ESPN College Football

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

Sometimes, a seemingly small item provides a huge benefit.

Texas coach Mack Brown is looking for any edge he can find as he attempts to claim his first Big 12 title since 2005. 

It's why motivational guru Jon Gordon stopped in Austin this week to share some of his philosophies with the Longhorns, the Austin American-Statesman's Kevin Robbins reports.

Part of Gordon's philosophy has team members expressing their love for each other. They also talked about vampires.

And he asked the team to think about the process that leads to the championship rather than the outcome itself.

"That's how championships are won," Gordon said to the team. "I'm asking you to focus on your moments. Seize your moments and you're going to love your outcomes."

Gordon has a strong record. He's talked with NFL teams over the years, most recently the Atlanta Falcons before last season. That squad had lost its coach and quarterback coming into the season when Bobby Petrino left for Arkansas and Michael Vick was jailed. But something clicked and the Falcons and rookie quarterback Matt Ryan raced to an improbable 11-5 record and made the playoffs.

Whether Gordon's lessons can help the Longhorns realize their dreams will be interesting to watch.  

And if they do claim a championship, the cost of his summer visit will be chump change compared to the overall result.

Here are some other links from across the conference for your lunchtime edification. 

Enjoy them.

• The administrative leaves of Kansas State associate athletic directors Jim Epps and Bob Cavello remain "unchanged," Kansas State athletic director John Currie told Joshua Kinder of the Manhattan Mercury.
• Colorado offensive lineman Max Tuioti-Mariner tells Kyle Ringo of the Boulder Daily Camera that he's strongly considering taking off on a religious mission over the next year. The sabbatical would also benefit Tuioti-Mariner's knees, which have been scarred by three surgeries over the past two years.
• Sports Illustrated's Austin Murphy has a decidedly Texas slant on his most thrilling players in college football history.
• Baylor's chances of breaking a postseason drought that has stretched since 1994 are analyzed by the Lincoln Journal Star's Steve Sipple. And Lincoln Journal-Star staffers Curt McKeever and Brian Christopherson and guest Steve Ryan of the Big Red Report analyze whether Baylor will be a "trap game" for Nebraska.
• Missouri players have noted dire preseason predictions for the two-time defending North Division title game participants, the Columbia Tribune's Dave Matter reports.
• Chase Daniel can't wait to disprove those who are doubting his ability to make an NFL roster, the Kansas City Star's Mike DeArmond reports.
• The Des Moines Register's Randy Peterson explains why there's a rush to find immediate talent in Iowa State's 2010 class.
• The Denver Post's Terri Frei goes deeper with more information from an extensive recent interview with Dan Hawkins.
• The Tulsa World's John Hoover analyzes Oklahoma's 2009 schedule.
• The San Antonio Express-News' Jerry Briggs talks to former Texas quarterback James Street about teammate Freddie Steinmark's courage.