ESPN College Football

Thanks for all the questions this week. Here's the full transcript of our weekly chat.

Didn't get your question answered? My mailbag is open.

And some highlights:

Greg in Omaha asked: What's been the reaction about Bo's comments on the officiating during the aTm game?

David Ubben: Not much. There's not much that's going to happen at this point. I don't buy it, but I do think Bo believes an official said something to that effect. Doesn't mean that's what an official meant, but Bo also realizes that his reactions during the game brought some of that on himself.

Bo Pelini in Nebraska asked: Is there a statute of limitations for my complaining about being shafted by Texas and the Big "whatever"?

DU: I don't think so, but in his defense, this wasn't a random rant. He was asked directly about it.

Mike Hale in South Austin, Texas asked: Which QB gives Texas the best shot at 9 victories this year Wood, McCoy or Gilbert? If Gilbert is unable to gain the trust of the players around him I see more internal issues arising as long as he continues to start...if that is the case. Whatchu know about them Texas Boyz!

DU: Every indication I've gotten is that Gilbert is the most vocal of the three quarterbacks, unlike the situation at Missouri, where Tyler Gabbert was a lot more vocal than James Franklin, which could have gotten awkward at some point. I don't think gaining his teammates' trust is going to be a problem for Gilbert. Everyone on that offense understands no one got it done last year.

Christopher in Houston asked: Is it football season yet?

DU: A little over four weeks. I can't wait.

Peter Terpstra in Columbia, Mo. asked: Mizzou historically always seems to be a let down in clutch moments. With last year's OU victory, what are the chances that the Tigers can finally bring everything together and land themselves in the Big 12 Championship game or better?

DU: Missouri could put it together, but I don't care what they do...there's zero chance Missouri gets to the Big 12 Championship game this year. I'd bet my life on it.

Damian in Utah asked: as of right now, who do you got between BYU vs Texas?

DU: Cougs.

Dan K. in Trophy Club asked: Has Tubs turned the corner on the recruiting trail in Lubbock?

DU: Certainly looks like it. He's brought in some big time guys almost immediately. Leon Mackey and Delvon Simmons are exciting players, and next year's class has big time receivers, including Dominique Wheeler. I'd expect the 2012 class to be the best ever for the Red Raiders, topping the 2011 class.

Jared in Texas asked: Can you hide your bias view a little better? From what I can tell your man crush on everything non-UT comes through in every chat you do...

DU: Sorry for not fawning over a five-win team with self-declared "entitlement" issues.

Travis in San Antonio asked: What is your favorite stadium in the big 12 and who do you think has the best game day atmosphere?

DU: Texas has the best stadium. Texas A&M has the best game day atmosphere.

Jonathan in Washington, D.C. asked: What exactly do you think it will take for A&M to get rid of the "little brother" perception with Texas?

DU: Not gonna happen. The inferiority complex with A&M toward Texas has intensified quite a bit over the past year, despite A&M clearly being the better football in that same span.

Luke in Pflugerville, Texas asked: Texas A&M seems to think someone cares if they bolt for the SEC....Texas doesn't. Realistically how do you think the Aggies would do...considering over the past 10 years they couldn't hold their own in the BIG 12

DU: Ha, let's not kid ourselves here. People care if Texas A&M leaves. I do think that could likely usher in the end of the Big 12 as we know it, and lots of folks care about that, Texas included, which would have some very difficult decisions to make if it happened. As for how Texas A&M would do in the SEC, I'd see them winning one conference title every 10-20 years.

When I say they would have trouble winning there, people want to make it seem like they'd be a cellar dweller. Not so. They'd win and go to bowl games consistently. But winning big? Not a good chance to do that consistently with the caliber of programs at the top of the SEC that are used to playing SEC-style football.

Nebraska officially left the Big 12 on Friday, but in many ways it may still resemble a Big 12 team. Earlier this year, among the top 75 players in the state of Texas, according to ESPNU, just two signed with schools (Iowa, Michigan) that played the 2010 season in the Big Ten.

But four more -- including three in the top 15 in the state and ESPNU 150 members -- signed with Nebraska. Those three were Nebraska's top three recruits, and five members of the 20-signee class, hailed from Texas.

The Huskers' future recruiting in Texas, where every team in the Big 12 must recruit, as a member of the Big Ten, is a point of debate, but a point with wide-ranging effects for the rest of the Big 12.

I sat down with ESPN's national recruiting director, Tom Luginbill (you can follow him on Twitter at @TomLuginbill), to get his take on the changing landscape of recruiting in the state of Texas.

You look at Nebraska's class last year, they came in and got guys like Aaron Green (the nation's No. 3 running back) and Charles Jackson (the No. 5 cornerback) down in Texas; very elite guys.

And Jamal Turner (the nation's No. 6 athlete). Jamal Turner might be the best one.

True. It looks like he's going to play receiver for them. But you look at this year's class so far, and those kinds of guys aren't there. They've got five commits so far, a small class for now, without any commits from Texas. Do you see this being more of the case moving forward for Nebraska as a member of the Big Ten?

Possibly. And keep this in mind: The fact that they're moving to the Big Ten is more than just the prospect in Texas. So many of those families, they want to be able to see their kids play. And unless there's a home game in Nebraska, they're not going to be able to see many road games. And so the proximity is somewhat similar to TCU moving into the Big East. You're recruiting Texas kids and going to the Big East, but your family's really not going to get to see you play much unless it's at home.

So with Nebraska, obviously it's not in Texas, but it's in close proximity, so I think time will tell. I do believe that there could be some effect there. I don't know how significant. But I don't think it has so much to do with the conference affiliation as much as it does the proximity of games.

Yeah, exactly. And there's been quite a bit of debate on our blog and in other places about what that effect will be. What do you think Nebraska recruiting in Texas will look like in five years?

I still believe they will have a strong contingency in Texas. In my opinion, if you look at the teams who are currently in the Big 12. When it was broken up into the North and South, all of the North teams were always behind the 8-ball, because none of those teams resided in a state with a high population or enrollment of quality prospects. So they all had to go into Texas' backyard and A&M and Texas Tech to get players.

Well, just because Nebraska has moved into the Big Ten, that isn't going to change that. They're still going to have to go into Texas. They're going to have to have strong ties in Texas because they don't have enough athletes within their own states and surrounding states to make up for it. So, I think you'll still see a strong presence from them, but I wouldn't be surprised, too, if you start seeing them popping up in Ohio and Pennsylvania and showing up there more. Because, remember, Bo Pelini is from Ohio. So, I think there will be some ties there where maybe if they're not having as much success in Texas as maybe they've had in the past 25 years, maybe what you'll see is them supplementing that in the Midwest with some kids that already identify within the conference.

(Read full post)

We said our goodbyes on the blog in February, but today is officially the day: Nebraska is no longer a member of the Big 12 and joins the Big Ten.

Colorado, meanwhile, leaves the Big 12 for the Pac-12, joining fellow new member Utah.

We said goodbye before basketball and baseball seasons and school years were finished, but the official move goes down today.

We won't have any sort of fireworks around these parts, but Brian and Adam over on the Big Ten blog will be welcoming Nebraska, and Ted will be commemorating the official birth of the Pac-12 on the ... Pac-12 blog.

