Old School: The 1985 Ice Bowl originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Fri, 04 Jul 2008 18:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Beebe, however, said he thinks football should be seen as unique because it has a high rate of redshirts and injuries.

"Injuries happen and coaches have players who could contribute, but they don't want to play someone on a limited basis and burn a redshirt year," Beebe said. "And you have kids during their redshirt year who are getting the heck beat out of them in practice every day with no hope of playing."

Big 12 Commissioner Dan Beebe Pushing for Fifth Year of Eligibility originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 21 May 2008 11:35:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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"Reid was caught off guard. Here was a coach who'd been burying him and now he was going to war for him? It didn't add up. "At first, everything [Gundy] was saying sounded real and true," Rajika says. "But I'm a believer where there is smoke, there's fire."

In other words, Bobby and Rajika Reid felt info in Carlson's column came indirectly from Gundy or his staff. ("I'd have a hard time agreeing with that," Gundy says.)

In other words, they felt Gundy's rant was fake.

"Honestly, the way I took it, I felt like it was all a front," Reid says. "That it was all a big show. It didn't feel genuine."

"The last thing I would ever do would be to draw up some production to say in front of the camera. The first reason is because I don't have any interest in doing that. The second reason is I don't have time to do it. ... I didn't direct it toward football, I directed it toward he had done everything right. If they thought it wasn't genuine then obviously they have a right to their opinion. I'm not concerned with changing their mind."

Bobby Reid Now Says Gundy's Famous Tirade Was 'All a Front' originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 12 Apr 2008 11:14:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Last summe

Carrying 185 pounds across his shoulders, Woods finished a set of repetitions and walked over to set the weight down. He tweaked an ankle and lost his balance, collapsing to the floor. The weight fell on top of him, dislocating his spine.

"At first, the doctors didn't think I would ever walk again, period," Woods said. "They weren't even thinking about me playing again. They were just trying to get me moving."

"I still have some work to do," Woods said. "I'm not the same player I was before I got hurt. It would be pretty obvious if people were out there watching me. I'm almost there, though, almost there."

He has been given a green jersey to keep from getting hit in practice, and team doctors are confident he will be ready for the season opener against Washington State on Aug. 30 in Seattle.

"[If I score a touchdown] I hope everybody goes crazy, and I hope the stands are full when I do it, too," Woods said.

OSU Receiver Bounces Back From Scary Lifting Injury originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 10 Apr 2008 12:26:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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"For me, it's just learning every day," said Arnaud, who is competing with Phillip Bates for the starting job. "You can make your share of plays, but if you're turning the ball over, it doesn't really matter."

"It's weird," Ganz said. "It's going to be different."

"Now that I've gotten to where I want to, I'm just going to have to work that much harder to not let anybody take it from me," Ganz said. "I've worked too hard to let somebody come up and take the job from me, so I really don't need any more motivation than that."

"It's huge for those two guys," co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Gunter Brewer said about Friday's scrimmage and the three others that will take place this spring. "They have not had any live action. They found that out today. That's why live snaps are so much better than practice snaps. It's as close as you're going to get to a game against a defense that's throwing a lot of stuff at you."

"I was disappointed, I'm not going to lie. But the team did really good and Sam played well. As an overall I was happy. From a selfish, personal standpoint, I was a little disappointed I wasn't playing. But at the same time the team is playing good and we're rolling, and I was happy about that. I had mixed emotions."

"There's been rumors for 100 years about players transferring, and it's always the third or fourth quarterback," Brown said. "That's 100 percent in my 33 years coaching.

"Neither one of them has said anything about it or discussed it. In fact, both took all the snaps in today's scrimmage and did really well.

"If anybody ever wants to transfer and has not come forward to us, we'd be the first to help them and get them a release anywhere they want to go. We've never asked a player to stay. We'll always give them a release to play against us, anywhere they want. We want happy players.

"I don't read the Internet, so you all will have to bring me the rumors so I can go ask them."

Spring at a Glance: Big 12 Quarterbacks originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Fri, 28 Mar 2008 08:04:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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I believe Kansas would beat Oklahoma in a Big 12 Championship match and doesn't view the Sooners as the main road block for the Jayhawks. If I were a Jayhawk fan I would be more worried about Oklahoma State this Saturday. You see at this level of the game where the difference in athletic ability is insignificant on a program to program basis the difference many times is really a mental one. Kansas is a program that's used to playing disrespected and thrives in the underdog role.

The Jayhawks will be more than comfortable in that situation playing in the Big 12 Championship game against Oklahoma but this week they are out of their element. They're playing on the road under a ton of pressure and are EXPECTED to win. Meanwhile there are no such expectations on the Cowboys just a loose football team playing at home with no pressure and a ton of motivation. Very, very dangerous.

