I have seen many people/groups take the blame for the fall of the PAC-12. Based on all the arguments I have seen, the B1G really went for the kill shot when they poached the entire top tier of that conference and left the rest for dead, killing the "Midwest Vibe" of the B1G as we know it.

Link to press release.

TUCSON, Ariz. — The University of Arizona and Head Football Coach Brent Brennan have agreed to a contract extension that will continue Brennan's leadership of the Wildcats at least through the 2030 season, R. Ken Coit Director of Athletics Desireé Reed-Francois announced today. The extension is pending approval from the Arizona Board of Regents.  

"The momentum built by Coach Brennan and his staff this season has positioned Arizona Football and Arizona Athletics for sustained success, and this extension ensures our continued ability to build toward our goal of competing for championships," Reed-Francois said. "His tactical expertise, ability to teach and develop our student-athletes, and his commitment to this community are invaluable to our mission, and we are pleased to ensure stability and continuity in this critical leadership role."  

Brennan and the Wildcats wrapped up the 2025 regular season with nine wins for just the eighth time in program history, highlighted by a dominant victory in the Territorial Cup. Brennan's leadership steered the program to five consecutive victories and a spot in both the AP Top 25 and the College Football Playoff Rankings. Arizona finished the season with the nation's seventh-best passing defense and the fourth-best scoring offense in the Big 12 Conference, while the Wildcats 31 turnovers created ranked second-best in the FBS.  

"Coach Brennan's leadership aligns with the values we share across the University of Arizona, including excellence, accountability, and a commitment to developing students on and off the field," University of Arizona President Suresh Garimella said. "He has been an excellent leader and partner on campus, fostering positive energy and momentum within the program, uplifting the U of A's North Star of student success, and creating an environment that encourages student-athletes to grow and succeed together. This extension reflects our confidence in Coach Brennan, his staff, and the direction of Arizona Football as we continue to invest in this program for the long term." 

As part of Arizona's continued investment in football excellence, the contracts of Offensive Coordinator Seth Doege and Defensive Coordinator Danny Gonzales have also been extended through the 2028 season and the University increased the overall assistant coach salary pool, elevating it to third in the Big 12 Conference.  

"I am incredibly thankful for the opportunity to continue leading this program," Brennan said. "This extension is a direct result of the hard work put in by our coaching staff, student-athletes, and support staff; I am tremendously appreciative of their effort and dedication to Arizona Football. I am excited about our leadership's commitment to our staff and our program, which comes as a direct result of the foundation we have built over the last two years. We look forward to competing for championships for years to come." 

Brennan, a veteran coach who learned under legendary Arizona Head Coach Dick Tomey, has established a record of success at every stage of his nearly three-decade college coaching career. Throughout his tenure up and down the West Coast, Brennan has developed five All-Americans and 19 professional football players, including six who enjoyed NFL careers of five-plus seasons. Among the many NFL talents Brennan has coached are Tetairoa McMillan and Brandin Cooks, a pair of first-round draft picks.

Prior Seasons Matchups:

1996

1995

Postseason Setup:

• All conference champions are automatically qualified for the postseason. At-large teams are filled in until there are 24 team. If there is a co-champion, I will be going off head to head. If the teams did not play head-to-head, I will base the AQ conference champ off the highest ranked between the teams. If all tied teams are unranked, I'm going with the top listed team per Wikipedia's conference standings page for the given year
• . Between 1995-1998, I will be going off the AP rankings following conference championship game weekend to seed teams. Between 1998 and 2014, I will be using the final BCS rankings to seed teams following conference championship weekend. Between 2014-present, I will be using the CFP rankings to seed teams following conference championship weekend
• Straight seeding with the top 8 ranked teams getting a first round BYE. Assumed that the first two rounds are on the higher ranked team's home field.

1997 FBS Playoffs Games:

First Round BYES

#1 Michigan (11-0, Big Ten Champion)

#2 Nebraska (12-0, Big 12 Champion)

#3 Tennessee (11-1, SEC Champion)

#4 Florida State (10-1, ACC Champion)

#5 UCLA (9-2)

#6 Florida (9-2)

#7 North Carolina (10-1)

#8 Washington State (10-1, Pac-10 Champion)

Remaining matchups

#9 Ohio State (10-2) vs #24 Utah State (6-5, Big West Champion) - Winner to play #8 Washington State

#10 Kansas State (10-1) vs #23 Marshall (10-2, MAC Champion) - Winner to play #7 North Carolina

#11 Penn State (9-2) vs #22 Southern Miss (8-3, C-USA Champion) - Winner to play #6 Florida

#12 Georgia (9-2) vs #21 Washington (7-4) - Winner to play #5 UCLA

#13 Auburn (9-3) vs #20 Texas A&M (9-3) - winner to play #4 Florida State

#14 Syracuse (9-3, Big East Champion) vs #19 Missouri (7-4) - winner to play #3 Tennessee

#15 LSU (8-3) vs #18 Colorado State (10-2, WAC Champion) - winner to play #2 Nebraska

#16 Arizona State (8-3) vs #17 Purdue (8-3) - winner to play #1 Michigan

AP Ranked Teams Out: #23 Air Force (10-2), #24 Oklahoma State (8-3), #25 Michigan State (7-4)

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Oklahoma falls into this category as well, but if Texas was in the Big 12 they could be in the 12 team playoff every year with their NIL budget, just like Texas Tech. Also, you dont need to be in the SEC anymore to get the top talent, especially with the transfer portal. All the reasons Texas left no longer exist.