A wild night on the college football expansion front seems to indicate that the Big 12 has once again stood at the edge of collapse only to regain its footing. The conference still has to cross some t's and dot some i's, but it appears it's much closer to suvival than extinction.

It's not a Peaches and Herb "Reunited" scene yet for the Big 12, and whether it gets there in its entirety depends on the chosen path for Missouri, which is keeping open its SEC options.

The Kansas City Star reported earlier in the week that Missouri has an informal offer to join the SEC.

If Missouri remains in the Big 12 you have to wonder about a potential 14th team for the SEC. New York Times college football writer Pete Thamel has speculated that the SEC would reamin at 13 teams for the near future and that Virginia Tech or a North Carolina school would be options in the long term.

Staying at 13 teams is manageable but doesn't sound like a long-term solution.

It does appear though that the regional conference concept - as opposed to the four 16-team super conferences - has survived for a while longer.