ESPN College Football

We kicked off our spring preview on Tuesday, and you may have noticed a couple new faces making an appearance.

We're still integrating West Virginia and TCU into the Big 12 fold, but there's a lot to be excited about for both.

That said, which team's new membership excites you most?

TCU will renew its old rivalries from the Southwest Conference with Texas, Texas Tech and Baylor, though A&M has left for the SEC.

The Horned Frogs played a classic with the Bears last season, and until Tech beat the Sooners last year, the Horned Frogs were the last team to win a game in Norman, Okla., all the way back in the 2005 season opener.

Gary Patterson's built something special at TCU, and the Horned Frogs proved that non-AQ schools really can win their way into the big leagues.

Now it's time for TCU to win at the next level.

West Virginia? The Mountaineers have a recognizable head man in Dana Holgorsen, who made stops at Texas Tech under Mike Leach and Oklahoma State, where he revitalized the Cowboys' offense and helped win a then-school-record 11 games.

West Virginia will be a much larger unknown to Big 12 folk. Morgantown is a long way from Fort Worth. I've never been to West Virginia, and I assume plenty of Big 12 fans haven't been, either.

Now's your chance.

Both teams have big offenses coming back in 2012. Both teams have had big success on the BCS stage.

Which team are you most excited to see? Vote in our poll.

Bob Przybylo writes: ESPNU Watch List quarterback Max Browne is planning to visit OU during spring practice.

More from Przybylo : In-state lineman Rob Boyd has two favorites.

From Jake Trotter : Spring position preview: Linebacker

I don't step up to being leader, Troy. I reluctantly accept it when it's thrust upon me.

• Jarrett Bell of USA Today catches up with Heisman winner Robert Griffin III before this week's NFL combine. "This is a business trip," he said. "I'm the CEO of Griffin Enterprises. It's my job to go sell my product."
• A Lubbock man injured in a car crash when his vehicle was struck by a vehicle driven by Tommy Tuberville's wife, Suzanne Tuberville, has died, reports Terry Greenberg and Tommy Magelssen. The accident was Nov. 1.
• The Kansas City Star wants your thoughts: Should the Border War continue?
• S.L. Price of Sports Illustrated chronicles Baylor's amazing rise in recent years.
• The newest Texas Tech Red Raider just may be the MVP of next year's Recruiting All-Name Team. Here's the team from 2012, by the way.
• Oklahoma's Jamell Fleming is one of 10 players with the most at stake at this week's combine.
• Looking for a story to cheer for in 2012? Matt Hayes of Sporting News says look no further than new Kansas QB Dayne Crist.
• The challenge in the Big 12 ahead of West Virginia is clear.
• Texas Tech hired its new defensive line coach, and he has ties to new defensive coordinator Art Kaufman.

Texas Tech was already missing 15 players this spring from in-season injuries, but just four days after beginning spring practice, the Red Raiders are down a few more.

From the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal:

Wide receiver Marcus Kennard suffered a hamstring injury that will keep him out probably until after spring break, head coach Tommy Tuberville said. Twelve of Tech’s 15 spring workout sessions are scheduled before spring break.

Tech is down its top two split ends with starter Eric Ward sidelined along with Kennard. Tuberville said Tuesday he’s not sure Ward, who has a bruised shoulder, will practice again this spring.

Not what you want to see if you're Texas Tech. Neither injury is major, and the team isn't breaking in a new quarterback, but the team's inability to stay healthy is long past frustrating for the folks in Lubbock.

Ward caught 84 passes for 800 yards and 11 touchdowns, all team highs.

Kennard caught 12 passes for 182 yards.

Carter Strickland writes: Marquise Goodwin is still focused on the Olympics, but the track star turned receiver is sorely needed by the Texas football team.

More from Strickland: Three Longhorns starters are out for the spring with injuries.

Max Olson writes : Defensive end/linebacker Deon Hollins Jr. is hoping to add a Texas offer at this weekend’s junior day.

More from Olson : West Mesquite teammates Kameron Miles and Eldridge Massington are unsure where they stand with the Longhorns going into this weekend's junior day.

West Virginia AD Oliver Luck shares his thoughts on the Mountaineers' transition to the Big 12, his insight into the conference scheduling process, and more.

Our countdown of the Big 12's top 25 players continues. The official list is locked away in a vault in an undisclosed location, but we're revealing a new member of the list every day.

Here's a quick rundown on my criteria for this list.

No. 15: Ryan Swope, WR, Texas A&M

2011 numbers: Caught 89 passes for 1,207 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Most recent ranking: Swope was unranked in our preseason list of the top 25 players.

