ESPN College Football

Seth Doege had just polished off a performance that would land him national player of the week honors. He and his Texas Tech teammates rushed to the corner of the field to sing their fight song, the first visiting team to do so in victory at Oklahoma's Owen Field in more than six years.

As they got there, Doege spotted a familiar face: his dad. Their eyes met, and Randy Doege pumped a fist. No words necessary. We did it.

"I’ll always remember that," Seth Doege said.

This relationship between Doege and Texas Tech has been give-and-take forever. All of Doege's West Texas family are Texas Tech fans. He grew up watching Kliff Kingsbury, whose single-game NCAA completion percentage record Doege broke this season against New Mexico.

When Tech offered him a scholarship early in his high school career, he took it and essentially ended the recruiting process.

Doege missed his final two seasons of high school football, but Texas Tech stayed committed to him.

Doege got a chance to play for Tech back in 2009, but he was benched in his first start and didn't see any meaningful action until becoming the starter this season. Transfer? Ha.

Now as a junior, he's largely responsible for the biggest win at Texas Tech in a long time. After the win at Oklahoma, coach Tommy Tuberville told his team it may have been the best of his coaching career, which included more than a decade in the SEC at Ole Miss and Auburn.

PODCAST
Landry Locker and Trey Fallon of ESPN Dallas are joined by Chris Level of Double T 104.3 to talk about Tech's shocking win in Norman and the new outlook of the season moving forward. Listen

"It’s something I’ll never forget. It’s something you dream about as a kid, playing the No. 1 team in the nation and coming out with the victory," Doege said. "It’s something every kid wants to do."

A dream in the sense that he always hoped it would happen, but not that he never thought it could. Texas Tech must not have heard that it was expected to lose by four touchdowns on Saturday.

"We expected to win that game. It was special, but at the same time, we weren’t surprised," Doege said. "We felt like we were a good football team. We felt like in our two losses, we had opportunities to win those games, and we felt like if we just went in there and played really well, that we would give ourselves the opportunity to win the game, which we did. It’s just one of those things where, we were confident."

Doege especially had reason to be confident. His passing numbers were competitive with anyone in the country, and after Saturday's win, his 22 touchdown passes are fourth nationally and tied for the Big 12 lead. Only Houston's Case Keenum has topped his 2,608 passing yards.

"Seth’s had a lot of success this year, not just in that game. He’s emerged as one of the best quarterbacks in the country and he’s been consistent with it," Tuberville said. "All the hype of a game like that, going in and being able to play that well at our quarterback position is going to give him a lot of confidence. They did a lot of different things in the secondary, they gave him a lot of different looks, and he was able to handle all of them."

Doege sat on the sidelines while quarterbacks before him like Graham Harrell and Taylor Potts endured lopsided beatings in the same stadium. No Tech team had won in Norman since beating 3-8 Oklahoma under first-year coach John Blake back in 1996.

"We were physical, we weren’t scared and we were there to win the game, not play the game," Doege said. "I don’t think anybody on the team was intimidated at all. We went into that game really confident and we expected to win. I don’t think anything about OU really intimidated us. We knew this was a great football team, but we also knew that we were a great football team, too, and we’d put in as much work as anybody."

"It was a party in the locker room," Doege added.

The party's over. A special night can evolve into a special season. That continues Saturday against Iowa State.

"Now we know how good we can be," Doege said.

TEXAS TECH RED RAIDERS

Record: 4-1 (1-1 Big 12)

Texas Tech played the worst nonconference schedule in the Big 12, and opened conference play with the league's worst team in Kansas. So, understandably, the 4-0 start wasn't wholly impressive. Texas Tech's first real test came Saturday night, and though the loss to Texas A&M meant the Red Raiders didn't pass, they were far from failing.

The 45-40 defeat was disappointing, but Tech hung tough against a team much better than its ranking outside the top 20. There's not much evidence to suggest the Red Raiders' streak of 18 consecutive seasons with bowl eligibility will be coming to an end anytime soon, even with the young team in a bit of a rebuilding stage in 2011. The lessons learned over the second half of this season, though, could set up a huge year in 2011. Tech is in the meaty portion of its schedule, and four teams currently ranked in the top 25 are on the slate during the next five weeks. Just how good is this year's team? We'll know exactly how good after that stretch.

Offensive MVP: Seth Doege, QB. No question about this one. Doege has been every bit the passer Texas Tech hoped and he's living his childhood dream of being the next legend in the red and black. He's already written his name in the record books by breaking former Tech QB Kliff Kingsbury's single-game completion-percentage record. Doege leads the league in pass attempts and is third in completion percentage; his 1,706 yards passing yards is good for eighth nationally and his 17 touchdowns have him tied with Case Keenum of Houston for second-most nationally.

Defensive MVPs: Safeties Cody Davis and D.J. Johnson. It's tough to pick between these two, who have a combined 58 solo tackles and 67 total stops. Texas Tech leads the Big 12 in pass defense, and Johnson leads the team with two picks. Only Texas and Oklahoma have given up fewer passing touchdowns than Texas Tech (6) this season. The pair have combined for five pass breakups. Defensive tackle Kerry Hyder deserves a shoutout, too. His efforts won't get much pub, but he's been really disruptive up front with Davis and Johnson holding down the back.

The Big 12 has named its players of the week. Here's who took home the awards.

OFFENSE

Henry Josey, RB, Missouri

Josey carried the ball 14 times for 263 yards and three touchdowns in only two quarters of play in a 69-0 win over Western Illinois. That's an average of 18.79 yards a carry. He didn't play in the second half, but he needed 57 more yards to break the single-game school rushing record. It was the fourth-highest total in school history and the most in the NCAA this year.

