Crimson Red Sports

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Slow down, SEC.

A couple of days ago, Missouri looked acceptable to the SEC as No. 14. That was when the college football world appeared to be turning upside down overnight.

Syracuse and Pitt surprisingly joined the ACC. The Big East became extremely vulnerable. Oklahoma and Texas looked headed to the Pac-12.

The SEC theory seemed to be if the Big 12 dies and there's a mad free-for-all, there are worse options than Missouri and TV sets in St. Louis and Kansas City. And there are worse choices.

But that doesn't make Missouri the right pick, especially with the Pac-12 standing pat.

Jon Solomon is a columnist for The Birmingham News. Join him for live web chats on college sports on Wednesdays at 2 p.m.
It's time to keep your wits, SEC. Even if that means playing a year with a clumsy 13-member schedule that would annoy your fan base.

Better to be frustrated in the short term then to consummate a shotgun marriage that's viewed, at best, as tolerable. There are shrugs and disbelief around the SEC that annual rivalry games could be lost by adding ... Missouri?

Missouri's public words and private leaks clearly suggest discontent with the Big 12. Missouri is either willing to leave, or using it as leverage to reform the Big 12 its way.

"My belief is that Missouri would like to stay in the Big 12 but I also know that this is a question that they must work through with their board of curators," interim Big 12 Commissioner Chuck Neinas told CBSSports.com on Friday. "They may have a different idea."