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 Tuesday, September 25, 2001
The Big 12 opens with a monster matchup
By Brent Musburger
Special to ABC Sports Online
Hey, look who is sitting on top of the world. The mighty Big 12 Conference. Folks, that is not my opinion. That is the opinion of the coaches around the country. Four of the Big 12 powers are ranked in the top 9 this week! And have we got a monster for you Saturday afternoon.
Come along with us to Norman, Okla., where the defending champion Sooners play the powerhouse that they had to beat twice last year to earn their rings, the Kansas State Wildcats (ABC, 12 p.m. ET). Gary Danielson and I will be there, along with You Don't Know "Jack". Man, I can't wait. Danielson has never broadcast a game from Norman, Okla., and I haven't been there since the Barry Switzer administration.
|  | | Bob Stoops has said that Roy Williams is the best defensive back he's ever coached. |
Owen Field is sporting a fresh coat of paint and a team that I think is every bit as good as last year's. You want to talk defense, and we're taking Oklahoma football. Bob Stoops' two safeties, Roy Williams and Brandon Everage, are pounding their way into the NFL.
There aren't two better hitters in college football today unless you look at the Sooner linebackers. Rocky Calmus from Jenks, Okla., is my defensive candidate for the Heisman Trophy. I know defensive players don't win the most talked about award in all of sports, but it's always nice to throw a defensive player's name into the barstool argument. And Calmus is one heck of a football player. Through three games, he has 37 tackles, he posted a 14-yard fumble return for a touchdown against North Carolina and he ran 33 yards with an interception against the Air Force Academy. He was such a good fullback in high school that Stoops could probably line him up at the 3-yard line and let him crash into the end zone.
If you get the idea that I'm high on these Sooners, you got it right, baby! This could be another Boomer Sooner season.
But, and let me emphasize the but, this will not be a cakewalk Saturday against Kansas State. A year ago, the Sooners held off the storming Wildcats 41-31 in Manhattan, Kan. That game was played in October and might have had a different ending except that the 'Cats' receivers had the dropsies that day.
Then in a spectacular Big 12 Championship Game on the frozen tundra of Kansas City in December, the Sooners battled their way into the national championship, but only by three points, 27-24.
There is no coach in the country, not a single one of the geniuses who grace the magazine covers, who are headed to the Football Hall of Fame, who are the icons or are on the lips of all the microphoned experts who does a better job of preparing a football team than Bill Snyder. The job Snyder has done at Kansas State, in my opinion, is the coaching job of the century. A good football man can go to Notre Dame, Alabama or Southern California and right that ship. But folks, moving into Manhattan, Kan., and winning the way Snyder has takes a very special coach.
This guy is not media friendly, but that doesn't matter. This school has won only 400 football games in its history, and Snyder is responsible for a quarter of them in 12 years. He began his career there in 1989 and Kansas State lived up to its reputation by going 1-10. Since then, the Wildcats have been a force. They have won 11 games in each of the last four years. They have won at least nine games in each of the last eight years.
Folks, we are talking Nebraska numbers with this bunch.
Snyder is a workaholic, who demands 25-hour days out of his coaching staff and guess what, he played a huge role in the success at Oklahoma. That's right, Oklahoma. Before Stoops went to Gainesville, Fla., and studied the passing attack at the knee of Steve Superior, he was Snyder's defensive coordinator at Kansas State. When Stoops left, his brother Mike moved into the position at Manhattan. And when Bob took the job in Norman, he raided Snyder's staff, hiring brother Mike, Brent Venables and Mark Mangino. Stoops knew as well as anyone that Bill Snyder knew how to teach coaches.
|  | | Josh Scobey comes into the game after scoring 4 TDs against New Mexico State. |
Does Kansas State have enough firepower to beat Oklahoma on the road? I'm not sure. I have not seen Kansas State in person. The Wildcats have a young quarterback, Ell Roberson, and he better be ready for the speed and power that the Sooner defense will hit him with on Saturday. He has a nice running back in Josh Scobey and a talented wide receiver in Aaron Lockett. But they will have to bring their "A game" or they won't be able to pull it off.
Rest assured, defensive coordinator Phil Bennett will have his troops ready. He has had an entire offseason to study Oklahoma's spread offense and its young quarterback, Nate Hybl. Turnovers would give K-State a chance in this one.
The other two powers in the Big 12, Nebraska and Texas, play their conference openers this Saturday. Nebraska is at Missouri and Texas is at home against Texas Tech. Keep an eye on the Texas score. The Longhorns could struggle in this game. This could be a look-ahead game for the 'Horns because on Oct. 6, a week from Saturday, they play Oklahoma in Dallas.
Man, I think I am going to rig me a motor home and stay down in the great Southwest. This is going to be some battle for the conference championship.
And by the way, don't overlook those Buffaloes in Colorado. That loss to Fresno State doesn't look so bad right now, does it? And guess who they play next week? They are at Kansas State. Every time you look around, there is a big game on the horizon in the Big 12. That's why they are sitting on top of the football world.
Brent's Top 5
How do we rank our Top 5 after the Florida State debacle?
1. Oklahoma: Remember what I keep saying: You are the champ until someone knocks you off.
2. Miami: Everywhere I go, coaches are raving about the Hurricanes offense.
3. Florida Has Mr. Spurrier really settled on one quarterback this season? Rex Grossman is hoping to lead the Gators to Pasadena and the BCS championship.
4. Texas: I know, I know. I am higher on Chris Simms than a lot of other folks, but I can remember his daddy, Phil, performing magic for the New York Giants against the Denver Broncos in the Rose Bowl, and I am a sucker for a good story.
5. Nebraska: I don't think this is a dominating Cornhusker team but their schedule gives them a great jumpstart towards a possible national championship.
Heisman ballot
1. Fresno State QB David Carr:
He has been the story of the year so far in college football. Let me tell you what some Wisconsin coaches told us. They said Fresno State could beat Oregon on a neutral field, and the Badgers lost to both of them.
2. Miami QB Ken Dorsey: This kid is a whiz. Smart, good arm. I'll tell you who he reminds me of -- Brian Griese.
3. Oklahoma LB Rocky Calmus: I think we'll just put a camera on him Saturday and leave it there. He'll take us to the football.
Got to go. Got to start on the road to Norman. There are big games all over the landscape this week. Sit back and enjoy.
Brent Musburger is a play-by-play announcer for ABC's coverage of college football. He writes a column every week for ABC Sports Online.
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