Seth Doege, QB, Texas Tech

Doege completed 90.9 percent (40-of-44) of his passes to break an NCAA record previously held by Tech QB Kliff Kingsbury. He threw for 401 yards and five scores and completed his first 15 passes of the day, tying a school record.

DEFENSE

Javon Harris, S, Oklahoma

Harris intercepted two passes and returned the first one 69 yards to set up an Oklahoma field goal. The second all but sealed the game for the Sooners. He had three tackles and a pass broken up.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Justin Gilbert, CB/KR, Oklahoma State

Gilbert returned a kickoff 96 yards for a score and also intercepted a pass, returning it 24 yards. His touchdown return was the third of his career in just 16 career games.

Time to hand out a few awards for some late-arriving action in the Big 12.

Kenny Stills, WR, Oklahoma: Stills made the biggest catch of the season thus far in the Big 12, hauling in a 37-yard touchdown pass over Florida State's Greg Reid on a jump ball in the fourth quarter. The game was tied, and Florida State had just erased a 10-point deficit. The crowd was the loudest it had been all night. And Stills came through. He finished with seven catches for 125 yards (both game highs) and a touchdown in OU's 23-13 win.

Henry Josey, RB, Missouri: Josey was the last man standing in Mizzou's banged-up backfield, and ran for an insane 263 yards and three touchdowns on just 14 carries. Unreal. That's an average of 18.8 yards per carry and the Tigers led by 42 at halftime in the 69-0 win over Western Illinois.

Seth Doege, QB, Texas Tech: Doege's day already got its own post, and this helmet sticker is a mere formality by now. He completed 40 of 44 passes for 401 yards and five scores in Texas Tech's 59-13 win over New Mexico. That's a completion percentage of 90.9 percent, which broke Tech QB Kliff Kingsbury's record.

Darius Reynolds, WR, Iowa State: Reynolds was the Cyclones' top performer, and, like Stills, came through in huge spots for the Cyclones. He scored the game-winning touchdown on a 20-yard catch-and-run that featured a hurdle over two defenders on the way to the end zone. He also caught a 40-yard touchdown pass on a trick play. He finished with four catches for 128 yards and two scores in Iowa State's 24-20 win over Connecticut on Friday night.

Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor: Two games, two helmet stickers for the Baylor QB. His night was done by the time weather abbreviated the Bears' 48-0 win over Stephen F. Austin, but he completed 20 of 22 passes for 265 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran for 78 yards on eight carries. Griffin now has eight touchdown passes and eight incompletions in two games. His offense has hung an average of 49 points a game, too.

Texas Tech has seen some pretty good passing days on the Plains over the past decade or so.

None was more accurate than Seth Doege's outing in Albuquerque today.

Texas Tech leads New Mexico, 52-7, entering the fourth quarter, but Doege broke the NCAA record for completion percentage.

He completed 40-of-44 passes for 401 yards and five touchdowns. That's a completion percentage of 90.1 percent.

Unbelievable. Few figured Doege for a flop, but I doubt anyone foresaw that kind of accuracy, regardless of who Tech played.

And whose record did Doege break before ceding the night to backup Jacob Karam?

Tech quarterback Kliff Kingsbury, of course.

For Doege, a West Texas kid that grew up loving Tech and idolizing QBs like Kingsbury, tonight is surely special.

Yesterday, you saw our college football blog staff tab one player as the conference's next household name, but what do you think? I pegged Texas A&M running back Christine Michael as the next player folks will know well, but here's a few other suggestions.

Vote in the poll for who you're expecting to see a much bigger profile this time next year:

Kenny Stills, WR, Oklahoma

Stills caught 61 passes for 786 yards last year as a true freshman, the most of any freshman in Oklahoma history, even with the nation's leader (131) in receptions, Ryan Broyles, across from him on the field. He's got one of the best quarterbacks in the league tossing him the ball, and he'll be back in 2011 with a year of experience under his belt.

James Franklin, QB, Missouri

Franklin is the key to Missouri's rise in 2011. If he plays well, the Tigers should be a strong contender for the Big 12 title, something Blaine Gabbert, Chase Daniel and Brad Smith could never win. This Tigers team might be the best under Gary Pinkel, but there's a gaping hole at quarterback where Gabbert used to be. Will Franklin fill it and become a star as the next in a long line of Missouri quarterbacks.

Joseph Randle, RB, Oklahoma State

Randle caught more passes last year than any running back in the league, other than Oklahoma's DeMarco Murray, and figured to be a big piece of the backfield set to replace Kendall Hunter, who rushed for over 1,500 yards for the second time in his career last season. Randle has the advantage of a passing game that will require tons of attention and the Big 12's best offensive line. Will he hold off Jeremy Smith and become a 1,000-yard rusher?

Seth Doege, QB, Texas Tech

Doege, a junior, hasn't been a full-time starter since his sophomore year of high school, but Texas Tech stayed committed to him through a pair of serious knee injuries, and Doege has done the same. Now, he'll get a chance to do what he grew up wanting to do, carry on the Texas Tech quarterback legacy that guys like Graham Harrell and Kliff Kingsbury helped build. He'll do it under a different coach, but can he still produce the big numbers?

Malcolm Brown, RB, Texas

Brown hasn't even gone through a practice yet, but hopes are high for the incoming freshman who was the nation's No. 7 recruit in the 2011 class. The Cibolo, Texas, native runs with big power and if Texas' offensive line can give him a few holes, should be able to punish defenders with his downhill style. A year from now, will he be the first 1,000-yard rusher at Texas since Jamaal Charles?

Anyone else deserve some consideration?

LUBBOCK, Texas -- Last season, Oklahoma State surely made some sort of history by starting a quarterback in Brandon Weeden, who hadn't made a start in nine years.

Next season, there's a good chance Texas Tech could have a quarterback who has made one start in five seasons. Junior Seth Doege's never made it on the field for his final two seasons of high school in 2006 and 2007, thanks to preseason torn ACLs in his right and left knees.