So in my mind it's not Oklahoma or Missouri or even pollsters who can rob Kansas of a championship berth. Oklahoma State is actually the biggest threat.

Who knew? Well actually, some people are buzzing about that game as Kansas' downfall but there's something even more surprising to consider: Kansas as a touchdown favorite over the Sooners.

Should the Jayhawks get past Okie State and Missouri Kansas known for its rich basketball history likely would face Oklahoma in the Big 12 Championship. "Right now I'd make that game a touchdown maybe," 7 1/2 [LVSC's Ken] White said.

A week after being likely underdogs to Missouri, Kansas might be favored by a touchdown or more over Oklahoma. Crazy talk? You decide and maybe just maybe it might play out that way.

The Wise Guys Worry About Kansas Saturday originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Fri, 09 Nov 2007 16:12:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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"Really, our coaches did such a good job this week preparing us for every situation we could be in," [OSU quarterback Zac] Robinson said. "They just told us it was not any different than practice. We went out and they did a good job of putting us in those situations."

"To see that many points, especially here and in this type of environment...," Robinson said. "We weren't really worried about what the score was, but it was definitely big to jump on them early."

"I really thought coming into this contest we were going to play more competitively, but that wasn't he case," Callahan said.

Oklahoma State Puts Hurtin' On Huskers in Lincoln originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sun, 14 Oct 2007 15:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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"He [Bomar] does a nice job of throwing the ball on time and he has a big-time arm, and he's tough and he runs the ball effectively, so I was concerned about that," Gundy said. "But I thought we handled him well."

"The public address announcer introduced Gundy as "America's head coach," and some fans wore orange T-shirts with the message "I'm a man. I'm 40. Go Pokes." -- a play on one of Gundy's most replayed remarks."

Oklahoma State Handles Bomar in Return to Oklahoma originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sun, 30 Sep 2007 19:33:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Desmond Howard

So I read the article, and as I started to read the article I was like, she started drawing a reference to this kid's mom giving him some chicken. I'm like is this kid's mom ... where is she going with this? It painted a picture.

He's sitting there holding a cell phone and you see like this big black hand with a chicken leg come into the screen and feeding him. Or is she taking a knife and fork and giving him a chicken breast?

I didn't know where she was going with that. So then I started to read some more and she never really wrapped it up. She just tried to allude to this mother's boy image. I'm like come on little lady you must not know athletes - some of the toughest players I've ever played with were mama's boys.

What The Heck Is Desmond Howard Talking About? originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 25 Sep 2007 18:17:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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No Surprise Here: Media-types Attack Gundy originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 25 Sep 2007 15:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mike Gundy Hates Media Inaccuracies, Hopes You Have Kids One Day originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sun, 23 Sep 2007 12:59:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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YouTubesDay: The Big 12 Probably Deserves This originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 18 Sep 2007 09:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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"We were getting all kind of looks up and down when we first walked into the recruiting room," Tara Bowman said Tuesday. "One (staff member), she was really, really mean."

"Another lady came up to our table and said, 'Y'all can't come in here with the opponents' attire on,' " Bowman said. "I said, 'Well, you need to talk to your coaches about that because they were the ones who invited my son for a visit and they knew my other son played for the other team. Why would I come to support Georgia when you're just recruiting?'"

"After she gave us the tickets, she tore off the top of the tickets and sent us around to Gate 7 (from Gate 1)," Tara Bowman said. "By the time we got around to Gate 7, they wouldn't let us in because the top of the tickets were gone."

Georgia Officials Hassle Adarius Bowman's Parents originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 06 Sep 2007 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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"It's like you can drive a Honda, with better gas mileage," Gundy said. "I like Hondas. I know I can get there just as good. But it doesn't look as good as driving a Lexus. That's a fact of life.

Mike Gundy Only Thinks He's Driving a Lexus originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Fri, 17 Aug 2007 08:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Texas A&M Aggies

Last year: 9-4 overall, 5-3 Big 12 WHY THEY'LL WIN: Because the pressure is on coach Dennis Franchione to get big wins and make a Big 12 Championship appearance or lose his job. On the field, the Aggies return one of D-I's finest ground attacks. They can go four deep at tailback and quarterback Stephen McGee's a talented runner as well. The win over Texas last year also appeared to signal that this team finally figured out how to win big games. WHY THEY WON'T: But then again, the Aggies also lost their very next game in embarrassing fashion. California pounded them in the Holiday Bowl, 45-10. Also, one big win does not a team make. The Aggies have yet to string together several big wins in a season, and must find a way to close games out. They blew late leads at home last year to both Nebraska and Texas Tech and very nearly lost to Missouri the same way. The schedule is a killer with national power Miami making an appearance. In the Big 12 slate, the Aggies face all three of their recent masters: Texas, Oklahoma and Nebraska as well as Northern division favorite Missouri. If past is precedent, it will be a tall order to manage more than one win out of those five games. PROGNOSIS: Hard to tell. I have people tell me occasionally about the disconnect between Franchione and the Aggie nation. It's not a leap to assume that unease sometimes trickles down to the team and frustrates his ability to lead the entire roster. All of which means his teams are unpredictable, prone to unexpected wins and losses. The Aggies can manage 50% of their schedule but it's that other 50% that matters here. The win over Texas was huge, but they responded horribly the next time out - not good. Let's call this a 7-8 win season with much greater promise if some of the dark clouds of past years are put behind them.

