The Big XII is often the object of ridicule during the regular season because of some perceived weakness, but it seems that in every bowl season commentators raise their eyebrows and say "Wow, the Big XII did better than I expected."
Take last year as an example. During the season the so called pundits at the World Wide Leader took to referring to the Big XII as Texas and the 11 dwarves. That's all well and good, but when it got to bowl season, the Big XII went 5-3, including three big comeback victories in the Rose Bowl, the Independence Bowl (Missouri over South Carolina) and the Alamo Bowl (Nebraska over Michigan). In fact, only one of the three losses came in the top half of the Big XII's bowls (i.e. BCS bowl, Cotton Bowl, Holiday Bowl, Alamo Bowl).
I am confident that the Big XII can once again prove itself better than expected in bowl season as young quarterbacks grow up and teams progress.
My question for you is simple. Let's assume Texas wins the Championship game and takes the BCS bid. Who makes the Cotton, Holiday, and Alamo Bowls? The four main competitors seem to be Oklahoma, A&M, Nebraska, and Missouri. Missouri's already lost to A&M and Nebraska doesn't play Oklahoma. How does this shake out in your mind?
[Update] Due to a shake up in the Big XII's bowl bids, it now looks like the Gator Bowl has moved in front of the Alamo Bowl for fourth pick from the Big XII, though it has the option of choosing a Big East team instead.
Look later today for a comprehensive look at Big XII teams and bowl eligibility.
--AR--