In 2008, he redshirted. Doege started against Kansas in 2009 but was benched in favor of Taylor Potts at halftime, making his only start a forgettable one. In 2010, he waited his turn behind a pair of seniors, Potts and Steven Sheffield, both finally fully healthy.

"I know a lot of people that would have gone through those [injuries] and said, 'You know what, I’m done. I’m not going to go through this.'" said Texas Tech coach Tommy Tuberville. " But it shows the perseverance he’s got and how resilient he is and how much he wants to play."

The big question: Why?

"Ever since I was little, this has been my dream," Doege said. "Not many people can say they’re living their dream."

Doege can. For now, it's not official. But he's established a clear lead over Jacob Karam as the Red Raiders' starting quarterback, earning the majority of the first-team reps as the most experienced quarterback on the roster.

The quarterback play under former coach Mike Leach became a signature of the Red Raiders' program, and that doesn't look likely to change.

"We still want to go out and recruit quarterbacks who can throw it 50 times a game -- maybe 60," Tuberville said. "That’s something that’s helped Tech when Mike brought it here and I don’t think there’s any doubt that it’s opened doors for us."

That includes Doege's door. A native of Wolfforth, Texas, Doege went to nearby Frenship High School and was a self-professed "West Texas kid." He remembers well the first time his dad, Randy Doege, a high school coach himself, brought him to a Texas Tech game.

"I was like, 'Man, I want to play here. I want to throw for 4,000-plus yards,'” he said. "I wanted to be the next Kliff Kingsbury, the next B.J. Symons, the next Graham Harrell. I wanted to be those guys."

That didn't change throughout high school. One of the top passers in Texas, Doege committed to Texas Tech the day he got his offer, the first of several that eventually rolled in.

"I knew this was where I wanted to be when I was little," he said. "There were other schools that offered, but as soon as they did, I’d tell them hey, I’m committed to Tech. I’m solid."

And despite missing those final two years, Texas Tech honored that commitment just as Doege honored his, both to the game itself and other schools that expressed interest.

"That really motivated me. It was like, 'OK, I still have a chance,'" he said.

Now that the chance is closer than ever, Doege's hopes and expectations are high.

"I just want to win, that’s the main goal," he said. "My expectation is to be the No. 1 offense and that’s what we want to do. For a quarterback to know that your unit is No. 1 in the nation, that’s probably the best recognition you can get."

And Doege's confidence in himself and those around him is reflected by his coach, too.

"He’s an older guy. He’s not 18 years old. He’s been through some tough times, some tough surgeries, and he’s still got the hunger for it," Tuberville said. "You can tell he’s physically tough, mentally tough to go through that, and you can tell he kept the hunger and he wanted to do it.

"Now we can see what he can do."

Good stuff this week, fans. Thanks for all the questions. Let's do it again sometime.

Jenny in College Station, Texas asks: DU, love your blog. My parents are die hard Aggies but I love the Huskers. Do you know if he is single? Also do you think the Aggies will have something to fear when NU comes to town to play the aggies with a mobile QB or do you think they possibly have seen everything they have from Jerrod Johnson who is also a mobile QB and better prepared?

David Ubben: Ha, couldn't shed any light on Jerrod's relationship status. Never came up in my recent visit to College Station, as opposed to when I stopped by Baylor to spend a day with Robert Griffin.

But to your main point, I wouldn't expect Nebraska to be shocked by anything they see, especially when it comes to mobile quarterbacks. The two most mobile guys they faced last year, Tyrod Taylor and Colt McCoy, had awful days when they played the Huskers, but Nebraska still lost both games -- by a point in the final 30 seconds of each game. Taylor completed less than 50 percent of his passes and McCoy threw three interceptions and no touchdowns. Having a guy that can make plays if things break down is nothing new for the Blackshirts.

---

Scott Anderson in Manhattan, Kan. asks: David, why no love for Daniel Thomas in your Heisman talk? is it because he doesn't have OU on the side of his helmet? and how could you of put kendall hunter on that list but not DT when we all know KSU played a far more difficult opponent. Just curious why the disrespect?

DU: To be frank, yes. It's because he doesn't have OU on the side of his helmet. Or Texas. Or Nebraska. Complain all you want, but the Heisman is somewhat of a popularity contest that boils down to the best skill position player on a team that finishes near the top 5. I don't see Kansas State winning more than 8-9 games this year. Even 2,000 yards probably wouldn't win Thomas the Heisman. If your team doesn't win at least 10 games, you have almost no chance. Maybe that's bad, but I'm somewhat OK with winning being a big part of the award, because even though a player isn't every reason a team wins, he's most often the biggest reason why.

The only recent exception was Tim Tebow, but Florida is a program with a lot of eyes on it. Tebow had an unbelievable year; he was responsible for 51 touchdowns, the Gators won nine games and ranked in the top 15. Occasionally, an outstanding performance by a guy on a team in that second-tier of teams can win it, which is why Jerrod Johnson and Kendall Hunter are on top of my list for the Big 12, but no Big 12 players are on my Heisman Watch ballot.

---

Moe in Chicago, Ill. asks: Still think Missouri will give NU a problem this year after their aweful performance against Illinois, which is picked to finish last in the Big10 with Indiana?

DU: I do, but the loss of Derrick Washington is more of a concern than anything that happened last week. Missouri dominated that second half after Blaine Gabbert got rolling, but Washington was Missouri's best bet to get a tough yard. With four backs now under 195 pounds, you might see Missouri throw it a little more inside the 10-yard line or on 3rd-and-short, which by nature is going to lower their percentages of success. We'll see if that comes back to bite them later.

---

Matt in Milledgeville, Ga. asks: If "T-Magic" backs up his stellar performance last weekend with an eqaully as impressive game, do you see Bo Pelini giving him most of the snaps at Washington next week? What would this mean for the future of Cody Green? Transfer? Position switch?

