NCAA Football FanHouse

Leach Weighs in on Mangino Flap

Terrance Harris — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Baylor, Colorado, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M, Texas, Texas Tech, BCS, Big 12

Leave it to Texas Tech coach Mike Leach to come up with a brutal assessment of the issues surrounding Kansas coach Mark Mangino and the allegations last week he has been both physically and mentally abusing his players.

Kansas athletic director Lew Perkins has launched an investigation into Mangino's actions after one of his players reported that the head coach poked him during a walk-through practice a couple weeks ago. Since then, several former players have come forth to discuss Mangino's alleged abusive behavior and sometimes mean-spirited verbal attacks.

Leach has never been guilty of playing the politically correct game and he certainly didn't disappoint during this week's Big 12 football coaches call when the subject turned to the storm Mangino is facing.

"I think you try to select the most effective way to coach your guys, but my suspicion is -- and nobody truly knows what went on in Kansas -- but my suspicion is Mark is in the middle of a witch hunt, which is unjustified," said Leach, who is known to be disciplinarian with his players. "Heaven forbid somebody should ask a guy to pay attention, focus and for the sake of his coaches and teammates pay attention. Well there are different ways to do that. Sometimes after you've asked them a number of times, you raise the bar.

"The interesting thing to me in all this murmuring is he went from hitting this guy in the face to he didn't even touch anybody, but he just said mean things to him. Well the mean man told some player some things he didn't want to hear. There is a mean man in Lubbock who tells people things they don't want to hear, too, and it's just part of it, you know."

Several coaches, however, admitted that seeing this situation become national news offers pause to be aware of their players' feelings in times when tough coaching is necessary.

"Anytime something as unfortunate as this takes place, it gives pause to look at your program," Kansas State coach Bill Snyder said. "Everything is so visible that whatever it is that comes to light everyone has to kind of reassess exactly where they are.

"It's a matter of not taking anything for granted. But by the same token, I think we are who we are. Most of us have an ingrained sense of how we coach and interact with people, interact with players."

But in Mangino's defense, Snyder said he never heard of Mangino being abusive towards players when Mangino was an assistant coach on his staff at K-State.

"That didn't happen to my knowledge and there isn't a whole lot that slips under the old radar," said Snyder, who says he has talked with Mangino about the incident. "In that respect, I think he handled players well and I think he had great respect from his players while he was here."

Bedlam Reversal

More often than not, it has been Oklahoma that has a lot riding when the Bedlam rivalry game against Oklahoma State rolls around at each regular-season end.

This year, it is the 11th-ranked Cowboys who have a great deal at stake, while at 6-5 the Sooners are simply trying to improve their second-tier bowl positioning. In eight of the 11 seasons Bob Stoops has been coaching the Sooners, this game has had some type of Big 12 South implications but not this season.

OSU (9-2, 6-1 Big 12), meanwhile, could well be looking at an at-large BCS bid with a win over its rival. It would be the first BCS bid in program history.

So how is that for a reversal of fortunes?

"That's something that some of the guys were talking about the other day," OSU offensive lineman Noah Franklin said. "Everything comes around full circle. From where we were when Andrew Lewis and I got here, it's come a long way since then."

It's a reversal many of the players had hoped they would see come to fruition but in the back of their minds had doubted.

"We definitely believed that we could put ourselves in this type of situation, just in some of the teams we've had we've just been unable at times to win those close games that we've been winning this year," senior linebacker Andre Sexton said. "We found ways to lose those games instead of win them. This year I think the maturity and experience that we've had in those situations has enabled us to pull those victories out."

Even Stoops finds the reversal a bit odd.

"This is different, but we are still in a situation where we are trying to improve our situation and that's what our focus will be on is playing the best we can and trying to make our situation better," he said.

But now for a few doses of reality for Oklahoma State as it heads into Memorial Stadium on Saturday: the Sooners own a national-best 29-game home winning streak. And despite the disparity in success this season, OU comes in as a 6 1/2-point favorite.

Thus, you have OSU coach Mike Gundy declining to get caught up in all the role reversal hoopla or the national implications talk. He knows even in a down season for the Sooners, they are still a dangerous team.

"The important thing for our players is to have a good week of practice and meetings and absorb the information in the game plan and go play hard on Saturday and with great effort," Gundy said. "No matter what is involved, what's on the line, it's important that the players play well and go play."

Brown Praises FG Kicker

When you think of the magical season second-ranked Texas is having, the initial names that pop up are quarterback Colt McCoy, wide receiver Jordan Shipley, defensive end Sergio Kindle and middle linebacker Roddrick Muckelroy.

Rarely does placekicker Hunter Lawrence's name come up.

Well, the senior is actually putting together a pretty special year, one that has been quietly key in the Longhorns' 11-0, 7-0 record that has them knocking on the doorstep of the BCS national title game. Hunter, who is at the top of every statistical kicking category in the Big 12, has converted 20-of-23 field goals this season.

During last Saturday's 51-20 win over Kansas that secured the Longhorns the South division title, Hunter was true on field goals of 49 yards (season high), 47 and 35 yards.

"He has been unbelievable. In fact as much as we've talked offensively about Colt and Jordan, Hunter has been a Most Valuable Player for us," said UT coach Mack Brown, whose team concludes the regular season Thursday night at Texas A&M. "He has just been an unbelievable weapon for us and a guy that is older, mature and very confident. I feel like he is as good a kicker as any in the country."

Brown says there is a huge comfort level to knowing you have a kicker as capable as Hunter. Having that security also affects strategy.

"When you are playing great defense like we are this year, the other team may not be scoring as much as have in the past and now you can get guaranteed points," Brown said. "You go for less fourth downs, you take less chances and you know you have a guy who can put points on the board.

"He has changed our philosophy some. We still want to be aggressive, but if we feel like it's going to be a tight game, but one the other team won't score much, we do not hesitate to send Hunter out there. The guys are blocking so well for him now because they know he's going to make it."

Quick Slants

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Kansas head coach Mark Mangino on the field before the NCAA college football game against Texas in Austin, Texas, Saturday, Nov. 21, 2009. (AP Photo/Erich Schlegel)

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Latest College Football Images

Florida State wide receiver Bert Reed celebrates a touchdown during an NCAA college football game against Maryland, Saturday, Nov. 21, 2009, in Tallahassee, Fla. Greg Reid and Bert Reed nearly ended up in Gainesville. They'll be there Saturday, and if Florida State has any chance of snapping its five-game losing streak to rival Florida, the two speedsters might need to have big games. (AP Photo/Phil Coale)

Florida State cornerback Greg Reid returns a punt during an NCAA college football game against Maryland, Saturday, Nov. 21, 2009, in Tallahassee, Fla. Greg Reid and Bert Reed nearly ended up in Gainesville. They'll be there Saturday, and if Florida State has any chance of snapping its five-game losing streak to rival Florida, the two speedsters might need to have big games. (AP Photo/Phil Coale)

Notre Dame Charlie Weis smiles during NCAA college football practice on Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2009, in South Bend, Ind. (AP Photo/Joe Raymond)

California players celebrate an interception by Mike Mohammed (18) late in the fourth quarter against Stanford during a NCAA college football game in Stanford, Calif., Saturday, Nov. 21, 2009. California won 34-28. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

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Texas quarterback Colt McCoy, left, evades a tackle by Kansas' Jamal Greene in the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 21, 2009, in Austin. In the 51-20 Texas win, McCoy earned his NCAA record 43rd career victory as a starter. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)

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Texas quarterback Colt McCoy, left, runs the ball past Kansas' Jeff Wheeler in the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 21, 2009, in Austin, Texas. In the 51-20 Texas win, McCoy earned his NCAA record 43rd career victory as a starter. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Kansas head coach Mark Mangino on the field before the NCAA college football game against Texas in Austin, Texas, Saturday, Nov. 21, 2009. (AP Photo/Erich Schlegel)

Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis directs his team during practice of an NCAA college football team Tuesday Nov. 24, 2009 in South Bend, Ind. (AP Photo/Joe Raymond)

Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis directs his team during NCAA college football practice on Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2009, in South Bend, Ind. (AP Photo/Joe Raymond)

Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis watches his team during practice of an NCAA college football team Tuesday Nov. 24, 2009 in South Bend, Ind. (AP Photo/Joe Raymond)

The news continues to get worse for the Sooners. Stoops announced that center Ben Habern had surgery Saturday to repair a broken leg suffered in last week's loss to Texas Tech and that he is done for the season. Middle linebacker Ryan Reynolds also suffered a hamstring injury in that game that will keep him out against OSU. The Sooners have lost seven starters to injury this season. ... McCoy joined Florida's Tim Tebow and Houston's Case Keenum as finalists this week for the Dave O'Brien Award, given to the nation's top quarterback. ...Texas senior wide receiver Jordan Shipley is a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award, which is given to the nation's top receiver. Shipley has caught 91 balls for 1,204 yards (13.2 yards per catch) and nine touchdowns this season. The sixth-year senior has five double-digit receiving games and six 100-yard receiving games so far this season. ... Texas A&M running backs Christine Michael (116 yards) and Cyrus Gray (107) both eclipsed the 100-yard mark during Saturday's critical 38-3 win over Baylor, marking the second time this season that both have rushed for 100-plus yards in the same game. Michael also set a school record for longest touchdown run with a 97-yard touchdown sprint against the Bears. ... Missouri receiver Danario Alexander continues his late-season run, catching 34 passes for 578 yards and five touchdowns in the Tigers' last three games.

Leach Weighs in on Mangino Flap originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 25 Nov 2009 15:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Oklahoma State's Zac Robinson Expected to Play in 'Bedlam'

Terrance Harris — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:58:00 EST

Filed under: Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, BCS, Big 12

Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy says he expects senior quarterback Zac Robinson to return to the starting lineup for the 11th-ranked Cowboys during Saturday's critical regular-season finale against rival Oklahoma.

Robinson missed Thursday night's win over Colorado after sustaining injuries to his head and shoulder in a victory over Texas Tech the previous week. But Gundy said during Monday's Big 12 football coaches teleconference that Robinson began throwing over the weekend and that he would return to practice Monday afternoon. Gundy normally does not discuss injuries which means Robinson could or could not play.

But Robinson's return is key because the 9-2, 6-1 Cowboys are in line for the first at-large BCS bowl berth with a victory over the struggling Oklahoma Sooners in the annual Bedlam rivalry game.

Junior Alex Cate started in Robinson's absence against the Buffaloes, but it was sophomore Brandon Weeden who came off the bench to secure the 31-28 win.

OU coach Bob Stoops said not knowing for sure which quarterback will play for the Oklahoma State Cowboys doesn't change his team's preparation.

"They're still running the same offense no matter who is in there," Stoops said. "So it really doesn't change the preparation."

Oklahoma State's Zac Robinson Expected to Play in 'Bedlam' originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:58:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Big 12 North Gets Nostalgic

Terrance Harris — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Baylor, Colorado, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M, Texas, Texas Tech, Big 12

The Big 12 North remains a ways from returning to the prominence it enjoyed when the conference first formed in the late 1990s, but if Saturday's matchup between Kansas State and Nebraska for the division title is any indication then better days are certainly on the horizon.

After years of struggles by the Kansas State Wildcats and the Nebraska Cornhuskers, which have coincided with a dip in the North's strength, the two meet Saturday in Lincoln for a winner-take-all showdown. Neither team has had quite the season it anticipated but each has won enough for the right to play for the Big 12 championship, likely against No. 2 Texas, Dec. 5.

"Certainly we've been in this position before, probably in different ways," said veteran Wildcats coach Bill Snyder, who broke out of a three-year retirement to return to the sidelines this season. "By the same token, I can't remember other than the very early years that playing against the Nebraska teams was not a great challenge and certainly key ball games were after those initial years after they beat us so soundly."

It used to be that Nebraska was the football program many were measured by across the country when legendary coach Tom Osborne was running the Cornhuskers. The pull was even greater for an up-and-coming coach in the Big Eight, who dared dream he could turn Kansas State into a team capable of competing with mighty Nebraska.

"It was a dynamic conference, there were a lot of models," Snyder said this week. "I always had amazing respect for Tom Osborne and I loved the way he conducted his program, not just all the championships he had won, but just the fact of how he handled his program and how he worked with young people and what he meant to his state. It was a total package. Indeed it could serve as a model program for any one of us."

Eventually Snyder and his Wildcats caught up enough to make the early years of the Big 12 quite interesting. From the inception of the league in 1996 to 2000, either Nebraska or Kansas State won the North Division every season. But since then both teams have won the North just once as the division has taken a backseat to the South.

In the meantime, Nebraska has had three coaches and Kansas State moved on to Ron Prince for a few up and down seasons before returning to the stability of Snyder.

Both teams are still shadows of their former selves, but this may be sign of progress. Nebraska enters Saturday game 7-3, 4-2, while the Wildcats come into their regular-season finale 6-5, 4-3 with a chance to become bowl eligible (two of Kansas State's win are over FCS teams) and the division champs at the same time.

"Obviously, the game means a lot, this is going to determine the Big 12 North," said second-year Nebraska coach Bo Pelini. "We have a lot of respect for our opponent in every way and we know we have to be ready to play our best football."

Cyclones Gathering Strength

A few days into spring practice, first-year Iowa State coach Paul Rhoads felt he had plenty of reasons for concern after watching the team he inherited tackle.

But Rhoads and his staff had just as much to celebrate after the Iowa State Cyclones beat Colorado 17-10 to become eligible for the first time since 2005. Iowa State, coming off a 2-10 season last under Gene Chizik, has moved to 6-5 on the season to give Rhoads the biggest turnaround of any rookie coach this season.