Oklahoma State Cowboys

Last year: 7-6 overall, 3-5 Big 12 WHY THEY'LL WIN: "The Greatest Offense in College Football". Or something like that. Oklahoma State is hyping up its balanced offense which posted 200+ yards/game both on the ground and in the air last year. Most of those players are back including marquee names like receiver Adarius Bowman, quarterback Bobby Reid and tailback Dantrell Savage. Hey, don't forget about Kenneth Toston, either. The Cowboys head into 2007 feeling good about themselves after an exciting bowl win over SEC power Alabama. WHY THEY WON'T: Like Texas A&M, this team has an exciting offense and a shaaaaaky defense. Any win will be a race to get to 30 points which is tough to do against some of the better defenses on the schedule like Georgia, Texas, Oklahoma and maybe Nebraska. The offensive system really started humming midway through last year and this team can afford some injuries, but not too many. Sophomore receiver Artrel Woods (how many Woods' are there at Oklahoma State?!) pretty much shattered his back in a lifting accident a few weeks back and is out for the season. The penciled-in starters at defensive line combined for all of 7 or so starts last year. PROGNOSIS: This is an improving team starting a feel-good third year under coach Mike Gundy. They've proven they can make a showing against the big boys (just one blowout loss last year) and fend off most of the middling teams in the Big 12. What's left is to either stay at that place or make a leap forward. I don't see them having a defense necessary to do that, however. Mix in the usual Texas/Oklahoma/Nebraska intimidation matrix along with a roadie against Georgia and the Cowboys should settle in at 7 to 9 wins his year.

Missouri Tigers

Last year: 8-5 overall, 4-4 Big 12 WHY THEY'LL WIN: Because everyone keeps telling them this is their year. The Tigers flashed an improved defense last year and if it can improve just a little bit more they have a shot at the Big 12 North division crown. The offense is sometimes spectacular and has an exciting leader in quarterback Chase Daniel. After a few rough years of failing to meet expectation, the Tigers are feeling good about themselves. WHY THEY WON'T: If past is precedent, this snake-bitten program will find a way to collapse and/or disappoint. The Tigers were scorching hot in a 6-0 start last year but faded badly and lost some very winnable games. The defense is average at best, which was fine several years ago. However, this league is becoming much more offensive-minded and those who can make the occasional stop like Texas and Oklahoma keep winning. PROGNOSIS: Big 12 media think this team is headed towards a North division title. I'm a little more skeptical. I was on the Tiger bandwagon last year and agonized over the ruin of the Tigers' finish. I know better this time around. The Tigers get to skip Texas this year and host two of the three biggies: Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas A&M. It's a favorable schedule so let's call this a 9-win season.

Kansas State Wildcats

Last year: 7-6 overall, 4-4 Big 12 WHY THEY'LL WIN: Coach Ron Prince surprised many in making the Wildcats competitive in just his first year on the job. The roster was questionable but he managed to keep this team in some games and even beat Texas. If he can keep turning that Manhattan Kansas water into wine then they'll improve behind their 6'-6" Stay-Puff giant of a quarterback Josh Freeman. The running game is decent and they should improve against both the run and the pass with seven returning defensive starters. WHY THEY WON'T: Talent. The roster's improving, but this walks and talks like a middle of the Big 12 team. The defense wasn't great last year, and Freeman for all the hype had a TD/INT ratio of 6 to 15. He also checked into camp out of shape and overweight which isn't a great leadership mark. Combine that with a possibly humiliating road opener against Auburn and this season could unravel fast. PROGNOSIS: I was tempted to put this team in The Dregs, but their schedule is nice and Ron Prince seems like the kind of coach who can consistently get this team to overachieve while he slowly improves the overall talent. Playing in the less regarded Big 12 North helps. Just two conference giants are on the schedule - a pair of roadies against Texas and Nebraska. If the Wildcats play their cards right I could see another 7 or so wins.

