3 Big 12 schools that could join SEC-Big Ten super league if conference realignment kicks off

If there's one thing the realignment moves spurred by the SEC-Big Ten domination in recent years have taught us, it's that nothing is out of the question. USC and UCLA deciding to play in an East Coast-based conference was preposterous at the time — and still might be.

Oregon and Washington following their lead was seemingly a little less silly because they weren't the first to jump ship. Texas and Oklahoma in the SEC? They fit a little better in terms of culture and geography.

With the way things are going, the College Football Playoff appears to be expanding to 14 teams, at the behest of the SEC and Big Ten. Those two conferences might be, for all intents and purposes, governing college football in the future. If the two decide to form a super league, with two conferences, such as the NFL, they'll likely add even more programs.

Considering recent success, program prestige and other factors, here are three schools that would make sense in an SEC-Big Ten super league.

Which programs could join an SEC-Big Ten super league?

#1. Iowa State

The Cyclones' main intra-state rival already plays in the Big Ten, so the geographical aspect of that partnership in an SEC-Big Ten super league would work. Under Matt Campbell, Iowa State has been a pretty consistent program.

A few years ago, the Cyclones were reportedly one of the Big 12 schools interested in hopping to the Big Ten. If there's any Big 12 program that would fit on the Big Ten side of an SEC-Big Ten super league, especially being an AAU member, it's Iowa State.

#2. Colorado

Deion Sanders' presence alone makes the Buffaloes an intriguing option. There isn't a better coach in the nation at bringing attention to his program, which is arguably a reason why his son, Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders, is regarded as a top pick in April's NFL draft.

The Buffs were one of the nation's premier teams in the 1990s, as Bill McCartney boosted the program to a national crown at the start of that decade. Colorado has a rivalry with Nebraska, a former Big 12 team that moved to the Big Ten in 2011.

#3. Houston

The Cougars don't quite have a name-brand program, but if an SEC-Big Ten power league wanted another large Texas market within its borders, Houston would make a lot of sense.

Under Tom Herman, the Cougars proved they could compete with some of the nation's best. While it didn't work out in the same way for Herman at Texas, Houston has a strong recruiting base and could form rivalries with teams on the western side of the country.