"We've made a lot of progress before we got to this sixth win and bowl eligibility," said Rhoads, whose team is 3-4 in league play heading into Saturday's regular-season finale at Missouri. "Progress and improvement is what we wanted to accomplish. Now we've put the program a little bit more on the national map by gaining bowl eligibility.

"Hopefully the bowl game that will follow helps recruiting, helps people's perception of you, it begins to build tradition. Those are hopefully all things we can follow up with."

Interestingly, the defense that Rhoads was so concerned about this past spring has really stepped up at critical times this season. During the win over Colorado, the Cyclones stopped Colorado three times inside their 10 to preserve the win.

The Buffaloes were the third Big 12 opponent ISU has held to 10 points or less this season.

Rhoads is no longer as worried, though he knows major improvement still needs to made to get the unit back up to par of the Dan McCarney days.

"They keep improving, they keep listening to the coaching," Rhoads said. "I thought their preparation and their understanding of Colorado was as good as it's been all year. The communication that took place on the field, the adjustments and communication that took place on the sideline, just gave the appearance of a very smart football team in holding our third Big 12 team to 10 points or less, which is the first time it's been done since 1965 with conference opponents I think also speaks to their growth."

Alexander Making Most of Final Shot

Missouri senior receiver Danario Alexander anticipates getting a little emotional Saturday when he comes out of the tunnel at Memorial Stadium one last time.

"I've been thinking about it for a couple of weeks now," Alexander said. "My time is coming to an end, and it's kind of bittersweet. I'm sure emotions will be flying everywhere, but I've got to try to contain them and play my best game."

It will be pretty difficult to top the two weeks Alexander has had, in which he caught for 414 yards in games against Baylor and Missouri. Alexander, whose career has been marred by serious knee injuries, blistered the Wildcats last Saturday for 200 yards and receiving touchdowns of 54, 16 and 18 yards to earn Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week honors.

After the game, Snyder said Alexander was the best receiver in the Big 12 after watching him run circles around his defense. His opinion of the 6-foot-5 blazer didn't change a couple days later during the Big 12 conference call.

"I had not seen him play until the week of the game and I saw some things he did well," Snyder said. "He's a rangy guy, he's got the height that allows you to put the ball up in the air and for him to jump and go up and get it. I like the fact he can catch the ball over the middle, he' not afraid to lay out for the ball. He obviously has very good hands and has good speed to go with it.

"He's a complete receiver that creates a lot of difficult mismatches because of his height."

Alexander, who had to watch Missouri stars like Jeremy Maclin romp all over the field while injured, is certainly making up for lost time this season. He leads the conference with 81 catches for 1,238 yards and 11 touchdowns and he is averaging 123.8 yards per game receiving.

Missouri coach Gary Pinkel, who has had to watch Alexander endure several disappointing seasons, is pleased that the standout receiver is finally getting a chance to shine. Now he thinks the rest of the nation should take notice.

"His numbers speak for themselves," said Pinkel, whose team became bowl eligible last week for a school-record fifth straight year. "Because he had been injured the past couple years and didn't play on a consistent basis, I think without question his name should be out there for All-American honors. Based on stats, based on performance just week in and week out the consistency.

"I know there are great players in this league, I have great respect for all the players here but certainly from an offensive standpoint with two games left in the regular season, I think his numbers are really really outstanding."

Toilet Bowl

It's amazing that as disappointing as both Texas A&M and Baylor have been this season that either of them are in contention for a postseason bowl.

But it's fitting that their matchup Saturday in College Station will likely determine if either will qualify for a postseason bowl game. The Bears, who came into the season with hopes of breaking a long-standing bowl drought had their enthusiasm tempered when sophomore quarterback Robert Griffin suffered an early season-ending knee injury, must win its final two regular season games to be bowl eligible.

The Texas A&M Aggies, meanwhile, have been the biggest mystery of the season having overwhelmed the likes of Texas Tech and Iowa State while falling to Colorado. At 5-6, they need to win at least one of the final two to make a bowl.

But with No.2 Texas coming up on Thanksgiving night, A&M's best bet is to beat the 4-6 Baylor Bears at home Saturday.

"Every game we play is important and this one certainly has some implications for both teams and certainly that's out there," said second-year A&M coach Mike Sherman, who is looking for his first bowl bid. "There are two games left and we are excited about playing this one."

Baylor coach Art Briles, who has endured a heart-breaking season, says it's a victory just for his team to have a chance at a bowl game.

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Colorado head coach Dan Hawkins, left, greets Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy, right, following of an NCAA college football game in Stillwater, Okla., Thursday, Nov. 19, 2009. Oklahoma State won the game 31-28. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

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Oklahoma State running back Keith Toston takes a pass 47-yards for a touchdown against Colorado in the fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game in Stillwater, Okla., Thursday, Nov. 19, 2009. Oklahoma State won the game 31-28. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

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Colorado head coach Dan Hawkins, left, greets injured Oklahoma State quarterback Zac Robinson, right, following of an NCAA college football game in Stillwater, Okla., Thursday, Nov. 19, 2009. Oklahoma State won the game 31-28. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Colorado wide receiver Scotty McKnight carries the ball against Oklahoma State in the fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game in Stillwater, Okla., Thursday, Nov. 19, 2009. Oklahoma defender Donald Booker is at right. Oklahoma State won the game 31-28. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Oklahoma State's Brandon Weeden passes against Colorado in the third quarter of an NCAA college football game in Stillwater, Okla., Thursday, Nov. 19, 2009. Oklahoma State won the game 31-28. Weeden threw for 168 yards and two touchdowns in the second half. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Oklahoma State wide receiver Justin Blackmon, left, celebrates a touchdown against Colorado with teammate Tracy Moore, right, in the fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game in Stillwater, Okla., Thursday, Nov. 19, 2009. Oklahoma State won the game 31-28. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Colorado wide receiver Scotty McKnight, right, is pushed out of bounds by Oklahoma State's Markelle Martin, left, in the third quarter of an NCAA college football game in Stillwater, Okla., Thursday, Nov. 19, 2009. Oklahoma State won the game 31-28. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Oklahoma State's Alex Cate passes against Colorado in the third quarter of an NCAA college football game in Stillwater, Okla., Thursday, Nov. 19, 2009. Oklahoma State won the game 31-28. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

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Oklahoma State wide receiver Hubert Anyiam, left, catches a pass in front of Colorado defender Jimmy Smith, right, in the fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game in Stillwater, Okla., Thursday, Nov. 19, 2009. Oklahoma State won the game 31-28. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Oklahoma State running back Beau Johnson, left, recovers his own fumble in front of Colorado safety Anthony Perkins, right, in the third quarter of an NCAA college football game in Stillwater, Okla., Thursday, Nov. 19, 2009. Oklahoma State won the game 31-28. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

"The good thing is we've put ourselves in position, whereas a year ago we didn't have this position," said Briles, whose team takes on Texas Tech in the regular-season finale at Jerry Jones' Cowboys Stadium on Nov. 28. "We didn't have enough wins to be considered of an opportunity to become bowl eligible with two games remaining. We've got something in front of us, now we have to go take care of business and make it reality."

Hawkins Finds Humor in Job Security

When asked Monday if he had any communication with athletic director Mike Bohn and chancellor Phillip P. Di Stefano about his job status, Colorado coach Dan Hawkins let loose a loud and awkward laugh during the Big 12 conference call.

Then he gathered himself.

"They've been great, they've been awesome," Hawkins said. "Mike has been great and Phil has been great. They've both been very supportive about the whole deal."

But most believe Hawkins' job is in jeopardy after another disappointing season in which the Buffaloes are 3-7 and 2-4 heading into Thursday night's game at Oklahoma State. Colorado has been bowl eligible just once in Hawkins' four-year tenure.

Hawkins, however, said he didn't believe his job is in jeopardy. He inherited a program from Gary Barnett that had been rocked by a sensational recruiting scandal.

"Those guys are great," Hawkins said of Bohn and Di Stefano. "I think they understand the nature and scope of the position we have here and all the things that go on and have gone on. Everybody wants to win more games but in terms of helping get this place back on track after what it went through I think we've had to take on a number of tasks and done a great job with that."

Big 12 North Gets Nostalgic originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Stoops to Irish Flies in Face of Logic

Terrance Harris — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 23:00:00 EST

Filed under: Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Rumors

If you believe rumors, then Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops would be interested in coaching Notre Dame should the Irish send Charlie Weis packing after five seasons.

The initial thought: Yeah right.

"That's ridiculous," Stoops said of the reports on Monday.

According to a story appearing in the Chicago Sun-Times, Stoops is said to have expressed interest in the Fighting Irish to a confidant who then betrayed Stoops confidence. Makes sense?

"Some confidant, huh?" Stoops said to reporters following Monday's practice. "I have no idea what you're talking about. Notre Dame doesn't have a job [open]. And I haven't spoken to any confidants about anything. Outside of trying to beat Texas Tech."

Logically, it doesn't make sense for several reasons, beginning with Stoops' enormous salary and tough-to-swallow buyout clause in excess of $3 million. Stoops is also revered in the state of Oklahoma and the Notre Dame job is nowhere close to what it use to be. Restrictive academic standards and the unwillingness of the Irish faithful to recognize the changing landscape have diminished Notre Dame's status among elite programs.

Notre Dame, meanwhile, may or may not be looking for a replacement for Weis. We likely won't know for sure until a day or two following the Irish's Nov. 28 regular-season finale at Stanford. That's just how Notre Dame works.

The problem with firing Weis is the cost of buying him out. A few years ago, reacting to false rumors Weis was being pursued by NFL teams, Notre Dame signed its then hot-shot head coach to a 10-year extension that is paying him somewhere between $4 to $5 million annually. The buyout is also said to be around $4 million to get rid of Weis before the contract ends.

So we are talking more than $7 million in buyout money and a contract for Stoops in the neighborhood of $5 million annually to even make sense. Even for a school being paid exclusively by NBC, that's steep.

But just for fun of it, let's look at five reasons it would make sense for Stoops to leave OU for Notre Dame and five reasons why this is crazy.

Five Reasons For:

1. Stoops' reputation of rebuilding once proud programs.

2. The lure of coaching the most national college football program in the land.

3. The money.

4. The chance to prove himself as a national recruiter.

5. Escaping the feeling of being taken for granted by some in Sooner-land.

5 Reasons Why Not:

1. While Stoops has a national championship to his credit, he still hasn't escaped the reputation of failing in big games and especially in bowl games.

2. His contract and buyout combined with buying out Weis would be extremely costly.

3. Florida coach Urban Meyer and Cincinnati's Brian Kelly seem more of a Notre Dame fit.

4. Stoops would find it impossible to get the same caliber of athlete -- in the same great numbers -- he has at OU admitted into Notre Dame.

5. Stoops, while criticized by some, is revered by the majority around the state of Oklahoma and in Norman, Okla.

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TCU fans celebrate the team's 55-28 win over Utah by rushing the field during an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 14, 2009, in Fort Worth, Texas. (AP Photo/Tom Pennington)

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In this Sept. 19, 2009 photo, San Jose State head coach Dick Tomey, right, walks off the field after shaking hands with Stanford head coach Jim Harbaugh, left, after their NCAA college football game in Stanford, Calif. Tomey, 71, will retire after the season. Stanford defeated San Jose State 42-17. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)

East Carolina defensive back Emanuel Davis intercepts the ball during the fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game against Tulsa in Tulsa, Okla., on Sunday, Nov. 15, 2009. East Carolina won 44-17. (AP Photo/David Crenshaw)

East Carolina quarterback Patrick Pickney passes as Tulsa's James Lockett rushes during an NCAA college football game in Tulsa, Okla., on Sunday, Nov. 15, 2009. East Carolina won the game 44-17. (AP Photo/David Crenshaw)

East Carolina's Scotty Robinson knocks the ball loose from Tulsa quarterback G.J. Kinne during the fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game in Tulsa, Okla., on Sunday, Nov. 15, 2009. East Carolina recovered the fumble and ran it in for the final touchdown in their 44-17 victory over Tulsa. (AP Photo/David Crenshaw)

Tulsa quarterback G.J. Kinne is forced to run by heavy East Carolina defensive pressure the during second quarter of an NCAA college football game in Tulsa, Okla., on Sunday, Nov. 15, 2009. (AP Photo/David Crenshaw)

East Carolina's Dominique Lindsay runs through a tackle attempt by Tulsa's DeAundre Brown during the first quarter of an NCAA college football game in Tulsa, Okla., on Sunday, Nov. 15, 2009. (AP Photo/David Crenshaw)

East Carolina's Darryl Freeny runs away from Tulsa's Kenny D. Sims for a long pass reception during the second quarter of an NCAA college football game in Tulsa, Okla., on Sunday, Nov. 15, 2009. (AP Photo/David Crenshaw)

East Carolina quarterback Patrick Pickney looks to pass during the first quarter an NCAA college football game against Tulsa in Tulsa, Okla., on Sunday, Nov. 15, 2009. (AP Photo/David Crenshaw)

TCU fans celebrate the team's 55-28 win over Utah by rushing the field during an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 14, 2009, in Fort Worth, Texas. (AP Photo/Tom Pennington)

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Chart shows the current Bowl Championship Series standings

Stoops to Irish Flies in Face of Logic originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 23:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Big 12 Notebook: '05 Still Alive in Texas

Terrance Harris — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 07:00:00 EST

Filed under: Baylor, Colorado, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M, Texas, Texas Tech, Big 12

The comparisons between the Texas Longhorns 2005 team and this season's team are inevitable.

