In this week's Big 12 Take Two, we debate whether Texas and Oklahoma should be in the same five-team division, or whether the two Big 12 flagships should be placed in opposite divisions.

Texas and Oklahoma's Red River Rivalry at the Cotton Bowl is one of the most anticipated Big 12 games of the season. John Korduner/Icon Sportswire

Take 1: Max Olson -- Same division

The issue that stands out to me when I ponder five-team divisions in the Big 12 are this: How will the conference protect the Red River Rivalry and/or Bedlam? There aren’t many rivalry games that really, really matter in this conference anymore (thanks a lot, expansion) but those two still do.

I don’t love the idea of putting Oklahoma and Oklahoma State in different divisions, because there’s a decent chance those teams would end up having to play their rivalry game twice in the month of December. The point of this championship-game format is to encourage big-time rematches, and I get that. Maybe I’m wrong: maybe the prospect of the Sooners and Cowboys playing on back-to-back weekends is exciting to their fans. I just don’t think it’s ideal.

And that’s essentially how I feel about the Oklahoma-Texas dilemma. Their showdown in October is important. The result of that game is important. When both teams are playing at an elite level, it’s one of the best games in all of college football. Even when one isn’t, it’s still entertaining and capable of producing wild upsets.

And it’s already a neutral-site game. I don’t think Texas and Oklahoma decision-makers want to see that game anywhere else but the Cotton Bowl. I think they’ll care about how much Red River affects a divisional race. I just don’t think they’ll want to make any move that potentially lessens the impact of the October rivalry game.

Since the Big 12 is still operating on a round-robin schedule, attempting to create competitive parity between the two divisions (by separating Texas and OU, for example) isn’t actually necessary. But there is one caveat that would sort of blow up my argument: If the Big 12 goes with home stadium title game, and you’re telling me we can get an OU-UT rematch in either Norman or Austin... I’m listening.

Take 2: Jake Trotter -- Separate divisions

I agree, staging the Red River Showdown twice in a season might diminish the rivalry to a slight degree. But the upside to placing Texas and Oklahoma in different divisions would outweigh any downside.

First, splitting Oklahoma and Texas is the best way to even out the divisions. When Texas and Oklahoma were in the Big 12 South together, that division all too often was stacked, relative to the North. The result was a series of championship-game mismatches. Splitting Oklahoma and Texas would give each division an anchor, and help prevent one division from being much stronger than the other.

Sure, dividing Texas and Oklahoma might result in a rematch. But that wouldn't happen every year, if every five years. And because the Red River Showdown is so early in the season, a potential rematch would be more anticipated than, say, clunky. And by dividing up Texas and Oklahoma, the Big 12 would actually be able to avoid potential clunky rematches.

If the Big 12 placed Oklahoma State in Oklahoma's division, Bedlam could be, in many years, a de facto divisional title game. That would also allow Bedlam to remain the final regular season game for both teams, without the worry of a rematch one week later to sully it. On the other side, the Big 12 could also keep Texas' Thanksgiving tilt with TCU or Texas Tech in place by slotting the Horned Frogs and/or Red Raiders with the Longhorns. From there, any other Big 12 game could easily be moved around to the first half of the year avoid late-season Big 12 title-game rematches.

The biggest reason, however, to place Oklahoma and Texas in opposite divisions is the awesome attention the league would receive in the event the two met in a title game. Years ago, the schools contemplated moving their rivalry to Cowboys Stadium after it was first built. Now, they can keep their traditional matchup in the Cotton Bowl, while occasionally perhaps also staging a showdown in Arlington. And in both cases, the stadiums would be divided down the middle. That's called having your cake and eating, too.

As it struggles to compete with the SECs and Big Tens of the world, the Big 12 needs to generate excitement. Nothing would do that more than Texas and Oklahoma clashing on championship weekend.