Big 12 Football Preview '07: The Mediocre originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 09 Aug 2007 19:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Texas Tech Red Raiders

Last year: 8-5 overall, 4-4 Big 12 WHY THEY'LL WIN: Because they can still outscore most of their peers. The Red Raiders will have a rare returning quarterback in talented junior Graham Harrell. Redshirt freshman receiver Michael Crabtree is getting buzz as potentially Texas Tech's best receiver yet. Tailback Shannon Woods is a first team all conference performer and will only get better assuming he gets out of coach Mike Leach's doghouse first. This team has some fight in it, beating Texas A&M on the road 31-27 last year and Oklahoma State 30-24 in the final week to secure bowl eligibility. They also set a record for biggest bowl comeback in college football history in beating Minnesota 44-41 last year. And in the "Things That Make You Go Hmm" department, Mike Leach's Red Raiders took Texas to the brink before Colt McCoy had one of those "The Leap" moments right in front of them, falling 35-31. WHY THEY WON'T: They're in the wrong division. The Big 12 South is particularly competitive this year as Texas, Oklahoma, Texas A&M and Oklahoma State all look to be much improved from last year. For all those gutty victories last year, turmoil rocked the Red Raiders' early season and led to strange defeats like a 12-3 loss to TCU and a 30-6 pounding at the hands of lowly Colorado. This team is bipolar until proven otherwise. PROGNOSIS: Texas Tech probably learned a few lessons from last year's disappointments and did end things on a high note with the bowl comeback, but that won't be enough. The Red Raiders must play hungry and improved versions of Oklahoma State, Texas A&M, Texas and Oklahoma as well as North division favorite Missouri. Layups against SMU, UTEP, Rice and Northwestern State help, but that still leaves at least two must-wins against Iowa State, Colorado and a roadie with Baylor just to sneak into a lower bowl.

Iowa State Cyclones

Last year: 4-8 overall, 1-7 Big 12 WHY THEY'LL WIN: Because although they're considered the weakest link in a doughy soft Big 12 North, they're still in the Big 12 North. Wins can be had by a properly motivated and well coached team. New head coach Gene Chizik is an unknown as a head man although he's a noted star defensive coordinator (Texas fans might quibble with last year's below average output). If the players take to him there's something about a team believing in itself that sometimes make them play above true ability. But really I'm grasping here. The schedule has some winnable games against Kent State, Northern Iowa (scary last year!) and Toledo. The Cyclones also get to host rival Iowa and Ames is a sneaky challenging place to play. Bonus: it's throwback uniform night against Iowa. WHY THEY WON'T: Malaise. Longtime coach Dan McCarney dearly loved the program and was a decent coach, but he never got this program where its fans wanted it to be. A new attitude is needed but that doesn't happen overnight and new coaches tend to purge rosters in their first year. That leads to depleted depth, hard feelings and confusion. Such difficulty is exacerbated at schools like Iowa State with only modest winning tradition. There are some quality returning pieces like quarterback Bret Meyer and receiver Todd Blythe, but overall Iowa State brings back just 11 starters, amongst the lowest in the NCAA. PROGNOSIS: No bowls for you! I'm guessing coach Gene Chizik realizes this year is already a wash and will concentrate on the off-field stuff and hope that leads to winning down the road. There are opportunities to surprise like against rival Iowa and home games against Texas and Oklahoma who may be looking past the Cyclones the way Missouri did last year. Overall this is a tough year and there's not much to be done other than make a good showing each time out. By my rough estimate, I see this being a 3-4 win season, with one or two chances at a conference win.

Baylor Bears

Last year: 4-8 overall, 3-5 Big 12 WHY THEY'LL WIN: Because they have to if coach Guy Morriss wants to 100% ensure he has a job here next year. Bucking convention, the Bears installed a Texas Tech styled offense last year. It is now year two for the scheme and a lot of last year's rough patches should be smoothed out. Two of their receivers can flat out fly in David Gettis and Thomas White. Also, there are three decent options at quarterback; one of them is bound to stick. Middle linebacker Joe Pawalek was second team all conference as just a freshman last year. Aaaaand I think this team has some fight in it. They got waxed last year by teams with big offenses like Texas, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech, but hang tough against more conventional foes. WHY THEY WON'T: The defense is still a sieve. Baylor allowed an average of 191 rush yards a game last year and a dismal 5 yards/carry. Three starters are back on the defensive line but that may not be a good thing. Overall the team returns just 11 starters, amongst the lowest in D-IA. Both quality corners from last year graduated, weakening the secondary a bit against an increasingly pass-happy Big 12. Finally, the running game is nothing to write home about. Last year's top rusher is gone and what remains is a complete unknown. PROGNOSIS: This one's fairly easy. Half the schedule is manageable, the other half (TCU, Texas A&M, Texas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech) is murder. Phil Steele is calling this a rebuilding year but I think the Bears have some quality pieces to at least compete against the manageable part of their schedule. That still means a season without a bowl trip, but I could see another outing like last year. With a little luck, Baylor could have gone from 4-8 to 7-5, so maybe the ball bounces their way this time around.

