ESPN College Football

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

Busy today with all kinds of interviews, including more later this afternoon at Texas A&M.

But would I forget your lunchtime links?

Not a chance.

• Texas safety Blake Gideon tells USA Today's Steve Wieberg that he's using last season's critical dropped interception against Texas Tech as motivation to prepare him for 2009.
• Iowa State wide receiver Darius Darks could miss the Cyclones' Sept. 3 opener against North Dakota State as he recovers from a hamstring injury, the Des Moines Register's Randy Peterson reports. Darks set an ISU freshman record for receptions last season.
• Lawrence Journal-World columnist Tom Keegan writes about the early production of Kansas freshman linebacker Huldon Tharp.
• Nebraska tight ends coach Ron Brown tells the Lincoln Journal-Star's Steve Sipple he's excited about the Cornhuskers' wealth of talent at the position.
• The Topeka Capital-Journal's Austin Meek writes about how fatherhood has matured former Minnesota transfer and current Kansas State walk-on wide receiver Broderick Smith.
• Even six likely starting sophomores and another freshman hasn't dampened the enthusiasm for veteran Texas A&M coordinator Joe Kines, the San Antonio Express-News/Houston Chronicle's Brent Zwerneman reports.
• The Daily Nebraskan's Kris Knowlton ranks the Big 12 coaches from worst to first.
• College Football News' Pete Fiutak examines the scariest potential letdown game for each Big 12 team.
• The Oklahoman analyzes Oklahoma tackle Trent Williams and Oklahoma State tackle Russell Okung, who the paper calls the two best tackles in the nation.
• The Denver Post's Tom Kensler writes about Colorado's return to a power running game.
• Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin expects massive defensive tackle Phil Taylor to have an immediate impact on the Bears' defense, the Waco Tribune-Herald's John Werner reports.
• Tulsa World columnist Dave Sittler writes about the improvement in Oklahoma State's defense as nurtured by veteran coordinator Bill Young.