At this point in the 2005 season, the Vince Young-led Longhorns looked pretty invincible. After a tough early season game against Ohio State , they romped over opponents with relative ease on the way to the BCS national title. These Colt McCoy-led Longhorns are doing the same with only their annual rivalry game against Oklahoma serving as the lone close challenge in putting together a perfect 9-0 record and a No. 2 national ranking.

It's just the second time since 1983 that the Longhorns have been 9-0. The other time, of course, was in 2005 when they put together an undefeated campaign that ended with a dramatic national championship victory over USC.

UT coach Mack Brown, who has gone through great pains at times to keep his team focused on the task at hand this season, agreed Monday that he sees favorable comparisons between his two teams. But he also cautioned there are still a couple obvious major differences.

"I would think right now you could compare them because there really has been only one close game from this team and there was only one through nine games for the 2005 team," Brown said during the weekly Big 12 conference call. "I think the biggest question will be the way that other bunch finished in 2005. Obviously they were the best in the country at this time and this bunch hasn't even won the Big 12 South yet."

McCoy, who was soaking it all up while as a redshirt in 2005, says he learned some valuable lessons from that team that he's passing along to this year's Longhorns as a seasoned senior.

"They had their edge," McCoy said. "They were focused every week. Not just focused and excited about going into the game, but focused all week, making sure everyone on the team is working hard and getting their minds right and understanding their jobs going into the game all week long.

"I think that is one thing that we have cleaned up well. We really practice hard. We really prepare each week so that we will be ready on Saturday."

While this year's team is undefeated, like 2005, these Longhorns are awaiting that complete game where they dominate an opponent from beginning to end and in all phases of the game. Defensively, they've been stout and arguably better than the 2005 defense thanks to defensive coordinator and head-coach-in-waiting Will Muschamp.

But offensively, Texas has frequently been slow to get going. This past weekend, Central Florida led the Longhorns 3-0 in the second quarter before the Longhorns scored the next 35 en route to a 35-3 win.

McCoy is on the way to being the all-time wins leader for football's top division and remains in the Heisman conversation. McCoy and receiver Jordan Shipley have been an unstoppable connection, but the running game continues to be inconsistent.

For whatever reason, it seems whenever the Longhorns get one area fixed another seems to break down. Brown was still bothered Monday by flaws in the kicking game after kicker Hunter Lawrence missed a 44-yard field goal in the first quarter this past Saturday.

"You are happy at 9-0 obviously," he said. "But it seems like holes in the bottom of your boat -- when you fix one hole something else pops up. "

Still, most expect little to get in the Longhorns way as they march toward the BCS national title game at the Rose Bowl, the site of their 2005 national title. With three games left in the regular season, including Saturday's game at Baylor, the Longhorns most difficult remaining challenge may be Texas A&M in the Thanksgiving night finale.

Texas remains ranked third in the BCS standings behind Florida and Alabama, but with the Gators and Crimson Tide meeting in the SEC championship that opens the door for the Longhorns to most likely meet the SEC champion in Pasadena provided they win out and emerge as Big 12 champs.

Then the comparisons to the 2005 squad would really come into focus.

"At this time they've earned the right to be in conversation with the 2005 team," Brown said, "but they haven't earned the right to be considered as good because they've got to finish like that bunch did."

More Bad News for Sooners

The season and the news just keep getting worse for Bob Stoops and his Oklahoma Sooners.

If it wasn't bad enough that they're coming off a 10-3 loss to Nebraske, a loss that ensures Bob Stoops will lose four games in a season for just the second time since 2000, they have now lost three players to season-ending injuries behind that game.

A day after expressing optimism that versatile offensive lineman Brody Eldridge would return this season from a shoulder injury suffered Saturday, Stoops confirmed Tuesday that Eldridge is one of three players lost for the season. Joining Eldridge are offensive lineman Jarvis Jones and defensive end Auston English.

Eldridge, who has started this season at center, tight end and guard, has a sprained shoulder, suffered while making a tackle following one of quarterback Landry Jones' five interceptions. Jones has a fractured heel and English is having surgery to repair an ankle tendon.

The Sooners (5-4, 3-2 Big 12), of course, lost Heisman Trophy quarterback Sam Bradford with a shoulder injury last month and All-America tight end Jermaine Gresham with a knee injury before the season began.

Thomas Giving Wildcats a Boost

Junior college transfer Daniel Thomas came to Kansas State as a quarterback-wide receiver from Northwest Mississippi Community College

Yet, Thomas has certainly had one of the greatest impacts on the Wildcats surprising season as a hard-charging running back. Thomas leads the Big 12 in both rushing (1,087) yards and rushing touchdowns (11) through 10 games.

"Daniel is a very good young person, very conscientious," said Kansas State coach Bill Snyder, whose team is 64- (4-2 in the Big 12) with a half-game lead over Nebraska for first place in the Big 12 North. "He's a hard worker. He's obviously has some physical capabilities. He gives us a kind of multi-purpose dimension."

Most importantly, he gives the Jayhawks a ground-controlling presence as a 6-foot-2, 227-pound power back. Thomas became just the ninth player in KSU history to go over 1,000 yards rushing this past weekend when he ran for a career-best 185 yards in the win over Kansas.

"I like that as a running back, he's a pretty physical running back," Snyder said. "He has reasonably good size, but he has, as demonstrated this past weekend, a major motor that kind of keeps him going. He stays on his feet well.

"He's gotten better as the season has progressed. That comes from understanding the system a little bit better, some comes from experience some of it from the daily practice routine. But his development has been very good and he's playing well."

Up and Down Aggies

Second-year Texas A&M coach Mike Sherman is probably as frustrated and confused about his team as anyone.

Just when it looks like the Aggies are ready to turn a corner, they pull a confusing loss like Saturday's 35-34 stumble at Colorado. Texas A&M looked like it were about to cruise to a third-straight win and bowl eligibility for the first 56 minutes against the Buffaloes.

Then things fell apart as Colorado rallied in the final minutes. Suddenly, things were feeling a lot more similar to the night they lost 62-14 to Kansas State.

So once again, Sherman is trying to pick up the pieces and making something positive happen in these final three games.

"We've had to do that before this year. I tell the guys I knew the season was going to be one that was going to be some high points and some rough spots, as well," said Sherman, whose 5-4 (2-3) Aggies travel to Oklahoma on Saturday for its final road game. "You just have to move on whether you win or you lose. You look at yourself critically whether you win or you lose and you learn from your mistakes.

"This was a tough one because certainly it was a winnable game and one we had in check for about 56 minutes of the ballgame and then at the end there... That's tougher than getting your butt kicked like we did at K-State in many ways because you are so close. We were never in the K-State game, but we were in this one until the last four minutes.

"With young guys we've just got to get them back on track again and try to go against a very good Oklahoma team."

Uncertainty at QB for Huskers

If Nebraska coach Bo Pelini is in a quandary over his quarterback situation, he certainly isn't letting on.

Junior Zac Lee struggled in his first year as a starter, so the Huskers turned to freshman Cody Green. But this past weekend, with the offense struggling to get anything going against Oklahoma, Pelini turned back to Lee.

Lee didn't do muchl, but he steadied the offense to help Nebraska to a surprising 10-3 win at home.

So how will Pelini, whose Cornhuskers are still very much in the North division race, deal with his quarterback situation during these final three games?

"That remains to be seen. We kind of go week to week," Pelini said. "We are going to do what we need to do to win each football game. I think it could a combination of the two. It could be Zac or it could be Cody. That's something we are going to figure out as time goes on and we put in game plan to give ourselves an opportunity to win football games."

Pelini insists he still has confidence in Green, who is Nebraska's future. But there is no denying that Lee seems a lot less rattled at this point.

"He's a little bit older, obviously he doesn't have a ton more experience but he has a little more experience," Pelini said. "I go by off what I see in practice. For the most part I have confidence in both guys. We'll just see how it plays out."

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Penn State head football coach Joe Paterno listens to a question at his weekly news conference on Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2009, in State College, Pa. Penn State plays Indiana, at home, on Saturday. (AP Photo/Pat Little)

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Texas head coach Mack Brown pauses before the Longhorns' weekly NCAA football news conference Monday, Nov. 9, 2009, in Austin, Texas. The Longhorns coach doesn't seem the least bit concerned that Texas dropped a spot in the latest Bowl Championship Series rankings. That's because if the Longhorns win the rest of their games, they shouldn't have any problem getting into the BCS title game. (AP Photo/Harry Cabluck)

Navy running back Bobby Doyle (33) and defensive end Thomas Batchelder (79) react to the crowd after Navy defeated Notre Dame in an NCAA college football game in South Bend, Ind., Saturday, Nov. 7, 2009. Navy won 23-12. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

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Leach Closing in on Milestone

Texas Tech coach Mike Leach says he didn't necessarily look at Lubbock as a destination spot or somewhere he'd achieve greatness when he came aboard 10 years ago.

"I never really thought about it," Leach said. "I just tried to be the best I could from week to the next and see where that all takes you."

Where it has taken Leach is on the brink of becoming the program's all-time winningest coach. Leach needs just one more win to surpass Spike Dykes' 82 career wins collected over 13 seasons with the Red Raiders.

Leach has brought recently unthinkable levels of success to Tech. He hasn't come close to a losing campaign and last year tied at the top of the competitive Big 12 South.

"I'm just excited for Mike, he has done a great job there with Tech," said Stoops, who hired Leach as his offensive coordinator at Oklahoma before Leach left for Tech. "He did a great job for us. ... I obviously felt he could be a head coach when I hired him and those were my words to him. I felt if he did a good job here and we got things rolling here that he'd have an opportunity to be head coach in the first year though. It just happened quickly but he's done an excellent job. All of here still keep in touch with Mike and we're happy for him."

Big 12 Notebook: '05 Still Alive in Texas originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 11 Nov 2009 07:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Stoops, Snyder Resume Friendly Rivalry

Terrance Harris — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Baylor, Colorado, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M, Texas, Texas Tech, Big 12

There is nothing new about Bob Stoops matching coaching wits with old mentor and boss Bill Snyder. They've done plenty of that over the years in Big 12 cross-divisional play.

But that doesn't mean Stoops isn't a little surprised to see Snyder, 70, back on the Wildcats sideline. The longtime Kansas State coach retired four years ago to pursue opportunities outside coaching, but was lured out of retirement last winter.

Stoops, whose 22nd-ranked Sooners host the Wildcats on Saturday, admits it's a little unexpected to be going up against his old boss again, but he was stunned when Snyder was no longer there, too.

"I always believe you have something in the tank, but I guess I was surprised because I was surprised initially that he did retire," said Stoops, who served on Snyder's staff at K-State from 1989-95 as defensive backs coach and later co-defensive coordinator. "I know how well thought out everything Coach Snyder does is that I figured that was it for him. But life changes I guess, the way people keep asking me what's going to happen with me in the next five to 10 years. Heck, I don't know. You just don't know.

"In the end, life changes and he felt that it was right for him to go back and I'm happy for him that it's working out well."

Working well may be the biggest of understatements. The Wildcats, who were up-and-down in the three seasons under Ron Prince, came into the season expected to finish near the bottom of the division race. But after the first three weeks of Big 12 play K-State (5-3, 3-1) stands alone in first place in the North division having won back-to-back league games and four of its last five.

The three-time defending Big 12 champion and last season's BCS championship game participant Sooners (4-3, 2-1), meanwhile, have fallen on difficult times this season with three defeats and the loss of Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Sam Bradford for the season.

Still, the Wildcats will get their greatest of the season Saturday and it comes courtesy of someone who knows Snyder and his tendencies rather well.

"It may make it more difficult because they probably have a better understanding of me than I do of them over a period of time," Snyder said. "Having been out of the game for three years I didn't study what other teams were doing or how consistent Oklahoma was in doing the things I was more attuned to at that particular point in time. What makes it most difficult is just the fact I know the quality of coaching that exists there.

"Bob and his staff there have done extremely well. You always know that you are going to play an excellent football team and a well coached football team a very aggressive football team and one that is difficult for anybody to beat."

Stoops is always aware of what to expect from a Snyder-coached football team, as well. The Wildcats will play great disciplined defense; offensively they will start by effectively running the ball both with the running back and quarterback and they won't beat themselves.

Knowing that, Stoops said he wasn't surprised when Snyder blasted his team in victory last week over Colorado for stumbling and bumbling offensively in the second half.

"He's always looking for improvement," Stoops said. "I spent a long time with Coach Snyder, seven years at Kansas State and I was around him for 10 years at Iowa so I know all about it."

Snyder, who has come back slightly kinder and gentler than before, admits he might have been a little harsh on his team after last Saturday's impressive home win.

"It wasn't good for a lot of different reasons, some I mentioned and some I didn't," Snyder said. "I was probably a little angrier than I should have been. Nevertheless, it's apparent we've got some improvement to make there."

What's Inside a Score, Really?

It was interesting to see if anyone could make sense out of three scores and three teams in the last three weeks in the Big 12.

Follow this: Texas Tech torched Kansas State, 66-14, in Week 6. The following week the Wildcats took out their frustration on Texas A&M by stomping the Aggies 62-14 in Manhattan. And then this past weekend, the Aggies went up to Lubbock, Tex. and destroyed the 21st-ranked Red Raiders 52-30.

So what, if anything, can be derived from college football scores these days?

