Big XII and the NFL draft

[BillyRay]

This was posted on the OU board. Curious to get Longhorn fans thoughts on it.

http://thefranchiseok.com/john-e-ho...s-reveal-long-ailed-big-12-lack-elite-talent/


John E. Hoover: NFL Draft, recruiting stars reveal what has long ailed the Big 12: a lack of elite talent
John E. Hoover: NFL Draft, recruiting stars reveal what has long ailed the Big 12: a lack of elite talent

John E. Hoover
May 2, 2017

Oklahoma’s Sam Bradford was the first of four Big 12 Conference players taken with the first four picks in the 2010 draft — and nine first-rounders overall from the conference. That was the last time the Big 12 didn’t finish last among Power 5 leagues in number of NFL Draft picks produced. This year’s total of 14, however, was an all-time low.

Did we not see this coming?

The Big 12 Conference produced 14 NFL Draft picks over the weekend, and the national narrative over the league’s low number sounds like it could be the lead story on the nightly news.

The Big 12 lagged way behind the likes of the Southeastern Conference (53 players drafted), the Atlantic Coast Conference (42), the Pac-12 (36) and the Big Ten (35).

Again, the Big 12 had 14 players drafted.

That’s fewer than were selected out of the American Athletic Conference (15).

But while this makes for good fodder for opinion columns and talk radio within the Big 12 footprint, it’s hardly news.

Just take a look at the Rivals.com prospect rankings from the last four classes.

According to Rivals’ rankings, a grand total of four 5-star prospects have signed with Big 12 schools from the last four recruiting classes.

Four: Running back Joe Mixon with Oklahoma in 2014, linebacker Malik Jefferson with Texas in 2015, and linebacker Eric Fowler with Texas and Caleb Kelly in 2016.

There are zero Rivals 5-star recruits coming into Big 12 schools in 2017, and so far there are zero committed to the Big 12 in 2018.

The SEC corralled 11 Rivals 5-star recruits in the 2017 class alone. The Big Ten got 10, the ACC seven and the Pac-12 five.

The Big 12, again, got four in a four-year span.

(Other recruiting services, like Scout.com, 247Sports and ESPN, compile their own 5-star lists and they all look a little different. So for the sake of this topic, we’ll stick with Rivals, the longest-running of the bunch. Let’s compare apples to apples, and let’s keep them all in one bushel.)

Although this year’s numbers are an alarming and all-time low, it’s not a one-year anomaly. And really, it’s not even a trend anymore. This has been a solid phenomenon for years. Just examine the draft results:

• In the 2012 draft, after conference realignment had gutted the Big 12 of Colorado and Nebraska in 2011, the Big 12 produced 25 players in the draft. The SEC that year had 47 players selected, the Big Ten 41, the ACC 31 and the Pac-12 had 28.
• In the 2013 draft, after Missouri and Texas A&M departed for the SEC in 2012, just 22 players from the 10-team Big 12 were selected. Compare that to 64 from the 14-team SEC, 36 from the ACC, 28 from the Pac-12 and 22 from the Big Ten — tied for last with the Big 12.
• In 2014, the Big 12 had only 18 players drafted, while the SEC had 49, the ACC 43, the Pac-12 34, and the Big Ten 30.
• In 2015, the Big 12 had just 26 players drafted, while the SEC that year had 53, the ACC 47, the Pac-12 39 and the Big Ten 35.
• Last year, 51 SEC players were drafted while the Big Ten had 47 and the Pac-12 had 32. The ACC was tied for last with the Big 12 at 26.

So the six year totals of NFL Draft picks since 2012 bear out the Big 12’s impending demise:

The SEC, of course, leads the way with 360 players drafted. The ACC is second with 274 total, the Big Ten third with 257 and the Pac-12 fourth with 197.

The Big 12, which finished last or tied for last every year since conference realignment began, sits dead last, by a lot, at 131 players drafted since the 2012 draft, an average of 2.11 per school.

Even the Pac-12’s pedestrian per-school average of 2.74 during that time dwarfs the Big 12’s. The SEC during that stretch averaged 3.87 draft picks per school.

The last time the Big 12 didn’t finish last among Power 5 conferences in number of draft picks was the 2010 draft, when Sam Bradford, Ndamukong Suh, Gerald McCoy and Trent Williams were the top four picks. That year, the Big 12 produced nine first-rounders and 30 total draft picks.

The SEC led the way in 2010 with 49 draftees, the Big Ten had 34, ACC had 31, the Big 12 had 30 and the Pac-10 brought up the rear at 29.

Look at the overall excellence among Big 12 talent that year, and look at the parity behind the SEC.

How times have changed.

The Big 12 is clearly more than just psychologically disadvantaged, as OU president David Boren once said.

It’s physically disadvantaged, too. Just ask any NFL scout.

 

[westx]

I think it is due to the makeup of the Big 12. This conference when compared to the top 5 has the fewest number of schools that are THE major state university. Of the 10 schools in the Big 12, we have 4 schools that are considered the respective state's main university (really only 3, WV is debatable). All of the other schools are little brother types. I don't mean that as an insult, but, just using those words to better illustrate my rationale.

