Big 12: Derrick Johnson
Texas
- Derrick Johnson, LB, Kansas City
- Earl Thomas, S, Seattle (starter)
- Justin Smith, DE, San Francisco (starter)
- Davin Joseph, OG, Tampa Bay
- Von Miller, LB, Denver (starter)
- Shane Lechler, P, Oakland
- Wes Welker, WR, New England (starter)
This year, the Big 12 could have as many as five first-round picks, and five players from the league are in New York for the draft.
So, let's take a look back. Since the first NFL draft of the Big 12 era, who has the most first-rounders?
Texas: 16
- 2010: S Earl Thomas, 14th overall, Seattle Seahawks
- 2009: DE Brian Orakpo, 13th overall, Washington Redskins
- 2007: S Michael Griffin, 19th overall, Tennessee Titans
- 2007: CB Aaron Ross, 20th overall, New York Giants
- 2006: QB Vince Young, third overall, Tennessee Titans
- 2006: CB Michael Huff, seventh overall, Oakland Raiders
- 2005: RB Cedric Benson, fourth overall, Chicago Bears
- 2005: LB Derrick Johnson, 15th overall, Kansas City Chiefs
- 2004: WR Roy Williams, seventh overall, Detroit Lions
- 2004: DT Marcus Tubbs, 23rd overall, Seattle Seahawks
- 2002: OL Mike Williams, fourth overall, Buffalo Bills
- 2002: CB Quentin Jammer, fifth overall, San Diego Chargers
- 2001: OL Leonard Davis, second overall, Arizona Cardinals
- 2001: DT Casey Hampton, 19th overall, Pittsburgh Steelers
- 1999: RB Ricky Williams, fifth overall, New Orleans Saints
- 1997: CB Bryant Westbrook, fifth overall, Detroit Lions
- 2010: QB Sam Bradford, first overall, St. Louis Rams
- 2010: DT Gerald McCoy, third overall, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- 2010: OT Trent Williams, fourth overall, Washington Redskins
- 2010: TE Jermaine Gresham, 21st overall, Cincinnati Bengals
- 2007: RB Adrian Peterson, seventh overall, Minnesota Vikings
- 2006: OL Davin Joseph, 23rd overall, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- 2005: OL Jammal Brown, 13th overall, New Orleans Saints
- 2005: WR Mark Clayton, 22nd overall, Baltimore Ravens
- 2004: DT Tommie Harris, 14th overall, Chicago Bears
- 2003: CB Andre Woolfolk, 28th overall, Tennessee Titans
- 2002: S Roy Williams, eighth overall, Dallas Cowboys
- 2001: Stockar McDougle, 20th overall, Detroit Lions
- 2010: OL Russell Okung, sixth overall, Seattle Seahawks
- 2010: WR Dez Bryant, 24th overall, Dallas Cowboys
- 2009: TE Brandon Pettigrew, 20th overall, Detroit Lions
- 2004: WR Rashaun Woods, 31st overall, San Francisco 49ers
- 2003: DE Kevin Williams, ninth overall, Minnesota Vikings
- 1998: CB R.W. McQuarters, 28th overall, San Francisco 49ers
- 2010: LB Sean Weatherspoon, 19th overall, Atlanta Falcons
- 2009: WR Jeremy Maclin, 19th overall, Philadelphia Eagles
- 2009: DT Ziggy Hood, 32nd overall, Pittsburgh Steelers
- 2001: DE Justin Smith, fourth overall, Cincinnati Bengals
- 2009: QB Josh Freeman, 17th overall, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- 2003: CB Terence Newman, fifth overall, Dallas Cowboys
- 1997: DB Chris Canty, 29th overall, New England Patriots
- 2003: DT Ty Warren, 13th overall, New England Patriots
- 2003: DB Sammy Davis, 30th overall, San Diego Chargers
- 2009: WR Michael Crabtree, 10th overall, San Francisco 49ers
- 2008: CB Aqib Talib, 20th overall, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- 2009: OL Jason Smith, 2nd overall, St. Louis Rams
A few thoughts and observations:
- I doubt many would be surprised that this list is also a reasonably accurate reflection of overall success since the Big 12's inception in 1996. Obviously, Texas and Oklahoma have dominated. Since 2000, Texas has the nation's fourth-most first-rounders. Oklahoma is No. 6. Their success has paralleled that, along with recruiting rankings.