"Don't look at them because history will repeat itself if you do," said Texas Tech coach Mike Leach, who insinuated afterward that his team went into the A&M game a little full of itself having seen what the Wildcats did to the Aggies a week earlier. "I just think it doesn't matter how much you talk about it during the course of the week, because we talked about it in the course of the week because we spent most of the week talking about it doesn't matter what that Kansas State score was, you've got to be ready play. Somehow as coaches, we weren't able to reach them. We've got to find a better way to do that.

"I think between a guy looking at the score themselves and then going out into the community and being told how great they are and how easy it's going to be, I think somehow you have to have the ability to overcome it. I think we have to find a better way to do that."

Second-year A&M coach Mike Sherman was also at a loss to explain his team's dramatic one-swing that ended a three-game losing streak.

"If I could, I probably could write a book and sell it to a lot of coaches across the country," he said. "Each week presents different challenges. Obviously last week our back was against the wall and there was only way you could go and that's to come out swinging which I thought they did."

Snyder used the odd turns of events in the three games as an excuse this week not to gush over his team's surprising first place standing in the North division.

"There is no real way of predicting how things will turn out," Snyder said. "Just look at the past few weeks involving us, Texas Tech and Texas A&M. That just shows you how much of a guessing game this really is."

Sherman, who of course spent some time as the head coach of the Green Bay Packers and offensive coordinator of the Houston Texans, said the scores in college football can be misleading from week to week. Unlike in the NFL, college kids are dealing with a lot of extenuating circumstances like mid-terms and papers to write.

And there is the injury issue. In the NFL, it's released who is healthy and who will play from week to week. College teams release such information at their discretion and coaches like Leach don't discuss injuries or who might be out at all.

"In college football you have guys playing hurt no one else knows about, different guys playing different positions," Sherman said. "I think it's very difficult because you don't have the full extent of knowledge of what a team is presented with. So I think every team is different."

As The Quarterback Turns At Colorado

Colorado coach Dan Hawkins made it clear Monday that sophomore Tyler Hansen would remain the Buffaloes starting quarterback this week.

But what is a little uncertain is whether Hansen will carry the load or will Hawkins' son, Cody, take most of the meaningful snaps? Hansen was pulled out of his redshirt three weeks ago and given the starting job over ineffective Cody Hawkins.

After guiding the Buffaloes to a surprising win over Kansas, however, Hansen struggled early during last weekend's loss at Kansas State. Cody Hawkins then spent the majority of the second half playing as the Buffaloes tried to come from behind.

Hawkins, a junior and three-year starter, moved the ball effectively at times but he also threw two costly picks, including one into triple coverage in the end zone that iced the game on the final drive. Immediately there were questions after the game about who would start this week against Missouri.

While continuing to back Hansen as the starter, Hawkins left open the door for his son to play in the hurry-up offense and in no huddle situations.

"You just have to kind of see how it goes, you have to play it by feel," he said. "I think Cody has a little better handle on the no huddle part of it."

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Robert S. Hudd, center, Chief of Police for the University of Connecticut Police Department, makes an announcement of an arrest in the murder of Connecticut football player Jasper Howard during a news conference on Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2009 in Storrs, Conn. Connecticut Department of Public Safety Commissioner John A. Danaher III, right, looks on. Howard, a starting cornerback on the football team, was stabbed early Oct. 18 outside a university-sanctioned dance, hours after helping his team to a homecoming game win over Louisville. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

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Memphis' Curtis Steele (26) fights for positive yards against East Carolina's Darryl Reynolds, left bottom, and Dekota Marshall, right, during first quarter NCAA college football action at Liberty Bowl Stadium on Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2009 in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/The Commercial Appeal, Mark Weber) ** NO SALES, MAGS OUT, TV OUT, MEMPHIS OUT **

** ELIMINATE FROM ARCHIVE. IMAGES CARRIES RESTRICTION AGAINST ONLINE USE **Memphis' Curtis Steele (26) fights for positive yards against East Carolina's Darryl Reynolds, left bottom, and Dekota Marshall, right, during first quarter NCAA college football action at Liberty Bowl Stadium on Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2009 in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/The Commercial Appeal, Mark Weber) ** NO SALES, MAGS OUT, TV OUT, MEMPHIS OUT **

Hakim Muhammad, 20, has been charged with conspiracy to commit first-degree assault, which led to the death of University of Connecticut cornerback Jasper Howard. (Photo Courtesy UConn Police Department via Hartford Courant/MCT)

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Jamal Todd, 21, has been charged with falsely reporting an incident and reckless endangerment for pulling the fire alarm that preceded the altercation during which University of Connecticut cornerback Jasper Howard was stabbed. (Photo Courtesy UConn Police Department via Hartford Courant/MCT)

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John W. Lomax III, 21, has been charged with murder in the stabbing death of University of Connecticut cornerback Jasper Howard, police said. (Photo Courtesy UConn Police Department via Hartford Courant/MCT)

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Robert S. Hudd, chief of the University of Connecticut police, announced the arrests in the death of University of Connecticut cornerback Jasper Howard in Storrs, Connecticut, Tuesday, October 27, 2009. (Rick Hartford/Hartford Courant/MCT)

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Clemson tight end Michael Palmer (86) runs for a touchdown in the second quarter against Miami during an NCAA football game in Miami Saturday, Oct. 24, 2009. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

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In this photo taken on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2009, Miami quarterback Jacory Harris hands off the football during a NCAA football game against Clemson in Miami. Only seven quarterbacks in the country have more interceptions than Harris, who had three interceptions in last week's loss to Clemson. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

In this booking photo released on Tuesday Oct. 27, 2009, by the University of Connecticut Police Department, Hakim Muhammad is shown. Muhammad, 20, of Bloomfield, Conn., has been charged with conspiracy to commit assault, in connection with the stabbing death of Connecticut football player Jasper Howard outside a school-sanctioned dance on Oct. 18. (AP Photo/UCONN PD)

Quarterback Issues II

Colorado, however, is far from alone in having quarterback dilemmas.

Nebraska coach Bo Pelini has continued to stick with first-year starter Zac Lee much to the dismay of the Nebraska Cornhuskers faithful who've been given a little taste of freshman Cody Green and they want more.

Then at Texas Tech, the cradle of record-breaking college quarterbacks, Leach is possibly looking at starting his third quarterback of the season Saturday against Kansas.

Former walk-on Steven Sheffield, who came off the bench and led the Red Raiders to a three-game winning streak, is out with a broken football suffered two weeks ago. Taylor Potts, the season-opening starter, was practically booed off the field during Saturday's stunning home loss to Texas A&M in his first start since Oct. 3 when he suffered a concussion.

Redshirt freshman Seth Doege could make his starting debut against the Kansas Jayhawks after seeming to light a spark in the Red Raiders during the second half of the A&M game. Leach, of course, wouldn't reveal his starter Monday.

But he did discuss Potts' shaky confidence after fans at Jones AT&T Stadiu chanted "No More Potts" as he walked to the locker room at halftime after losing a fumble and throwing two interceptions in the Aggies territory.

"I think it's an issue," Leach said. "Confidence is probably the most important asset that a quarterback has. No matter who you are, there are things that you have to fight through.

" I think on an individual level [Potts] needs to ensure that he's confident because no quarterback is going to be effective unless they are."

Pelini, meanwhile, said the fans won't decide who places a spark in the Cornhuskers who are riding a two-game losing streak into Saturday's game at Baylor. Lee, a junior, has struggled in conference play completing 50-of-93 passes for 534 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions in three games.

As a consequence Nebraska's offense has been lethargic, ranking 10th in the Big 12 in scoring with a 14.7 points per game average in league play.

"I do believe the offense needs a spark, where that spark comes from that's up for us to determine where that comes from," Pelini said. "I think that can come from a lot of different areas. I can say this, we need to light a fire under it. Somebody has to step up and make some plays."

Stoops, Snyder Resume Friendly Rivalry originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bradford to Have Surgery, Enter Draft

Michael David Smith — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Oklahoma

Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford said Sunday that he plans to have season-ending shoulder surgery and enter next year's NFL Draft, bringing the college career of the reigning Heisman Trophy winner to a premature end.

Bradford, who might have been the No. 1 overall pick if he had entered this year's draft, suffered a shoulder injury in the season opener against BYU and aggravated the injury against Texas last week. He said he's ready to move on:

"I dreamed about coming to Oklahoma my whole life," Bradford said. "That's the reason I came back for this season. And I came back to play, not sit on the bench. That's the reason I tried to play after the injury. I'm very disappointed that it didn't work out differently.

"Under these circumstances, and after talking to several people, this is the right thing for me to do at this point."

Bradford added that he intends to enter the NFL Draft if the recovery goes as anticipated. The rehabilitation time for the surgery is estimated at four-six months.

"I'll be up to the challenge," said Bradford.

Bradford has another year of eligibility and could return to Oklahoma for the 2010 season, but it's past time for him to turn pro. He'll be in the NFL next year.

Bradford to Have Surgery, Enter Draft originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sun, 25 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Oklahoma Grounds Overrated Kansas

Terrance Harris — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 19:08:00 EST

Filed under: Kansas, Oklahoma, Big 12

So much for Todd Reesing and the whole Heisman Trophy conversation. The same can be said for the 25th-ranked Kansas Jayhawks and their once-promising season.

On an afternoon when the Jayhawks had a chance to make a major statement against a respectable Oklahoma team, they simply showed they aren't ready for the big time in a 35-13 drubbing in front of their home crowd at Memorial Stadium on Saturday.

Reesing, third in the country in passing yardage per game coming into the contest, threw three interceptions during the Jayhawks' first three possessions . Oklahoma defensive back Dominique Franks was the recipient of the third, which he promptly returned 85 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter to help the Sooners take a 14-6 lead into halftime.

Kansas (5-2, 1-2 Big 12), which was expected to be one of the top two teams in the Big 12 North this season, has now dropped two straight and it doesn't get any easier with tough road games at Texas Tech and Kansas State coming up in the next two weeks. The only saving grace for the Jayhawks is the entire North seems to be a mess with Nebraska, the preseason favorite, losing for the second straight week Saturday, while Kansas State and Iowa State are appearing to be the top two teams in the weaker North division.

The Sooners(4-3, 2-1), meanwhile, bounced back after a disheartening loss last week against rival Texas. Redshirt freshman quarterback Landry Jones, filling in for injured Sam Bradford again, completed 26 of 38 passes for 251 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. One of his favorite targets Saturday was Ryan Broyles, who had 11 catches for 121 yards.

But the day belonged to running back Chris Brown, who accounted for three of the Sooners touchdowns, while rushing rushing for 66 yards on 22 carries in an afternoon Oklahoma was without his cohort DeMarco Murray.

Defensively, the Sooners shut down Kansas' celebrated trio. The Jayhawks had to settle for two first-half field goals before Reesing scored on a run late in the game. Big 12 leading receiver Dezmon Briscoe was held to seven catches for 61 yards, which is well below his season average of 134.2 per game. Star receiver Kerry Meier also found it difficult against the Sooners athletic secondary with eight catches for 54 yards on the day.

The Sooners, who have lost three games to ranked opponents by a combined five points this season, are out of the BCS national championship picture. But they still have an outside chance of claiming their third South division title should they continue winning and the third-ranked Longhorns lose twice in conference play.

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Boston College cornerback DeLeon Gause, top, flips over Notre Dame safety Leonard Gordon as he is tackled on a kickoff return in the first quarter of an NCAA college football game in South Bend, Ind., Saturday, Oct. 24, 2009. Gause wore the number 6 jersey to honor Connecticut player Jasper Howard, who was killed last weekend. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

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SEATTLE - OCTOBER 24: Running back LaMichael James #21 of the Oregon Ducks points to the crowd after scoring a touchdown in the second half against the Washington Huskies on October 24, 2009 at Husky Stadium in Seattle, Washington. The Ducks defeated the Huskies 43-19. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** LaMichael James

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TUSCALOOSA, AL - OCTOBER 24: Kicker Daniel Lincoln #26 of the Tennessee Volunteers has his game-winning field goal blocked by the Alabama Crimson Tide at Bryant-Denny Stadium on October 24, 2009 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Daniel Lincoln

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SEATTLE - OCTOBER 24: Running back LaMichael James #21 of the Oregon Ducks dives in for a touchdown in the second half against Mason Foster #40 of the Washington Huskies on October 24, 2009 at Husky Stadium in Seattle, Washington. The Ducks defeated the Huskies 43-19. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** LaMichael James;Mason Foster

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Penn State defenders celebrate a fumble recover during the fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game against Michigan in Ann Arbor, Mich., Saturday, Oct. 24, 2009. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

Syracuse head coah Doug Marrone looks on from the sidelines during the fourth quarter against Akron in an NCAA college football game in Syracuse, N.Y., Saturday, Oct. 24, 2009. Syracuse won 28-14. (AP Photo/Kevin Rivoli)

Alabama's Star Jackson (2) reacts after their 12-10 win over Tennessee in an NCAA college football game at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala., Saturday, Oct. 24, 2009. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

Navy running back Bobby Doyle (33) is tackled by Wake Forest cornerback Josh Bush during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 24, 2009, in Annapolis, Md. Navy won 13-10. (AP Photo/Rob Carr)

Syracuse running back Delone Carter, third from right, follows the block of Jonathan Meldrum (73) into the end zone for a touchdown against Akron during the fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game in Syracuse, N.Y., Saturday, Oct. 24, 2009. Syracuse won 28-14. (AP Photo/Kevin Rivoli)

Syracuse running back Delone Carter (3) is congratulated by quarterback Greg Paulus after scoring a touchdown against Akron during the fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game in Syracuse, N.Y., Saturday, Oct. 24, 2009. Syracuse won 28-14. (AP Photo/Kevin Rivoli)

Akron quarterback Patrick Nicely (16) is sacked by Syracuse's Mikhail Marinovich during the third quarter of an NCAA college football game in Syracuse, N.Y., Saturday, Oct. 24, 2009. Syracuse won 28-14. (AP Photo/Kevin Rivoli)

Oklahoma Grounds Overrated Kansas originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 24 Oct 2009 19:08:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bradford Calls Off Press Conference to Address Injury, Future

Terrance Harris — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 17:01:00 EST

Filed under: Oklahoma, Big 12, Injuries, Heisman

It's the great mystery in Norman, Okla., right now.