Making the case for Swope: Teammate Jeff Fuller earned all the preseason headlines after pledging to return to College Station for his senior season, but Swope stole the show in 2011, emerging as the team's top receiver by a wide margin in Ryan Tannehill's only year as starter.

Swope, a former All-State running back in high school, looks the part with great quickness and a shifty frame. He's one of the league's best at shedding tacklers after the catch. Just ask Baylor, who gave up two long scores after broken tackles in Swope's 11-catch, 206-yard, four-touchdown career day in the win over the Bears.

He topped 100 yards receiving on six occasions in 2011 and returns to Aggieland for its move to the SEC and will be the No. 1 target for the Aggies' new passer, likely Jameill Showers. His consistency will help, too. He had at least eight catches in seven games last season, and at least six catches in two more. He was one of the toughest covers in the Big 12, and that should continue in the SEC, even with the league's tougher defenses.

The rest of the list:

• No. 16: Emmanuel Acho, LB, Texas
• No. 17: Kelechi Osemele, LT, Iowa State
• No. 18: Joseph Randle, RB, Oklahoma State
• No. 19: Arthur Brown, LB, Kansas State
• No. 20: Kenny Vaccaro, S, Texas
• No. 21: Grant Garner, C, Oklahoma State
• No. 22: Ronnell Lewis, LB, Oklahoma
• No. 23: Cyrus Gray, RB, Texas A&M
• No. 24: Nigel Malone, CB, Kansas State
• No. 25: Damontre Moore, LB, Texas A&M

I asked, and you all delivered. In a pretty big way, in fact.

Big 12 fans will be flooding new territory very soon, and the most exotic locale is Morgantown, West Virginia. I asked the Mountaineer faithful to give a few recommendations, and they flooded my mailbag with responses. Here's what they had to say:

Clayton Myers in Martinsburg, W. Va., wrote: Every college town has it's iconic watering holes. For Morgantown, start with these: Mario's Fishbowl, Crockett's, Gibbie's, Kegler's (best sports bar), and the Varsity Club (new place right across the stadium--most likely place to find football coaches and players having lunch, or recruits and their parents visiting campus).High Street is the main downtown strip, and it's a carnival atmosphere every Thursday-Saturday nights. There are ample places to find good times, cheap booze specials, and trouble if you want that too. For live music, the spot is 123 Pleasant Street. For good craft brews, there are 2 brew pubs in town, in the Wharf District, and the Morgantown Brewing Company at the corner of Walnut and Beechurst.Stay at the Waterfront Place Hotel when you're in town. It's sort of the main University hotel, and you'll often find visiting basketball teams staying there. I won't bore you with additional restaurant recommendations--you'll get plenty of those. Enjoy your trip, and save room for food and beer in the tailgate lots around the stadium on gameday. You will get fed if you stop and introduce yourself. And have a standing invite to come to my tailgate in the light blue lot.

Timothy Sioson in Morgantown, W. Va., wrote: The Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) over at Morgantown is a unique experience. Think of a children's roller coaster as a student's main transportation for classes and sporting events.

My take: Sign. Me. Up.

Dan in Atlanta wrote: The two best sports bars are Kegler's and the Boston Beanery. Both within walking distance of Mountaineer Field. And, you'll be mildly disappointed if you ride the PRT.

My take: Dueling theories on the PRT. Even more exciting.

Pat T in Morgantown wrote: The Unofficial Guide to Morgantown: Tailgating- Best spots are the Blue Lot by the stadium and the Gold Lot about 3 minutes away from the stadium. No kegs allowed though. Restaurants/Bars- The best place to go get a good meal are places like Richwood Grille (house turned into restaurant), Oliverio's, or The Waterfront. For sports bars, you have to go to Sports Page on High St., then there's Keglers, Mario's Fishbowl (historic dive bar), Billiards & Cue, or Gibbie's. For late night bars, there's Bent Willey's, Joe Mama's, and Backdoor all on High St., or any of the sports bars mentioned. Good Eats- You can get one-of-a-kind burritos at Black Bear, comfort food at The Dirty Bird, AMAZING burgers at Tailpipes, wings at Mario's Fishbowl or Sports Page, gyros at Nick's Canteen, pizza at Casa D'Amici, Mexican food at Chico's Fat, or calzones at D.P. dough's.Hotels- Waterfront Hotel is the nicest, Hotel Morgan is nice as well and is located downtown, Hotel Morgantown And Euro Suites are by the Stadium, and Lakeview has a Golf Course and Spa on site.Welcome to the home of Cheers, Beers, and Mountaineers!