- In that same breath, it's impossible to look at this list and not once again be impressed with what Mike Leach did. He obviously has the reputation as an overachiever, but looking big picture, he was able to do it with one first-round pick. Nobody beat Texas and Oklahoma more and Leach helped put together what is still the Big 12's longest bowl streak.
- Texas' consistency sticks out, too. Since just 2001, Texas has had two first-rounders in six different seasons. If you've got two first-rounders on your team, you're probably going to be pretty good. The Longhorns, if you haven't noticed, have been. Those two first-rounders in six seasons are more or as many as half the league has in the history of the Big 12. What else you should note? Texas is unlikely to have a first rounder this year, and after Aaron Williams is drafted, Sam Acho probably will be the next to go, which won't be until the third or fourth round.
- Oklahoma State and Missouri's rise over the past three seasons has paid off in the NFL draft. Missouri had three first-rounders in the last two seasons and figures to add two more this year after having just one in the 12-year history of the league before 2009. That's quite a streak, and even more proof of what Gary Pinkel has built at Missouri. One more piece of evidence? Despite losing those two first-rounders, Missouri should be back in the preseason polls next year after losing two of its top players. That's definitely something new in Columbia. The Cowboys figure to add more soon with Justin Blackmon at least. As long as Pinkel and Gundy are at the helm for their respective programs, expect them to continue to rise.
- Don't be surprised by Texas A&M's swoon following R.C. Slocum's departure. From 1990-1998, the Aggies won nine games every season but one. From 1990-96, the Aggies had eight first-round picks. Since 1998? Two seasons with at least nine wins and just two first-round picks.
- More evidence you can't underestimate the importance of having first-round picks? None for Baylor in the history of the Big 12 before Art Briles. In just three years, Briles may have three if the Bears add two more this year with Phil Taylor and Danny Watkins. Taylor and Watkins both came from unlikely sources. Taylor was a Penn State transfer and Watkins a juco transfer that formerly worked as a fireman in Canada.
A look at the All-Time All-Big 12 team
All-time Top Offensive Player: Vince Young, QB, Texas
All-time Top Defensive Player: Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska
All-time Coach: Bob Stoops, Oklahoma
OFFENSE:
QB: Vince Young, Texas
RB: Ricky Williams, Texas and Adrian Peterson, Oklahoma
WR: Michael Crabtree, Texas Tech and Rashaun Woods, Oklahoma State
TE: Chase Coffman, Missouri
OL: Dominic Raiola, Nebraska; Jammal Brown, Oklahoma; Aaron Taylor, Nebraska; Justin Blalock, Texas; Russell Okung, Oklahoma State
DEFENSE
DL: Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska; Tommie Harris, Oklahoma; Grant Wistrom, Nebraska; Brian Orakpo, Texas
LB: Derrick Johnson, Texas; Dat Nguyen, Texas A&M; Rocky Calmus, Oklahoma; Teddy Lehman, Oklahoma
DB: Roy Williams, Oklahoma; Terence Newman, Kansas State; Derrick Strait, Oklahoma; Michael Huff, Texas
SPECIAL TEAMS
All-purpose: Darren Sproles, Kansas State
K: Mason Crosby, Colorado
P: Daniel Sepulveda, Baylor
Here's how it breaks down by team:
1. Oklahoma: 7
2. Texas: 6
3. Nebraska: 4
4. Kansas State: 2
4. Oklahoma State: 2
6. Baylor: 1
6. Colorado: 1
6.Missouri: 1
6. Texas A&M: 1
6. Texas Tech: 1
11. Iowa State: 0
11. Kansas: 0
Who got snubbed? Who doesn't belong?
It was a tough choice at several positions, but here's my all-decade team.
Please feel free to provide any changes you would make, and explain why you would make them.
Believe me, it's a hard choice. I spent more than an hour trying to choose between Darren Sproles and Cedric Benson and Jermaine Gresham and Chase Coffman.
