 67 points sound?

That’s right, Colorado found itself on the losing end of a 70-3 beatdown that still holds notoriety in the history of Big 12 Football. The game was decided at the half, Klatt was knocked out cold on the field, and Texas had looked less mortal than ever before.

As far as what each power saw following the bloodbath, the Longhorns went on to down the USC Trojans in the 2006 Rose Bowl –a game that the bulk of college football fans have since declared as the greatest of all time.

The Buffaloes failed to see such a glorious ending and instead lost to Clemson in the Champ Sports Bowl.

How Texas handled the opportunity that came with their Big 12 title game appearance (and subsequent victory) made the matchup forgettable, and the lackluster way in which Colorado wrapped up their season only added to the cause.

Nowadays, the Big 12 is not only a much more competitive league, but it is also renowned for its members rarely playing with any formidable defense. Because of this, a conference championship game like 2005’s will likely never happen again. Thank goodness for that.