Huge waves were made in the college football world last summer when it was reported the Texas Longhorns and Oklahoma Sooners had reached out to the Southeastern Conference seeking to join the preeminent collection of schools in collegiate sports.
The news had fans all over the nation either salivating and seething over the idea of a juggernaut conference that includes two titans of the gridiron that have also seen success in other athletics as well.
However, the details of the realignment are still as clear as a muddied lake, and there has not been an official agreement between the SEC and the two schools regarding their entry, much less an agreement on when they might begin competing among their southeastern peers. Current contracts hold the pair to the Big 12 until 2025 unless they dare break the bonds of their previous arrangements.
USA TODAY Sports’ Blake Toppmeyer recently published a list of eight rivalries he believes will flourish when the SEC eventually — and let us be honest, it is very likely to happen — adds Texas and Oklahoma. Take a look below and the matchups and what he had to say about them.