Even after disappointing draft, Oklahoma, Texas still positioned to rule Big 12
A rarity at this year's draft. (Image courtesy: fansided.com)
While Texas was subjected to some draft-induced schadenfreude over the weekend, the NFL really made a statement about the entire Big 12 at its annual meat market. With an average of approximately two paltry picks per school – and that's rounding up – the league had the lowest hit rate among the major conferences.
Gabe DeArmond of PowerMizzou.com put a finer point on the impact that conference realignment had on the Big 12's talent pool.
"Girl, the Big 12 don't know what they're missing!"
The losses of Nebraska, Texas A&M and Missouri naturally produced a talent flight out of the league. That happens when you replace some of the higher-profile teams in your league with two that are moving up into a new weight class.
There's another side to that coin, though. Take a look at how the distribution of picks in the Big 12 this year stacks up against the per-team averages of the past 10 years.
Baylor and Texas aside, the rest of the conference members didn't deviate much from their historical averages. And, to put things in perspective, the best team in Baylor history produced five (later-round) draft picks this year; that would be the average size of a class from the previous 10 years for Oklahoma and Texas.
In the last few years, the Sooners and Longhorns haven't had squads on par with their elite teams from the previous decade. That opened the door for OSU, KSU and Baylor to win the last three conference championships. However, this year's draft actually hammers home the point that when the Big 12 contracted, it really put Oklahoma and Texas in position to dominate the conference.
It's a set-up that probably doesn't bode well for the future of the league, but if the Red River rivals get right, there should be a lot of wins coming their way between now and its demise.