DU: Definitely, for more on Martinez's status as starter, see my story yesterday. I fully expect Martinez to be the guy next week at Washington, but we'll see how he does against his first real competition when he heads to Seattle. I won't venture a guess as to Green's future. He's still very much in the competition, and Martinez starting at Washington doesn't mean Martinez starts forever. We'll see how it goes, but with as much as Martinez will probably run it, you have to also think a little bit about injury, too.

What I find a little more interesting is what happens to Bubba Starling and Jamal Turner, Nebraska's two blue-chip quarterback recruits for 2011, if Nebraska's bringing back a sophomore at quarterback who just won Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year?

---

2LT Tyler Norris in Schofield Barracks, HI asks: David, Being a recent UT alumni I have been spoiled by the recent success. This team appears to start the season with similiar expectations as to recent teams. The team seemed very unmotivated, and played less than impressive VS Rice. Do you think it was more of a who they were facing issue or is this finally the yr UT doesn't make 10 wins?

DU: I wouldn't worry at all. Texas was going to focus on getting its running game rolling, and knew having moderate success against Rice wouldn't cost them a win. But as for the final score, let's look at this: Rice scored on a Hail Mary, Texas got stuffed on a 4th-and-goal on the 1-yard line, and the UT secondary dropped two easy pick sixes.

Change all -- or at least a couple -- of those plays, and you get a 55-10 final score. Nobody would be complaining about that, which was a few plays away from happening. It's not like that game was ever really in doubt.

---

Tad in Holly Springs, N.C. asks: I geeked something out this week. In 2008 and 2009, 13 ranked teams went on the road on Thursday night to face an unranked team. Nine of them were upset. Unranked teams have won 8 of the last 9 games against ranked teams on Thursday.(I am writing this during the Auburn-Miss St game, therefore the number will change)As a Nebraska fan, I am looking a little ahead to our game against Kansas State in a few weeks and wonder why you think this situation exists. With that game being immediately before the Texas game, I cannot help but think Nebraska has a lot working against them.

DU: Well, most of those Thursday night games are conference games, and winning on the road in any conference is tough, especially at night with a crowd that's going to be considerably more jacked up than an 11 a.m. kickoff. It's not any weird coincidence, it's teams playing other good teams on the road in hostile environments. In other words, college football. Winning doesn't come easy.

---

Jacob in Lubbock, Texas asks: What kind of performance would it take from Taylor Potts over the next few weeks to get him in the Heisman contention?

DU: Don't blame me, but it's going to be tough for a Texas Tech quarterback to ever win a Heisman. The majority of voters have dismissed the position as the product of a system after watching guys like Kliff Kingsbury, B.J. Symons, Sonny Cumbie and Cody Hodges do almost nothing at the next level after putting up video-game numbers in Lubbock.

Michael Crabtree had very, very obvious size and talent that helped win him the Biletnikoff Award twice, and you see him using those at the next level. The Heisman isn't an award that's dependent on future success, obviously, but the short post-college careers of those other guys have certainly lent a lot of credibility to the sentiment that the Air Raid is a plug-n-play system. True or not, perception is reality in the world we live in. And the perception among Heisman voters is there are a lot of quarterbacks who can succeed in that system, and play design and play calling are to be credited, not individual talent.

If Graham Harrell couldn't win it at Texas Tech, nobody can.

---

Ben in St. Peters, Mo. asks: What would Mack Brown do for a Klondike bar? Seriously.

DU: I can't speak to Mack's love of frozen foods, but I would do any number of things for that delicious treat.

Former Texas Tech quarterback Kliff Kingsbury was promoted to co-offensive coordinator and quarterback coach and former Tech wide receiver Eric Morris has been added as a quality control assistant on Kevin Sumlin's staff at Houston.

Kingsbury has been a member of Sumlin's staff for the last two seasons. During that time, he has been instrumental in the development of record-breaking Houston quarterback Case Keenum.

"Kliff was a tremendous player as a quarterback and has been in the background with our offensive staff for the past two years," Sumlin said. "This will give him an opportunity to continue the progress and development in the level of quarterback play."

Morris, a four-year letterman at Tech from 2005-08, will be the newest member of Sumlin's offensive group.

The additions will only make the Nov. 27 game in Lubbock against the Red Raiders that much more emotional for both of them.

After delving into numbers most of the morning, it's always refreshing to get a chance to look at some links.

Enjoy them.

• Nebraska offensive coordinator Shawn Watson tells the Lincoln Journal Star’s Steve Sipple about his recruiting methods that lean heavily on foresight and coaching instincts.
• The Omaha World-Herald’s Mitch Sherman reports that Nebraska fans are getting on edge as the recruiting season enters its final week.
• Former Texas Tech quarterback Kliff Kingsbury has decided to stay with Kevin Sumlin’s coaching staff at Houston after nearly joining Dana Holgorsen at Oklahoma State, according to the Houston Chronicle’s Steve Campbell.
• The Dallas Morning News’ Kevin Sherrington opines that Colt McCoy’s character shouldn’t take a hit because he didn’t return to the national championship game against Alabama.
• The Kansas City Star’s Mike DeArmond has an interesting snippet about how Missouri’s potential move to the Big Ten has split at least one family.
• Baylor center J.D. Walton was listed among SI.com’s Tony Pauline’s “risers” at the second day of practices at the Senior Bowl. But the Sporting News’ Russ Lande reports that Texas linebacker Roddrick Muckelroy and Missouri wide receiver Danario Alexander struggled through their Tuesday practices.
• Former Nebraska quarterback Joe Dailey has been reunited with Turner Gill at Kansas, the Omaha World-Herald’s Rich Kaipust reports. Gill was Dailey’s position coach at Nebraska.
• CBS Sports’ Dennis Dodd ranks Tommy Tuberville’s hiring by Texas Tech as second and Gill’s hiring by Kansas sixth among the 22 new FBS coaching hires.
• Steven Lassan of Athlon Sports ranks Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas among his contenders to be top-10 teams in 2010.
• Justin Smith becomes Missouri's first NFL Pro Bowler in 20 years to start and finish his career with the Tigers, Dave Matter of the Columbia Tribune reports.
• Robert Cessna of the Bryan Eagle reports that "DeRuyter Fever" is rampant among Texas A&M fans.

