It can easily be referred to as the craziest June in the history of college football – what with all the rumors swirling around regarding conference expansion and realignment across just about all of the major conferences.

But now that the dust has mostly settled, we can move on and attempt to assess the winners and losers as college football currently stands.

Here they are, in no particular order – starting with the winners:

College Football Conference Realignment Aftermath: Winners and Losers

WINNER: Big 12 Conference

The most obvious choice of all is obviously the Big 12 Conference, because well… it’s still alive and ticking.  Credit Texas for being the glue that kept the conference with ten teams – or credit someone else – but either way, the BCS still has one of its strongest conferences intact, and with just two minor casualties in Colorado and Nebraska.

WINNER: Texas

The Longhorns played the role of the hot girl that everyone wants to go to prom with – from the Big Ten courting them, to the Pac-10 making them the top desire, and to the Big 12 conference wanting to keep them.

When it was all said and done, not only does Texas stay, but they also will reel in a ton of extra cash for the university, and the conference in the form of a future TV deal that’s in the works.

WINNER: Big Ten Conference

The Big Ten was one of the biggest winners of the week – adding the Nebraska Cornhuskers and their tradition-rich football program to the mix.

On top of that, the Big Ten gets its 12^th team, which now can lead to a conference championship, more revenue, more exposure – and in the end, a likely bigger step towards major bowl victories, as each conference champion will have a shorter layoff between the end of the regular season and BCS bowl week.

WINNER: Nebraska

The Big Ten is a great fit for the Huskers, who find themselves as a part of the very lucrative Big Ten Network, plus one could argue they are in a conference that features a more cultural fit than they had when a part of the Big 12.

Also, the geographic nature of the Big Ten should potentially help Nebraska with the recruiting process going forward.

WINNER: Kansas Basketball

Many haven’t touched upon this one, but one of the biggest powers in college hoops may have found themselves without a major conference, and losing some big time programs to play against on a regular basis.  Instead, the Big 12 conference remains intact and the Jayhawks will still have Oklahoma and Texas frequenting their schedule during the winter months.

WINNER: The Big 12 Leftovers

Teams like Missouri, Baylor, Kansas and Kansas State were rumored to be hours from being without a conference.  The result would have likely been a move to a conference with significantly less competition, and also less money for their respective programs.

Instead, each school (and their representatives) can breathe a giant sigh of relief.

WINNER: The BCS

Honestly, if you look at the BCS, there could have been a significant change in the balance of conference power – and with the way the system is set up currently, it was a great possibility that a significantly weaker conference could have been earning an automatic berth with the changes that almost occurred.

Therefore, the minimal changes that did go through should keep legit automatic berths in play for all the major conferences – and everyone’s favorite BCS can continue to put mostly big-time schools in the major bowl games.

LOSER: Pac-10 Conference

This is the most glaringly obvious choice among the list of losers, considering that throughout the week, the Pac-10 was rumored to be hours from becoming a superconference featuring 16 teams, including Texas and Oklahoma from the Big 12.

Now, not only did they lose out on the Big 12’s best, they are also having issues with their own elite schools, mainly USC and the sanctions it is currently facing.

Fortunately, there are rumors that Utah may be moving to the Pac-10 – and combined with Colorado, they can boost the conference up to 12 teams.

LOSER: Mountain West Conference

Listen, the addition of Boise State to the MWC is a good thing – a great thing, actually.

However, there are several rumors pointing to Utah departing for the Pac-10, especially after the Big 12 powers decided to stay put.

On top of all this, the Mountain West appeared primed to steal away a major BCS berth if the Big 12 fell apart – and now that opportunity may have faded away as well.

LOSER: FOX Network

The rumors of a Pac-10 super conference also were pointing to FOX teaming up to form a network for the new and improved group of schools, but now that deal doesn’t seem to be anywhere near as lucrative as it could have been – and instead of stealing away some revenue and figures from ESPN, little has changed as the situation stands now.

LOSER: USC

With the Trojans facing sanctions, there could have been a boost for the school to be coupled with some of the biggest powers in college football, mainly Texas and Oklahoma moving to the Pac-10.  Having teams that travel well and bring in big money may have helped soften the blow that will result from the pending sanctions against the Trojans.

For those that don’t buy into this, think outside the box.  It may be two years without a bowl game, but adding in the loss of scholarships – and it is possible USC could be years from being elite again.

LOSER: Big 12 Conference

Finally, the conference realignment goes full-circle, with the Big 12 conference emerging also as a loser on my list.

It’s a winner for staying alive, but it’s a loser due to the fact that after losing Colorado and Nebraska, the Big 12 is in a position to lose its conference championship game.  Now, they can see how tough it can be to have such a long layoff before a major bowl game.  This has been a major sticking point for the Big Ten over recent years.

Now that the dust is somewhat settling on the recent conference realignment frenzy, there are new questions to be addressed in the upcoming months, one of which involves the new Big Ten member Nebraska.

The Big Ten features a handful of natural rivalry games at the end of the season, as most conferences do.  Ohio State and Michigan plus Purdue and Indiana are just a few examples.

So what about the Huskers?

While many may push for Wisconsin or Iowa to step in and be a natural rival for Nebraska in college football, I’m putting in my vote for Penn State.

It does make sense for the Nittany Lions to be rivaled up with Nebraska – and not just because these are the newest members to the conference, the 11^th and 12^th teams, respectively.

Currently, Penn State is coupled up with Michigan State, and the two teams play the last game of the regular season every year – specifically for the Land Grant Trophy.

Trophy or not, this rivalry has always been forced – and this is coming from the mouth of a Penn State grad who knows.

