Welcome to Tuesday Takes, where I give you four takes from the Big 12. It was a jam-packed week full of exciting news, but several things caught my attention over the last few days.
Brett Yormark is Right on Playoff Expansion
Last week, Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark publicly supported expanding the college football playoff to 24. At first, I had my doubts, but the more I think about it, the more I like the idea of expansion.
First off, it brings more money to the conference. The more teams that get in, the more money you bring in. It’s as simple as that, and in today’s climate, the Big 12 needs all the money it can to keep up with the Big Ten and the SEC.
And that’s the other thing, getting more teams in. As of right now, in the 12-team format, it’s going to be extremely rare that the conference gets in more than one team. At least with expansion, the conference would get another team or two in.
Think about how many times the Big 12 has had multiple teams ranked inside that 15-25 range. Well, this would give those teams a chance to make a playoff run. Of course, this means more Big Ten and SEC teams will get in, but as long as it gives the conference more access to the playoff, I am for it.
The Big 12 Will Have Two Teams in the Women’s College World Series
Last week, I said that Arizona State would make it out of the College Station regional, and I was right. Well, this week I am calling another shot in softball, saying that at least two teams will punch their ticket to Oklahoma City this weekend.
Texas Tech will be one of those teams. After taking care of business against Ole Miss twice, the Red Raiders looked like one of the best teams in the country. Now they face a good Florida team in Gainesville in the Supers. It’s going to be tough, but this Tech team is prepared and is battle-tested. I say they will take the series and win the winner-take-all game on Sunday.
Now, for the second team, I am not 100% sure which one, but my gut says it’s either UCF or Oklahoma State. I don’t see Arizona State knocking off Texas, but I could see the other two schools moving on. UCF gets UCLA while Oklahoma State faces Nebraska. One of those two schools will shock the world and move on to the World Series.
The Big 12 Will Get Seven Teams in the Field of 64
Moving on to baseball, conference tournament week is here, and Selection Monday is just days away. Right now, the Big 12 is projected to get six teams in the postseason, but I say that the conference will end up with seven.
As of now, Kansas, West Virginia, Cincinnati, Oklahoma State, UCF, and Arizona State are locks to get in. But who will be the magic number seven for the Big 12? It’s going to be TCU.
The Horned Frogs are the only bubble team in the conference, and their fate will be determined by how they perform this week. Even though they have a tough path ahead of them, they are talented enough to win at least two games, and that should be good enough to get them in the field of 64.
Oklahoma State Will Win the Big 12 Tournament
With the conference tournament underway, I felt now was the right time to make a call on who would win. Of course, Kansas and West Virginia are going to be the two heavy favorites to win it all, but I think there is another team that will come out of nowhere.
That team is none other than Oklahoma State. The Cowboys have the offense to compete with anyone, but what I like about this team compared to previous years is their pitching.
They have the depth on the mound to get the job done, and when you combine that with their high-powered offense, it makes them a very dangerous team, not just in the Big 12 tournament but in the postseason as well.