OFFENSE
QB: Vince Young, Texas
RB: Adrian Peterson, Oklahoma
RB: Cedric Benson, Texas
WR: Michael Crabtree, Texas Tech
WR: Rashaun Woods, Oklahoma State
TE: Chase Coffman, Missouri
T: Russell Okung, Oklahoma State
T: Jammal Brown, Oklahoma
G: Duke Robinson, Oklahoma
G: Derrick Dockery, Texas
C: Andre Gurode, Colorado
DEFENSE
DE: Brian Orakpo, Texas
DT: Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska
DT: Tommie Harris, Oklahoma
DE: Dan Cody, Oklahoma
LB: Derrick Johnson, Texas
LB: Rocky Calmus, Oklahoma
LB: Teddy Lehman, Oklahoma
CB: Terence Newman, Kansas State
CB: Derrick Strait, Oklahoma
S: Roy Williams, Oklahoma
S: Michael Huff, Texas
K: Mason Crosby, Colorado
P: Daniel Sepulveda, Baylor
Ret: Wes Welker, Texas Tech
Darrell K. Royal/Texas Memorial Stadium now has more than 100,00 seats. The Longhorns have a designated successor for Brown in place with rising star Will Muschamp. And that pesky problem with Bob Stoops has been alleviated recently with four victories in the last five seasons over the Sooners.
Times are good for Brown.
Here's a look at the Longhorns’ all-decade team during that time.
OFFENSE
QB: Vince Young
RB: Jamaal Charles
RB: Cedric Benson
WR: Jordan Shipley
WR: Roy Williams
TE: David Thomas
OL: Justin Blalock
OL: Jonathan Scott
OL: Derrick Dockery
OL: Leonard Davis
C: Lyle Sendlein
DEFENSE
DL: Brian Orakpo
DL: Cory Redding
DL: Shaun Rogers
DL: Casey Hampton
LB: Sergio Kindle
LB: Derrick Johnson
LB: Roddrick Muckelroy
DB: Earl Thomas
DB: Michael Huff
DB: Nathan Vasher
DB: Aaron Ross
P: Richmond McGee
K: Hunter Lawrence
KR: Quan Cosby
Offensive player of the decade: QB Vince Young. The most electrifying player of the decade capped his career by scoring the game-winning touchdown to lead his team to the national championship in his final drive. Brown finished with a 30-2 record, 6.040 passing yards and 3,127 rushing yards.
Defensive player of the decade: LB Derrick Johnson. He wasn’t around when the Longhorns won the national championship, but was perhaps the best player at his position at the school since Tommy Nobis. He capped his career with the Nagurski and Butkus Awards after earning All-America honors in each of his last two seasons.
Coach of the decade: Mack Brown. Remember when people used to joke about his inability to win big games or how he coddled his players. That all changed as the decade progressed. Brown got tougher and made some astute moves at defensive coordinator to help his program take the next step with the addition of coaches like Gene Chizik and Will Muschamp.
Moment of the decade: Vince Young’s run leads comeback victory to the 2005 national championship. Young’s game-winning 8-yard TD run with 19 seconds left boosted the Longhorns to a 41-38 victory over USC in the 2006 Rose Bowl, providing the margin of victory in one of the greatest college football games in history. Michael Huff’s fourth-down stop of LenDale White on the preceding drive set up Young’s heroics to snap the Trojans’ 34-game winning streak.
Vince Young is top Big 12 star of decade
And although the Big 12 had three Heisman winners during that time, the three most memorable players of the decade didn’t claim college football’s top individual award.
Here's a look at the top 10 players of the last decade in the Big 12.
Chris Carlson/AP PhotoVince Young finished with a 30-2 record, 6,040 passing yards and 3,127 rushing yards.2. Adrian Peterson, Oklahoma: Likely would have had a chance for a Heisman if he had stayed for a senior season or not had his junior season marred by injuries. Still finished with 4,045 yards to finish within 73 yards within Billy Sims’ school career record.
3. Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska: Destined to go down in history as the greatest Blackshirt of all time. Capped his career by winning the Lombardi, Bednarik and Nagurski Awards, finished fourth in the Heisman and became the first defensive player to win the Associated Press’ player of the year.