Is quarterback Sam Bradford's career over at Oklahoma? Will the 2008 Heisman Trophy winner opt for surgery to repair the sprained AC joint in his right shoulder? Could he play again this season or next?

Those are all burning questions that Sam Bradford was supposed to address following Wednesday's Oklahoma Sooners practice, but he called off a scheduled press conference. Oklahoma associate athletic director for media relations Kenny Mossman told FanHouse that Bradford wants to gather more information. There is no rescheduled date set and that Bob Stoops will not be taking any questions on Bradford after practice.

Speculation is rampant Bradford, a junior, will elect to have season-ending surgery. His decision to call off the press conference seems to support that theory.

What this all means for his OU career is very much up in the air. Coming into the season, it seemed a foregone conclusion that Bradford would leave early for the NFL following this season after turning down a chance to be an early first-round selection in last spring's NFL draft.

The injury and the need to prove to NFL brass he's fully healed after surgery may force Bradford to come back to school for another season to re-elevate his stock.

Bradford originally injured the shoulder during the season-opening loss to BYU. He missed the next three Sooner games while rehabbing the injury and consulting with a specialist in Alabama. He returned to the playing field two weeks ago against Baylor, but last week was knocked out of the game when the shoulder was re-injured during the second offensive series of the Red River Rivalry against Texas.

Stoops said earlier this week that there was no further damage done to Bradford's shoulder but expected to make an announcement about his future at some point this week. Bradford has been ruled out of playing in Saturday's game at Kansas since Monday.

It seems to make sense Bradford will opt to have the surgery to repair the shoulder because the 3-3 Sooners are definitely out of the BCS national championship picture and are even in an uphill battle to win their fourth straight Big 12 title. One of the reasons Bradford returned to school this year after getting beat by Florida in last season's national championship game was to help OU take home the national title.

Bradford Calls Off Press Conference to Address Injury, Future originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 17:01:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Big 12 Notebook: North by North Mess

Terrance Harris — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 23:00:00 EST

Filed under: Baylor, Colorado, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M, Texas, Texas Tech, Big 12

It's just three weeks into the full-swing of Big 12 play but the North Division is looking like any of the six teams could win the race.

That doesn't necessarily bode well at all for the weaker half of the two-division league.

Nebraska and Kansas came into the season as the presumed favorites to represent the North, but after two weeks of inconsistent play neither seems as powerful. The same can be said for two-time North champion Missouri, which started the season a surprising 4-0, but has dropped its first two games of the Big 12 season.

The standings looked a little odd to start this week when Kansas State and Colorado joined Nebraska and Kansas at the top of the North standings as one-loss teams. The Wildcats, who were expected to be in major rebuilding mode in the return of Bill Snyder, actually sit alone in first place as they've played one more game than the other top three and have a 2-1 league record.

"Certainly this far into the season, it looks like it's going to be kind of a wild race," said KU coach Mark Mangino. "For us, we understand this is a great conference and that anybody can win on any day. I don't think you can discount anybody in the conference. You've got to be ready to play and play smart football.

But the signal that this could be a wacky year in the North is much more than team records. It's what's happened in the first couple weeks.

Kansas State lost to Texas Tech 66-14 two weeks ago and then, last week, made a big statement by stomping Texas A&M 62-14. Nebraska, meanwhile, pulled off a late fourth-quarter win over Missouri only to fall apart and stay that way against Texas Tech this past Saturday.

Snyder, who built the Wildcats into an unlikely North power in the 1990s and the early part of this decade before his retirement, can't explain the dramatic swing, from dazed in the opener to sitting atop the standings.

"It probably tell us we are a little goofy and we have no idea who we are or what we are," Snyder said. "Why does it happen? Everybody has their own opinion about it.

"I think in our situation, there was certainly a major embarrassment from the week before. The preparation in a lot of different ways improved over the course of the week."

Then there are the Jayhawks, who, thanks to steady diet of cupcakes in non-conference play, jumped out to a 4-0 record but barely squeaked by Iowa State before being upset Saturday by a one-win Colorado team Saturday. The Buffaloes also gave No. 2 Texas a scare week earlier before falling to the Longhorns in the second half.

Even the two bottom teams, Iowa State and Colorado still have a chance. The Cyclones, under first-year coach Paul Rhoads, have played both K-State and Kansas tough while they pulled out a convincing win over Baylor this past week.

And 0-2 Missouri has been the victim of a forgiving start to the Big 12 season that includes facing Nebraska and Oklahoma State and it continues this week when No. 3 Texas comes to Columbia. The Tigers fortunes should change the final five games with a slate that includes Colorado, Baylor, Kansas State, Iowa State and Kansas.

"It's kind of hard to figure, I don't know what's going on," said Mizzou coach Gary Pinkel. "Everybody is playing different people at this time. We are on a real tough stretch obviously. We knew going into this it was going to be tough.

"There is a lot left in the season, a lot of things are going to happen by the end of October and November will be interesting to see how that all works out."

So the theme for the North is to expect the unexpected and hold on for a rather wild ride.

"What I see is that a lot of teams in the North, probably everybody is still got an opportunity," Mangino said. "For us, we just have to take care of the business at hand. We've just got to win as they come and let that stuff kind of figure itself out at the end. But it certainly looks like it's going to be a wild race, no question."

Longhorns sitting pretty at No.3

It may have seemed like a slight to some Texas fans when the Longhorns came in No.3 during the first BCS poll released this week.

But with either No.1 Florida or No.2 Alabama sure to take a fall in the SEC championship game at the latest, the third-ranked Longhorns just have to keep winning and they will punch their ticket to the BCS national title game.

The key for the Longhorns is to keep winning, but tough back-to-back road games coming up against Missouri and Oklahoma State that could prove difficult.

It doesn't really matter to me," UT senior quarterback Colt McCoy said of being third in the BCS rankings and what that might mean. "We don't care about that. We care about beating Missouri this week. Other than that, it doesn't matter."

But coach Mack Brown recognizes the challenges that are in front of his team as it attempts to make a run at the BCS national title this season. The Longhorns were just seconds away from earning a trip last season when they fell to Texas Tech on a last-second play. That was all that stood between them and an undefeated record.

"The pressure is there being No. 3, because everybody says to every one of our kids that unless you win them all you're not going to have a chance to get what you want," said Brown, whose team dropped from No. 2 to No. 3 in the polls after an unimpressive win over Colorado two weeks ago. "What we want for them is to try to enjoy the ride. What a wonderful time that these kids have given us as fans, you as media, this is fun.

"Two years in a row they have been in the mix after mid-season. Two years in a row they have beaten Oklahoma to jumpstart the writing of the first BCS polls that come out.

"There is pressure, regardless of whether you are [No.] 1 or 3 and I don't think that the kids feel there is any difference because they know that it changes. They know it changes per week so I feel like they know that if you are in the top 3 or 4 than it is okay."

Who's at QB For Tech this week?

It appears that new star quarterback Steven Sheffield may have been injured during the Nebraska game and won't play in Saturday's home game against Texas A&M.

That means, if Sheffield isn't able to go, he will be replaced by starter Taylor Potts, whom Sheffield replaced a few weeks ago when he went down with an apparent concussion against New Mexico.

But don't expect to hear anything official from head coach Mike Leach or Texas Tech. Injuries are guarded under lock and key. We'll see Saturday.

But does it really matter? Whoever is at quarterback, the Red Raiders will throw for a lot of yards and score a bunch of touchdowns against A&M. Don't they always?

Pelini mum on quarterback situation

Nebraska nearly pulled ineffective quarterback Zac Lee during the second half of the Missouri game two weeks ago, but Lee got things going just in time to pull off the rallying win.

Lee, a first-year starter, didn't have that same magic this past weekend and in came freshman Cody Green, who did guide the Cornhuskers to a score in the loss to Tech.

Now head coach Bo Pelini has a full-blown quarterback controversy on his hands. Surprise, he isn't tipping which way he's leaning, either.

"Right now nothing has changed," Pelini said. "If and when the change occurs we'll announce it."

So does that mean the competition is open?

"It's always open," the always short on words coach said. "That's kind of how we always approach it."

That's certainly not helpful information to Paul Rhoads, whose Iowa State Cyclones have the task of preparing for two quarterbacks instead of one this week.

"You have to certainly analyze all their film and study what they've done and build a basic game plan and preparation based on those plays and look long and hard when the different players are there. Did the play go any different? Is there a significance to that?," Rhoads said. "If there is then you have to devise a little bit different play calling scheme.

"You can't over prepare, there just is not enough time, not enough reps in a day or a week. That's where the problem can come up if there is significant difference and the time that goes along with it."

There is also the possibility the Cyclones could face both Lee and Green. Maybe.

"It depends on how it goes," Pelini said. "We're not real big on the rotating quarterback system. It's hard to get a guy in a rhythm. We'll see how it goes and how they practice and how they perform and we'll go from there.

"There are a lot of variables, there is a lot of things that could happen, but it's hard for me to look into a crystal ball and say this will happen for sure."

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Notre Dame receiver Robby Paris (82) is injured on a hit by Southern California's Taylor Mays (2) and Kevin Thomas (15) late in the fourth quarter during a college football game, Saturday, October 17, 2009, in South Bend, Indiana. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune/MCT)

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Iowa State quarterback Jerome Tiller dives for extra yardage during the fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game against Baylor, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009, in Ames, Iowa. Iowa State won 24-10.

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Mississippi State running back Anthony Dixon, top, dives into the end zone for a touchdown over Middle Tennessee State defenders, from left, Antwan Davis, Danny Carmichael and Cam Robinson, in the fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game in Murfreesboro, Tenn., Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009. Mississippi State won 27-6.

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Connecticut football coach Randy Edsall, center, leads his players during NCAA college football practice in Storrs, Conn., on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2009. Practice was scheduled as usual despite the on campus slaying of player Jasper Howard over the weekend. (AP Photo/George Ruhe)

Camouflage design football cleats are displayed during a news conference on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2009, in Columbia, S.C. Maryland and South Carolina will wear uniforms with camouflage designs during their NCAA college football games on Saturday, Nov. 14, to honor military veterans and promote the Wounded Warrior Project. (AP Photo/Mary Ann Chastain)

South Carolina's football coach Steve Spurrier holds up a jersey with camouflage designs during a news conference on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2009, in Columbia, S.C. Maryland and South Carolina will wear uniforms with camouflage designs during their NCAA college football games on Saturday, Nov. 14, to honor military veterans and promote the Wounded Warrior Project. (AP Photo/Mary Ann Chastain)

South Carolina's football coach Steve Spurrier, center, flanked by Sgt. Jeremy Hale, left, and Master Sgt. Pete Lara, both from Fort Jackson, as he holds up a jersey with camouflage designs during a news conference on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2009, in Columbia, S.C. Maryland and South Carolina will wear uniforms with camouflage designs during their NCAA college football games on Saturday, Nov. 14, to honor military veterans and promote the Wounded Warrior Project. (AP Photo/Mary Ann Chastain)

A UConn Huskies player pats a teammate on the shoulder as the team is called to "play hard in honor of Jasper" by another team member, at the start of practice on the UConn Storrs, Conn., campus on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2009. Practice was scheduled as usual despite the slaying of Jasper Howard ( 6) over the weekend. (AP Photo/George Ruhe)

Anyiam stepping up in place of Dez Bryant

Oklahoma State has needed someone to step in place of suspended All-American receiver Dez Bryant and so far that person has been sophomore Hubert Anyiam.

During Saturday's win over Missouri, Anyiam put forth a Bryant-like performance with 10 catches for 119 yards and a touchdown to earn Big 12 Co-Offensive Player of the Week honors on Monday. Anyiam has 16 catches for 223 yards and two scores on the season.

"Hubert has played well for us, he still has a ways to go but he's made catches for us," said OSU coach Mike Gundy. "He's a great example of a young man taking advantage of an opportunity. He hadn't had as many reps when Dez was playing and available to us, but since then he's had to step up and play a considerable amount of reps and done a good job."

As for when Bryant might be reinstated for lying to the NCAA about his friendship with Deion Sanders, Gundy said he still doesn't know. Bryant has been held out of the Cowboys last three games, all wins, but last week he went to Indianapolis to ask for reinstatement. No decision has been made.

Griffin gets a medical redshirt

Baylor sophomore quarterback Robert Griffin has been granted a medical redshirt after suffering a season-ending ACL injury last month so he will have three to play upon returning in 2010.

Griffin opted to have surgery to repair his ACL last week, effectively ending his season. Now begins a lengthy rehab, which head coach Art Briles hopes will have him ready to participate some in spring ball.

