Even though all of the other fans in the Big XII would deny it, especially the TCU and Baylor fans right now, the Big XII is dependent upon OU and Texas being the big dogs. When either or both are down, the Big XII is down. Think of this, if either OU or Texas had managed the same records TCU or Baylor had ended up with last year would either team have been left out of the Playoff? NO WAY!!! An 11-1 Texas or 11-1 OU would have been there and tOSU would have been left out. But people still see Baylor and TCU and not having the tradition. That is definitely coming around, but for the Big XII to be seen as the contender to the SEC, OU and/or Texas needs to be leading program.
OU and Texas fans do fight and sometimes ridicule each other, but that is because we have been the "big dogs" for more than fifty years! We each have multiple NCs are are each considered "blue blood" programs for college football, just like ND, USC, Alabama, tOSU, etc. Fifty years ago, OU and Texas were relevent. Looking twenty years from now to the future, if typical college football fans picked who would likely by the favorites to win the Big XII then, most would pick either OU or Texas, because of our shared history. Tech had a few good years then dropped back into their traditional positions. Baylor and TCU looke good right now but ten years from now could either be leaders or middle-of-the-pack again. But OU and Texas fans can feel assured that we will be going after each other in the future because we are the programs that hold the Big XII together. If OU and Texas left, this conference would be the Mountain West all over again!