Amy Bertsch in Alexandria, Va., wrote: Morgantown: AKA Motown. This town is hilly! You can get a workout just getting to the stadium. Food: pepperoni rolls! I'm vegetarian but the last meat I probably ate was a pepperoni roll. Trash talking: Don't go for the bad teeth and inbred stuff. We've heard it all and it's just not that funny. You can talk about our couch burning, coaches who may like to party from time to time, and just about anything else as long as you stay away from the pathetic, tired stereotypes. Pet Peeves: It's West Virgina University, not the University of West Virginia. And West Virginia is its own state. People in the east and ESPN seem to have difficulty recognizing this. Other: Our marching band and our mascot are outstanding; the latter is also armed. Challenge for WVU fans: Central Time! Does this mean we start drinking an hour earlier or later? Best wishes for the new season and the expanded Big 12!

Brian in Leeds, United Kingdom wrote: Lakeview Resort is a short drive north on Cheat Lake with astounding golfing opportunities. Chick N Bones has great wings and specials to enjoy while you kick-back and sing some Country Roads. Bent Willey's is the place to hang out after a win downtown with their multiple levels and outdoor patio. But where would you be without the Mountainlair with the mountaineer statue outside. From a 12 years removed WVU fanatic. Let's Gooooo Mountaineers!

Jim Fisher in Pittsburgh, Pa., wrote: WV native and WVU grad, living in Pittsburgh.Things to do/see/etc in Morgantown... Food: Black Bear Burritos (lots of variety, healthy, hippies, live music, lots of beers to choose from) Mountain State Brewing Company (fancy style pizzas and beers made in house, what more can you want? Sights:WV is a beautiful state and there are some great sights just outside of Morgantown. Dorsey's Knob and Cooper's Rock are both quick drives from town and offer wonderful views of the fall foliage in October/November. Night life: Basically any bar on High Street will be packed on a Friday/Saturday night during football season. A lot of people will likely recommend Mario's Fishbowl -- it's an iconic place. Stadium: Around the stadium on gamedays are just hordes of very friendly, very drunk people. Visiting fans are likely to be offered food and drink.

Scott Hayden in Houston, Texas wrote: If you travel to Morgantown and are looking for some spectacular home cooking that is off the beaten path, travel six miles north to Pt. Marion, PA and try Apple Annie's. The food is great and the desserts are deliciously huge.

Chase in Harrisonburg, Va., wrote: Where to eat in Morgantown? It's simple. GO TAILGATE. West Virginia features a top 3 national tailgate scene, whether you're a Mountaineer fan or not. A vast majority of fans will welcome total strangers into their tailgate without thinking twice and regardless of your team affiliation. We tailgate early and often, so time of day DOES. NOT. MATTER. But if you're looking for a restaurant, though, basically anything on High Street is a great choice.

Andrew in Morgantown wrote: When you come to Morgantown a sight you must see is Coopers Rock, which is only about 13 miles east of Touchdown City (Morgantown). It is a beautiful view of West Virginia. When taking in a game there are many places to eat but Colasessano's Pizza and Pepperoni Buns (or as everyone else calls them rolls) with your choice of sauce, cheese and peppers. Dont let that fool you, you can walk into any grocery store or gas station and grab one. One new tradition we have started last year its called Mountaineer Mantrip which starts at the corner opposite the Residence Inn by Marriott by the stadium and they walk through a sea of fans on their way to the stadium. A Mantrip is the mode of transportation for coal miners that takes them in and out of work meaning when the walk is over the players are ready to go to work. I hope this has been of help David Lets Go... Mountaineers!!!

Senoy in Morgantown wrote: As for game days, traffic is bad and parking is worse. Personally, I come in from the Star City side and park at the CMA church on Patteson Drive. It's free and they often offer free tailgating food, it is about a mile from Mountaineer Field though, so be prepared for a walk. To get closer, Suncrest UMC has a lot that is usually fairly reasonably priced and is maybe 1500 feet from the field. You can also take the PRT, it's a public mass transit system that sort of resembles a monorail. You can park downtown and ride it to 'Medical Center' You'll leave south from Medical center and have maybe a 2000 foot walk to the field. On game days, everyone is going to the same place, so just follow the crowd. Tailgating usually begins fairly early and for most games it's a continuation of pre-gating from the night before. The public tailgates are throughout the area, but concentrated on the North side of the stadium. On the East side are private tailgates. If you can find someone that can wrangle you a pass to Mylan's tailgate, it's always and worth it. We have a ton of traditions, but since most of the people visiting won't particularly care, I won't go into them. Visitor's section is in the Southeast corner of the stadium.