Anyway, now seems like a good time to take a look back at our tearful goodbyes to the Buffs and Huskers before spring ball, if you missed it.

Here's all the Goodbye, Nebraska, coverage in one place.

And all the Goodbye, Colorado, coverage.

And a few highlights, if you'd like:

Nebraska

What I'll miss about Nebraska

The fans. Easily No. 1 on my list. Huskers fans are everywhere. Home and away, I can't go anywhere on campus on a game weekend without running into Huskers fans. They email endlessly. They know and love their team. As a group, they're what every fan base should aspire to be. ...

Throwing the bones. It's an individual celebration, but at the same time, a nod to all the greats that came before them. It's great to see any time a Blackshirt throws them in a game after a big play.

Rittenberg vs. Ubben: Blog debate on Nebraska's move

Rittenberg: How contentious did things get at the end with Nebraska and the Big 12?

Ubben: "Quite" probably doesn't do it justice, but suffice it to say, Nebraska welcomed the end of the Big 12 era. Ever since the Big 8 became the Big 12, Nebraska hasn't quite been as happy with the Texas-centric nature of the league. The league offices moved from Kansas City to Dallas and the Big 12 Championship was set to be played at Cowboys Stadium for the next three years before Colorado and Nebraska left. That's not why Nebraska is leaving, but it didn't help establish much good faith toward the Huskers. It's a mischaracterization to say they're running "from" the Big 12, but rather they're running "to" the Big Ten.

The action on the field didn't help ease the transition. Nebraska was the only team that had a player suspended for a helmet-to-helmet hit all season, and there were plenty of controversial calls in the Huskers' second loss of the season, on the road against Texas A&M. Their final two losses were mostly free of controversy, but like I said, Nebraska's bags are packed and it's definitely excited about the future.

Q&A on Nebraska's departure

DU: Nebraska's biggest asset is its fan base. People like to knock Huskers fans for being a bit full of themselves, but they have reason to be. They're going to rival any team in the Big Ten when it comes to traveling for road games. Prepare yourselves for a sea of red in your stadiums when Nebraska comes.

One big reason? It might be tougher to get a ticket to see the Huskers in Lincoln. Every single home game has been sold out since Nov. 3, 1962, a streak of 311 games. That's an NCAA record, of course. The ones who do make it into Memorial Stadium on fall Saturdays enter under permanent signs that read "Through these gates pass the Greatest Fans in College Football."

Is it obnoxious? Yes. Will it turn off a few opposing fans? Most definitely.

But I would argue that it's not inaccurate.

Colorado

What I'll miss about Colorado

The view. I live in Dallas, which, if you've ever been, is not the most mountainous of terrains. Colorado's campus, however, sits at the base of a Rocky Mountains peak, and you see plenty more mountains to your west just about everywhere you go in the city. It's easily the most picturesque campus in the Big 12.

Ralphie. Give me the big buff in a death match between any Big 12 mascots. Before every game, Ralphie romps around Folsom Field with the help of his trainers, who keep him from getting too out of hand. Bevo down in Austin might get the press these days, but Ralphie's game-day run is one of the best pregame traditions in college football.

The NCAA released its report on Academic Progress Rates (APR) this week, and every team in the Big 12 was in good standing for the 2009-10 school year.

The APR measures of eligibility and retention for Division I student-athletes for every sport on a term-by-term basis. It was developed as an early indicator of eventual graduation rates.

If any team scores below 925 out of 1,000 it will incur scholarship losses, practice restrictions and other penalties may follow. The rates are based on scores from the 2006-07, 2007-08, 2008-09 and 2009-10 academic years.

That 925 ranking equates to about a 60 percent graduation rate.

Here's where the Big 12's programs ranked. Nebraska and Colorado are included, for obvious reasons. Last year's rating in parentheses. You can see any program using the NCAA's database.

1. Missouri -- 967

2. Oklahoma -- 960

3. Nebraska -- 958

4. Kansas -- 952

5. Baylor -- 951

6. Texas Tech -- 944

7. Oklahoma State -- 942

8. Texas -- 941

9. Kansas State -- 940

9. Texas A&M -- 940

11. Iowa State -- 932

12. Colorado -- 929

Additionally, you can search the database by coach, and here's how the coaches ranked according to their single-year rankings. (last year's score in parentheses.)

1. Gary Pinkel, Missouri -- 975 (977)

2. Bo Pelini, Nebraska -- 970 (934)

3. Bob Stoops, Oklahoma -- 966 (954)

4. Art Briles, Baylor -- 964 (985)

5. Dan Hawkins, Colorado -- 958 (929)

6. Turner Gill, Kansas -- 948 (first year)

7. Paul Rhoads, Iowa State -- 946 (889)

8. Mike Sherman, Texas A&M -- 942 (902)

8. Bill Snyder, Kansas State -- 942 (908)

10. Tommy Tuberville, Texas Tech -- 940 (915)

11. Mack Brown, Texas -- 924 (959)

12. Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State -- 913 (944)

To re-emphasize, the four-year, program-wide numbers are the only ones that can bring about penalties, but it's interesting to see the year-to-year fluctuation within each program. Kudos to Rhoads, Snyder, Pelini, Sherman and Hawkins.

You can see any coach in any sport by using this database.

Former Kansas coach Mark Mangino hadn't spoken publicly about his dismissal in the 17 months since it occurred. Finally, he granted a lengthy, wide-ranging interview to the New Castle (PA) News back in his hometown.

On not speaking out:

"Our doorbell kept ringing with people wanting to interview me ... But Mary Jane and I had decided that the right thing to do was to just walk away with our heads held high and not burn any bridges. I learned long ago that you’re never going to win trying to defend yourself."

He's probably right about that. It was the right approach for Mangino, who was replaced by Turner Gill from Buffalo. Everything snowballed pretty badly on him at the end. The intense approach with players flies much more smoothly when coaches' teams are winning BCS games. When it loses seven games to end a season, people get much less tolerant, and stories like the one from the Kansas parking attendant can do a lot of damage. If that had surfaced during the 2007 season, it wouldn't have been nearly as serious of an issue. I'm not excusing it, but that's how the world works.

On the infamous Raimond Pendleton YouTube video (Which I can't link to for obvious reasons. Google is your friend.)

That should never even have been an issue. The conversation was between me and the player. It is an unwritten rule in college football that video is fair game in the coaches’ box, but audio is absolutely off limits.

An ambitious young TV reporter from Topeka trying to make a name for himself stood in the end zone and put the audio on the coaches’ box, without the knowledge of me or our university. He caught heck from our sports information department, but by then it already was out there.

Mangino's dead on with this one. No one cares about those unwritten rules once it's on YouTube, but people wanted to act like Mangino was the first coach to ever rip into a player with colorful language before. (Pendleton, by the way, deserved at least some scolding. I'll leave it to you to decide if Mangino went too far.)