 

[Belldozer1]

It's all about the Jimmy's and the Joe's.

 

[outhereincali]

How do you change this?

Number one start hiring better head coaches. Look at the dramatic change in ACC football. Over the last few years, this long time basketball first conference, whose football teams were usually a joke, has hired some outstanding head coaches. The college football landscape changed dramatically during bowl season. The ACC is now number one.

Second and this is painfully obvious the Big XII desperately needs top notch defensive coordinators. Need I say anything more about this?

So here's to hoping that the University of Texas has started a change in the right direction with the hiring of Tom Herman and Todd Orlando.

 

[RoboCocks21]

This thread is Big 12 related I guess so I figured I would post this about

Paul Finebaum: ‘Texas is too good for the SEC’
Ah, Paul Finebaum. It’s May, so the SEC football hot-take king must be saying something outlandish.

During a Wednesday interview on Sirius XM College Sports Nation, Finebaum shifted his focus away from his usual sermons on Nick Saban and decided to throw some shade at the Big 12 and Texas.

Without citing anyone, Finebaum said he has “been told” that Oklahoma wants out of the Big 12 and compared the conference to “the Titanic, and you can see the iceberg in sight.”

He didn’t stop there. After speculating that Oklahoma would like to join the SEC, he started in on slamming the Longhorns and their fans.

“I have no doubt that Oklahoma wants in the SEC,” Finebaum said. “Texas doesn’t. Texas is too good for the SEC. Frankly, I think the University of Texas feels like they’re too good for college football, and look where that’s got them. The University of Texas, after having done nothing on the football field for the last five years, still thinks the entire college football world revolves around it. And I’m sorry, it doesn’t.”

You can listen to Finebaum’s full comments on the Big 12, Texas and Oklahoma below. Be warned: You might feel the hot air coming through your speakers. How many days until the season starts, again?

 

[HornDrummer]

You know what speaks volumes? Even after sucking hard for 5 years, we're still in people's heads. I don't even understand it anymore, honestly.

 

[DC3.0ppg]

few things. first, tcu was screwed out of the playoff three yrs ago. second, we DO have fewer teams. third, the job of the college coach is to win games. the talking heads complain about college qb preparation as it relates to the nfl. it's the college coach's job to WIN COLLEGE FOOTBALL GAMES-- not get kids NFL-ready. fourth, Texas getting right changes the perception of the entire conference. just does. maybe if Texas is good and oklahoma is bad, the perceptions suffers as well. i don't know bc stoops has always put a quality team out there. but Texas getting right, and hopefully it happens soon, changes everything. and lastly, big12 teams suffer in comparison only in perception. because when they get on the field with arkansas, auburn, alabama, etc., those big meanies have trouble keeping up.

 

[vanbee]

To paraphrase what I recently heard from Tom Herman.

If your a player with talent the NFL can use, you will be found. Period. Who gives a crap about what conference put how many players in the draft. It's a non-issue.

 

[bubba2023]

The conference is a joke. It's a zero sum game in a 10 team league. Texas and OU winning 10 games a year just means less wins for the rest of the teams.

 

[oldhorn2]

so Bubba....are you saying it means more in the secsecsec to win 10 games when 4 are NE Rhode Island Tech and the Washington Generals?

 

[Bwilk55]

so Bubba....are you saying it means more in the secsecsec to win 10 games when 4 are NE Rhode Island Tech and the Washington Generals?

I think he is saying the opposite.

I don't think this point is considered enough and it really hurts the conference as a whole. With 9 conference games, that just means that we beat up on each other more than other conferences do. Every conference game can only equate to 1 conference win and 1 conference loss. It is a zero sum game as bubba stated.

The only time a conference as a whole can make progress in terms of total W-Ls is by dominating out of conference games. Otherwise, your best chance to be viewed as a strong conference is to have a group of 3-4 top heavy programs that dominate the majority of your conference wins.

 

[UTGrad87]

The seeds of our demise were planted long ago by a turd farmer and arrogant prick named Deloss Dodds. Sorry to beat a dead horse here guys but he blinked when he should have been making deals and soothing egos.

Deloss was always more concerned about maximizing UT revenue than he was about quality UT football . . . or any other sport quality for that matter. He never realized that having a weak conference would undermine our brand and thus our sports teams . . . and now it has. Those seeds are now foot long turds and they're growing bigger every year.

Last year, UT was a laughing stock in football, basketball and baseball. Let that sink in for a moment. That's on Dodds. He sat by while 4 teams left the conference, fiddling while Austin burned. He should have done whatever it took to keep them.

Listen, ATM leaving wasn't a big deal. But losing the big 3, Nebraska, Missouri and Colorado . . . that hurt the league brand big time. All 3 of those schools had a national rep and brand. Notice they're all good in football right now??

But the real head scratcher is why Dodds and Bowlsby didn't immediately try to lure some of the top ACC teams away after all the teams left? They sat back on their asses and did nothing. Only later did they add TCU and WV. Yawn!