"I think he is going to depend on how his rehab goes," Briles said. "I think he is going to be able to participate but certainly on a limited basis right now."

Big 12 Notebook: North by North Mess originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 23:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Stoops Silent on Bradford's Future

Terrance Harris — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 19:12:00 EST

Filed under: Oklahoma, Big 12, Injuries, Heisman

Whether or not Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford returns to the Sooners this season, or if he has indeed played his last college game, seems to be anybody's guess.

The only thing that was certain Monday is no decision has been made on the 2008 Heisman Trophy winner or his injured right shoulder aside from the fact he will not play in Saturday's game at Kansas. Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said during the Big 12 coaches' conference call Monday the medical team was still in the fact-finding mode after Bradford reinjured the shoulder Saturday. He suffered a third-degree sprain of the AC Joint during the season opener.

Other than that, the Oklahoma Sooners coach had little to say about his quarterback's status.

"They will have a lot for the doctors to look at and visit with here in the next day or two," Stoops said. "I'm not going to have anything to say until at least Wednesday."

Bradford was knocked out of Saturday's 16-13 loss to No.3 Texas during the second offensive series of the first quarter when got hit hard on a corner blitz. Some reports Sunday said tests have shown no additional damage to the shoulder, though that is unconfirmed. So far this season, Bradford has played in just one complete game for the 3-3 Sooners.

But Stoops, whose team has also been hit hard with injuries to All-American tight end Jermaine Gresham and star receiver Ryan Broyles, wasn't in any mood Monday to feel sorry for himself or the tough luck the Sooners have had so far this season.

Oklahoma came into the season as a top three team with an eye toward returning to the BCS national championship season, but after suffering their third overall loss and a key defeat to Big 12 South foe Texas even a fourth straight conference title seems in doubt.

The Sooners have lost the three games by a total of just five points.

"There are challenges, of course. Injuries are still an issue," Stoops said. "But I still feel we obviously played a great football team in Texas the other night and we are there with them toe-to-toe until the end.

"It's easy to see like any other one-point losses, we can be better in a play or two on either side of the ball. In certain circumstances we could be and we have an opportunity to be in a lot better situation. So it isn't like we aren't competing, it isn't like we are out of it. So their confidence level, they see they are not far off in making a play or two to be with these other teams that are ranked really high."

Stoops also cautioned against any notion the 25th-ranked Sooners are out contention for the Big 12 title. The Sooners lost to UT during last year's Red River Rivalry, yet they still ended up representing the South division in the Big 12 championship game after finishing out the remainder of the regular-season schedule undefeated.

Pulling off another similar run might prove difficult against a slate that includes a tough road game this week against No. 24 Kansas followed by back-to-back rival games against Texas Tech and Oklahoma State to end the regular season. Also throw in the uncertainty at quarterback with Bradford's injury and the youth of redshirt freshman Landry Jones and it might be near impossible for the Sooners to duplicate last season.

But Stoops offered his own spin Monday.

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Police vehicles are parked at the crime scene where University of Connecticut football player Jasper Howard was stabbed and killed early Sunday morning, in Storrs, Conn., Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009. Twenty-year-old Howard, of Miami, a junior and starting cornerback, and a second person were stabbed during a fight early Sunday after someone pulled a fire alarm during a dance at the UConn Student Union, police said. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

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Texas head football coach Mack Brown calls on a questioner during an NCAA football media opportunity Monday, Oct. 19, 2009, in Austin, Texas. With the Oklahoma Sooners behind them, the Texas Longhorns look ahead to a two-game road swing at Missouri and at No. 14 Oklahoma State. (AP Photo/Harry Cabluck)

Texas head football coach Mack Brown speaks during an NCAA football media opportunity Monday, Oct. 19, 2009, in Austin, Texas. With the Oklahoma Sooners game behind them, the Texas Longhorns look ahead to a two-game road swing at Missouri and at No. 14 Oklahoma State. (AP Photo/Harry Cabluck)

Texas senior quarterback Colt McCoy is shown during an NCAA football media opportunity Monday, Oct. 19, 2009, in Austin, Texas. With the Oklahoma Sooners game behind them, the Texas Longhorns look ahead to a two-game road swing at Missouri and at No. 14 Oklahoma State. McCoy says he'll probably lose his the nail on his bruised right thumb, but the injury won't keep him from playing this week against Missouri. McCoy hurt the thumb on his throwing hand in the second quarter of No. 3 Texas' 16-13 win Saturday over No. 25 Oklahoma. He struggled through one of the worst passing games of his career, completing 21 of 40 for 127 yards with one touchdown and one interception. (AP Photo/Harry Cabluck)

In this undated photo provided by the University of Connecticut, Jasper Howard is seen. Howard, 20, of Miami, and another student were stabbed during a fight after a fire alarm was pulled during a university sponsored dance at the UConn Student Union just after 12:30 a.m., police said. (AP Photo/University of Connecticut) **NO SALES**

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Connecticut football head coach Randy Edsall speaks during a news conference about the stabbing death of playerJasper Howard in Storrs, Conn., Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009. Twenty-year-old Howard, of Miami, a junior and starting cornerback, and a second person were stabbed during a fight early Sunday after someone pulled a fire alarm during a dance at the UConn Student Union, police said. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

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Connecticut football head coach Randy Edsall, left, speaks at a news conference about the stabbing death of player Jasper Howard as university president Michael J. Hogan, second from left, Major Ron Blichter of UConn Police, center, UConn athletic director Jeff Hathaway, second from right, and player Desi Cullen, right, listen in Storrs, Conn., Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009. Twenty-year-old Howard, of Miami, a junior and starting cornerback, and a second person were stabbed during a fight early Sunday after someone pulled a fire alarm during a dance at the UConn Student Union, police said. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

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Connecticut football head coach Randy Edsall, left, comforts senior captain Desi Cullen, right, during a news conference about the stabbing death of teammate Jasper Howard in Storrs, Conn., Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009. Twenty-year-old Howard, of Miami, a junior and starting cornerback, and a second person were stabbed during a fight early Sunday after someone pulled a fire alarm during a dance at the UConn Student Union, police said. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

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A student walks by yellow tape marking the crime scene where University of Connecticut football player Jasper Howard was stabbed and killed early Sunday morning, in Storrs, Conn., Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009. Twenty-year-old Howard, of Miami, a junior and starting cornerback, and a second person were stabbed during a fight early Sunday after someone pulled a fire alarm during a dance at the UConn Student Union, police said. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

Connecticut football head coach Randy Edsall, left, comforts senior captain Desi Cullen, right, during a news conference about the stabbing death of teammate Jasper Howard in Storrs, Conn., Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009. Howard, 20, of Miami, a junior and starting cornerback, and a second person were stabbed during a fight early Sunday after someone pulled a fire alarm during a dance at the UConn Student Union, police said. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

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"We've only lost one Big 12 game," he said. "A lot was said going into our game that Texas had won three of the last four matchups of ours, but we have won three of the last four Big 12 championships. So obviously that game isn't the end all. It's what you do through the whole year and a lot can happen in this conference with other teams and other injuries. You've got to keep playing and you never know what can happen by the end of the year."

The Sooners are strong defensively, but a lot will depend on what happens at quarterback. There is a good chance Jones could finish out the remainder of the season as Bradford and his family figures what is best for his full recovery. Jones is 2-1 in starts this season, but the two wins came against the likes of Idaho State and Tulsa.

The competition will be much stiffer the rest of the way.

Stoops Silent on Bradford's Future originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 19 Oct 2009 19:12:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gimme a 'T' for Texas and 'T' for Terrible

Greg Couch — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 20:30:00 EST

Filed under: Oklahoma, Texas, Big 12

DALLAS -- Colt McCoy did it all with a sore thumb. Colt McCoy also had lost his voice during the week because of a cold. Colt McCoy saved the game with a tackle. A tackle from a quarterback!

This is why headlines and highlights aren't enough. Texas beat Oklahoma 16-13 Saturday to go 6-0 and keep up its run toward the national championship in its System Stinks Redemption Tour.

But when you watch the recap on ESPN and hear the fairy tale of McCoy, keep this in mind:

He wasn't any good.

And Texas? Worse.

More Coverage: Sam Bradford Down, Sooners Are Out

The Longhorns are a long, long way from being a legit national championship team. Sure, the fun and pageantry of the rivalry were great, as always. You walk through the state fair, past signs that say "Welcome to the fried food capital of Texas," where you decide that the diet can handle fried dough better than fried butter. The stadium neatly packs OU fans on one half, Texas on the other, totaling 96,000.

So for history and for personal meaning, this was a big moment.

But the game? Bad.

Texas? Worse.

"We're in the same spot we were this time last year,'' Texas coach Mack Brown said. "We're not going to let the system dictate to us."

Oh god. Brown is still blubbering about last year. Listen, it's true that Texas beat Oklahoma last year. Then, Texas lost to Texas Tech. So OU got to play in the Big 12 title game and then for the national title.

Texas felt it should have gone. So Brown has made a mission of saying that Texas wouldn't allow that to happen again this year. Yes, it's easy to motivate players with shallow stuff like that.

But I'm not sure how Boise State and Utah feel about Texas whining about the system. Texas is going to get a nice, high BCS ranking when the year's first computer numbers come out Sunday, but the team isn't that good.

The system and the voters always favor the big boys, like Texas. At this point, it appears rigged to put this mediocre team without a running game into the title game against the SEC champ.

"We ran for 142 yards,'' Brown said. "The fact that we ran the ball this well is really exciting to me."

OK, fine. Brown said that his team needs to enjoy the win, that the fun of winning big games is taken away because of the system. So we focus on what's wrong and focus on upsets more than joy.

Honestly, that's exactly what I'm doing. Texas can't run the ball, has an average offensive line and a runner-up Heisman Trophy quarterback in McCoy who saved the game because he threw an awful interception with six minutes left, then made a tackle.

Maybe I should be focusing on the good, the win. But what I can't get out of my mind was the way McCoy kept overthrowing people. He completed 21 of 39 passes for 127 yards and a touchdown. He also threw an interception and fumbled after a long run.

And this Oklahoma team is a shell of its old self. It has a fast, good defense, but lost a bunch of players from last year's team, and has only one player on offense:

Quarterback Sam Bradford, the Heisman winner from last year. Bradford has missed time this year with a separated shoulder, and was knocked out of Saturday's game in the first quarter with a shoulder injury, too.

Best guess: He's done for the year. And if he wants to have an NFL career, he had better come back to OU next year for his senior season.

His stock has crashed this year.

But the point is, Texas barely won, looked bad doing it, and beat a shaky team without its one good offensive player. So do you take joy in beating Oklahoma, Texas fans, and going to 6-0? Or do you worry about the bigger picture?

Or both?

"The good thing,'' McCoy said, "is we know we haven't played up to our potential. It might be scary if we start playing really well.''

This is a process. Give the Longhorns that. But they struggled for a half last week against lowly Colorado, and this OU team, 3-3, is the best team they've beaten.

Receiver Marquise Goodwin, still in the development stages, made some great catches and has amazing, Olympics-like speed. Brown said he'll be good this year.

McCoy had success with the QB draw, something Brown had held back until the big game. Fozzy Whittaker did have a couple of nice runs.

But the stars on offense are supposed to be receiver Jordan Shipley and McCoy. We heard all week about how great Shipley is, how he might actually deserve Heisman consideration.

He caught four passes for 22 yards. Total. And he dropped a punt return, not recovering it until field position was lost.

And McCoy's interception late, when Texas should have been putting the game away, was ugly. Brown said it was a miscommunication with the receiver. But OU defensive back Dominique Franks said he knew the pass would be intercepted before it was thrown.

Franks said that OU had studied film, and knew right where McCoy was going to throw even before he did. Brian Jackson made the interception.

McCoy saved the day on a tackle we'll surely see on highlights as a sign of his greatness.

"It's a game you try to win,'' Brown said. "You don't try to blow out.''

The system, the thumb, progress and no desire to win by blowout.

And I thought Texas simply looked bad. But the coaches poll already has these guys No. 2 in the country. And when the computer comes out Sunday, look for this lousy system to show the Longhorns even more love.

Email me at gregcouch09@aol.com

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Texas cornerback Aaron Williams (4) goes up high to intercept a pass intended for Oklahoma wide receiver Ryan Broyles (85) during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009, in Dallas. Texas won 16-13. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

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Texas Tech head coach Mike Leach adjusts his head set in the final minutes of an NCAA college football game against Nebraska, in Lincoln, Neb., Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009. Texas Tech beat Nebraska 31-10.(AP Photo/Nati Harnik)

Boston College's Montel Harris, right, breaks away from North Carolina State's Bobby Floyd on a touchdown run in the third quarter of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009, in Boston. Boston College won 52-20. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

North Carolina State's Russell Wilson is tripped up by the Boston College defense, as he tries to scramble for a first down during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009, in Boston. (AP Photo/The News & Observer, Ethan Hyman)

Florida kicker Caleb Sturgis (19) celebrates with teammates center John Fairbanks, left, and tight end Aaron Hernandez (81) after kicking the game-winning field goal to beat Arkansas 23-20 in an NCAA college football game in Gainesville, Fla., Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

Southern California head coach Pete Carroll paces the sideline as his team plays Notre Dame during the second quarter of an NCAA college football game in South Bend, Ind., Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

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Florida's athletic director Jeremy Foley reacts on the sidelines as Florida completes a 76 yard pass for a touchdown in the second half of an NCAA college football game against Arkansas in Gainesville, Fla., Saturday, Oct., 17, 2009. Florida defeated Arkansas 23-20. (AP Photo/Phil Sandlin)

Florida offensive lineman Mike Pouncey, left, and quarterback Tim Tebow celebrate their 23-20 victory over Arkansas in an NCAA college football game in Gainesville, Fla., Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009.(AP Photo/John Raoux)

Boston College head coach Frank Spaziani, left, hugs North Carolina head coach Tom O'Brien on the field after Boston College beat North Carolina State 52-20 in an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

Boston College's Montel Harris (2) celebrates his touchdown with teammates including Rich Gunnell, left, and Anthony Castonzo (74) in the second quarter of an NCAA college football game against North Carolina State, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009, in Boston. Boston College won 52-20. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

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Bradford Down, Sooners Are Out

Terrance Harris — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 18:40:00 EST

Filed under: Oklahoma, Texas, Big 12

DALLAS -- The play and the driving hit on a blitz from a Texas cornerback that left Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford squirming on the ground seemed eerily familiar Saturday afternoon at the Cotton Bowl.