The situation reminds me a bit of the controversial Tony Jerod-Eddie/Ben Cotton situation in the Nebraska-Texas A&M game last year. It was an ugly incident, yes, but people unfamiliar with the game of football wanted to demonize Jerod-Eddie, as if he was some sort of deviant, the first person to ever do what he did underneath a pile. Why? Because cameras caught it. It's not a perfect example, considering Eddie's incident was on the national TV broadcast, but you get the point. It doesn't make it OK, but people overreacted to both situations.

On Arist Wright's allegation that Mangino poked him in the chest during practice:

"I was pretty much blindsided. I honestly didn’t know what was going on."

Worth noting that while Wright and other players spoke out against Mangino, others inside the program violated Mangino's gag order on the issues to speak out in support of their coach. Some coaches coach the way Mangino does. Some don't. Some players respond to that kind of coaching. Some don't.

But any time a coach touches a player aggressively, public forum or not, it's going to be brought up, though it rarely results in anybody losing a job over it. I seem to remember a high-profile coach poking a high-profile player in a high-profile game this year and after a brief controversy, it pretty much went away.

Mangino's house in Lawrence remains unsold, but he's definitely looking to get back into coaching. Earlier this spring, Mangino was spotted at Oklahoma's spring practice with his former boss, Bob Stoops, but he told the paper he's still focused on finding a head-coaching job, rather than an assistant job.

On where he wants to work in the future:

"I do have some criteria that would need to be met before I would get back into the game. I want to be in a football environment — in other words, I would only go to a place where football has a high level of importance. I don’t want to go someplace where football is an afterthought or a hobby, that just would not work for me.

He's laying it on pretty thick there. Kansas is easily the Big 12's biggest basketball school, and despite the football team's success, it never quite got the attention from the fan base it probably deserved. That has to get frustrating after a while.

Mangino's agreement to leave limits him from commenting on the specifics of the situation.

"When I look back on my time at Kansas, I want to remember the positive, not dwell on the negative," he told the paper. "I’m very proud of my time there."

And he should be. Despite the ugly end, there's no denying that winning a BCS bowl at Kansas is a huge accomplishment, something nobody at Kansas had been able to do for nearly four decades before Mangino.

Thanks for all the questions, all. Enjoy the rest of the draft this weekend.

Jared in College Station, Texas asks: What do you make of Texas A&M's "Senior QB Curse?" Reggie McNeil, Stephen McGee, and Jerrod Johnson were all ineffective and benched their senior season. Very odd, no? How can Ryan Tannehill escape the same fate?

David Ubben: Well, I have problems buying into any curse, of course. The bottom line about McNeal and McGee is neither one was as good as Jerrod Johnson or Ryan Tannehill. Johnson, at his best, was better than Tannehill, but the shoulder injury was such a rough deal last season.

This week, coach Mike Sherman opined that Johnson tried too hard to make up for lost time in the spring and worked too hard during the summer. Whatever the cause, it was a shame. Johnson was a guy who did everything right, and despite that, it wasn't meant to pay off for him. That said, it's in the past.

Tannehill didn't take a ton of big hits last season, and with Texas A&M's solid offensive line featuring sophomore bookends loaded with potential, he doesn't figure to take many more in 2011. In the event he does run, though? I'm sure Sherman will be in his ear to make sure he gets down or out of bounds.

Curse or otherwise, you still have to take care of your passer. Last season, the Aggies had a pretty good backup plan for Johnson. This season, they don't. Being extra careful is the prudent approach.

Jamiell Showers and/or Matt Joeckel aren't winning Texas A&M a Big 12 title next season.

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Brett in Kansas City asks: Hey David, is there any chance that Bob Stoops, or any other Big 12 coaches for that matter, will be looking at homes in Columbus, Ohio anytime soon?

DU: No, I don't buy that. Urban Meyer is obviously at the top of the list if Jim Tressel leaves, but if Stoops turned down Florida (twice), I'd be surprised if he left for Ohio State. There's some appeal in going "home," yes, but Stoops said himself this spring that Oklahoma is as much his home as anywhere these days. He's got three school-aged kids who have lived in Oklahoma since 1999. That's 12 years.

Besides that, how often do you see a coach of a major program leave to become coach at another major program? It's very, very rare.

I generally think Meyer will eventually end up at Ohio State, but if anything, Bo Pelini is much more likely to leave than Stoops, following a short tenure at Nebraska. I wouldn't bet on it, but Pelini is pretty high on the prospective list.

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Michael in Long Beach, Calif. asks: David, if Jamell Fleming enrolls for the fall semester is he good to go, or does he face academic or other types of suspensions? Would he be eligible academically? Thanks.

DU: He should be good to go, as I understand it. It sounds like his status is in limbo, and ultimately, he's the only guy who can decide if he'll be back or not. He'll have to work to show it, though. He could miss out on something special at Oklahoma next year if he's not on the team. You'd think that alone would be enough motivation.

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Frederico in Paris asks: David,Who would you pick as the big 12 teams you're most likely to be over-rating and under-rating for the 2011 season at this point in time?

DU: Interesting question. Overrating? We'll see about Oklahoma State. The defense got a lot better toward the end of last season, but will that continue into next season, especially without one of its leaders, Orie Lemon?

And then there's the whole playcalling deal, replacing one of college football's best, Dana Holgorsen, with an inexperienced Todd Monken.

Between the trio of teams at the top of the league, I'd say they're the most likely to have a disappointing season. Not saying it'll happen, but Texas A&M and Oklahoma have a lot fewer questions.

Underrating? Probably the same three teams I pegged as sleepers awhile back. Texas, Missouri and Kansas State. All have big question marks, but perhaps even bigger potential.

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Barack Obama in Washington, D.C. asks: I'm sure Tuberville's going on Hannity and bashing me plays well with the fans in west Texas but seems like a fairly stupid move overall. Tubs stated that as coach he represents all of Tech's players but I doubt if many of his African American players feel like those comments represent them. Do you think this could impact recruiting for Tech?

DU: Whoa, whoa, whoa. Let's strip this letter of all the fighting words. I'd expect a president to be more diplomatic, no? First off, I'd hardly call what Tuberville said about Obama "bashing." Questioning? Sure. As it ends up, he was wrong, but again, Tuberville is little more than a victim of poor timing when it comes to Obama and his birth certificate. No one would bat an eye at this if Tuberville hadn't gone on the air and commented the night before Obama released the document.

Secondly, painting with a broad brush there a little bit, right? His black players wouldn't feel like those comments represent them? Since when are all of his white players backing the Republicans and all his black players backing the Democrats? Slow your role, Mr. President.

And most importantly, since when does that matter? It doesn't. If you're a player, there's no reason to be overly concerned with your coach's political views. When he says he represents all his players, I'd hardly say that crosses over to political views. I'm surprised this story became an issue, considering how little it has to do with anything.

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Brady Kirk in Norman, OK asks: Hey, Dubbs. I've been thinking lately about how the upcoming Sooner offense compares to its counterpart of 2008. First of all, how much of a difference do you see between their offensive lines; second, do you think this year's receiver corps is at the same level as that team's offensive line; and third, how close do you think this offense can come to that one overall?