I received a slew of comments about some of my early choices for my All-Decade teams across the conference. Hopefully, that will prove as popular during the rest of the week for the rest of the Big 12 teams as they are released.

Here's a representative example of some of the other missives I've received over the last few days.

Mike Heuertz of Iowa writes: Tim, even with Ndamukong Suh leaving Nebraska, as well as a couple other key defensive players, do you think the Blackshirts will be better next season? And what do you think Nebraska's record will be?

Tim Griffin: I talked with several Nebraska fans during my swing through the state last week who seemed almost giddy about the Cornhuskers’ chances next season.

That being said, the loss of Suh will be huge. I think he can be considered the arguably greatest defensive player in the history of the program. The Cornhuskers also will lose Barry Turner, Phillip Dillard, Larry Asante and the heart, grit and talent provided by Matt O’Hanlon.

Now I can see players like Prince Amukamara, Will Compton, Sean Fisher and Jared Crick getting a lot better gaining experience playing Bo Pelini’s defense. But it might be a little wishful thinking to hope for much improvement from this season -- considering the Cornhuskers’ big defensive personnel losses.

As far as their record, I would expect them to be one of the powers of the Big 12. They have a tricky game at Washington which will earn them a lot of national notoriety if they can win. Texas will be coming to Lincoln, as will Colorado and Missouri. A road game at Oklahoma State doesn’t look as daunting as it could be with the Cowboys breaking in a new quarterback. But an underrated challenge for the Cornhuskers might wait at Texas A&M with Jerrod Johnson and all of A&M’s strong returning offensive weapons back for next season.

Looking at that schedule, I’ll pick the Cornhuskers to go 10-2 and finish as the Big 12 North champion. Considering their returning talent and their schedule, I think that’s a relatively conservative pick.

But as far as next year's team being better than the 2009 version of the Blackshirts, that might be wishing for a little bit much -- even for the Pelinis.

---

Chris Henson from Salt Lake City, Utah, writes: Tim, a quick addition to the Texas A&M-Oklahoma State tidbit. The Red, White, and Blue Out in 2001 was organized by a group of students first and foremost as a fundraiser for the victims of 9/11. I appreciate you noting this event as it really shows what Texas A&M is all about.

Tim Griffin: Chris, thanks for the clarification. Like you wrote, it was truly an emotional event. There’s a picture of the stadium that is still hung in the press box at Kyle Field of the stadium bedecked for that game. It still gives me goose bumps when I see it.

---

Travis from Seattle writes: Tim, the players of the decade category has created quite a stir, with many saying, "...well how could X player be off the list." For the most part I agree with your list if you look at it being, who were great players, AND who did the most to influence their team's success, (thus why Graham Harrell is off, being a plug-and-play quarterback in that system although he did do a fine job).

But I propose a different category. Who were the best ATHLETES of the decade? And how about the best competitors, the ones who did everything to try to win. What are your thoughts?

Tim Griffin: You raise a good point about my list earlier being an all-around grouping of all qualities. As far as the best athletes of the decade in the Big 12 from the last decade, in no specific order I would include Ndamukong Suh, Eric Crouch, Robert Griffin, Chris Brown, Vince Young, Seneca Wallace, Dez Bryant, Dezmon Briscoe, Darren Sproles, Danario Alexander (before and after his injury), Brad Smith, Jeremy Maclin, Adrian Peterson, Brian Orakpo, Michael Huff, Earl Thomas, Reggie McNeal, Robert Ferguson, Sammy Davis and Michael Crabtree.

And among the top competitors I’ve seen include Stephen McGee, Crabtree, Colt McCoy, Roy Miller, Joe Pawelek, Jordan Lake, George Hypolite, Todd Reesing, Chase Daniel, Sean Weatherspoon, Matt O’Hanlon, Suh, Josh Fields, Brian Iwuh, Darrell Stuckey, Steven Sheffield, Wes Welker and Kliff Kingsbury. There are many others, but those are just some of the names that come to me off the top of my head. And the fact that Suh and Crabtree made both of those lists is pretty indicative of how exceptional they really were.

---

Fred Dodge of Annapolis, Md., writes: Tim, in reference to your top 10 jobs in college football. You have a good list, BUT the one caveat that I think goes with this list or any list is context. Most of these are still the "right-guy-for-the-right-place" jobs -- as are coaches. Being a Husker, I lean toward Bo Pelini and Nebraska as my first examples. Bo would not be a good fit for many of these jobs...I just can't see Bo fitting at USC or Florida for example; but I also can't see Lane Kiffin or Pete Carroll being successful in Lincoln. And in my opinion there are only a few guys who can shape a program around their personality. Nick Saban could coach anywhere, Urban Meyer probably could, and Jim Tressel could in most places. But I have a difficult time seeing Mack Brown outside the southeast or southwest and Bo Pelini outside the midwest. All of these guys could still coach, but I think they would struggle in fan support -- and so they would also in recruiting.

Tim Griffin: You make an interesting point, although I think that Pelini would work in more places than you might suspect. He’s a dyed-in-the-wool football coach and would succeed at most traditional powers, although I think his style best suits him at Nebraska. But I could see him being successful in the Southeastern Conference, in the Big Ten or even at Notre Dame. Anywhere they have a deep appreciation for football, I can see Pelini working out.

