Had Thomas Jefferson expanded his thoughts and gone on to say that all Power Five conferences are created equal, the Big 12 wouldn't have all these worries. The league would miss out on the College Football Playoff on average once every five seasons.
We know that isn't the case.
In two weeks (slightly less than that for Oklahoma State), the fourth season of the playoff era at college football's highest level gets underway. The Big 12 already has whiffed on the playoffs twice in three tries. Most of those making predictions expect it to be three out of four when the season concludes.
In the Amway Coaches Poll, Oklahoma is the highest Big 12 team. The Sooners check in at No. 8. Oklahoma State is No. 11 and no one else managed to crack the top 15. So while the two Oklahoma schools have work to do to reach the top four, they may represent the league's only legitimate hopes for 2017.
If you're a Big 12 fan, tip your cap to Mike Gundy. The man is starting his 13th season as the head coach in Stillwater, already having gone where no Cowboys coach went before him. And then hope that the Sooners found magic with 33-year-old Lincoln Riley just as they did with Bud Wilkinson (31 when hired) and Barry Switzer (35) and Bob Stoops (38).
But beyond that, the Big 12 continues to pay for sins of the past, namely these three.