Colorado Buffaloes

Last year: 2-10 overall, 2-6 Big 12 WHY THEY'LL WIN: Because Colorado can't stay down forever. As coach Dan Hawkins reminded everyone in the offseason, this is Division I football! The Zen-tastic, sky-diving coach is impatient for some wins and is going to drive this team to overachieve and not drop games to I-AA foes. Cody Hawkins is expected to take over at quarterback and he could be an important piece in rebuilding the Colorado franchise. Most of the skill talent returns on offense and two well regarded transfers should spice up the defense. For all his passing hype, Hawkins engineered a sneaky good rush attack last year as Colorado averaged 173 yards a game and 4.5 yards/carry on the ground with a dwarf named Hugh Charles in the backfield. WHY THEY WON'T: Schedule. Besides the conference slate, Colorado must travel to Arizona State in the September heat and then turn around and host Florida State the next weekend. The Buffaloes surprised a lot of people in hanging close on the road against Georgia last year, but this back-to-back could be demoralizing. The defensive roster looks improved but is still patchwork and there's not much in the way of depth. PROGNOSIS: The Buffaloes should improve their win total over last year and look much improved, but there are some rough spots in the schedule. If they can keep their heads on straight they could surprise and overachieve. Colorado was "in" most of their games last year but lacked enough offensive pop to close the deal several times. If the offense is improved, let's call it a six win season.

Kansas Jayhawks

Last year: 6-6 overall, 3-5 Big 12 WHY THEY'LL WIN: Because coach Mark Mangino knows how to win here. A creampuff out-of-conference slate helps, but Magino's always found a way to two or three conference wins. The Jayhawks are tough at home and get seven home games this year. Cornerback/receiver Aqib Talib is a potential All American. The defense returns eight starters, most of whom are rapidly improving juniors and sophomores. The schedule is fairly light, and they already have the benefit of playing in the Big 12 North. WHY THEY WON'T: The offense could be pathetic this year. Quarterback Kerry Meier was adequate last year but he's still just a sophomore. Workhorse tailback Jon Cornish and his 1,500 yards are now graduated. The defense is still young. PROGNOSIS: Kansas State should open up 4-0, although they did lose to Toledo last year. Games against Baylor, Colorado, Kansas State and Iowa State are winnable. Games against Texas A&M, Nebraska, Oklahoma State and Missouri less so. The Jayhawks should flirt with a bowl bid, but they'll be right at that edge of five or six wins.

Big 12 Football Preview '07: The Dregs originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 09 Aug 2007 15:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Best schedule: Nebraska

The Huskers will get a chance to catch their breath in week four with a game against Ball State, but the first three weeks of the schedule are pretty brutal. Nebraska opens with Nevada who went 8-5 a year ago and lost 21-20 to Miami (FL) in the MPC Computers Bowl. The following week the Huskers travel to Wake Forest to take on the defending ACC champs at home. The next week Nebraska will host the #1 team in the country in USC. The Huskers will be hoping for some Memorial Stadium magic as they look to avenge a 28-10 loss to the Trojans in 2006. Nebraska's two biggest conference games are also both on the road at Missouri and at Texas. The Missouri game should decide the winner of the Big 12's North division. Now you see why the daunting schedule puts a dampener on some Husker fans' expectations for 2007.

Worst Schedule: Kansas

Kansas already ran away with the Big 12 Bill Snyder around, but FanHouse wasn't the only one to notice the paltry nature of the Jayhawk's nonconference slate. Kansas opens the season with games against Central Michigan, Southeastern Louisiana, Toledo and Florida International. And to top it off, all four nonconference games are in Lawrence. Those are some damn fine, home cooked cream puffs. Of the group, only Central Michigan played in a bowl game last year. This year they have a new coach and a new system and are a middling MAC team at best. Southeastern Louisiana is Division I-AA and the Lions went just 2-9 a year ago. Yikes! During the Big 12 schedule the Jayhawks miss Oklahoma and Texas, play Nebraska at home and Missouri at a neutral site. The schedule is good news, however, for Jayhawk coach Mark Mangino who is feeling the heat after some recent comments about increased expectations from his athletic director.

Best Game: Oklahoma State at Georgia, September 1

The SEC loves to talk about how strong their conference is. The Big 12 gets two early attempts to find out. In the first week of the season, Kansas State travels to Auburn and Oklahoma State heads out to meet Georgia. The more intriguing of the match ups in my opinion is the Oklahoma State Georgia game. Oklahoma State is looking to prove they are more than just an also-ran in the Big 12's South division. We all know Boone Pickens has been busy rounding up money and improving facilities, but what's the payoff? This contest will provide the Cowboys with a national stage on which to showcase their progress. Georgia will likely be a Top 10-15 team and always has a tough defense. What I can't wait to find out is whether it can stop the high-powered Oklahoma State offense led by Bobby Reid, Dantrell Savage and Adarius Bowman.