I think coaches like Bob Stoops, Saban, Meyer and Tressel would work most places. I also think you might include some underrated coaches out there like Mike Riley of Oregon State, Gary Patterson of TCU, Jeff Tedford of California and Chris Peterson of Boise State would be adaptable at almost any job in the country. But it does seem that the smart coaches are the ones who pick places where they are comfortable and have the best chance for success.

---

Kyle Zander of Fort Hood, Texas, writes: Will Chris Whaley and Desean Hales get playing time for Texas in 2010? I played against Hales in high school and the kid is the real deal, Texas needs to get him involved as soon as possible. And Whaley could help, too.

Tim Griffin: Texas needs to find some help for its running game. Whaley was hurt when he reported to practice last summer and never regained his form. If he’s willing to rededicate himself, there likely is a chance for him to earn some playing time this spring. He needs to have a big spring to get there.

Sales is in a similar situation. The Longhorns have wide receiving talent in players like senior-to-be John Chiles and James Kirkendoll. Malcolm Williams is a big strong receiver who will emerge in coming seasons and should be the team’s featured receiver in 2010. But there are catches – plenty of them -- available for Hales if he can force himself into the mix.

---

Brett Stamm from Keller, Texas, writes: Tim, love the blog! Keep up the good work! Has Mike Sherman, or will Mike Sherman, or why will Mike Sherman not, consider Dat Nguyen for defensive coordinator? Talk about a guy who has done an outstanding job in his current position and would bring some instant credibility with players and recruits in a program that has pretty much let a proud defensive tradition die with questionable and mediocre hires. This is a guy who was the face of and exemplified the "Wrecking Crew" tradition for four years! Your thoughts?

Tim Griffin: Brett, Dat Nguyen has been a key member of Wade Phillips’ staff as an assistant linebacker coach and defensive quality control assistant with the Dallas Cowboys. But I would suspect that Sherman probably would like for Nguyen to have a little more seasoning and experience calling defenses before he would give him the responsibility of serving as the Aggies’ defensive coordinator.

In a way, Nguyen reminds me a little of Major Applewhite as they develop in their coaching careers. It won’t surprise me if both become successful coordinators and eventually outstanding head coaches. But they need more experience to get there.

Nguyen seems like a natural to join the A&M coaching staff in the future. But I think it might be a stretch to see him as the Aggies’ defensive coordinator at this stage of his career.

That’s all the time I have for today. Thanks again for all of the good questions and keep the letters and e-mails coming. I’ll check back again on Friday.

Colt McCoy and Ndamukong Suh are en route to New York City this morning. Both will be part of the Heisman Trophy activities Saturday night.

The Big 12 has featured four winners during its brief history: Ricky Williams of Texas (1998), Eric Crouch of Nebraska (2001), Jason White of Oklahoma (2003) and Sam Bradford of Oklahoma (2008).

The conference also has been involved in two of the three one-two finishes by a conference during that period.

Williams and Kansas State's Michael Bishop in 1998 and Bradford and McCoy account for two of the three instances that a specific conference had the first- and second-place finishers. The only other time it happened during that period was Tim Tebow of Florida and Darren McFadden of Arkansas in 2007.

Here's a look at how Big 12 players have placed since the conference was formed.

1996: Winner, Florida QB Danny Wuerffel; Iowa State RB Troy Davis, second; Texas Tech RB Byron Hanspard, sixth.

1997: Winner, Michigan DB/WR/KR Charles Woodson; Texas RB Ricky Williams, fifth.

1998: Winner, Texas RB Ricky Williams; Kansas State QB Michael Bishop, second.

1999: Winner, Wisconsin RB Ron Dayne; no Big 12 players among top 10 finishers.

2000: Winner, Florida State QB Chris Weinke; Oklahoma QB Josh Heupel, second.

2001: Winner, Nebraska QB Eric Crouch; Oklahoma S Roy Williams, seventh.

2002: Winner, USC QB Carson Palmer; Colorado RB Chris Brown, eighth; Texas Tech QB Kliff Kingsbury, ninth; Oklahoma RB Quentin Griffin, 10th.

2003: Winner, Oklahoma QB Jason White; Kansas State RB Darren Sproles, fifth; Texas Tech QB B.J. Symons, 10th.

2004: Winner, USC QB Matt Leinart; Oklahoma RB Adrian Peterson, second; Oklahoma QB Jason White, third; Texas RB Cedric Benson, sixth.

2005: Winner, USC RB Reggie Bush; Texas QB Vince Young, second.

2006: Winner, Ohio State QB Troy Smith; no Big 12 players among top 10 finishers.

2007: Winner, Florida QB Tim Tebow; Missouri QB Chase Daniel, fourth.

2008: Winner, Oklahoma QB Sam Bradford; Texas QB Colt McCoy, second; Texas Tech QB Graham Harrell, fourth; Texas Tech WR Michael Crabtree, fifth.

Who knows? Maybe McCoy or Suh will become the fifth Big 12 Heisman winner.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

New Texas Tech quarterback Taylor Potts had some first-game struggles in his opening game as the Red Raiders’ starter.

Potts passed for 405 yards and two touchdowns, but he was intercepted three times -- most ever thrown by a first-game Texas Tech quarterback under coach Mike Leach -- in the Red Raiders’ 38-13 victory over North Dakota.

Potts struggled with trying to get a handle on leading the team in his first game, Leach said.

“I think the first games early in the season, there’s anxiousness that you certainly have to work through,” Leach told reporters earlier this week. “And I’m sure that’s part of it.”

But he’s not concerned about extended problems as Potts prepares for his game against Rice on Saturday.

“There’s always a certain amount of work to be done,” Leach said. “Graham [Harrell] played a very poor game last year versus Nevada, which was the worst game of his career. He learned a lot from it and went on to throw for another 5,000 yards.”