4. Sam Bradford, Oklahoma: First quarterback to direct his team to back-to-back Big 12 titles, capped by winning the Heisman Trophy as a redshirt sophomore in 2008. Injured early in his junior season, he still finished his college career with 88 touchdown passes against 16 interceptions.
5. Michael Crabtree, Texas Tech: Claimed back-to-back Biletnikoff awards as the most dominant and productive receiver of his era. Won the award in his second season despite being hobbled by a sprained ankle that limited his productivity.
6. Roy Williams, Oklahoma: Dominant and productive safety who was so good that Bob Stoops created a position, “the Roy,” to showcase his talents. Claimed the Nagurski and Thorpe Awards and was a unanimous All-American in his final college season.
7. Derrick Johnson, Texas: Two-time All-American earned the Butkus and Nagurski Awards in his senior season, capping a career as one of the most illustrious defensive players in Texas history.
8. Eric Crouch, Nebraska: Multi-talented runner/passer cemented his Heisman Trophy in 2001 with his pass-catching abilities against Oklahoma. That big effort helped catapult the Cornhuskers into the national championship game as a senior. Finished his career as the leading rusher quarterback and leader in total offense in Nebraska history.
9. Jason White, Oklahoma: Surrounded by a bevy of top talent, led the Sooners to the national championship game in back to back seasons and claimed the Heisman Trophy Award as a junior in 2003. Claimed back-to-back Davey O’Brien Awards, finishing his career with 8,012 passing yards and 81 touchdowns.
10. Colt McCoy, Texas: The winningest quarterback in college football history, finishing his career with an NCAA record 45 wins. He finished with virtually every passing record in school history winning the Walter Camp Football Foundation Player of the Year, Maxwell Award, Davey O’Brien Award, Johnny Unitas Golden Arm and Manning Award in a hard-luck senior season capped by an injury that didn’t allow him to complete the national championship game.
Kindle, Weatherspoon among Butkus Award finalists
Texas' Sergio Kindle and Missouri's Sean Weatherspoon both were among the finalists announced Friday by the Butkus Foundation.
Kindle has produced 49 tackles, three sacks, 14 tackles for losses, 26 quarterback pressures , forced two fumbles and broken up two passes this season for the Longhorns. He's alternated between linebacker and defensive end.
Weatherspoon leads the Tigers with 93 tackles with 12 tackles for losses, 3 1/2 sacks, two pass deflections, an interception, a forced fumble and a quarterback pressure.
The winner of the award will be announced in early December.
The five Butkus Award finalists include:
- Sergio Kindle, Texas
- Rolando McClain, Alabama
- Eric Norwood, South Carolina
- Brandon Spikes, Florida
- Sean Weatherspoon, Missouri
Four different Big 12 players have been awarded the Butkus Award since the conference began play in 1996 -- Colorado's Matt Russell (1996), Oklahoma's Rocky Calmus (2001), Oklahoma's Teddy Lehman (2003) and Texas' Derrick Johnson (2004). And schools from the Big 12 and the Big Ten have produced the most winners since the award began in 1985 with eight honorees apiece.
Texas' Shipley making up for lost time
Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin
AUSTIN, Texas -- Jordan Shipley initially didn’t have much go right during his college career.
His first two years at Texas were marked by a horrifying series of setbacks that included a season-ending knee injury as a freshman and a hamstring injury that prematurely ended his sophomore season. It seemed like his career with the Longhorns was cursed before it even started.
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| Brian Bahr/Getty Images | |
| Jordan Shipley has recorded at least 10 receptions in three of Texas’ five games this season. |
“I didn’t have any idea what would happen,” Shipley said. “But I had faith that if I would work hard and handle myself the right way, that hopefully things would work out the way I wanted them to.”
After an excruciatingly long wait, Shipley is making up for lost time, developing into the Big 12’s most explosive player so far this season.
And he wouldn’t trade any of his travails to get to the point he is at today.
“If I could go back and do it all over, I wouldn’t change anything,” Shipley said. “The injuries just made me stronger.”