Tim Canfield in Morgantown wrote: I recommend two very good places in Morgantown to eat. The first is Shift Ace Pizza located on University Ave. next to the downtown campus. The pizza is New York style, is super good, and real cheap price-wise. Plus they have some really wacky pizzas since it caters to the student crowd, but they have alot of parents come in too and they have raved about it. They also have great wings and outstanding bacon-cheese fries too. Plus beer on tap. The second place is the Rusted Musket which is located right next door to Shift Ace Pizza. This place has outstanding stacker sandwiches that are similar to the Primanti Brothers' stacker sandwiches in Pittsburgh (steak, chicken, or fish with homemade coleslaw and fries stacked together with Texas Toast). The stacker sandwiches are named after U.S cities (I recommend the Los Angeles). They also have really good wings too. The best thing about these two places is that they also deliver to the hotels/motels located in Morgantown and Star City. So if any fans want to try these two places out, ask the front desks of the hotel they are staying at for a menu.

Eric in Charleston, W. Va., wrote: When visiting Motown, you gotta have breakfast at Tudor's Biscuit World....not exactly unique to Morgantown, more of a WV regional restaurant, but best Biscuits and gravy you'll ever have besides grandma's.

Jake in Morgantown wrote: Look, any big 12 fan will be fine in Morgantown. Here are some pointers. Do wear your colors. We absolutely don't just randomly attack visitors. Do visit our tailgates. We love to share our food. Learn what a pepperoni roll is, ask for one, and then thank the lord above you made the trip just for that moment. Do prepare for some insults from some fans. Most of us are hospitable and look forward to our new conference mates visiting. Some fans will say mean things. I hope you don't feel attacked, but every school has that. That being said, you should never, ever go near our student gate. If you see a sea of drunk old gold and blue-clad young people lined up at a gate while everyone else is still tailgating... Back away slowly. Other than that, you'll be fine. Oh, if you have any spare couches, feel free to bring them. We like to...er... Collect them. Yeah, that's it. Collect... Definitely not burn.

Great suggestions, everybody. I enjoyed it.

Did we miss any? Feel free to fill your fellow fans in down in the comment section.

Thanks for all the questions in today's chat. Here's the full transcript.

Time for some highlights:

QueenP (Lubbock, Texas): Being that A&M is no longer in the Big 12, do you see the TTU/UT rivalry growing?

David Ubben: No, probably not. They've obviously had some great games over the year, but I don't think so. If anything, some of that energy may spill over into the Red River Rivalry, as hard as it is to believe.

Tony (Richmond, Calif.): Don't you have to feel the conference is yours for the taking in Austin this season with OU having to travel to both Morgantown and Fort Worth at the end of the season with archrival Okie State sandwiched in between? Texas gets WVU and TCU at home, so they really have no one to blame but themselves if they don't return to the top of the Big XII? Your thoughts?

David Ubben: Texas needs to worry more about its quarterback spot than Oklahoma's schedule. Develop David Ash. Then let's talk Sooners.

Jeremy from Parkersburg, W.Va. [via mobile]: The Mountaineers will have a need to find a new rivalry game now that the Backyard Brawl with Pitt is possibly done. Who from their new Big 12 brothern would most likely step in to fit that bill. By the way, thanks to all for our warm Big 12 welcoming. Looking forward to see how we stack up against big boys.

David Ubben: Texas Tech and Oklahoma State make some sense because of the Holgorsen connection. Ultimately, though, rivalries are born out of great games stacked back to back.

Hornsfan (Best City in the USA): Ubbs, any way that UT qb play is worse next season?

David Ubben: No. I think it'll be better, but still a decent chunk away from being good enough to win the Big 12.

Kevin (Kansas): Collin Klein have a shot at Offensive Player of the Year in the Big 12?

David Ubben: Definitely, but he has to improve as a passer and have similar rushing output. There's going to be some tough competition this year. Look out for the new QBs, Casey Pachall and Geno Smith, too. Landry Jones is probably the frontrunner for the award, though.

Tony (Richmond, Calif.): Will this Texas defense rank among the best in Mack Brown's tenure by season's end?

David Ubben: It's got the talent to do it, but replacing the leadership from Acho, Robinson and Gideon is going to be tough. Those guys kept young players in position and motivated their teammates. UT will have the athletes, but who knows how it looks in Year 2 under Manny Diaz? I think it'll be really good, but you never know. Those guys left big holes.

ClarenceOveur (The Cockpit): David, you believe that TCU has more "potential upside" than WVU in the Big 12 due to its location in the DFW Metroplex and its familiarity with other schools in the conference. Did you consult TCU's prior record in the SWC at all before coming to that conclusion? At one point they went 35 years between conference titles. What about the Frogs makes their outlook that much better this time around? Also David, do you like movies about gladiators?