Here’s a statistical look at all six of Leach’s starting quarterbacks and their statistics in their first game as starters at Texas Tech. Potts’ numbers compare favorably with most of them.

Texas Tech QBs at a Glance Player Year Comp ATT YDS INT TD Rating Result Kliff Kingsbury 2000 21 47 186 1 2 87.71 W, 24-3 vs. New Mexico B.J. Symons 2003 23 38 297 1 3 146.97 W, 58-10 vs. SMU Sonny Cumbie 2004 40 66 470 0 4 140.42 W, 27-13 at SMU Cody Hodges 2005 29 37 454 0 4 217.12 W, 56-3 vs. FIU Graham Harrell 2006 34 49 342 1 5 157.61 W, 35-3 vs. SMU Taylor Potts 2009 34 48 405 3 2 142.96 W, 38-13 vs. North Dakota

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

No. 14

The day that press conferences were bigger than anything on the field.

Date: Sept. 22, 2007
Place: Boone Pickens Stadium, Stillwater, Okla.
Score: Oklahoma State 49, Texas Tech 45

Oklahoma State's wild victory over Texas Tech started the 2007 conference race with one of the most memorable games in Big 12 history.

The two teams combined for 94 points, 62 first downs, and 1,328 yards. There were also three lead changes in the final 12:25.

And that action was upstaged by the comments of both teams' coaches in the post-game press conference.

OSU coach Mike Gundy quickly became a celebrated national figure after he defended his backup quarterback Bobby Reid, who he felt had been unfairly portrayed before the game in a column in the Daily Oklahoman.

Texas Tech coach Mike Leach had a similar eruption where he questioned the toughness of his defense after it had been gashed for 366 rushing yards.

It was a wild scene unlike anything that has been seen -- before or since -- in Big 12 history.

Earlier, the action on the field was nearly as memorable.

Tech wide receiver Michael Crabtree had helped stake the Red Raiders to a 35-28 halftime advantage with three early touchdown grabs. But OSU stormed back to tie the game on Zac Robinson's 3-yard keeper with 1:15 left in the third quarter.

Early in the fourth quarter, OSU's defense came up with a huge play when Tech wide receiver Edward Britton fumbled at the Tech 38. On the next play, OSU took the lead when Seth Newton hit Jeremy Broadway on a 33-yard option pass for a touchdown to give the Cowboys the lead.

Tech stormed back to tie the game four plays later when quarterback Graham Harrell threw his fifth touchdown of the game -- a 41-yard strike to Danny Amendola.

The Red Raiders withstood OSU on the next drive as Robinson was stopped on fourth down at the Tech 40 by Joe Garcia. Tech then marched 58 yards on a scoring drive capped by Alex Trlica's 19-yard field goal that gave the Red Raiders a 45-42 lead with 4:49 left.

After an exchange of punts, OSU had one final chance. And on the first play from scrimmage, Robinson hooked up with tight end Brandon Pettigrew on a 54-yard TD reception that gave them the lead for good with 1:37 remaining.

Tech marched to the OSU 15, but Crabtree dropped a touchdown pass in the end zone with 19 seconds left after OSU cornerback Ricky Price had flashed in front of him.

It provided Gundy with a victory in his first conference game of the season, emboldening him to make perhaps the most celebrated rant in college football history.

Factoids to note: Harrell's 646 passing yards was the fourth-best single-game total in college football history at the time of the game as he completed 46 of 67 passes. OSU had three backs who rushed for 100 yards for the first time in the same game in school history -- Dantrell Savage with 130 yards, Robinson with 116 yards and Kendall Hunter with 113 yards. Crabtree and Amendola both had huge games as Crabtree produced 14 receptions for 237 yards and Amendola snagged 14 catches for 233 yards ... It was only OSU's second victory in a Big 12 opener in nine seasons.

They said it, part I: "Come after me! I'm a man! I'm 40!" OSU coach Mike Gundy's comments after he felt backup quarterback Bobby Reid was unfairly attacked in a newspaper column before the game.

They said it, part II: "We got hit in the mouth and acted like somebody took our lunch money. All we wanted to do was have pouty expressions on our face until somebody dabbed our little tears off and made us (expletive) feel better," Tech coach Mike Leach on his defense's inability to contain OSU's offense.

They said it, part III: "If I put it on the other shoulder, he's going to catch that easily and we win. If I put it a foot on the other side of him, we catch the ball and win. It's probably my fault. He played a heck of a game," Tech QB Graham Harrell on Michael Crabtree's late drop that cost the Red Raiders a game-winning touchdown.

They said it, part IV: "That was my Superman," OSU tight end Brandon Pettigrew describing his leap for the end zone on his game-winning touchdown.

The upshot: Gundy became a cult figure after his 3-minute 20-second outburst, which has been replayed on YouTube millions of times after the incident. Robinson claimed the starting position after the comeback victory and Reid never started at quarterback again. He eventually started at wide receiver later in the season, but transferred to Southern University after the season for his final year. In an interview with ESPN the Magazine's Tom Friend, Reid said that Gundy's rant "basically ended my life."

Leach fired defensive coordinator Lyle Setencich the following day and inserted Ruffin McNeill into the position. The move worked as the Red Raiders' defense improved markedly and helped spark them to a 9-4 season punctuated by a 31-28 victory over Virginia in the Gator Bowl. That triumph helped boost Tech to a No. 22 ranking in the final Associated Press poll that season.

OSU used momentum from the comeback victory to charge to a 7-6 record during the rest of the season, capping the season with a 49-33 triumph over Indiana in the Insight Bowl in the Cowboys' second-straight bowl victory under Gundy.