Just a week after Bradford returned from a four-week rehab stint after suffering a third-degree AC joint sprain in his right throwing shoulder, he re-injured that same shoulder again early in the first quarter and did not return during the 20th-ranked Sooners' 16-13 loss to No.3 Texas in the annual Red River Rivalry.

Like the season-opening BYU game, Bradford got drilled on a blitz. This time, UT corner Aaron Williams came through full speed and untouched to drive the 2008 Heisman Trophy winner to the surface during the Sooners' second offensive series of the game.

Suddenly, the redshirt junior's college career is in question, as is his presumed multi-million dollar professional career. This certainly isn't what Bradford had in mind when he turned down the chance to be a first-round NFL draft pick last winter to return to school.

"It's extremely frustrating, obviously the way the season has gone for me," said Bradford, who was held out of three non-conference games before returning last week against Baylor. "You miss three games and then to come out and start this one and we're right where we started again.

"It's pretty hard to put into words the frustration that I feel right now."

"It's pretty hard to put into words the frustration that I feel right now."
- Sam Bradford
But how Bradford and the reeling Sooners go forward from here was the million dollar question that no one seemed to have an answer for following their third loss of the season. Is Bradford's college career, or at least his junior season, over? Will he opt for surgery to repair the shoulder? What's the plan going forward?

There are many unknowns. About the only certainty is that the shoulder that was injured Saturday is the same one that shelved him in the first half of the Sept. 5 loss to the Cougars.

"It felt pretty much like it did at BYU," said Bradford, who completed 2-of-6 passes for 77 yards before spending the remainder of the game watching from the sideline. "I really don't know the outlook from here. Obviously I have to talk to the doctors and find out exactly what's wrong with it."

The major concern is whether or not Bradford returned too early from the initial injury. His prognosis for recovery was originally four-to-six weeks but he received clearance to return to the team after missing just two games and three weeks of rehab.

Bradford practiced with the team the week leading up to the Miami game but the plan to return against the Hurricanes was scrapped when his arm went dead about midweek. He received the go-ahead last week for the Big 12 opener, seven days prior to Saturday's mega showdown with the Longhorns.

Perhaps sensing the fallout and the possible implications for his NFL prospects, OU coach Bob Stoops said he understood the question about whether or not Bradford was ready. But he ultimately said the decision came down Bradford's medical doctors, the team doctors, along with Bradford and his family.

"That's going to be there," Stoops said of questions about if Bradford may have come back too soon. "Sam had a great week of practice, he threw the ball. I saw him throw a 60-yard yard pass as pretty to finish up a warmup as I've seen him throw.

"That's fair to say, so no I'm not sitting here complaining because he is hurt again. But in the end we were going with good information from doctors. He understood the entire situation. Sam is a bright, bright young guy. He knows what he wants. Unfortunately, it just hasn't worked out very well."

When asked if he thought Bradford came back too soon, Oklahoma offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson also indicated the coaching staff relied on Bradford and the doctors to make that decision. Wilson said he had full confidence redshirt freshman Landry Jones could go in and get the job done, even against Texas, if Bradford wasn't ready to go.

"I don't think if he didn't physically feel well that he would have done it," Wilson said. "Our deal was if he was going, he's going. If not, the other guy was going to play pretty good. So again, it didn't really change with Landry. Our deal as coaches was if he is in, great. If not, we feel really good about Landry.

"So it wasn't an issue for us of `We've got to have you, this is a big game.' Everybody made a big deal a couple weeks ago that you need to play him before this game. I don't know. If he is ready, he can play."

Just as the Sooners had done in the two previous losses without Bradford, they were positioned to win Saturday. Despite five turnovers, Oklahoma (3-3, 1-1 Big 12) wasn't completed knocked out until Jones threw an interception into double coverage on the final drive. The Longhorns were able to run out the clock.

So as bleak as the season may seem for Bradford and the Sooners, Wilson said all isn't necessarily lost at this point.

"We are five points or a play or two from sitting here at 6-0 and thinking we are pretty doggone good," Wilson said. "We played a good team today, committed five turnovers and lose by three. Let's make a play, let's make a drive, finish a drive, let's get a better play called, let's make a competitive play, let's make a play and win a game. That's what we are not doing as a team offensively."

Stoops had praise for Landry, who finished the day completing 24-of-43 passes for 250 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.

"He did a really good job," said Stoops, whose team travels to Kansas next week "He made a couple bad choices but that's part of learning as a quarterback, part of maturing as a quarterback. He's got a great attitude."

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Texas quarterback Colt McCoy (12) sprints into the open field for extra yardage on a quarterback keeper play during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Oklahoma, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

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Bradford Down, Sooners Are Out originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 17 Oct 2009 18:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FanHouse Week 7 College Football Chat

Brian Grummell — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Texas, USC, General CFB Insanity

Red. River. Rivalry. USC against Notre Dame. National title implications and plain old rivalry are at work in this great weekend for college football. Four of the game's biggest lightning rods headline the first two shifts. Oklahoma limps in but has a chance to regain its form in the face of recent losses to Texas and scuttle the Longhorns' championship dreams. Notre Dame's just looking for a big win, any big win, and what better trophy than rival USC which broke their heart in 2005 with the Bush Push?

There's other football to be played and to be discussed so please join us for FanHouse's college football chat. It'll commence at 3 PM Eastern while the Red River Rivalry is wrapping up. Chat application after the jump.

FanHouse Week Seven Saturday College Football Chat

FanHouse Week 7 College Football Chat originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 17 Oct 2009 15:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Oklahoma QB Sam Bradford Hurt Again

Terrance Harris — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 12:25:00 EST

Filed under: Oklahoma

DALLAS -- Sam Bradford is hurt again.

Six weeks after he injured his shoulder against BYU, Bradford is on the sideline of another big game in the Dallas area after the Heisman-winning quarterback went down early in the first quarter of Saturday's Red River Rivalry game against Texas.

Cornerback Aaron Williams came untouched at Bradford and drove his right (throwing) shoulder into the turf again, a near repeat of the way Bradford injured his shoulder against BYU at Cowboys Stadium.

Bradford completed 2-of-6 passes for 77 yards before he was injured. Backup Landry Jones, who started during Bradford's three-game absence from the previous injury, took over.

According to ABC's Lisa Salters, Bradford underwent x-rays at halftime.

While the immediate and distant future of Bradford is uncertain, Jones has at least done a decent job of steadying the ship in the first half. He has guided the Sooners on one field goal drive as OU clings to a 6-3 lead at halftime.

Jones has completed 12-of-23 passes for 130 yards. His only fault so far is not being able to punch it into the end zone during the first two quarters.

Bradford, meanwhile, remained on the sidelines throughout the first half but was ruled out for the remainder of Saturday's game. Certainly the questions will center around Bradford's return, and whether or not he should return at all. Obviously, the 2008 Heisman Trophy winner came back too soon from the AC joint shoulder injury that forced him to miss three games earlier in the year. The hit by Williams was the first true test of how ready the shoulder was.

Oklahoma QB Sam Bradford Hurt Again originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 17 Oct 2009 12:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Texas-OU Game 2009: Red River Rivalry Live Tweet

Michael David Smith — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 12:01:00 EST

Filed under: Oklahoma, Texas

The 2009 Texas-Oklahoma football game isn't quite the monster game it has been in recent years, thanks to Oklahoma's early struggles. But the game at the Cotton Bowl is still the big game of the day in college football, and we'll be tweeting about it all day.

We'll also have commentary on all the other college football games of the day, including USC vs. Notre Dame, Iowa vs. Wisconsin South Carolina vs. Alabama and Virginia Tech vs. Georgia Tech. To get live updates, follow along below or follow me on Twitter @MichaelDavSmith.

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Texas-OU Game 2009: Red River Rivalry Live Tweet originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 17 Oct 2009 12:01:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Colt McCoy: Game Not About Revenge

Terrance Harris — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 11:45:00 EST

Filed under: Oklahoma, Texas, Big 12

DALLAS -- University of Texas quarterback Colt McCoy says revenge will be the furthest thing from his mind Saturday when third-ranked Longhorns take on No.20 Oklahoma in the anticipated Red River Rivalry here at the Cotton Bowl.

But you'd better believe the Longhorns are still upset from last season when they beat Oklahoma by 10 points on a neutral field and finished the season in a 7-1 three-way tie with the Sooners and Texas Tech. Yet it was Oklahoma that represented the Big 12 South in the conference title game and subsequently advanced to the BCS national title.

The Big 12 tiebreaker rules sent Oklahoma to the Big 12 championship game despite the fact the Sooners lost to Texas in head-to-head competition. The Sooners advanced by virtue of having a slightly better BCS ranking than the Longhorns, who had the misfortune of suffering their only loss of the season late in the year to Tech. OU, meanwhile, didn't lose again in the regular season.

The fact that Oklahoma played in the Big 12 championship game and the BCS national title game against Florida was a bitter pill to swallow and left UT coach Mack Brown vowing to not vote in the coaches poll.

But a year later, UT (5-0, 2-0 Big 12) the higher ranked team and the squad with the most at stake. A win this afternoon would give the Longhorns a leg up in the Big 12 South race and would keep them in step for the BCS national title game bid. The Sooners (3-2, 1-0), meanwhile, come into the game likely out of national title picture but still has a chance to win their fourth straight South division championship.

OU has has been hindered by injuries this preseason, including Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Sam Bradford, who was sidelined for three games with a AC Joint sprain. He returned to the lineup for the first time since the season opener during last week's win over Baylor.

The Sooners are also expected to get receiver Ryan Broyles back in the lineup today after he suffered what was thought to be a serious collarbone injury a few weeks ago against Miami. Having him back on the field should be a huge boost to the Sooners.

FIRST QUARTER

It didn't take long for the fireworks to start in this one. Sam Bradford middle screen pass to running back DeMarco Murray turned into a 64-yard gain to the the UT 9. Several Longhorns missed tackles as Murray raced down field. But the Longhorns avoided complete disaster when the Sooners had to settle for a 26-yard field goal after the drive stalled at the OU 9.

****************

Sam Bradford gets sacked and appears to have injured the same shoulder that caused him to miss three games. Aaron Williams came in untouched on a corner blitz and smashed Bradford on the Sooners second drive of the game. Landry Jones enters the game.

SECOND QUARTER

Defense is definitely carrying the day so far on both sides of the football. But somehow the Longhorns have to get their running game in gear. They had just six yards on the ground in the first quarter.

*****************

How many times have we wondered what are the Longhorns thinking when a they complete three-yard passes on third-and-forever? Well now we see. Colt McCoy dropped back for what looked like a deep pass only to suddenly see three OU defenders in face on an all-out blitz. The result was was a 15-yard loss on the sack.

*************

For all the talk about what may be wrong with Texas' offense, perhaps the performance of the OU defense is being overlooked. The Sooners are owning the line of scrimmage and seem to have QB Colt McCoy on edge with some all out blitz packages coming from every direction. McCoy has thrown hard and high to receivers in critical situations and almost doesn't stand a chance on third downs. Credit a strong Sooners defense, which is pitching a 6-0 shutout near the halfway point of the second quarter.

**************

There was a lot that went into this last possession. Did Franks touch the punt going out of bounds and was that a touchdown for Texas' Malcolm Williams? Well, it turns out the rulling was Franks muffed the punt and UT got the ball on the OU 18. The end result was a 42-yard field goal by Hunter Lawrence that pulled UT within 6-3 with 3:42 remaining in the half.

*****************

In perhaps one of the most bizarre halves of the OU-UT series, neither team was able to read the end zone despite great field positioning for both. OU went into halftime leading 6-3 but with tons of questioning after it appears Bradford is done for the day and perhaps his college career.

But the Sooners haven't felt the pressure because UT quarterback Colt McCoy has been erratic and the Longhorns running game has been a non-factor.

The highlight on both sides have been opportunistic defensive play.

THIRD QUARTER

It took the Longhorns nearly 30 minutes to score their first three points in the first half, but wasn't the case to start the third quarter. UT marched down the field on a couple nice throws by McCoy and a nice run by Fozzy Whittaker to position Lawrence for a 42-yard field goal that tied the game 6-6 with 12:29 remaining in the quarter.

***************

Okay, for the Longhorns it's two possessions and two scores. This time, however, Texas scores the first touchdown of the game when McCoy hits receiver Marquise Goodwin on a slant for a 14-yard touchdown that put the Longhorns up 13-6 with 7:08 remaining in the third quarter.