DU: There's a big difference in the offensive lines. Oklahoma's should be good next season, but the one in 2008 had four NFL players on it. This season's probably has two. The receivers this season are better, but a great receiving corps doesn't mean dominance in the same way that an offensive line does. The Sooners did anything they wanted that season (until they played Florida) and scored more points than any offense in the history of college football.

This year's offense should be great, but I'd be shocked if it came anywhere close to that team.

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Tommy B in Stillwater, OK asks: What are the chances OSU is able to get Justin Bieber to Bedlam?

DU: Who knows just yet, but I'd like to see OSU do everything it can to get Bieber to Stillwater.

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David Paschall in Austin, Texas asks: I loved watching Texas' Blaine Irby play before his injury in 2008. It seems like he has a ton of potential at TE. Will we finally get to see him play again this year? He suited up for the Orange and White game, but I don't remember seeing him take the field and virtually no one has mentioned him. Will 2011 see his return?

DU: He was out there this spring, but the team took it easy and held him out of the spring game. He's not back to full strength, but he sounds like he'll be back on the field in at least some capacity next season.

The official list of the Big 12's top 25 players is locked away in a vault in an undisclosed location, but we're revealing the list day by day here on the blog. Here's a refresher on my exact criteria.

No. 21: Jared Crick, DT, Nebraska

2010 numbers: Made 70 tackles, including 14.5 tackles for loss. He also had 9.5 sacks, broke up a pass and forced a fumble.

Most recent ranking: Crick was ranked No. 9 in our preseason list of the Big 12's top 25 players.

Making the case for Crick: Crick wasn't the next Ndamukong Suh, but he never said he'd be. One of the Big 12's big questions for 2010 was how Crick would look without the House of Spears lined up next to him. The answer: Pretty dang good, but not wholly dominant. Crick was disruptive, especially late in the season, and easily one of the league's best defensive linemen, earning All-Big 12 first-team honors. His strong finish meant over half his sacks (5) came in his final five games after a bit of a slow start on the stat sheet. Bo Pelini's defense will be well-served with Crick returning for his senior season in 2011.

The rest of the list:

• No. 22: Travis Lewis, LB, Oklahoma
• No. 23: Quinton Carter, S, Oklahoma
• No. 24: Tim Barnes, C, Missouri
• No. 25: Lyle Leong, WR, Texas Tech

One coincidentally timed phone call has apparently made Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy a "Belieber."

Over the weekend, a video circulated of pop sensation/male bangs enthusiast Justin Bieber on Radio Disney. Then, his phone rang.

"Come after me! I'm a man! I'm 40!" Bieber's phone parroted the infamous rant by Gundy, drawing laughs from the radio host, and an impression of the rant's remainder by Bieber himself.

That was funny enough.

Monday afternoon, Gundy one-upped Bieber.

But then again, he's a boy. He's 16.

In the middle of a news conference, Gundy's phone went off with the chorus from Bieber's big hit, "Baby."

A reporter pointed out that it couldn't be a coincidence.

"I changed mine last night," Gundy said, presumably to support the artist who was blanked at the Grammys, despite being nominated for two awards, including an upset loss in the Best New Artist category. "I figured if he was going to use my ringtone that I should certainly use his ringtone."

Gundy's straight face throughout the line of questioning was impressive, and he simply replied "I am now" when asked if he was Bieber fan.

Gundy also joked he'd like to see the pop star at a Cowboys game and would like him to purchase a suite at Boone Pickens Stadium.

"I would prefer that he come and sing and perform a concert here, and buy a suite," Gundy said. "We still have some available."

Surely the video in which Bo Pelini admits he's a Willow Smith fan is only days away, right?

The Nebraska Cornhuskers have a new home in the Big Ten blog, and bloggers Adam Rittenberg and David Ubben are guiding the Big Red ship through these waters of transition. Before Ubben and the Big 12 give up Nebraska for good, it's time for something we like to call a blog debate.

Buckle up.

Adam Rittenberg: Mr. Ubben, I know you're all torn up about losing Nebraska. How can you possibly wake up in the morning without all those e-mails from Huskers fans flooding your inbox? Somehow, you must push forward. We here in Big Ten country certainly appreciate your generosity. The Big Ten undoubtedly gets better with the addition of Nebraska.

Let's face it: The Big Ten needs to catch the SEC, and Nebraska gives the league another big-name program with a ton of tradition on the football field. Nebraska has reached back-to-back Big 12 championship games and could have won both. Bo Pelini seems to have things going in the right direction, aside from his sideline flare-ups. My question to you is this: How close is Nebraska to becoming a true national powerhouse once again?

David Ubben: Very, very close, and if the ball had bounced their way a bit different a few times during the previous season, we might already be agreeing that the Huskers were truly back.

Pelini announced Nebraska was back after the Holiday Bowl win following the 2009 season and I agree with his statement. Nebraska won't play anyone next season, and didn't play anyone this season, that they didn't have a very good chance of beating. Doing that consistently is what separates the elite programs from everybody else. Everything is in place for Nebraska to have big-time success moving forward. They have tons of talent, lots of depth and a great coaching staff. There are obvious places where improvement is necessary, namely on offense, but I wouldn't be surprised to see Nebraska become a major player in the national title race in the next few years. They weren't far off this season.

We've heard a lot of talk about next season's schedule, though. How tough will it be? Where do you think Nebraska fits into the Big Ten on the field in Year 1?

AR: The Big Ten certainly is doing Nebraska no favors right off the bat. Not only will the Huskers play five teams, in what I think will be a very competitive division, but their crossover opponents are the three top teams in the Leaders division (Ohio State, Wisconsin, Penn State). Two of those games (Wisconsin and Penn State) are on the road. Bottom line: We'll find out very soon how well Nebraska stacks up with the Big Ten's top teams. If the Huskers can win their division after going through this schedule, they'll immediately put themselves among the Big Ten's elite.

Since Nebraska joined the Big Ten, we've heard a lot about the cultural similarities between Nebraska and its new league and also some of the cultural differences between Nebraska and the Big 12. Big 12 officials didn't even deliver the North division trophy to Lincoln. How contentious did things get at the end with Nebraska and the Big 12?

DU: "Quite" probably doesn't do it justice, but suffice it to say, Nebraska welcomed the end of the Big 12 era. Ever since the Big 8 became the Big 12, Nebraska hasn't quite been as happy with the Texas-centric nature of the league. The league offices moved from Kansas City to Dallas and the Big 12 Championship was set to be played at Cowboys Stadium for the next three years before Colorado and Nebraska left. That's not why Nebraska is leaving, but it didn't help establish much good faith toward the Huskers. It's a mischaracterization to say they're running "from" the Big 12, but rather they're running "to" the Big Ten.

The action on the field didn't help ease the transition. Nebraska was the only team that had a player suspended for a helmet-to-helmet hit all season, and there were plenty of controversial calls in the Huskers' second loss of the season, on the road against Texas A&M. Their final two losses were mostly free of controversy, but like I said, Nebraska's bags are packed and they're definitely excited about the future in a more stable Big Ten.

What do you think will be the best and worst parts about the transition for the Huskers?

