Why is Texas making the move to the SEC?
Dan Wetzel and Pete Thamel have the absolute latest surrounding the Texas Longhorns' decision to move to the SEC. Hear the full conversation on the College Football Enquirer. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you listen.
Video transcript
DAN WETZEL: I had a college football insider report it to me this way, if only Texas hadn't sucked at football the last 10 years--
PETE THAMEL: A they have sucked.
DAN WETZEL: --he did not use that term-- none of this would be happening. Texas is, like, blaming all their problems on everybody else, and going, we need a new league. That's like, no, you need to stop, you know, underperforming.
PETE THAMEL: This column is going to appear on Monday on Yahoo at some point and, I have it half written right now. But it's basically going to say, Texas making this move would have been unthinkable 10 years ago, like, unthinkable, the Texas of Bill Powers, the Texas of DeLoss Dodds, the Texas of Mack Brown. There's no way they would have gone to the SEC. They looked down on it. Texas is a great academic school. It values its academic reputation. This move is Texas acknowledging what we've seen on the field for the last decade, that Texas ain't special. Texas is just like everybody else. And the most interesting part to the people that Texas antagonized, and the most interesting part to the people that Texas drove out of the Big 12-- remember, Nebraska Colorado, A&M, Missouri-- Texas's blood is on all-- on their hands from all those departures. And I really think that when you look at that, and now Texas all of a sudden after dominating the league, just being like an uncontrollable ego in a league for so long, now all of a sudden, they're going to go just be a rank-and-file member? Like, they're just sitting in class with their hands folded on their desk? You know, Mr. Sankey, can I go to the bathroom? That has not been Texas.
DAN WETZEL: I still just don't get it. They have a easier path to the top where they are. They have an easier path to the playoff. And they got plenty of money. Biggest brand in all of college football, and you want more, and you're saying I need more money, you know.
PETE THAMEL: See Dan, I disagree on the money. Because, like, they are always like, money's not a problem. Like, they have plenty of money at the University of Texas.
DAN WETZEL: Then what do they want, relevancy? What do they trying to do?
PETE THAMEL: They, I just I think this, I think it comes back to recruiting, Dan. I-- I really think that--
DAN WETZEL: And so they're blaming their recruiting on the Big 12 instead of just being better at recruiting.
PETE THAMEL: I think they need a better platform. And I--
DAN WETZEL: Yeah.
PETE THAMEL: --really think, when you look at, like, they don't want to get left behind. I think there's some of that, right? Like, they thought their brand and their performance could prop up a league of eight pedestrian programs in Oklahoma, and they haven't been able to do it. And so basically, this is we-- we can't beat them in the SEC, we're going to join them. This is Jaylen Waddle, the Brockermeyer twins, Quinn Ewers, Garrett Wilson, all-- this is like a combination of Texas coming in, getting pillaged, and them not having the right things to sell. And I really believe that this is new blood at Texas, new money at Texas, and they want a new start. Like, they don't want to have another AD come in, and then another coach come in, and then go again, and go again. I'm not necessarily agreeing with that--
DAN WETZEL: Right.
PETE THAMEL: but I think that's, like, a little window into where Texas's head was. Somebody smart in that part of the world put it to me this way. They said, if you put five, like, Texas regent officials, whatever, uppity-ups in the same room, and asked them why they were going, they would give you five different answers. We're going because of this. I think it's classic Texas, I mean--
DAN WETZEL: That's a bad reason to leave when you ain't got a reason.
PETE THAMEL: Yes, well--
DAN WETZEL: It's a bad reason to leave. They're gonna-- I just think they're gonna regret this decision. I think they had a much better path. You let Sark get going. You haven't been-- it's not like you've been bad for 40 years.