Weirdest Game: Baylor at Buffalo, September 22

Guy Morriss (pictured at right) has clearly brought an "Anyone, Anywhere" attitude to Waco. Even if that means taking it to the road to match up with perennial powers like ... Buffalo. Yes, fans you'll have to wait three whole weeks to watch what might be the worst college football game of the year. Turner Gill is hoping to turn things around at Buffalo, but the Bulls aren't there yet. A year ago they finished 2-10 and the team has just 7 victories over the past five years. But perhaps a visit from Baylor can boost the Bulls' average attendance, which was just over 16,000 per game a year ago. I can't really decide what to think about this game from a Baylor perspective. I guess it must just be really tough to find opponents that look like guaranteed wins for the Bears on paper. And apparently to make it work, you actually have to go on the road. Who knew?

Big 12 Football Preview '07: The Schedule originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 09 Aug 2007 07:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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1. Gary Pinkel, Missouri

It seems so long ago now that Pinkel was once a hot coaching candidate for bigger jobs like the one at the University of Washington. Dude, what happened? Pinkel begins his seventh season in Columbia with a 37-35 record. He has one bowl win in three bowl trips, and three winning seasons in six tries. Missouri has a long history of inexplicable collapse and defeat, so natives are restless after last year's terrible finish. Missouri soared to a 6-0 start before finishing 2-4 in the Tigers' final six games. Thing is, expectations were low last year but after being anointed the Big 12 North Division favorites at conference Media Day, the pressure is on like whoa. What's interesting about Pinkel is that stories last year proclaimed him a changed man. He apparently was a bit of a "pucker pucker pucker" guy but finally learned to relax and his team clearly responded. Er, at least until that seventh game when things went all Michigan State-level weird. Whether it means a mid-season Hawaiian vacation or a few trips to Tom Petty concerts for some firsthand or secondary smoke, coach probably needs to find ways to take it down a notch and let his team win games.

2. Dennis Franchione, Texas A&M

The Aggies' coach would easily top this list but for one thing: he's almost too expensive to fire. It also helps to have ended the 2006 regular season with a stirring defeat of Texas, the program's first big victory in the Franchione era. Of course, symbolic of A&M fans' frustration, the Aggies were crushed the very next game 45-10 in the Holiday Bowl by their cultural opposites: the Cal bears. Overall in four full seasons in College Station, Franchione owns a 25-23 record. His two bowl appearances have both been flops, losing 38-7 to Tennesssee along with the Cal loss. He is 1-9 combined against Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas. And he lost 77-0 to Oklahoma in 2003. Did I mention there's a YouTube video out there somewhere (difficult to find at the moment) of former quarterback Reggie McNeal rolling his eyes during an offensive huddle as Franchione was instructing the players on what their next play should be? Did I mention the man most responsible for his hiring and the hiring of the school's Athletic Director - former school president Dr. Robert Gates - is gone and in public service now with the White House? With allies falling and just enough wins to maintain some prestige within the program, it pays to have a fat buyout. I actually think "Coach Fran" is a quality coach, but he's never fit in with the Aggie culture and his rumored paranoia and severity outdoes even their own deep rooted angst towards outsiders in general and the University of Texas in particular. That said, Franchione appears to have narrowed the gap with other conference powers. Unlike the ridiculous beatings the Aggies took in 2003 (48-12 loss to Nebraska, 77-0 to Oklahoma and 46-15 to Texas), last year was downright palatable. Oklahoma and Nebraska escaped with a pair of one point victories (17-16 and 28-27), and for once the Aggies finished against Texas. They knocked Colt McCoy out of the game late and scored the game-winner with less than two minutes to go capping a stirring late drive with Stephen McGee's touchdown run. Last year was proof the gap has closed, but close won't cut it this year as antsy fans want more real wins. We shall see ...

3. Guy Morriss, Baylor

Morriss is the first of two "we like him but he's not winning" type coaches on this list. The higher-ups at Baylor know what a difficult situation the Bears' coaching job is. But they also know it's very unlikely they can invest in multiple losing seasons and hope someone like Morriss eventually turns into a Frank Beamer. So, the pressure's on. Entering his fifth year in Waco, Morriss owns a 15-31 record. They came close to a winning effort in 2005, but finished at 5-6. That season included a 16-13 overtime loss to Texas A&M, an eight point defeat to Nebraska and the memorable coulda-woulda-should 37-30 double overtime loss to Oklahoma. The Bears haven't been the same since, dropping 11 of their last 16 games including a pair of shutout losses. The Bears' transition to a scattershot offense similar to Texas Tech's last year may buy Morriss some time, but newspapers are starting to write him off after several seasons of positive press.