Heading into Saturday’s game against Oklahoma, Shipley leads the conference in receptions and receiving yards and ranks second in receiving yards per game. Additionally, he leads the Big 12 with an average of 18.9 yards per punt return and is tied for the national lead with two punt returns for touchdowns.
Combating Shipley already has caught the attention of Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops.
"It's always a challenge," Stoops said. “He’s a guy you have to account for on every play.”
Last year’s Oklahoma game represented his coming-out party. Because the Longhorns lacked a true tight end, he was moved inside to a flex end position where he produced 11 catches for 112 yards to spark Texas’ offensive attack. And his dramatic Red River Rivalry record 96-yard kickoff return pulled the Longhorns from an early deficit, helping to spark Texas’ 45-35 comeback victory.
Shipley played that slot position for most of the rest of the season, producing 89 catches for 1,060 yards and 11 touchdowns.
But with the graduation of Quan Cosby, Shipley has moved outside and has flourished this season at the new position.
He produced 11 catches for 147 yards -- his school-record third straight double-digit reception performance -- to spark the Longhorns’ 38-14 victory over Colorado. And for good measure, he also produced a 74-yard punt return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter that help blow open the closer-than-expected game with the Buffaloes.
“That was one of the greatest games in the history of the school,” Texas coach Mack Brown said.
If Shipley continues at his current pace, he would smash every single-season receiving record in school history.
His multiplicity of talents was first showcased in high school in Burnet, Texas, where he was the prime receiver on a team quarterbacked by former Texas A&M star Stephen McGee. Shipley produced the second-most receiving yards in national high school history (5,424), notched 23 interceptions as a defensive back, returned 18 kicks for touchdowns and was his team’s kicker.
His knack for making big plays was apparent early in his career. As a freshman at Class A Rotan, Shipley produced 459 yards of total offense and scored three touchdowns on punt returns in his first high school game.
That was only a start. He's continued in college, developing into the Longhorns’ prime receiver, punt returner and holder for kicks.
Colt McCoy, who finished second in the Heisman voting last season and is Shipley’s roommate, believes that Shipley deserves a trip to the Heisman presentation.
“Sure,'' McCoy said. "In our offense, Jordan will get the ball. He's playing the position that Quan played last year, and the thing that sets him up is that he can return kicks and punts.”
The move outside has come with some changes in coverage for Shipley. He’s facing more direct man-to-man coverage than when he played in the slot and was mostly matched with slower linebackers and safeties.
The new position and his recent notoriety also are changing how opponents try to combat him. More defenses are relying on press coverage as he tries to get off the line of scrimmage.
That’s a little more difficult for the 6-foot, 190-pound speedster to overcome. But he’s making the most of his opportunities when they come despite the change.
“It’s different being on the outside,” Shipley said. “You’ve got to be really physical to get off the press. I don’t know if it’s harder, but it has a different feel.”
His big season almost didn’t come about. He earned a sixth season of eligibility only after petitioning the NCAA following last season because of the earlier injuries.
Shipley will turn 24 in December, causing his teammates to kid him about his advanced age. When he arrived at Texas in 2004, Cedric Benson and Derrick Johnson were still on the team’s roster, and Vince Young was in his first full season as the Longhorns’ starter.
But Shipley can't imagine being any place but playing for the Longhorns.
“It’s such a rush to be back here,” Shipley said. “I’m just thrilled to be back at Texas for one more year and having fun every week.”
Seven Big 12 players on Nagurski watch list
Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin
Six Big 12 schools are represented in the initial 62-man watch list for the Bronko Nagurski Award, which is awarded annually to the nation's best defensive player as determined by the Football Writers Association of America and the Charlotte Touchdown Club.
Defensive end Jeremy Beal and defensive tackle Gerald McCoy represent Oklahoma, which leads all Big 12 teams with two selections.
Other nominees include Baylor linebacker Joe Pawelek, Texas defensive end/linebacker Sergio Kindle, Kansas defensive back Darrell Stuckey, Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh and Missouri linebacker Sean Weatherspoon.
The watch list is topped by 17 players from the Southeastern Conference and nine from the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Big 12 is next in a three-way tie for third with the Big Ten and the Pacific-10.
