THE REVENGE FACTOR: Big XII, Add Cincinnati and Memphis

Big XII realignment *might* be upon us, whether we like it or not. The days of round robin conference formats for football might be drawing to a close. The Big XII might actually have XII schools in its conference very soon, or we could swell to XIV. No matter what, nothing would draw better ratings than Memphis and Cincinnati, at least in Texas Tech's case.

In a topic that's been beat to absolute death over the past few years, Tommy Tuberville is still the head coach for Cincinnati's football team. How he left Texas Tech was, for lack of a better word, shitty.

This video raises the question of how much Texas Tech would beat Cincinnati by. The question I would raise is simple: how many people would be interested in a classic revenge story? The villain leaves, then returns with his new squad to face off against the heroes. It seems ripped out of the pages of a cheesy sports movie, the one where the heroes ultimately triumph on a last second Hail Mary pass that knocks the villains out of championship contention.

We won't have to worry about that, mainly because there's no way Tommy Tuberville will lead any team to championship contention. What will happen is that Tommy Tuberville in Lubbock for the first time since 2012 would be irresistable TV. Texas Tech has it's reputation for rowdiness. Imagine that rowdiness unleashed on someone that dang near 100% of Texas Tech students and alumni absolutely loathe?

Let's not forget Memphis in all of this hatred. Tubby Smith left Texas Tech more or less overnight to be the head coach of Memphis basketball. Wether deserved or undeserved, Tubby Smith has become another figurehead of coaches who lied to their players or fanbase. You think Texas Tech Football games are insane? Wait until these people fill a basketball arena and are now less than 2 feet in front of you. The fans would love it, and ratings would go through the roof.

It's pretty simple: sports games have other angles than just sports. Outside The Lines, College Gameday, and the NFL network report on these stories, because giving context to the people in front of you is important for the casual fan's enjoyment. I'd consider myself a hardcore fan, and I enjoy it too. I love hearing about which player is visiting his hometown. DeAndre Washington working at the Texan's stadium, dreaming of being in the league, and then returning to play them on the roster of the Oakland Raiders is a great story. I'm looking forward to seeing that chapter of his life play out.

Sports will always be more than a bunch of people running around on a field with a ball. There are real human emotions tied to this. People like to watch players and coaches with hopes, dreams, controversies, and emotions. If the Big XII wants eyeballs, they should give the people what they want: a revenge story.