AR: The positives certainly outweigh the negatives. The Big Ten provides the stability Nebraska craves and the equitability from a revenue-sharing standpoint that the Big 12 lacks. Nebraska also aligns itself with a stronger group of academic institutions, and membership in the Committee on Institutional Cooperation (the Big Ten's internal academic association) will please those in the administration. Nebraska also will get a bump in exposure not just for its football team but for other athletic programs because of the Big Ten Network.

The biggest negative, other than a tougher schedule in most seasons, is the potential recruiting impact. Other than Ohio State and, at times, Penn State, the Big Ten isn't a major player on the national recruiting scene. Nebraska has had great success in the state of Texas, but it no longer will be playing games there on a regular basis and players and their families will have to travel a lot farther on fall Saturdays. Can the Huskers continue to recruit well in Texas and also establish themselves more in the Big Ten footprint?

OK, Ubben, you're on the spot. How much will Nebraska's departure impact the Big 12? Can the league continue to be considered one of the nation's elite or will the ACC and Big East have company soon?

DU: As long as the Big 12 survives as a league, and I believe it will, it will be fine. Next season isn't a big concern. Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Texas A&M should all be top-20 teams at worst, and Texas and Missouri could find their way into that group without surprising too many people as well.

Long term, I think there are a lot of programs moving in the right direction to keep the Big 12 a nationally relevant league. Nebraska leaving hurts, but it's not a death sentence. Oklahoma isn't going anywhere. It's hard to see Texas getting any worse, and the new network will help that, too. Texas A&M is probably the biggest question mark in terms of long-term success, but they finally got things moving under Mike Sherman and despite an underwhelming 2011 recruiting class, are off to a nice start in 2012.

Oklahoma State and Missouri are having great success, racking up a lot of wins even if they haven't been able to win the conference. Texas Tech looks like it's building some great things under Tommy Tuberville. Baylor is better than it has been in the history of the Big 12.

On the field, it should be fine.

And the flip side of that Nebraska recruiting debate is this: Where do you think those Texas players that don't choose to go to Nebraska will go? TCU is becoming a big player in the state, but in all likelihood, most of the best among those 400 or so FBS signees in Texas every year will stay and play in a slimmed-down Big 12. More parity could theoretically be on the way if that happens.

For now, the ACC and Big East will continue to be the only leagues who gain entrance into the BCS as little more than legacy admissions. Thanks for playing last month, UConn.

What's the biggest impact Nebraska's entrance will have on the Big Ten, both on and off the field?

AR: Nebraska gives the Big Ten another impact program, another program that demands national attention. Big Ten blog users often see me write the phrase "move the needle," which basically translates to: make an impression nationally.

Some college football programs move the needle win or lose and others have a much harder time doing so, even if they have great success on the field. The Cornhuskers give the Big Ten four programs that truly move the needle: Nebraska, Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State. Just looking at the 2011 schedule, there are so many more potential marquee games in the Big Ten with Nebraska entering the mix.

The Big Ten has fallen behind the SEC both on the field and, to a lesser extent, in buzz factor. If Nebraska enters the league and truly restores itself as a national powerhouse, the Big Ten will have a better chance of catching the SEC in both arenas.

Nebraska is officially part of the Big Ten blog, and the welcome wagon hasn't stopped rolling.

To help us learn more about the Huskers, I've reached out to colleague David Ubben from the Big 12 blog. David knows all about Big Red and covered Nebraska during its transition from the Big 12 to the Big Ten. After being nice enough to hand off the Huskers -- actually, I had to pry them from his hands -- Ubben took some time to talk about the Big Ten's newest member.

Let's go back to June 11. What was your initial reaction to Nebraska leaving the Big 12 for the Big Ten?

David Ubben: Ha, well it was certainly an unpopular one among the Nebraska supporters. I thought it was a great move for the university and the football program, but a huge, huge blow to the future stability of the Big 12.

In short, I equated Nebraska leaving to pulling the pin on the Texas Grenade that would blow up the Big 12.

Obviously, that's not what ended up happening, and for a fan base that since June has despised all things Big 12, I was surprised at how much the Huskers didn't want to be blamed for the Big 12's demise. One would think they would relish in it.

At the core, I think there was some fear from fans that their Huskers might be villainized as a program for the self-serving move, but that's not at all what happened to Arkansas, who certainly did much of the same thing to the Southwest Conference when it left for the SEC.

Back to your original question, though, Nebraska leaving definitely meant a weaker Big 12 if it continued to exist moving forward, and anyone who wants to try to argue otherwise is kidding themselves. Nebraska did what it needed to do: secure infinitely more stability and a good amount of cash with a move to the Big Ten, as well as the academic prestige that comes with, to borrow a phrase from deservedly maligned Missouri governor Jay Nixon, aligning themselves with Northwestern and Wisconsin rather than Texas Tech and Oklahoma State.

Yeah, anytime a school wants to upgrade its league, it should remember Mizzou and do exactly the opposite. But back to Nebraska. People know about the national championships, Dr. Tom and the option offense. What should Big Ten fans know about the current Nebraska program and its fan base as the Huskers transition to the conference?

DU: Nebraska's biggest asset is its fan base. People like to knock Huskers fans for being a bit full of themselves, but they have reason to be. They're going to rival any team in the Big Ten when it comes to traveling for road games. Prepare yourselves for a sea of red in your stadiums when Nebraska comes.

One big reason? It might be tougher to get a ticket to see the Huskers in Lincoln. Every single home game has been sold out since Nov. 3, 1962, a streak of 311 games. That's an NCAA record, of course. The ones who do make it into Memorial Stadium on fall Saturdays enter under permanent signs that read "Through these gates pass the Greatest Fans in College Football."

Is it obnoxious? Yes. Will it turn off a few opposing fans? Most definitely.

But I would argue that it's not inaccurate.

Husker fans are voracious supporters. They love their team. They know their team. They read about and are opinionated about their team. They spend money on their team. Any other fan base should admire at least that much. Because of that devotion, among other things, the program is one of college football's blue bloods and is able to make a big move that will benefit the program tremendously.

Let's talk about the team itself. Bo Pelini is an Ohio guy, and his track record on defense speaks for itself. Nebraska has seemed more up and down on the offensive side. How do you see the Huskers' style translating to the Big Ten?

DU: That's presuming Nebraska has an offensive style. Nebraska was all about the run early in the year, and ran over and around just about everybody in the first half of the season. Since no one could stop it, they didn't have to throw much, and when they did, they were so, so dangerous.

But the offense slowed late in the season, and I thought they relied on Taylor Martinez to simply drop back and pass way too often and didn't run the zone read enough.

The latest word from Nebraska's recruits is they want an offense that most closely resembles Oregon's, likely minus the dizzying tempo. Offensive coordinator Shawn Watson would describe his offense as a bit of a hybrid between Oregon's offense and the West Coast passing attack, but he looks like he's on his way out.

I'm a big believer that you have to do what suits your personnel, and with a zone-read whiz like Martinez and quality running backs like Nebraska has, it would seem that's a good fit.

On the whole, though, Martinez has to continue to develop as a passer to really give the best defenses trouble. How much of that happens over the next three years will determine how successful they ultimately are. If he can't do it, there's nothing saying he's guaranteed to be the starter above incoming freshmen Bubba Starling (if he stays with football and doesn't sign an MLB contract) and Jamal Turner. Even Cody Green, who played when Martinez was injured this year, could earn some quality snaps if Martinez struggles as a sophomore.