****************

It didn't take long for the Sooners tor respond to UT's first touchdown of the game with a touchdown of their own. Landry Jones hits Ryan Broyles for a 35-yard touchdown pass that tied the game 13-13 with 4:39 left in the third. Oklahoma's touchdown was aided by a costly roughing the passer penalty on the UT defense during the drive.

FOURTH QUARTER

You can't really call this a shootout, but both offenses are finally moving the ball. The Longhorns have particularly impressive, especially running the ball with Whittaker. UT just took a 16-13 lead on a 32-yard field goal by Lawrence with 12:08 remaining, marking the Longhorns third scoring drive of the half.

Colt McCoy: Game Not About Revenge originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 17 Oct 2009 11:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It Gets Late Too Early at Red River

Clay Travis — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Oklahoma, Texas

Come Saturday morning, Oklahoma and Texas fans are going to be united for the briefest moment before they commence their annual hatefest. Bleary eyed, potentially still drunk, they'll all be cursing when their alarms go off shortly after dawn. For a few hours, being clad in red or burnt orange or crimson doesn't matter, every fan is going to be thinking: How in the hell do I have to set an alarm to get up in time to watch Colt McCoy and Sam Bradford lock and load against one another for the third consecutive year?

Yep, the biggest game of the Big 12 season kicks off shortly after dawn, at 11 local time in Dallas. If you've ever questioned what the Big 12's television status is, the morning kickoff for Texas-Oklahoma, the biggest game with the greatest national title implications in the country this Saturday, proves the Big 12 has no cachet. And that should make you steaming mad no matter where you reside in Big 12 country.

Why?

Because recruits are driven to make their decision by the perception of the conference. Even if a recruit doesn't get an offer from Texas or Oklahoma, another Big 12 school's connection to these programs is valuable. A Big 12 coach may not be able to sell playing in the Red River Rivalry, but he can sell playing against those schools. And in this day and age, when perception of conference strength matters so much and the neighboring SEC is on every channel, you need to put your best cleat forward. And make no mistake about it, the Big 12's best cleat is Oklahoma-Texas.

Every year, there are idiotic scheduling decisions in college football, but Texas-Oklahoma as a consistently early kickoff makes zero sense to me (The game has swung from noon ET to 3:30 ET in recent years). In general I'm opposed to early kickoffs for college games featuring Southern teams because the weather is so good most of the season that the culture, the pageantry, the experience of college football should be paramount. My opposition to early kickoffs down South is one strong reason why I've ripped Jefferson Pilot/Lincoln Financial/Raycom in the past for their games. But at least those games weren't the most desirable of the day in conference, typically those were the least entertaining matchups of the weekend.

What's more, typically the only games that kickoff at noon ET are Big Ten or Big East games. I don't think it makes a ton of sense, for instance, that four Big Ten games kickoff at the exact same time this weekend, but I can appreciate that's a tradition of sorts. And, at the very least, that's typically an hour later in local time. But Texas-Oklahoma at 11? That's a crime against football humanity.

Especially for Texas, who is seeking to prove that they're a national title contender. You think very many people on the West Coast are going to be tuning in at 9AM to see how Texas matches up with a bitter rival? How about potential recruits, teenagers, all over the country? How many of those guys are even going to be awake? Even more ominous, how many big college football fans are going to flip around stations with their remote on Saturday afternoon only to find out that they've missed most of Texas Oklahoma?

All because the Big 12 has a really crappy television contract. And it ain't getting better. Their deal with ESPN/ABC runs through 2016. At a minimum, you'd think the biggest game of the season in the Big 12 would be in primetime. You'd think that, but you'd be wrong.

That's despite the fact that the top-rated games in college football this season are all night games on broadcast television. None of that matters, Texas and Oklahoma will end closer to dawn on Saturday than the witching hour on Sunday. Inexplicably, ABC doesn't have a night game this week. Even more inexplicably, rather than, at a minimum, show the entire nation Texas-Oklahoma in the afternoon, they've elected to split regional coverage and squeeze this game in early, before the regional games kick off. What games are we able to see at 3:30 in our respective wings of the country? Minnesota at Penn State, Texas Tech at Nebraska, Cal at UCLA, and, wait for it, N.C. State at Boston College.

Seriously, that's what we've got instead? Do you really think the regional television audience for Boston College-N.C. State is higher than what the network would draw if they showed a really colorful aquarium instead?

It's nonsensical that Texas and Oklahoma are letting this happen and even more nonsensical for the Big 12 to permit this game to be played outside of primetime. And if this is a restriction instituted by the Texas State Fair, don't you think it's high time that Texas and Oklahoma both gave the Heisman to the state fair officials? Who even goes to the state fair anywhere except for pregnant 13 year old's and their GED-pursuing Romeos? At a time when the SEC is selling every program to the nation, the Big 12 can't even sell its best game to the nation when most people will see it.

Again.

You don't think the Big 12's television contract as compared to the SEC's has something to do with Alabama passing Texas in the polls? Granted there's a strong argument that Alabama has played the best in the country so far, but, guess what, every pollster in the country has been watching Alabama play all season. Texas? Outside of their primetime game against Texas Tech, no one has seen this team play this year. The only possible benefit to either team is that Big Game Bob Stoops might convince his team to play loose since it's so early in the day it can't actually be an important tilt.

An unscientific poll of Texas and Oklahoma fans claims that one reason this game kicks off early is a desire to limit the excessive drinking. If so, that's an incredibly dumb rationale. It snatches away the revenue from bars and restaurants in the city of Dallas, discourages overnight stays, probably contributes to drunken driving by ending so early that everyone, regardless of inebriation, tries to get back home, and strips away the pomp and circumstance from one of America's best rivalries.

It's over so early that no one even knew it was coming. So early that, shudder, I'm always afraid the Texas pom squad will forget their chaps. Texas governor Rick Perry should take this under consideration and threaten secession.

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TAMPA, FL - OCTOBER 15: Quarterback Tony Pike #15 of the Cincinnati Bearcats watches play from the sidelines after an injury against the University of South Florida Bulls October 15, 2009 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Tony Pike

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TAMPA, FL - OCTOBER 15: ESPN commentator Erin Andrews interviews coach Brian Kelly and quarterback Zach Collaros #12 of the Cincinnati Bearcats after play against the University of South Florida Bulls October 15, 2009 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Zach Collaros;Brian Kelly;Erin Andrews

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TAMPA, FL - OCTOBER 15: Quarterback Zach Collaros #12 of the Cincinnati Bearcats talks with injured quarterback Tony Pike #15 during play against the University of South Florida Bulls October 15, 2009 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Zach Collaros;Tony Pike

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TAMPA, FL - OCTOBER 15: Coach Brian Kelly of the Cincinnati Bearcats directs play against the University of South Florida Bulls October 15, 2009 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Brian Kelly

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TAMPA, FL - OCTOBER 15: A cheerleader for the Cincinnati Bearcats watches play against the University of South Florida Bulls October 15, 2009 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images)

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TAMPA, FL - OCTOBER 15: Safety Drew Frey #26 of the Cincinnati Bearcats celebrates an interception against the University of South Florida Bulls October 15, 2009 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Drew Frey

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TAMPA, FL - OCTOBER 15: Quarterback Tony Pike #15 of the Cincinnati Bearcats rushes up field against the University of South Florida Bulls October 15, 2009 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Tony Pike

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TAMPA, FL - OCTOBER 15: Quarterback Zach Collaros #12 of the Cincinnati Bearcats rushes for a touchdown against the University of South Florida Bulls October 15, 2009 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Zach Collaros

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TAMPA, FL - OCTOBER 15: Quarterback Zach Collaros #12 of the Cincinnati Bearcats rushes for a 70-yard touchdown against the University of South Florida Bulls October 15, 2009 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Zach Collaros

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TAMPA, FL - OCTOBER 15: Quarterback Zach Collaros #12 of the Cincinnati Bearcats rushes up field against the University of South Florida Bulls October 15, 2009 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Zach Collaros

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In the event the Big 12 accepts the early kickoff so they can get a second Big 12 game on regional coverage, shame on them. One game in primetime between two powers is more valuable than a morning kickoff followed by a regional afternoon game. Plus, it devalues the experience for the fans who are putting their money, time, and travel on the line to see the game in person. I defy you to find someone under the age of 80 who wouldn't prefer that Texas Oklahoma took place later in the day. So fans of both teams could savor their Friday night, enjoy the build-up, instead of looking down at their watches at 9PM and doing the math to figure out how many hours of sleep they can get by on?

It Gets Late Too Early at Red River originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Fri, 16 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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McCoy, Bradford Friendship Bridges Tense Red River Rivalry

Terrance Harris — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 11:53:00 EST

Filed under: Oklahoma, Texas, Big 12, Heisman

DALLAS -- Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford's emotions were sprawled all over the place on the night of Sept. 5 as uncertainty about his injured shoulder weighed on him, when a text message of inspiration popped onto his cell phone.

"I'm praying for you and I hope you can get back as soon as possible."

More Coverage: Red River Too Early | Big 12 Notebook
Daily Domer | Clausen Almost Great

Under most circumstances this would be wholly unspectacular, a friend reaching out with support and a few words of inspiration.

But what made this message special was that it came from a friend. And a rival. It came from Texas senior quarterback Colt McCoy.

Texas and Oklahoma football players normally don't inspire each. They live to cause each other despair. But for the Heisman-winning signal-caller and the Heisman runner-up, a little rivalry -- OK, a massive rivalry -- can't come between their friendship.

"Colt's a great guy," said Bradford, a junior. "Him sending me a text message after I got hurt telling me he was praying for me and to stay with it and keep my head up just says a lot about the type of guy he is.

"I think a lot of people seeing us going to rival schools probably wouldn't have done that. For him to do something like that and to keep encouraging me says a lot about who he is."

Bigger than that, it says something about the most unlikely friendship that has been formed these last several months between McCoy and Bradford, one that surely transcends the rivalry that will be renewed during the annual Red River Rivalry Saturday morning at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.

Making the postseason awards circuit last December, the two quarterbacks who had worked hard to beat each other the previous two seasons figured out they had far more in common than they had difference. They were two small town boys, who had played every sport in high school and were now the two most popular people at their respective state flagship schools.

They both have become college football legends at their respective state flagship schools as well, and both made the unpopular decision last offseason to bypass NFL riches as high draft choices to return to school.

"We've kind of grown up the same way," McCoy said. "So we do have some things in common."

The two talked frequently during the summer, and while the conversations have been limited to primarily text messaging during the season, the two still find reasons and ways to reach out to each other.

Their relationship and the oddity of it will be the subject of conversation and in-depth interviews in the days leading up to Saturday's showdown.

"Even though it might be unpopular for some fans and some players, the fact that Colt and Sam Bradford have tremendous respect for each other and like each other and are friends and can laugh and still compete on Saturday," said Texas coach Mack Brown. "They can go into the game not angry and putting down the other team and all that is a great message for sportsmanship."

McCoy stayed in contact with Bradford as the Oklahoma quarterback went through a trying rehabilitation after spraining the AC joint in his right shoulder during the Sept. 5 season opener against BYU. Bradford missed three games and four weeks away before returning to action during last Saturday's Big 12 opener against Baylor.

McCoy, who battled through some injuries early in career, empathized with what Bradford went through.

"He's such a competitor, such a leader and to know something is [preventing] you from being able to play, that's a hard pill to swallow," said McCoy, a four-year starter for the Longhorns. "I know how hard he's worked to get back out on the field. I'm definitely happy for him."

But both quarterbacks agree that their friendship is one thing. This game and the rivalry are another. Like most years, the Red River Rivalry carries great implications for both programs. The third-ranked Longhorns (5-0) are looking to unseat the three-time Big 12 South champion Sooners, while also staying on track for a bid for the BCS national championship.

No. 2 Oklahoma, which has lost two games in non-conference, might be out of the national title picture but the South division championship and a BCS bowl berth are within reach with a win Saturday.

So it's to see how friendships will have to take a backseat come Saturday's 11AM CT neutral site kickoff.

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"It is a big game, but I think from a fans' perspective and people outside of the game think that it's crazy that I can be friends with Sam or that Sam could be friends with me," said McCoy, who is 2-1 in the Red River Rivalry game. "But we are and he's a great guy and we have a lot in common, but we both understand this is a huge game. We are going to go out there and play the best we can.

"We know what we have to do to go out there and win. We understand we have to go out there and compete and play hard and be the best for our team. We have a good friendship."

McCoy, Bradford Friendship Bridges Tense Red River Rivalry originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Fri, 16 Oct 2009 11:53:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Midweek College Football Chat

Brian Grummell — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 11:24:00 EST

Filed under: Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Texas, USC, General CFB Insanity

Rivalry weekend doesn't usually happen until late November, but certain rivalries can clear that hurdle and give us a midseason treat. That time is now, with the annual Red River Rivalry between Texas and Oklahoma and the greatest intersectional (and lately, the only one) of them all, USC at Notre Dame just in time for the boys from California to avoid that wintery weather stuff most of the country suffers through.

Point is, we're excited. Sure, there's other football but on Saturday these games are like the disproportionately hot girls in the room drawing in the boys. They've sure got nice assets. What? How can you not look longingly at those combined 21 Heisman Trophies. Or the combined 3,233 wins. So uh, lets talk about it. The FanHouse Midweek College Football Chat commences today at 2 PM Eastern. Be there. Chat application after the jump.

FanHouse Week Seven Midweek College Football Chat

Midweek College Football Chat originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 15 Oct 2009 11:24:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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