4. Mark Mangino, Kansas

Like Morriss, Mangino is a "we like him but he's not winning" coach. The portly coach owns a 25-35 record heading into his sixth season with the Jayhawks. To Mangino's credit, he has taken Kansas to two bowl games and recorded one bowl win. He's also never had worse than four wins since his inaugural stinker where Kansas went just 2-10. Mangino is considered an offensive guru and has posted some good numbers, twice nearing 30 points a game in his five years. I guess what I'm getting at is that he's done a decent if uninspiring job. Sitting safely at the back of this list seems fair. Plus, at the end of the day Kansas is a basketball school. They'd like their football team to have a winning record and post bowl wins, but so long as players are staying out of trouble and football keeps paying the bills, the head coach can get a little slack.

Big 12 Football Preview '07: The Hot Seat originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 08 Aug 2007 19:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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1. Frank Okam, DT, Texas

Big Frank Okam isn't a bad guy. In fact, he's quite often a hell of a football player. But he suffers from a disease that frustratingly plagues so many defensive tackles: inconsistency. Mix in some Texas-sized hype and you have a guy who, you know, maybe, sorta, well ... is a bit overrated. The Longhorns had a dominant run defense last year, surrendering 61 yards a game and 2.3 yards/carry. However, former defensive coordinator Gene Chizik recently revealed that Texas had sold out against the run to get those numbers. Ideally a talented front four of Okam, tackles Derek Lokey and Roy Miller and ends Brian Robison and Tim Crowder should have been able to control the line almost by themselves. It sounds like they needed a little help however, which means the big man in the middle wasn't quite living up to expectation. On the year, Okam had just four tackles for loss among his 38 tackles (not counting the two sacks). He can do better, much much better. Texas' young secondary needs help and if the safeties and linebackers are having to help against the run, people will be pointing some angry fingers at Okam for not dominating the line like he should.

2. Jorvorskie Lane, TB, Texas A&M

It's painful to compile a "most overrated" list because quite often those most overrated are among my favorite players. Look no further than ginormous Aggie tailback Jorvorskie Lane. Unlike the 270-pound ogre at Texas named Henry Melton who has now switched to defensive line, this ogre is a legitimate tailback. Lane owns a stunningly quick pair of feet and has some wiggle to him. Although he can pound the ball, Lane has a little of that "early Jerome Bettis" in him in that he can sidestep and bounce outside for some lengthy gains. That said, he gets a little more hype than he deserves. Lane isn't quite the workhorse 20-carry back one would expect from someone his size. Nor is he a completely dominant inside runner. Few will talk about it, but the emergence of the speedier Mike Goodson has been great for Lane's career as he can be more of a complementary runner and have fresh legs when called upon to pound the ball inside the 20's.

3. Marlon Lucky, TB, Nebraska

Before going any further, let it be known that Marlon Lucky has a chance to make me look absolutely foolish this year. Ok? Good. Lucky was regarded as one of the nation's top running backs out of high school. He was wined and dined by major powers including USC just down the road from his Los Angeles home. And then he went to Nebraska. Much was expected of Lucky but he has yet to deliver. After sharing the stage the last few years with Brandon Jackson (now onto the NFL), Cody Glenn, Kenny Wilson, Leon Jackson (now at Hawaii) and others, Lucky is expected to own the number one job this year and never relinquish it. To date, he has but 857 yards and a 4.7 rushing average to his name. So much more is expected. Tailback has long been considered a plug-and-play position, so it is shocking to see Lucky's glacial progress at earning the starting job. He has plenty enough speed and size (6-0/210) to be a primary ballcarrier, what's left is to finally take advantage of an opportunity and use those God-given abilities to get yards and make plays.

4. Chase Daniel, QB, Missouri

Daniel is another Big 12 favorite of mine. I absolutely love his moxie, dual-threat style of play and ability to run the tricky Missouri offense. There were doubts after Brad Smith graduated whether Missouri could stay out of the Big 12 cellar. Daniel erased those concerns immediately and went about leading Missouri to an 8-4 record. He beat out highly touted Chase Patton then threw for 3,527 yards at a 64% completion rate to go with 28 touchdowns to just 10 interceptions. For kicks he also ran for 379 net yards and four touchdowns. In a bit of a surprise, Missouri is now the Big 12 media's choice to win the North division and play in the conference title game. Personally, I think Nebraska makes a repeat trip this year and some of that has to do with doubts about Daniel. As much as I admire his play, Missouri went all Michigan State last year and "puckered up" after a scorching 6-0 start. In a very winnable road game, Missouri struggled to get the necessary second-half scores and lost to Texas A&M, 25-19. Daniel threw for over 300 yards but had some bad turnovers and never moved the chains late in the game. From that point forward, Missouri won just two more games and squandered a likely division crown after inexplicably losing 21-16 to Iowa State. Sadly, that's been the heartbreak at Missouri for many years. The Tigers have the talent to win the division, but until they can get the leadership to overcome self-destructive losses, I have my doubts. Last year was a learning experience for Daniel but until I "see it" I won't believe that he can overcome that bad luck culture. Thus, he earns the overrated nod in spite of his abilities.