Wow, sounds like we could soon have a QB controversy. Interesting. What do you think will be the biggest adjustments for Nebraska in transitioning from the Big 12 to the Big Ten?

DU: I'm a big believer in Pelini as a defensive coach, so I think they'll be able to make these adjustments eventually, but they're going to have to change the type of players they recruit defensively. You need so many defensive backs (and good ones) to have success in the Big 12, and winning the line of scrimmage will put you over the top, but teams like Missouri and Texas Tech have had success in the league without doing it on a consistent basis.

The Big Ten is all about the beef up front. The Huskers are big and fast on the defensive line with guys like Jared Crick and Baker Steinkuhler. I don't see many problems there.

Nebraska's best linebacker this year, Lavonte David, made a Big 12-best 152 tackles. He also happens to be 210 pounds. Players like him, while they're incredibly valuable in the Big 12 for their ability to make plays in coverage and provide a speed rush, will be marginalized in Nebraska's future for bigger, run-stopping linebackers.

There will be all kinds of things that will have to change, but the type of defensive personnel will be No. 1 on the list. Specifically, Nebraska will need more, bigger linebackers and fewer defensive backs.

Nebraska always has recruited so well in the state of Texas. How do you think the move to the Big Ten will impact Nebraska's recruiting strategy?

DU: Oh, what a contentious question. So, so much disagreement on this issue.

I don't think there will be a time when Nebraska just has no one from Texas, but their success in the state will take a considerable hit with the move. I do believe the Huskers should continue to recruit the state, but I also think they need to take some of those efforts and resources previously allocated toward Texas and use them to start scraping the Rust Belt and compete with their new conference mates, rather than their old ones.

Pelini knows the area well, and I think the Huskers will have some success doing it. They had a huge year in 2011 in Texas, getting three top-tier, ESPNU 150 players in ATH/QB Jamal Turner, RB Aaron Green and CB Charles Jackson.

I do believe they can keep getting some talent like that in 2012 and 2013, but as recruits and their families really realize what life is like as a parent of a Texas kid playing in the Big Ten, they'll realize why so few Texas recruits elect to play in the Big Ten. I talked with Texas Tech coach Tommy Tuberville about this issue last week actually, and he said for most families, it's a huge deal. Watching on TV simply isn't the same thing as going to games, home or away. And the facts are, a lot of families can't afford to fly to a ton of games.

Nebraska traditionally only played one or two games in Texas during a season, three if they made the Big 12 title game and it was in Texas. That doesn't sound like many, but look at it this way, unless you can pay for a flight or make a ridiculously long drive, you're talking about going four or five months without seeing your son versus around two or fewer if they play games in Texas.

So in short, I don't think there will be a time when Nebraska absolutely can't recruit in Texas, but they need to take advantage of their new opportunities in Ohio and Michigan, too, as compensation for the guys who won't want to play up North.

OK, you're on the spot. How do the Huskers fare in Year 1 in the Big Ten, which has already branded them a legendary team in the Legends division?

DU: The Big Ten certainly didn't do them any favors with their first-year schedule, booking them for trips to Wisconsin, Penn State and Michigan. Hosting Iowa, Michigan State and Ohio State is going to be tough, and they have to play the Buckeyes in the first game with their five suspended players back. Who knows what happens there?

With a still-maturing passer who won't have a ton of help at receiver, they'll have some struggles offensively, but they should be solid again on the defensive end.

I'll say 9-3 or 8-4. Short of what you might call a Legendary season, but certainly a good one.

Thanks to David for his time, and stay tuned as we'll both have more on Nebraska's move to the Big Ten.

Chronicling 12 months in a few hundred words is never easy. I tried yesterday, when I laid out a case for Nebraska as college football's most interesting program.

We still missed out on a few incidents that made headlines.Thanks for all the e-mails. You folks are sharp and don't forget much.

A few that were overlooked:

July 2010: Nebraska releases a video promoting its new website, RedOutAroundTheWorld.com, but the tagline at the end of the video reads, "Wear Red. Be Loud. Beat Texas." That raised plenty of interest, but Nebraska maintained it picks a game each year to emphasized. Later, the video is taken down and re-done without "Beat Texas" at the end.

Oct. 16, 2010: Nebraska receiver Niles Paul dropped a pair of touchdown passes in a 20-13 loss to Texas and tells the Associated Press that Nebraska fans yelled at him as he walked to his car from the stadium, and flooded his Facebook with so many negative messages he chose to deactivate it.

Oct. 28, 2010: Linebacker Eric Martin, an enforcer on the special teams, is suspended for a helmet-to-helmet hit on Oklahoma State's Andrew Hudson during a Niles Paul's kickoff return for a touchdown in a 51-41 Nebraska win. The rule that allows suspensions was instituted before the season, but Martin was the only player suspended by the Big 12 for a hit all season.

Nov. 3, 2010: A hit that looked like helmet-to-helmet contact on Blaine Gabbert from Nebraska safety Courtney Osborne is sent for review to Big 12 offices by Missouri coach Gary Pinkel. No action is taken.

Nov. 20, 2010: ESPN cameras catch Texas A&M defensive lineman Tony Jerod-Eddie jabbing or poking at the back of Nebraska lineman Ben Cotton's legs, near the groin area. Video of the incident hits YouTube before the game even ends, and Jerod-Eddie is reprimanded by not suspended by Aggies coach Mike Sherman. Cotton, asked about the incident, says Jerod-Eddie was simply trying to find the ball. If his tongue wasn't in his cheek, it should have been.

Dec. 10, 2010: With the Miami job vacant and rumors of Pelini as a candidate swirling, he issues a statement saying he has no plans to leave Lincoln. Personally, I didn't think this would ever happen, and nothing really came of it, so it's not surprising I forgot it. But still, it was big news in college football for obvious reasons.

An already crazy year might have been even crazier for the Huskers, no?

• Kansas uses an army of senior citizens to make sure its athletes are going to class, writes Hannah Karp of the Wall Street Journal.
• Last week's cold weather caused a burst pipe at Boone Pickens Stadium, damaging the wallpaper and carpet in, what else, Boone Pickens' suite. Bill Haisten of the Tulsa World has the report.
• Texas signee WR Jaxon Shipley and Oklahoma State signee CB Josh Stewart are mentioned on SI.com as players who will have an early impact.
• Also on SI, Missouri and Oklahoma State are among Andy Staples' top 10 recruiting classes of 2008, looking back with the clarity of hindsight.
• Oklahoma got its second commitment for its 2012 class, a running back from high school power Jenks, reports Matt Baker of the Tulsa World.
• Tom Shatel of the Omaha World-Herald has a series of thoughts, including some on why Bo Pelini hasn't opened up on his assistants' futures, as well as the Scott Frost decision to stay in Oregon.
• Here's my spot on Unsportsmanlike Conduct with Kevin Kugler on the radio in Omaha Tuesday. We talked about the interest surrounding Nebraska, Texas A&M and the SEC, and joked about the media supposedly being "out to get" the Huskers. My spot begins around the 4:20 mark.
• Is Shawn Watson headed to the NFL? It's a possibility, writes Dirk Chatelain and Tom Shatel of the Omaha World-Herald.

