Big 12 Roundtable--Stealing Coaches Edition

This week's roundup is hosted by Midwest Coast Bias.

1. If you could steal another coach at any level (head, assistant, etc.) from another school, who would it be and why?
Considering how Nebraska's coaching staff seems to be lost, I'd probably take anybody other than Lyle Setencich, who resigned from Texas Tech a couple of weeks ago. But right now if I could choose, I'd take LSU's Bo Pelini. A defensive mastermind and he seems to find a way to make his players play hard for him. Something that is sorely lacking with the Huskers right now.

2. What two teams will play for the Big XII Championship and why?
Right now, I'll take Oklahoma vs. Missouri. A very good argument could be made for OU vs. Kansas. I think in the end, Missouri will beat Kansas in Arrowhead, barring the Pinkel factor rearing it's ugly head. And the Sooners, well, they are the class of the conference.

3. What is the best bowl game your team has a realistic shot at and, if your team has a shot, who would you like to play in said bowl?
Right now, the Huskers are headed for the Toilet Bowl. But if they can somehow turn it around and pick up a couple of wins, they might get a chance at the Independence Bowl...woo hoo! Let's face it, if we get to a bowl game...we're not going to be picky as to who we play.

4. If given the opportunity, would you keep the Big XII status quo or kick out a team and go to a Big 10-style conference play?
Who would get kicked out? Baylor would be the easy answer, since they haven't been competitive in football in the Big XII. And it's a long distance from Lincoln. Conversely, kicking out Iowa State removes the shortest road trip for the Huskers. The idea of playing Oklahoma and Texas most years sounds attractive though. Nebraska's two "rivals" would probably be Colorado and Iowa State. So we'd probably be giving up games against Missouri, Kansas, and Kansas State for more games against the South. I wasn't a big fan of this idea at first, but looks a lot more attractive when you start thinking about it in detail. Maybe the Big 10/11 has a good idea after all!

5. Rank the Big XII Teams
Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri (narrowly behind Kansas), Kansas State, Texas Tech, Texas, Colorado, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M, Baylor/Nebraska, Iowa State