David Ubben: I think it's unfair to look at TCU's history. Look at it now. Gary Patterson's built something big there since. He's got them rolling. They'll be better with some more talent. He's also made TCU a much better job. He's got a lot of time there, but when he leaves, TCU will be in position to get a great replacement.

Steve (Philadelphia): I am thoroughly enjoying your coverage of my new league so far. However, I have never closely followed any Big 12 team and from BE country there was always a feeling that Big 12 teams were grossly unbalanced with high powered offenses and no defense to speak of. I would cite my Mountaineers Fiesta Bowl victory over the Sooners but that wouldn't be fair would it? Any evidence to the contrary?

David Ubben: Yeah, I think it's unfair to make that assumption. Teams like UT, OU and Nebraska have had some great defenses. The problem is one, the offenses are that much better than every other league, and they run a whole lot more plays. If I remember the numbers correctly, OSU faced something like 1,050 plays before its bowl game. LSU, meanwhile, had faced something like 615.

ESPN goes behind the scenes as Robert Griffin III prepares for the NFL draft.

Hope you all enjoyed today's spring practice preview. Time to chat today, too.

Let's talk some spring football. We'll get started at 3 p.m. ET.

Here's the link.

Feel free to drop your questions in early, keep them coming once we start and I'll see you there.

Our countdown of the Big 12's top 25 players continues. The official list is locked away in a vault in an undisclosed location, but we're revealing a new member of the list every day.

Here's a quick rundown on my criteria for this list.

No. 16: Emmanuel Acho, LB, Texas

2011 numbers: Made 117 tackles and 14.5 tackles for loss. He had three sacks, broke up five passes and forced a fumble.

Most recent ranking: Acho was ranked No. 24 in our preseason list of the top 25 players.

Making the case for Acho: Acho's older brother Sam carried Texas' defense in 2010. But it was Emmanuel who took the lead in 2011 as one of the leaders of the Big 12's best defense. Acho, Keenan Robinson and Blake Gideon were the elder statesmen of the unit, but Acho was the most productive.

His 117 tackles led the team by 19 stops and were third-most in the Big 12. His 14.5 tackles for loss were fifth-most in the Big 12. The 6-foot-2, 245-pounder is a solid rock in the middle of the defense and a sure tackler that plays with tons of instinct. He earned an All-Big 12 nod and was a semifinalist for the Academic Heisman and a finalist for the Lott IMPACT Trophy.
The rest of the list:

• No. 17: Kelechi Osemele, LT, Iowa State
• No. 18: Joseph Randle, RB, Oklahoma State
• No. 19: Arthur Brown, LB, Kansas State
• No. 20: Kenny Vaccaro, S, Texas
• No. 21: Grant Garner, C, Oklahoma State
• No. 22: Ronnell Lewis, LB, Oklahoma
• No. 23: Cyrus Gray, RB, Texas A&M
• No. 24: Nigel Malone, CB, Kansas State
• No. 25: Damontre Moore, LB, Texas A&M

Is Texas back? Yes, says David Ubben -- except at quarterback. If the Longhorns are coming back to the top of the Big 12, it's up to David Ash.

It can't be appendicitis. I eat more than enough bacon.

• The Big 12 is happy at 10 members, but Oklahoma and Oklahoma State are open to expansion, writes John Klein of the Tulsa World.
• If it happens, though? Don't expect the Big 12 to move until it has a new commissioner. Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman offers some thoughts on the search. And about those playoff rumblings? College football's biggest problem isn't a Big Ten roadblock.
• Will this scandal affect TCU in the long term? A few experts say no, writes Jimmy Burch of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. (FWIW, I'd agree. The gravity and breadth of the scandal aren't quite as deep as once thought, based on what we know now.) Burch also writes that Heisman winner Robert Griffin III has more doubters and questions to answer at this week's combine.
• RG3 signed with Adidas, and here's his first commercial. Pretty well done.
• This week's NFL combine will tell a lot about Oklahoma linebacker Ronnell Lewis' future, writes Travis Haney of The Oklahoman.
• Griffin moved his pro day to March 21, a day before Stanford's Andrew Luck.
• Kirk Bohls of the Austin American-Statesman says TCU's handling of its recent drug scandal deserves accolades.
• Don Williams of the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal profiles DT Delvon Simmons, a big-time recruit who struggled in a quiet freshman season for Texas Tech.
• A few Big 12 talents made the two-star (or less) recruits All-American team from Andy Staples of SI.com.

Adam Schefter on Robert Griffin III moving up his pro day.