Instead of enforcing penalties when a player flashes “Horns Down” the Big 12 should embrace Texas’ position as the Big 12’s heel.
There’s something to be said for seeking sportsmanship in youth and collegiate athletics. But at this moment in time, as we see even grander bat flips in Major League Baseball and the NFL open up its celebration rules more and more, the Big 12 and Texas needs to embrace ‘Horns Down.’
Despite a sustained lack of success in the Big 12, the Texas Longhorns remain one of the top teams and top brands in the conference and the region. They continue to land big-time recruits and find themselves at the top of annual recruiting rankings. They’re a major draw. It just so happens that they’re the arch enemy of every team in the Big 12.
Oklahoma alumni and former coaches certainly had something to say about the continued emphasis of the Big 12 to protect the sensibilities of the Texas Longhorns and their fans.
Texas moves the needle for every team and every fan base in the Big 12. Sure, their biggest rival is the University of Oklahoma, but every team in the conference “gets up” for Texas. Whether they like it or not, they’re the evil empire, and it’s time for them to embrace it.
Every drama needs an antagonist. Every wrestling promotion needs a heel. Before The Rock became “The People’s Champion,” he was floating around the WWE as a member of “The Nation of Domination” and Vince McMahon’s “Corporation.” He was the heel that helped Stone Cold Steve Autin and Mick Foley “get over” in the late 90s.
That’s what Texas could be for the Big 12. And the Big 12 could definitely use a heel turn from one of its most powerful members.
The Big 12 has a team that is universally disliked by every team in its conference, and with the potential penalties to “Horns Down,” it has taken some of the edge out of those games. As the Big 12, you should be looking for every opportunity to promote passion, energy, and excitement in your games. Be the conference that embraces taunting and watch the rivalries in your league go to the next level.
The Big 12 doesn’t get the same level of respect as the SEC and Ohio State. It’s not even seen on the same level as the ACC. Yes, those other conferences boast recent National Champions. However, they also have a greater depth of rivalries within the conference. Yes, the Big 12 has Bedlam and the Red River Rivalry, but beyond that, many of the rivalries are still in their infancy (Texas-TCU) or too one-sided to be considered rivalries (Kansas State-Kansas).
Texas doesn’t have an in-state rival to promote. Baylor and TCU have taken a bite out of the Longhorns in recent years, but no one in Austin would argue either of those schools are rivals. And this is where the Big 12 and Texas could capitalize.
By embracing their status as public enemy number one in the Big 12, Texas could take on a new identity that could help set the Big 12 apart as a conference that embraces the energy that comes from throwing a “Horns Down” during a game. If the Longhorns and Texas faithful don’t like players from TCU throwing down the Horns, perhaps they shouldn’t let the Horned Frogs beat them so regularly.
Instead of getting upset or worked up when an opponent throws down the Horns, embrace your position as the team everyone in the conference wants to beat more than anything. Embrace the passion and energy that comes from those players and fanbases. What is college football if not the passion and energy that we see on Saturdays? What is college football, if not the many rivalries that have helped make the game as big as it is?
The Big 12 continues to focus on the wrong thing when it takes the edge out of these games by having its officials put an emphasis on “Horns Down.” Instead, it should be embracing the energy and passion that these players and fans come with every time they play the Texas Longhorns.