The Big 12 has accounted for four of the Bronko Nagurski Award winners since it began play in 1996, most recently Texas' Brian Orakpo last season. Other Big 12 winners have included Oklahoma's Roy Williams (2001) and Derrick Strait (2003) and Texas' Derrick Johnson (2004).
Finalists for the award will be announced in mid-November. The trophy will be presented on Dec. 7 in Charlotte, N.C.
Bradford named Big 12's male athlete of the year
Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin
Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford was named the Big 12's male athlete of the year.
Nominees from each Big 12 school were selected by a media panel based on athletic performance, citizenship and academic achievement. Another element was a vote of fans at Big12sports.com.
Destinee Hooker, the Texas volleyball and track and field standout, earned the conference's female athlete of the year.
Bradford won the Heisman Trophy last season as a sophomore, directing the Sooners to their third straight Big 12 championship and a berth in the BCS national championship game. He was also a consensus All-American, the Big 12 offensive player of the year and was presented the Davey O'Brien, Sammy Bauch and Chick Harley awards.
Bradford's academics have been a prominent part of his education, failing to make an A in only two classes in his three-year career. He was an academic All-Big 12 selection in 2007 and 2008 and also was a CoSIDA academic All-American.
Other Big 12 football players who were nominated by their respective schools included Baylor tackle Jason Smith, Texas quarterback Colt McCoy and Texas Tech quarterback Graham Harrell.
Bradford becomes the eighth Big 12 football player to be selected and fifth quarterback to be honored. Other previous players who were selected include Missouri's Chase Daniel (2007-08), Texas' Vince Young (2005-06), Texas' Derrick Johnson (2004-05), Oklahoma's Jason White (2003-04), Oklahoma's Josh Heupel (2000-01), Texas' Ricky Williams (1998-99) and Nebraska's Grant Wistrom (1997-98).
It's hard to argue with Bradford's credentials. And the fact that his off-the-field work might be stronger than what he's accomplished on the football field makes him an extremely worthy honoree.
Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin
Something tells me that Bevo is going to be grazing contentedly at my Texas version of Mount Rushmore. "The Eyes of Texas" and "Texas Fight" assuredly will be heard on the breeze.
And four pretty monumental football icons will be there too, at least if the choices of cutting down to the four most noteworthy figures in the school is any indication.
Here are my picks:
- Darrell Royal -- Claimed a school record 184 victories, including a share of three national championships and 12 Southwest Conference titles.
- Earl Campbell -- Texas' first Heisman Trophy winner led the nation in rushing with 1,744 yards in his senior season in 1977.
- Mack Brown -- Has helped turn Texas into a national power with eight straight 10-win seasons, two Big 12 South titles and the 2005 national championship.
- Vince Young -- Did anybody ever finish their career with as memorable a finish as he did in the Longhorns' 2006 Rose Bowl victory over USC?
That's not to say that Ricky Williams, Tommy Nobis, Scott Appleton, Freddie Steinmark, James Street, Derrick Johnson or even Colt McCoy doesn't deserve consideration on the Longhorns' Rushmore.
But I think my four picks are a little bit above the rest because of their storied success while at Texas.
Any grievous omissions?
Monday's announcements might resuscitate Big 12 defenses
Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin
Big 12 defenses needed to strike back.
And after Monday's announcements, it appears that a little of the balance is returning to the conference in terms of personnel.
The return of key defensive players like Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, Oklahoma defensive tackle Gerald McCoy and Texas defensive tackle Lamarr Houston and linebackers Sergio Kindle and Roddrick Muckelroy will mean several potential All-Big 12 players are returning for another season.
Their announced returns are coming on the heels of the already announced departures of Kansas State quarterback Josh Freeman and Missouri wide receiver/kick returner Jeremy Maclin to the NFL draft, the expected Tuesday announcement of Texas Tech wide receiver Michael Crabtree's departure for the NFL draft and the potential declaration of Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford before the Jan. 15 deadline.
Not too long ago, the Big 12 was known for its defensive prowess where players like Roy Williams, Rocky Calmus, Derrick Johnson and Terrence Newman made teams think of defense first and everything else later.
But that all changed over the last several years -- particularly this season when the conference became known for its pinball-like scoring numbers as record totals for points and total offense have been produced across the conference.