5. Limas Sweed, WR, Texas

I don't mean to pick on the Texas guys, it just happens that way sometimes. Limas Sweed patterns himself after a great Texas receiver, Roy Williams. Sweed will be the first to admit that at this point in his career, he's no Roy Williams. Which is alright, as Sweed's turned into one of the Big 12's and nation's finest receivers. But I just don't see the dominance that Williams had. Sweed did make a big jump last year but ESPN's already come calling and expectations are for him to be in that pantheon of elite elite elite receivers. We shall see. It is both a blessing and a curse to work alongside a host of other talented receivers. Sweed can get more single coverage, but he also loses receptions and big numbers to teammates like Quan Cosby, Billy Pittman and Jordan Shipley. With Colt McCoy only getting better and more trusted with the offense, Sweed's numbers should improve but can he be that singular force like a Terrell Owens? The national media is expecting him - however unfairly - to be that guy.

Big 12 Football Preview '07: Most Overrated originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 08 Aug 2007 15:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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1. Dantrell Savage, RB, Oklahoma State

Savage might not exactly be "under the radar," but he definitely doesn't get the respect he deserves. I've rarely seen his name mentioned among the Big 12's elite backs, but I think that will change in 2007. He's a homerun threat that can go the distance every time he touches it, and is especially deadly when cutting back against the pursuit. Savage got off to a slow start, but ultimately put up big numbers during his first year in Stillwater. Two of his better efforts came against prominent Big 12 foes gaining 134 yards against Texas A&M and 117 yards and two scores against Nebraska. Savage plays in an offensive system that seems primed for great things this season. He'll also be under less pressure to perform with the talent that Mike Gundy has quietly amassed around him. So far the hype seems focused on quarterback Bobby Reid and wide receiver Adarius Bowman, but watch out for Dantrell Savage in 2007.

2. Joe Garcia, S, Texas Tech

It's not too difficult to get lost in Lubbock, especially if you aren't a quarterback or receiver in Mike Leach's vaunted offensive attack. Garcia is neither, but he is a punishing tackler from his safety spot. In 2006, he finished second on the Red Raiders in tackles with 87 and also collected an interception and a fumble recovery. Garcia is big At 6-2 and 215 pounds, and hits like a linebacker. His play reminds me a lot of former Texas safety Van Malone from the early 1990s. Garcia teams with another fine safety Darcel McBath, to make the secondary the most talented portion of the Texas Tech defense. Garcia doesn't get much love from casual college football observers, but in watching Tech play it is hard to keep your eyes off his attacking style of play. My hunch is NFL scouts will also notice Garcia's tenacious attitude and ability to set the tone for his teammates.

3. Corey McKeon, LB, Nebraska

The Nebraska defense has been rather inconsistent during Bill Callahan's tenure in Lincoln. One consistent component, however, has been the steady play of middle linebacker Corey McKeon. McKeon was a break out star in 2005 when he finished with a team-high 98 tackles, and 22 TFL, which was a school record for linebackers. McKeon was rewarded for those efforts with Second-Team All-Big 12 from the AP. In 2006, McKeon continued to display a nose for the ball and finished 3rd on the team in stops. His efforts were limited some by injuries, but the junior still served as a vocal leader for the Blackshirts. Despite his reliable play over the past two seasons, McKeon has continually been overshadowed by teammate Bo Ruud, who many argue garners recognition based solely on the name his brother made. Whatever the reason, McKeon continues to go unrecognized. But his solid play and entertaining interviews will clearly be missed by Husker fans after this season.

4. Shannon Woods, RB, Texas Tech

Mike Leach's offense makes it easy to forget about the running back, which in turn, only makes Shannon Woods' job all that easier. But when your quarterback is chucking it 50-60 times per game, you're unlikely to find the spotlight. Woods' efforts, however, speak for themselves. A year ago he finished 14th nationally and first in the Big 12 with 1680 all-purpose yards. His quick burst and ability to catch the ball out of the backfield allow Leach to utilize him in the same way as former Tech star Taurean Henderson. Woods could arguably be the number one player on this list, if not for one minor detail. He finished the spring second on the depth chart at running back after finding himself in Coach Leach's doghouse. Now, that's underrated. We can expect Woods to earn back his starting gig with a little hustle and effort in fall camp. If that occurs he'll be back terrorizing Big 12 defenses before you know it.

Big 12 Football Preview '07: Most Underrated originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 08 Aug 2007 11:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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