I first (briefly) stated my argument on Twitter: No team in college football was more interesting on and off the field for more reasons in the last year than Nebraska.

A lot of those reasons for interest were positive for the program. Others were negative. But I would argue that no team had more headline-worthy happenings on campus than the Huskers in the past year.

I hear the arguments for USC (coaching change, sanctions), Notre Dame (coaching change, student death, anticlimactic realignment) and Florida (Urban Meyer postseason flip-flop, "You're a bad guy" media incident, offensive collapse, coaching change).

I disagree.

A refresher course on the past 12 months in Nebraska football, for those who have forgotten:

Spring 2010: Starting quarterback Zac Lee is forced to sit out spring practice, and rumors about the progress of a redshirt freshman, Taylor Martinez, start to emerge. Martinez validates those rumors with a memorable spring game performance that leaves fans buzzing.

May-June 2010: Realignment rumors build into reality, and days after Big 12 spring meetings close, Nebraska leaves the Big 12 for the Big Ten, by far the biggest move of the summer's realignment. It becomes official on July 1, 2011.

August 2010: During fall camp, linebacker Sean Fisher (broken leg) and cornerback Anthony Blue (torn ACL) were injured during a closed practice, and rumors of their injuries leaked onto message boards. As a result, media members tried to reach family members, at one point, while Fisher was undergoing surgery. As a result, coach Bo Pelini banned the media from accessing his team for three days.

Sept. 4, 2010: No starter was officially announced before the season opener against Western Kentucky, but the speedy Martinez was announced during starting lineups to a raucous reception from the fans. He becomes the first freshman to start a season opener in Nebraska history. On his first career carry, he runs for a 46-yard touchdown. Nebraska wins, 49-10.

Oct. 7, 2010: Martinez had considerable buzz after rushing for 496 yards and eight scores in his first four games, but his coming out party was a nationally-televised, Thursday night game against Kansas State. He ran for four touchdowns, 241 yards and led the Huskers to a 48-13 road conference win over the bowl-bound Wildcats. That's Heisman-type stuff, and for the first time, he realistically threw his name into the Heisman race (alongside shoo-in Heisman winner Denard Robinson) and then-No. 5 Nebraska was looking like a very real national championship contender. Martinez would not score another rushing touchdown the rest of the season.

Oct. 16, 2010: Nine days later, they hit the first of many speed bumps. Texas' free fall lessened the impact of what looked like the biggest game of the year, but the Longhorns, who finished 5-7, were still able to remind Nebraska of the mysterious mojo they have over the Huskers. Martinez struggled, was benched in the fourth quarter and Nebraska suffered its first loss, 20-13, at home, in a shocker. The loss moved Nebraska to 1-9 against Texas since the Big 12 began in 1996.

Oct. 30, 2010: Roy Helu Jr. runs for 307 yards to help beat Missouri and gives the Huskers control of the Big 12 North. Martinez suffers a sprained ankle late in the first half and doesn't play in the second half. It eventually proves as one of the biggest moments of Nebraska's season.

Nov. 6, 2010: Martinez sits against Iowa State with an injured ankle, and the Cyclones erase a 24-10 lead to send the game into overtime. The Huskers score first, but intercept a wobbly pass on a fake extra point to win the game, 31-30, and maintain control of the Big 12 North, which they eventually win.

Nov. 20, 2010: Nebraska is flagged a school-record 16 times, compared to Texas A&M's two. The worst of the 16 flags is a phantom roughing the passer call that extends Texas A&M's game-winning drive in the 9-6 win.

The biggest news, though, has little to do with the on-field action that resulted in a second loss.

Martinez starts, but re-injures the ankle early and heads to the locker room. There, he returns a call from his father in violation of team rules. Upon learning this information, Pelini screams inches away from a stone-faced Martinez while jabbing his chest with a finger. ESPN's cameras catch the controversial interaction, which re-airs countless times over the following days.

After the game, Pelini chases an official off the field while screaming inches away from his face as well, a scene seen on the sideline during the game. As Texas A&M fans storm the field, his brother, defensive coordinator Carl Pelini, throws down a cameraman's camera, breaking off a few detachable pieces, but doing no permanent damage to the equipment.

After the game, Pelini makes his players off-limits and briefly addresses media.

Nov. 21, 2010: Nebraska chancellor Harvey Perlman publicly criticizes Pelini's actions during the game. Pelini later apologizes, saying he "let it get personal" toward officials.

Throughout the day, rumors that Martinez planned transfer swirl after the freshman misses a team workout. Later, it's revealed that Martinez also suffered turf toe on his left foot to pair with his sprained right ankle. Pelini denies rumors that Martinez planned to transfer.

Nov. 23, 2010: Top receiver/kick returner Niles Paul suffers a broken foot in practice. He misses the season-ending, Big 12 North-clinching win over Colorado and the Big 12 title game but returns for the bowl game. (That's a wholly terrible four-day stretch, no?)

Nov. 26, 2010: Nebraska clinches the Big 12 North with a win over Colorado, but no Big 12 officials are on hand to deliver the championship trophy. Commissioner Dan Beebe tells Nebraska media later that night that he didn't make the trip because of safety concerns. He had received death threats after the Texas A&M officiating fiasco.

Dec. 4, 2010: Nebraska closes its run in the Big 12 by reviving one of the league's great rivalries, one final game against Oklahoma. The Huskers' early 17-0 lead is erased, Martinez takes seven sacks and the Huskers lose, 23-20, to land in the Holiday Bowl for the second consecutive season against Washington, a team it beat in Seattle 56-21 in September.

Dec. 30, 2010: Nebraska, 17-point favorites, suffers a shocking loss to Washington, 19-7. They finish 10-4, and lose three of their final four games.

Jan 5, 2011: Martinez's father, Casey Martinez, confirms to ESPN.com that Taylor will return to Nebraska for the 2011 winter semester, ending rumors of a transfer.

Jan. 11, 2011: Defensive tackle Jared Crick announces he'll return to Nebraska for his senior season.

Jan 26, 2011: Nebraska ends its licensing agreement with Corn Fed, Inc., Casey Martinez's apparel company. The deal paid Nebraska 10 percent royalties on all merchandise sold and began in June 2007.

Feb. 3, 2011: In Indiana, new Hoosiers coach Kevin Wilson announces that his assistant, Corey Raymond, is leaving for Nebraska to coach the secondary. Huskers secondary coach Marvin Sanders is still employed.

Pelini hasn't spoken with the media in five weeks.

Later, during his signing day teleconference, Pelini refuses to answer any questions about his staff, and says no staff members have been hired or fired yet.

Nebraska signs 20 players and four ESPNU recruits for the nation's No. 14 recruiting class, which ranks No. 3 in the Big 12 and No. 2 in the Big Ten.

Later that night, Sanders, receivers coach Ted Gilmore and offensive coordinator Shawn Watson are absent from an Omaha recruiting dinner.