It will take time for that perception to change. But maybe some of Monday's personnel decisions will help the pendulum swing back and Big 12 defenses won't be an afterthought in the future.
Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin
After finally having a night to decompress after all of the Big 12 hype, I was wondering why I was only getting a trickle of responses to my early blogs.
That's when I remembered something about a mailbag icon. So after sorting through some e-mails and finding the password, I finally have some feedback.
I kind of feel like Tom Hanks in "Castaway" when he came upon his volleyball. "Wilson" became his friend and sounding board. I hope you guys will feel the same way about me, passing along any questions you might have about Big 12 football.
And as Warner Wolf would say...on to the questions.
Chance from Memphis writes: Much is being written about the record-setting, high-flying offenses of the Big 12. Without question 2008 should be the wildest, most competitive Big 12 race since the league's inception. But the question remains: Are the offenses in the league simply that good, or are the defenses weaker than they have been in the past?
Tim Griffin: I think it's a little bit of both. The offenses unquestionably are better than this league has ever seen. The quarterbacking in this league goes about 10 deep. And with the way that parity is, a team can catch a couple of breaks running the spread offense and have a chance for an upset victory almost any week. But you are also right about the weaker defenses in the conference. Oklahoma's defense is down significantly from the Rocky Calmus/Roy Williams/Teddy Lehman era. So is Texas. there's no Derrick Johnson or Michael Huff in the Longhorns' back seven. That's why both of those teams are susceptible to passing offenses than they were before.
But in the end, I think the team that plays the best defense will end up winning the conference. And it could be Missouri, particularly if Van Alexander and Sean Weatherspoon make quick recoveries from post-spring surgeries to return to productive defensive roles.
And also, I always go with the dry ribs when I'm in your fair city, which also happens to be my hometown.
Ryan from Austin writes: Who is your favorite team in the Big 12?
Tim Griffin: I'm just like a mother with 12 children. I love them all equally. It might sound like a copout, but it's true.
Chris from Denver writes: As an OU fan living in Colorado (and therefore interested in Big XII news, and not just one team), I have one thing to say: Best....blog....ev....er. I heard you on a Denver sports talk station the other day, and as a result, checked your blog out. I was intrigued. Since then, I can't stop reading it. I love your takes, and especially the number of updates. I hope you update the blog this much during the season. Awesome work, keep it up.
Tim Griffin: Thanks for the compliments and for trying the blog. I hope I can keep the pace going once the season begins and I aim to. And for those talk-show producers out there, I love to talk about some Big 12 football if you're ever looking for a guest.
Ben from Lubbock writes: Excuse me, but I find it terribly disappointing that a journalist of your stature used the word "enthused" in an article. "Enthused" is not a part of the English language at all. It is a common misconception that many people have used incorrectly. I am ashamed to see someone with your experience, writing for a national audience, with young people reading (much like myself) would be so completely unaware of such a blatant mistake. If there is any way you could change the title of your article to "Turnaround has the Jayhawks EXCITED about future" then that would be not only grammatically correct, but beneficial to your role as a journalist as well.
Tim Griffin: Ben, I appreciate your attention to detail. Dictionary.com claims it's a word that fit the meaning that I wanted to use, so I decided to employ it.
And please tell me the truth. Wouldn't you enthuse about a Red Raiders' trip to a Bowl Championship Series game this year?
Dwayne writes: If the Nebraska defense can cut down their yards allowed by about 30% to 40% and force twice as many turnovers do you think they'll have a real chance to win the Big 12 north?
Tim Griffin: It would make them a lot better and make Bo Pelini's transformation much easier. But Pelini's biggest chore will be to force turnovers and make third-down stops. And that's going to be tough with the group he inherited. Deep down, I bet Pelini would be satisfied with a 15-20 percent improvement from last year.
Scott writes: In yesterday's blog, you mentioned a post from weisnd.com asking if Bob Stoops is the modern day John Cooper. While I agree that Bowl Season in Oklahoma has not been fun the last few years, I too would say that is a tad extreme. While it's fair to ask Bob what is going wrong in bowl preparation, it's not fair to compare him to John Cooper.