And don't even get me started about our options to leave the conference behind. Dodds chose to be the Lord of the Flies on that one. Basically, we're running a shit show conference now.

I think UT is on the cusp of being really good again in the Big 3 sports. So that will give the league UT, OK, OK St. and TCU in football . . . it's not enough. It doesn't equate with the lineup in the other 3 conferences.

So I don't see the Big 12 sending as many kids the the NFL as the other conferences. And I don't see that trend stopping anytime soon. And that is bad for our conference brand and for us. Thanks Deloss, you nitwit!

 

[oldhorn2]

I admit it....Bubba was right. I wasnt thinking correctly

 

[bubba2023]

Exactly. Besides at this point it doesn't even matter there are no legit arguments that top to bottom we are a quality league anymore. The conference gets embarrassed in OOC play and bowl play, and the cherry on top we don't put anyone in the NFL

 

[q1w2e3]

Exactly. Besides at this point it doesn't even matter there are no legit arguments that top to bottom we are a quality league anymore. The conference gets embarrassed in OOC play and bowl play, and the cherry on top we don't put anyone in the NFL

I wouldn't say the conference gets embarrassed in OOC or bowl play. Just last year Tech smoked Arkansas at home, OU beat Auburn, KState beat A&M (at home), OKST murdered PAC 12 South Chmap and #10 ranked Colorado by 30 points. Baylor whipped Boise St as well.

 

[bubba2023]

OK State beating Colorado is the only thing that's impressive on that list. I agree the big 12 doesn't lose every game they are associated with, but we have more face palms than we have things to brag about.

 

[Cotton #12]

This thread is Big 12 related I guess so I figured I would post this about

Paul Finebaum: ‘Texas is too good for the SEC’
Ah, Paul Finebaum. It’s May, so the SEC football hot-take king must be saying something outlandish.

During a Wednesday interview on Sirius XM College Sports Nation, Finebaum shifted his focus away from his usual sermons on Nick Saban and decided to throw some shade at the Big 12 and Texas.

Without citing anyone, Finebaum said he has “been told” that Oklahoma wants out of the Big 12 and compared the conference to “the Titanic, and you can see the iceberg in sight.”

He didn’t stop there. After speculating that Oklahoma would like to join the SEC, he started in on slamming the Longhorns and their fans.

“I have no doubt that Oklahoma wants in the SEC,” Finebaum said. “Texas doesn’t. Texas is too good for the SEC. Frankly, I think the University of Texas feels like they’re too good for college football, and look where that’s got them. The University of Texas, after having done nothing on the football field for the last five years, still thinks the entire college football world revolves around it. And I’m sorry, it doesn’t.”

You can listen to Finebaum’s full comments on the Big 12, Texas and Oklahoma below. Be warned: You might feel the hot air coming through your speakers. How many days until the season starts, again?

Ok,then you should not mind to tell Alabama and the other SEC teams to stop recruiting high school players in the State of Texas and you must have forgotten the all-time record of Texas vs Alabama and your legend coach (Bear Bryant) never beat Texas coached Darrell Royal team. Yes,your recent success has been outstanding except losing to OU.

 

[BillyRay]

fourth, Texas getting right changes the perception of the entire conference. just does. maybe if Texas is good and oklahoma is bad, the perceptions suffers as well. i don't know bc stoops has always put a quality team out there. but Texas getting right, and hopefully it happens soon, changes everything.

I absolutely agree with this. I'm an OU fan, and even I can admit that the Big XII is better with a strong Texas. I don't care how good TCU or Baylor got to be in recent years. They can't replace one of the conference blueblood programs as far as national prestige. Texas putting strong teams on the field is a MUST for this conference going forward.
I will even go as far as saying a strong Texas even benefits OU directly. I'm not sure exactly how, but it's no coincidence that when Mack Brown had Texas on a roll, OU was on a roll as well. And BOTH programs were in the running for national titles every single season, with the winner of the RRR having the inside track for going all the way. Nowadays, the RRR is mostly for bragging rights. Back when both teams were national powers, it was a race to stay on top of each other. Nowadays with Texas being down, it's taken OU down a notch as well.

 

[Mister Moses]

I wish the big eight still existed. I got
more excited for the Texas game back then. We need to be in different conferences and keep the date with Texas. It's always been 2 bullies in the big 12. Other conferences are so far ahead of the big 12. Pull the damn plug.

 

[Bwilk55]

Nowadays with Texas being down, it's taken OU down a notch as well.

Don't worry, Texas is about to rise up. Though, I'm thinking they will take OU down another notch or two.

 

[BillyRay]

Don't worry, Texas is about to rise up. Though, I'm thinking they will take OU down another notch or two.

We will see. I want Texas to step it back up, so it should force Bob to step it back up as well.

 

[Mister Moses]

Texas will always step it back up. That's a given and it's about that time.
Bob needs to step it up ok. What is the big 12 championship game's format?
It's ridiculous to play a round robin and championship game. That's a desperate move.