Feb. 4, 2011: Sanders announces his resignation for "family and personal reasons" amid reports of possible disciplinary action toward the coach for a nonfootball issue.

Feb. 5, 2011: Charles Jackson, Nebraska's only cornerback signee, tells the Omaha World-Herald he found out about Sanders' departure from a stranger via Facebook, and expresses discontent at not being notified that any moves had occurred or that they would follow his signing. He also adds he probably would have signed with Nebraska if he had been told.

Later in the day, his father goes on Omaha radio to diffuse the situation, and says his son is content and excited to start his career.

Feb. 7, 2011: Former Huskers star Scott Frost elects to stay at Oregon as receivers coach, rather than join his alma mater, who was reportedly unwilling to offer him playcalling duties.

Today: Gilmore and Watson are still employed, and Pelini says he knew nothing of an ad posted on Nebraska's website last week looking for an offensive assistant.

Now that, folks, is a whole lot of stuff that's happened in the last year. We can only assume 2011 will offer plenty more headlines in the Big Ten.

Can anybody top that? I say absolutely no way.

Mack Brown just finished filling six coaching openings, but could one of them be gone before he even starts?

Jerry Gray, a former Texas player with 14 years of NFL coaching experience, was one of the most well-received hires of Brown's six, but according to Kirk Bohls of the Austin American-Statesman, he may have a decision to make in the coming weeks.

The Longhorns' defensive backs coach is being considered as the new defensive coordinator for the Tennessee Titans, who hired Mike Munchak as their new head coach on Monday.

Moving from being a college position coach to a pro coordinator is obviously a big jump, and it has to be a big concern for Brown, as well as for Longhorns fans.

Gray has already been a defensive coordinator once. He oversaw the Buffalo Bills' defense from 2001-2005, so his decision wouldn't be about career advancement as much as it would be about overall happiness. Gray is new to the recruiting trail, but sounded especially excited to start at his introductory news conference three weeks ago when he was introduced as the replacement for Duane Akina.

One factor could be a big help in keeping Gray at UT, though.

"A big consideration for Gray is the impending NFL lockout; the source said the potential lockout over a new collective bargaining agreement clouds all hirings and could hurt Munchak’s chances of getting Gray."

Signing day has come and gone, so keeping recruits is no longer an issue, and Texas lost just one commitment because of the coaching upheaval after the season.

Now, though, Gray leaving could hurt the Longhorns' preparations for spring practice. Brown kept Texas' early start, choosing to kick off practice on Feb. 24, and scrambling to find a replacement for Gray, should he leave, would be the last thing Brown needs this late in the semester.

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Also on Monday, the Lincoln Journal Star learned that Oregon receivers coach Scott Frost, Nebraska's quarterback on its 1997 national title team, would not return to Lincoln to coach.

Pelini and Frost reportedly spoke about the possibility of Frost's return, but Frost wasn't going to leave Oregon without being able to call plays, which Nebraska did not offer.

Signs indicate those duties could go to running backs coach Tim Beck.

On Wednesday, we wrapped up our look back at the last five years of ESPNU 150 recruits that signed with Big 12 teams.

Here's a quick refresher course on every Big 12 ESPNU 150 signee:

• Big 12 signees in the 2006 ESPNU 150
• Big 12 signees in the 2007 ESPNU 150
• Big 12 signees in the 2008 ESPNU 150
• Big 12 signees in the 2009 ESPNU 150
• Big 12 signees in the 2010 ESPNU 150
• Big 12 signees in the 2011 ESPNU 150

I learned a lot in looking back on these classes, and the spectrum of results was fascinating. Here are a few thoughts:

• There wasn't a Heisman Trophy winner among the bunch -- Oklahoma's Sam Bradford was a three-star recruit -- but there were plenty of All-Americans and All-Big 12 talents, as well as a few draft picks. It's interesting to note that the 2010 class was the only one in which more than one Big 12 Freshman of the Year came to campus as an elite recruit. Oklahoma State linebacker Shaun Lewis and Oklahoma safety Tony Jefferson shared the defensive honors last season.
• I'll count probable draft picks, but here's how many NFL draft picks emerged from each class. Obviously, the most recent classes won't be included, and it tapers off quite a bit as you reach the '08 class, which will have a few more drafted eventually. Any players after the 2008 class are ineligible for the draft.
• 2006: 8
• 2007: 3 (Dez Bryant, Sam Acho, Curtis Brown)
• 2008: 1 (Blaine Gabbert)
• Additionally, I don't have a ton to say about the 09-11 classes because, well, at this point, you can't have much to say. Oklahoma or Texas don't have too many four-year, or even three-year starters at too many positions. It's still very, very early to pass judgment on those guys.
• Obviously there's still time, but the 2008 class looking back was pretty weak in comparison to those around it. It's easily the worst of the four classes, not including 2011. Two of the top five recruits have transferred. The other three in that group have yet to make significant contributions. Players like Jon Major, Cyrus Gray, Emmanuel Acho, Kendall Wright and Landry Jones join Gabbert as some of the best in the class, but guys like Jameel Owens, Kye Staley, Lynn Katoa and Justin Johnson aren't even with the teams they've signed anymore. Plenty of others haven't come close to the projected impact others would hope.
• Compare that to the accomplished 2006 class, which was loaded at the top of the board. DeMarco Murray, Sergio Kindle, Jevan Snead, Gerald McCoy and Eddie Jones won't make anybody say, "Who?" That's a strong top 5. Mike Goodson, Jeremy Beal, Josh Freeman, and Jermaine Gresham could all have solid NFL careers, too. In my book, this is the class others will have to live up to.
• One quick thought: Are Jevan Snead and Josh Freeman's careers the inverses of each other?
• I'll give a full breakdown of the team totals later on next week, but I was shocked at how few Nebraska reeled in. From 2006-10, they had just three. S Rickey Thenarse signed in '06, OT Baker Steinkuhler signed in '08 and OG Andrew Rodriguez signed in '10. Steinkuhler, of course, has moved to defensive tackle since. For a team that's won the North the past two seasons and at times looked like a national title contender in 2010, that's a pretty solid endorsement of Bo Pelini's coaching. He's won 29 games in his first three seasons, and his nationally-ranked class in 2011 signed four ESPNU 150 recruits alone. For all you non-mathematicians out there, that's more than 06-10 combined. That has to give Nebraska fans a whole lot of confidence about the program moving forward, even if three of those four signees are from Texas, where Nebraska may struggle to recruit after its move to the Big Ten. That, however, is a whole different post and discussion.
• As an overview of all this, I can't stand it when people decry the recruiting rankings system all together, declaring it worthless. It's not. I also can't stand it when others contend the rankings mean everything. They don't. The truth is right where it usually is: somewhere in the middle. Cite all the two-star recruits you want. I can come back with 10 more that showed in their college careers why they were two-star recruits. You can build a successful program on three and four-star signees, but the facts are this: if you keep reeling in top-level recruits, you've got a much, much greater chance of having big success. Bottom line, that's the truth. You'll encounter some busts among the five-stars. You'll encounter some gems in the two-stars. But recruiting rankings mean something, just not as much or as little as people like to think sometimes.