ESPN College Football

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

I hope everybody is as recharged and ready as I am after my Fourth of July break.

Between the dinners with the in-laws, fireworks displays, wiffle ball games and even a 2-hour wait in 104-degree heat for the most quintessential of all Texas tourist trips -- a visit to the Blue Bell Creamery in Brenham -- I'm still kind of worn out from all my days off.

Thankfully, the links were waiting for me this morning with a lot of news that transpired over the last few days across the Big 12.

Enjoy them.

• The Oklahoman's Jake Trotter reports that heralded running back recruits Brennan Clay and Roy Finch are excited about playing in the same backfield when they arrive at Oklahoma in 2010.
• The Denver Post's Terry Frei writes about Dan Hawkins' insistence of maintaining balance between work and family in his coach's lives. Hawkins also plans to open his first 10 practices to the public when the Buffaloes start preseason practice on Aug. 7, Kyle Ringo of the Boulder Daily Camera reports.
• Former Nebraska quarterback Sam Keller tells the New York Times why he's fighting Electronic Arts Sports for using his likeness in NCAA Football video game.
• Despite much heated public outcry in his defense, the Topeka Capital-Journal's Austin Meek remains curious about Bill Snyder after an auditor's report linked his name, among others, to unaccounted athletic department payments at Kansas State.
• The Tulsa World's John Hoover checks in with former Heisman Trophy winners Jason White and Billy Sims for some insight on what Sam Bradford might face this season. Both White and Sims were awarded the Heisman as juniors and came back to school for another season, like Bradford has chosen to do.
• Antonio Burton, a safety from Guyer High School in Denton, Texas, has committed to Kansas in the 2010 recruiting class, the Lawrence Journal-World reports. Burton chose the Jayhawks over UTEP, Tulsa and Arizona.
• The Columbia Daily Tribune's Dave Matter ranks Colt McCoy of Texas as the best player in a Big 12 backfield.
• Texas A&M athletic director Bill Byrne told the Dallas Morning News' Chuck Carlton that he's seen inspiration to improve among his school's football team after the school's recent success with other athletic teams.
• Michael Sherfield of the Daily Texan writes of Mack Brown's emerging legacy as Texas' head coach.
• Newly arrived Kansas freshmen football players are getting a crash course at adjusting to Division I football, the Lawrence Journal-World's Dugan Arnett reports.