Listen, the Nittany Lions faithful don’t care about Michigan State.  It’s not meant to be a cold statement, but the natural conference rivals for the Lions are the Ohio States and the Michigans – and now, Nebraska, too.

Penn Staters do not like Nebraska – in fact, they loathe them.

Hey, it has nothing to do with the “corn faithful”, as I’m sure the majority of them are good people.

This hatred has been brewing for 16 years now – dating back to 1994.

Get it now?

The Nittany Lions had a powerhouse team that year, one that deserved to at least have a share of the National Championship.

But alas, if you think the current BCS system is severely flawed, at least it wasn’t like years ago, when a team like Penn State didn’t even get a chance to fight for the title.

Ki-Jana Carter was a key to Penn State's success in 1994

Instead, it came down to a bowl game – and then a final vote.

Penn State, loaded with a lethal offense featuring QB Kerry Collins, RB Ki-Jana Carter and company, faced Oregon in the Rose Bowl, while Nebraska took on Miami in the Orange Bowl.

Each team cruised to victory, with the Nittany Lions defeating the Ducks 38-20 and the Cornhuskers knocking off Miami 24-17.

Then, the votes were tallied and the heartbreak began to settle in.

Nebraska was named national champs – and Penn State didn’t even get a share.

Since then, the hatred has been brewing – and some of it was relinquished with a 40-7 win in 2002 when the Nittany Lions took out their frustrations on a hapless Huskers team.

But a home-and-home isn’t enough to quench the thirst of the blue and white faithful.

These two teams are a natural fit for a rivalry, no matter what anyone says – and with that, a new trophy should be born – perhaps called the ‘94 Trophy – where each year, the Nittany Lions and Cornhuskers can fight for that 1994 national title.

Nebraska was the sole National Champion in 1994

I don’t care if this trophy has a giant dairy cow coupled with a couple of corn stalks – it just needs to exist, so that the winner can parade it around the stadium at the end of each season.

So, regretfully Sparty, you can have all the land you want – and I understand that there may be some kind of deal in place between MSU and PSU, but there can be a way to get around it.  Heck, each of the power conferences certainly has found ways over the last few days.

Consider this a petition for Nebraska vs. Penn State at the end of each football season starting in 2012 – and feel free to sign it below, via the comments section.

If enough support is generated, The Wife Hates Sports can push this concept further and let it be known to the powers that be in the Big Ten conference.

For now, welcome to the Big Ten Huskers fans – it’s going to be a wild ride, so fasten your seatbelts.

Originally posted to KP’s Blog (via Fox Sports) on May 12, 2009

Who knows why the tomato was the fruit of choice when an individual wanted to show displeasure for something.

It is what it is, so why question it?

Instead, keep the tradition alive by throwing tomatoes at the individuals in sports that deserve them most… such as this week’s unfortunate targets…

Throwing Tomatoes: May 12, 2009

Calvin Borel
…for bailing on Mine That Bird.
What makes horse racing enticing? Besides the betting, people. Yes, it’s the elusive Triple Crown. A horse gets close, and people get pulled in by an underdog story, plus the jockey that’s along for the ride. Calvin Borel was that jockey this year, helping push 50-1 shot Mine That Bird to a Derby victory.

Preakness time, right? Wrong. Borel bailed, choosing Rachel Alexandra instead, leaving us with just some funny looking hat to wear.

NASCAR Driver Jeremy Mayfield
… for failing a drug test.
Reports say officials figured it out when Mayfield had left his right turn signal on – just kidding.

At least Mayfield, who is suspended indefinitely, wasn’t guilty of taking the same banned substance as Manny Ramirez. Why? Well, there could be some confusion as to where the stick shift is – yes, I went there.

Tim Floyd
… but only if the report that he paid an OJ Mayo associate is true.
Yes, reports are surfacing that USC basketball coach Tim Floyd paid an associate of OJ Mayo buko bucks to help get the phenom to play hoops with the Trojans.

C’mon Tim, maybe you should have stuck with recruiting the grade school kids, where you could pay them off in toys and candy. Seriously, didn’t anyone ever teach you to “hold the Mayo”?

Tony Romo
…for trying to qualify for the U.S. Open.
Hey, more power to you Tony for being able to play well at multiple sports. But why not focus on improving your football game more instead of trying out for another U.S. Open?

The FoxSports.com report discusses how Romo shot an even-par 36 on the front nine, but faltered mightily on the back, shooting a 44. Yeah, that sounds about right. Wait, he didn’t fumble any balls heading to the 18th tee box, did he?

Orlando Magic
…for faltering at another critical moment in the playoffs.
Orlando really lacks closing power this year. Blowing multiple leads throughout, the Magic’s toughest loss may have been the recent Game 5 against Boston, where Orlando failed to make a field goal over the last five minutes plus.

Boston is one win away from a date with LeBron and the Cavs, while Orlando is fading quicker than you can say Marcin Gortat.

Former Nebraska QB Sam Keller
… for suing EA Sports and the NCAA.
A recent AP report discusses how the former Cornhusker is suing saying “the video-game maker wrongly uses the names and likenesses of college athletes in its products and that the NCAA sanctions the practice.”

OK, who else thinks the guy’s a little bitter about having a 38-speed rating and a noodle for an arm? Yeah, that’s what I thought – me too.

And now, some quick cherry tomatoes – small, yet effective…

Brett Favre - Because the media exposure is back and it feels like the movie Groundhog Day
Manny Ramirez – Ugh, let’s call it Groundhog Day Part II
Anyone NOT watching Pens-Caps in the NHL Playoffs - or as I like to call it, “Celtics-Bulls on Ice”

This has been “Throwing Tomatoes”… where the art of throwing one has never left.