The countdown:

15. Rout 66: No, that score wasn't a typo.
16. Kansas State finally slays the Cornhuskers.
17. Kingsbury and Long hook up in a passing duel for the ages.
18. Henery and Suh make Colorado blue.
19. Stunning OSU rally leads to Stoops' first home loss.
20. It's never over for Texas Tech until it's over.
21. Reesing to Meier. Again and again.
22. A Texas-sized comeback -- Texas over Oklahoma State in 2004.
23. A Border War unlike any of the rest -- Missouri over Kansas in 2007.
24. Seneca Wallace's wild TD run vs. Texas Tech in 2001.
25. Baylor's "So Much for Taking a Knee" against UNLV in 1999.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

No. 15

Rout 66: No, that score wasn't a typo

Date: Sept. 13, 1997
Place: Darrell K. Royal/Texas Memorial Stadium, Austin, Texas
Score: UCLA 66, Texas 3

Simply stated, it was one of the most embarrassing moments in Texas football history.

	Stephen Dunn /Allsport
	Bruins quarterback Cade McNown threw for a school-record five touchdown passes.

Rebuilding UCLA came into the season unranked. And the Bruins' national perception took a hit after starting the season with losses to Washington State and Tennessee.

The No. 11 Longhorns met UCLA without starting quarterback James Brown, who was nursing a bruised left ankle. Texas still had many of weapons returning from a team that had notched an upset victory the previous season to claim the Big 12 championship over Nebraska.

But those factors didn't matter to UCLA quarterback Cade McNown, who blistered Texas' secondary for 202 passing yards and a school-record five touchdown passes to spark the stunning victory.

McNown blew the game open with a pair of touchdown throws 20 seconds apart early in the second quarter; he hit Skip Hicks on a 43-yard scoring pass and then hooked up with Mike Grieb on a 1-yard touchdown reception after a Texas turnover.

But he was just getting started. McNown hit Jim McElroy with a 4-yard touchdown pass and Grieb with another 1-yard scoring toss that boosted UCLA to an improbable 38-0 lead with 4:37 left in the first half.

Texas got a 35-yard field goal from Phil Dawson early in the third quarter to account for all of its scoring, but the landslide didn't stop when UCLA coach Bob Toledo pulled his starters and inserted his substitutes.

The Bruins erupted for 21 points in the fourth quarter, including a 10-yard scoring run from Keith Brown with 4:24 left and a 40-yard interception return for a touchdown from Damian Allen 23 seconds later.

The Longhorns struggled with eight turnovers and seven sacks in a humiliating performance that hasn't been matched in Texas' modern football history. It was the worst home defeat in Texas history and at the time was the worst loss for a ranked team in the 61-year history of the Associated Press poll.

The game was played before a crowd of 77,203 that shrank to a few thousand hardy souls before halftime.

But it still didn't keep those fans left fromgiving the Longhorns a standing ovation late in the first half -- after the beleaguered defense forced a incompletion by McNown on third down, stopping UCLA from scoring for the first time.

After the loss, Texas coach John Mackovic was living on borrowed time on the Forty Acres.  

Factoids to note: UCLA scored on its first six possessions ... Mackovic tried two quarterbacks to fill in for Brown with little success. Starter Richard Walton went 16-for-27 for 145 yards with an interception and four sacks before he was pulled. Replacement Marty Cherry was sacked three times and completed 9 of 18 passes for 105 yards and three interceptions ... UCLA's underrated defense shackled Ricky Williams and held him to one of the worst performances of his career. Williams rushed for only 36 yards on 13 carries, the third-lowest total of his career. His only games with less rushing production were 4 yards against Oklahoma in 1995 as a freshman and 7 yards against Nebraska in the 1996 Big 12 championship game ... The victory was the most lopsided for UCLA since the Bruins romped over San Diego Naval Training Center, 67-0, in 1954 ... UCLA turned six of its eight turnovers into touchdowns.

They said it, part I: "My family's out there waiting. I know it sounds horrible, but I don't want to look them in the eye. Playing sports all my life, fighting with my brother, I've never seen something like this. It's embarrassing," Texas center Ryan Fiebiger, who told reporters of his angst after the loss.

They said it, part II: "What do you say to friends and family who see this score?" Texas coach John Mackovic after the loss.

They said it, part III: "When the landslide starts, it's hard to get it stopped. I feel bad for John," UCLA coach Bob Toledo, who spoke after the game of his empathy for Mackovic.

They said it, part IV: "At least the band kept playing." The classic first paragraph in Kirk Bohls' column about the game.

The upshot: Mackovic was never able to overcome the loss as he was fired after the season ended. Only a year after the Longhorns claimed the Big 12 title, Texas finished 4-7. But the Longhorns have been to a bowl game every season since hiring Mack Brown.

Walton would win the starting job in Mack Brown's first season. But he sustained a season-ending injury early-on against the Bruins at the Rose Bowl and never started again for the Longhorns.

The Bruins used the big victory to spark them on a memorable comeback. After losing the first two games of the 1997 season by a combined nine points, UCLA erupted on a 10-game winning streak to finish the season, capped by a 29-23 victory over Texas A&M in the 1998 Cotton Bowl. In that game, UCLA overcame an early 16-0 A&M lead to charge back for the triumph that helped them finish No. 5 in the final Associated Press poll.

The countdown:

16. Kansas State finally slays the Cornhuskers.
17. Kingsbury and Long hook up in a passing duel for the ages.
18. Henery and Suh make Colorado blue.
19. Stunning OSU rally leads to Stoops' first home loss.
20. It's never over for Texas Tech until it's over.
21. Reesing to Meier. Again and again.
22. A Texas-sized comeback -- Texas over Oklahoma State in 2004.
23. A Border War unlike any of the rest -- Missouri over Kansas in 2007.
24. Seneca Wallace's wild TD run vs. Texas Tech in 2001.
25. Baylor's "So Much for Taking a Knee" against UNLV in 1999.