Ever since USC, UCLA blindsided the Pac-12 last year, announcing move to Big Ten, league has been on shaky ground. CU to Big 12 is a crushing blow.

We rank the Top 12 potential expansion candidates for the Big 12 in possible further expansion for the conference, from No. 12 to No. 1. Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.

The number 12, they argue, is where it’s really at. Here’s why we should have adopted a base-12 counting system — and how we could still make it work.