So here we are, just 70 days away from the kickoff of yet another exciting college football season, and while normally at this time we are thinking about how our favorite teams will do during the up-coming season, must of the attention the past few days has been on the conference musical chairs that has been going on.

Interestingly, earlier this week, we learned from Oklahoma president David Boren that the Sooners, along with the Aggies of Texas A&M had both received and turned down offers to join the greatest football conference in America - the SEC.

According to Boren, they didn’t seriously consider the offer because it did not include Texas or Oklahoma State.

Huh?

Why on earth would a school turn down the money, the national exposure, or the glamour that IS the SEC?

It has been reported by more than one source that the Sooners will only go where the Longhorns go.  

Hhmmm.

It has been interesting to read the talk in the chat rooms regarding competition in the SEC. Many believe that the level of competition in the Southeastern Conference would never be an issue as far as Oklahoma is concerned, but for A&M it would be.

That may be true, but here is my question: IF, indeed, the SEC was looking to expand, and IF they were going to offer a membership to Oklahoma, WHY would they also make an offer to Texas A&M rather than to Texas?

Personally, I think that the Sooners and the Longhorns would have considered signing on the dotted line together, but the notion that the SEC would be lucky to have either one is simply not true.

Sure, it would have added to the strength of the league, there is no doubt about that. But the SEC will do just fine with or without the Aggies, the Sooners, the Longhorns or anybody else for that matter.

Heck, let’s bring back Tulane, and the SEC would still be the best football conference in America.

Hopefully all of the realignment chatter is over and we can get back to focusing on the season at hand.

-Hit em straight

Dale Jones is a writer for The Islander. He is a member of the ASWA.

Reach him at djones@gulfcoastnewspapers.com