With the SEC West comprising many of the top teams in college football, our colleagues on the SEC blog wanted to break down how some of the top teams from the other conferences -- such as Oklahoma and Baylor -- would fare in the SEC West.
Here are those takes from yours truly and SEC reporter Sam Khan:
Baylor
Sam Khan: This isn't your father's Baylor. The Bears have had a Heisman Trophy winner, a conference championship and a BCS bowl appearance in recent history. If the Bears were in the SEC, I think they'd be right there with an old Big 12 foe of theirs: Texas A&M. Think about the similarities: offensive-minded head coaches who run no-huddle systems (although Art Briles' and Kevin Sumlin's schemes do have considerable differences) with prolific results (both average more than 50 points per game), each has staffs that can recruit well -- especially in the state of Texas, as they've got a certain "cool" factor to them (Baylor for its uniforms; A&M for Sumlin's "swagger" factor; both embrace hip-hop music and Briles is just a helicopter away from catching Sumlin). Plus, both had a QB recently who changed everything about how the nation perceives the program (Robert Griffin III and Johnny Manziel, respectively). Heck, Waco's even getting a Fuego Tortilla Grill, which originated in Aggieland and the folks there swear by.
One of the big differences is school size (A&M, with 50,000-plus students, is massive, while Baylor is a private school), but I think Baylor would get a similar boost to its recruiting if it were in the league. The school already compete well with other Lone Star State powers for recruits now, and that competition would only intensify if the Bears were in the league, because of their proximity to the DFW Metroplex, Greater Houston and East Texas. The only thing is, it'd be a lot harder to win the conference from the SEC West, and the Aggies can attest to the division's difficulty.
The Aggies will thump their chest about their bigger stadium and sellout crowds (but you have to admit, Baylor's McLane Stadium is pretty nice too), but sticking strictly to the on-field product, I think the Bears would be neck-and-neck with the Aggies. And don't tell me about Baylor's weak nonconference schedule; did you see A&M's the last two years?
Jake Trotter: Has anyone seen Texas A&M light up SEC defenses over the last three seasons? Baylor could and would do the same. Sure, A&M is a bigger school with a bigger alumni base. But Baylor has been recruiting at an elite level since RG III passed through, especially at the offensive skill positions. The Bears are loaded with future stars at wide receiver in Corey Coleman and KD Cannon. Baylor now also has an elite, state-of-the-art new stadium, which was previously the biggest drawback for the program in recruiting.
I don’t know that Baylor would be a contender in the SEC West every season (other than Alabama right now, who is?). But this Baylor team would be a contender. Bryce Petty is as good or better than any quarterback in the SEC West. Baylor offensive weapons are as good or better than any in the SEC West. And Art Briles is as good as anyone anywhere at lighting up the scoreboard.
Maybe Baylor would win the league. Maybe it wouldn’t. But it would have a shot.
Oklahoma
Khan: I know some SEC folks like to look down on their Big 12 brethren and wouldn't like hearing this, but I don't think there's any denying that Oklahoma would be a contender for the SEC West title on a consistent basis. The Sooners have a long history of success (seven national championships) and adding the country's toughest division and conference to their recruiting pitch would make them only more formidable. Their proximity to North Texas (and eagerness to recruit that area, which they traditionally have) would also be a significant factor.
Under Bob Stoops they have been the Big 12's model program (eight conference titles since 1999, one BCS title and four title game appearances) and he has shown his teams can compete toe-to-toe with SEC teams (see last year's Sugar Bowl win over Alabama). And you know Stoops would be licking his chops at the chance to prove his program's worth after all the shade he has thrown at the SEC in recent years.
Stoops' record against current SEC programs is pretty good: 24-7. Yes, many of those came against A&M and Missouri when those programs were in the Big 12, but they'd play those schools regularly again in the SEC. Also, guess who Kevin Sumlin, one of the SEC West's top coaches, worked under and learned a lot from spanning 2003-07? Stoops. The Sooners wouldn't win the division every season but they would get their fair share and it would make the country's toughest division even more ridiculously tough. Alabama, Auburn, LSU, Oklahoma and Texas A&M? Sheesh.
Trotter: Alabama at the moment is the top-ranked team in the SEC West. And who was the Crimson Tide’s most recent loss to? That’s correct. It was to Bob Stoops’ Sooners, in the heart of SEC country. As part of its resurgence, Oklahoma showed in that game that it’s back to matching the physicality of the SEC, or anyone else in the country for that matter.
This Sooners team appears to have no weakness (just ask Tennessee). The Oklahoma offensive line is imposing and seasoned. Freshman Samaje Perine heads a three-headed monster at running back. Sterling Shepard is a prolific pass-catcher. The defensive front is swarming. And the secondary is as opportunistic as it gets. Maybe the only question mark with this Sooners team is whether quarterback Trevor Knight can consistently make throws. And yet, the only two 300-yard passing games of his career have come against SEC opposition.
As the Sugar Bowl showed, Oklahoma is back to taking a backseat to no one. And that includes the SEC West.