I wanted to send you some statistics on the subject in the way of a comparison. John Cooper: 13 seasons at Ohio St. Record: 111-43-4 Bob Stoops: 9 seasons at OU. Record: 97-22. Cooper: Zero National Championships Stoops: 1 National Championship Cooper: 3 Big 10 Titles (shared, never won an outright title) Stoops: 5 Big 12 Titles (most in league history) Cooper: 3-7 Bowl Record Stoops: 4-5 Bowl Record Cooper: 2-10-1 against Michigan Stoops: 6-3 vs. Texas. As you can see, Bob compares pretty well against John overall.
Losing Bowl Games is disappointing for sure. But let's don't throw Bob into the same category as John Cooper just yet. We'd be elevating John Cooper by doing so! Thank you for your excellent coverage of the Big 12! I enjoy reading your work very much.
Tim Griffin: I agree with you. I just wanted to throw that blog post out to see if any Oklahoma fans would bite. It took them about 15 minutes.
The biggest reason that the comparison between Cooper and Stoops is specious at best -- on top of Stoops' national championship and Cooper's lack of one -- is their comparative records against their major foe. Cooper as you said was 2-10-1 vs. Ohio State. Stoops is 6-3 against Texas.
Those are the games that can get coaches fired at those schools. Stoops has won most of them and Cooper lost most of his. But Stoops probably needs to win a bowl or two to get back in the complete good graces of Sooner fans. It's not like he's on the hot seat or anything like that - except if it's January and he's playing in the Fiesta Bowl or something.
Brandon from K.C. writes: I have a couple of points in your blog post today. "Kansas' record won't be nearly as good this year as it was last..." Which is not the same as saying their team won't be as good as they were last year, so we didn't really get any information from that little tidbit. "...taffy pull masquerading as a cross conference schedule..." Another highly original comment. No really, I haven't heard that before.
Funny, though, where was all the sympathy for KU three years ago when they played this brutal south schedule? It's not like KU controls the Big 12 matchups, so pointing that out hardly seems fair. And just like any other year - not to mention one chock full of crazy upsets - a team can only play/beat the guys across the field. KU did that in every game they were supposed to and many they weren't last year. Discounting their season because the Big 12 decided to give them the most unbalanced conference schedule out of all 12 teams is a slap in the face of each one of those players and coaches. And let's remember that the non-conference schedule was designed for a team shooting for a mid-level bowl after a 7-5 season; and yet they're blamed for overachieving. Ridiculous.
Tim Griffin: Easy there, Brandon. That's the same Kansas team that I elevated to the top 10 of all Big 12
squads during the BCS era earlier this summer. A bunch of your neighbors over in Manhattan still haven't forgiven me for that.
But let's be fair. There's no way that Kansas would have had the same 12-1 record last season if they would have switched this season's opponents -- Texas, Texas Tech and Oklahoma -- for their three victories at A&M and at Oklahoma State and over Baylor. In fact, some very knowledgeable football people have told me that the Jayhawks might have had trouble beating any of those Big 12 South powers last season. I don't know if I'd go that far, but it would have been a challenge for them.
Let's see how they play out this season. And If Mark Mangino can pull a sweep over his South Division opponents this season, I'll be the first person to tell Lew Perkins he needs to give his coach another raise. Because I bet a lot of athletic directors who might be looking for a new coach would be willing to offer it to him if Perkins wouldn't.
And finally,
Mike from College Station writes: Tim, what are some of the biggest non-conference games in the Big XII this year? Mizzou/Illinois, obviously. Baylor/Wake Forest? A&M/Miami? Do you have any choices?
Tim Griffin: Check back at my blog later this afternoon. I'll make my choices and have them ready as long as I can work on the airplane going back home. Hopefully the guy in front of me on the airplane won't be leaning back too far in his seat.
Guys, thanks again for the question and please feel free to drop me a line any time. I always enjoy the feedback.
ABOUT THIS BLOG
David Ubben
Ubben joined ESPN.com in March 2010 after covering Big 12 football for two seasons at the Columbia Missourian and The Oklahoman. Ubben, a native of Springdale, Ark., lives in Dallas.
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