After Texas' upset of Alabama, Big 12 aims for 3-game sweep of mighty SEC
The Southeastern Conference is counting the days until Texas leaves the Big 12 to join the SEC.
On Saturday, coach Nick Saban and then-No. 3 Alabama lost to the then-No.11 Longhorns at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Previously, only eight teams in 16 seasons had been able to turn the idea of beating Alabama into reality.
This coming Saturday, the conferences lock horns again, as Missouri faces off against No. 15 Kansas State, and BYU travels east hoping to beat Arkansas.
The SEC is a powerhouse that has caused misery for the Big 12 in the past. The SEC will welcome two additions from the Big 12 in 2024, Oklahoma and Texas. In previous years Texas A&M and LSU joined, boosting the SEC's dominance.
The Big 12 previously lost out when Colorado left for the Pac-12 and Nebraska for the Big Ten.
Commissioner Brett Yormark has been active, though, adding Arizona State, No. 12 Utah, Colorado, and Arizona. Teams who joined this year include UCF, Houston, BYU, and Cincinnati.
"There’s a lot of energy, lots of excitement with our fans and our players. I’m excited about it, too," BYU coach Kalani said this week. "We know that we have a conference to play for, a conference to represent."
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"We played against (Arkansas) last year, and they put up a lot of points against us, and they got the victory," BYU coach Kalani said.
Being an addition to the Big 12, BYU has hopes for a successful season, including earning a win against the SEC.
Last year, the SEC won four out of the six games against the Big 12. One game consisted of Missouri losing to Kansas State, something the Wildcats hope to change his year.
"I don’t know how the game is going to go, but it’s going to be a great opportunity for our guys to measure ourselves against a great team on the road in a hostile environment," said Kansas State coach Chris Klieman.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
