ESPN College Football

2009 overall record: 9-4

2009 conference record: 5-3

Returning starters: Offense (7), Defense (6) P/K (2)

Top returners: QB Steven Sheffield, WR Detron Lewis, QB Taylor Potts, RB Baron Batch, WR Alex Torres, CB LaRon Moore, DT Colby Whitlock, LB Brian Duncan, LB Bront Bird

Key losses: DE Brandon Sharpe, OL Brandon Carter, CB Jamar Wall, OL Marlon Winn, LB Marlon Williams, DE Daniel Howard

2009 statistical leaders (*returners)

Rushing: Baron Batch* (884 yards)

Passing: Taylor Potts* (3,440 yards)

Receiving: Detron Lewis* (844 yards)

Tackles: Brian Duncan* (87)

Sacks: Brandon Sharpe (15)

Interceptions: Franklin Mitchem*, LaRon Moore*, Jamar Wall (2)

Three spring answers

1. Business as usual. The offense will remain the same under new coordinator Neal Brown, like he said it would. Other than differences in terminology and how plays are relayed to the quarterback, the offense will be similar to former coach Mike Leach’s. One big difference is that quarterbacks will have the green light to tuck the ball and run if the opportunity arises.

2. Let's run this town. Brown says the Red Raiders will run more next season. The main reason is his offense’s depth at running back. Texas Tech has three running backs who could be factors in leading rusher Baron Batch, as well as sophomores Harrison Jeffers and Eric Stephens. The pass will still be king in Lubbock, but the running game will likely be featured more than it ever was under Leach.

3. Taking out their aggression. Former defensive coordinator Ruffin McNeill is gone to East Carolina. He took with him his bend-but-don’t-break defensive approach. Now, Texas Tech will be dictating the action with former Alabama linebackers coach James Willis coordinating the defense. He helped the Crimson Tide win a national title in 2009 with his blitz-happy schemes that force defenses to make difficult throws instead of preventing the big play at the cost of giving up underneath passes.

Three fall questions

1. What happens once the QBs become healthy again? Steven Sheffield and Taylor Potts’ battle for the QB job ended early this spring when Sheffied re-broke his foot and Taylor Potts suffered a serious laceration to his throwing hand. Both underwent surgery midway through the team’s 15 practices and did little to settle the quarterback debate. Sheffield likely had a slight edge when the two were injured, but they’ll pick up where they left off—this time with more urgency—in the fall.

2. What happens if Brown’s offense stalls? The offense, even directed by two inexperienced quarterbacks, flourished late in the spring. But if Sheffield or Potts are unable to complete a high enough percentage of their passes or move the ball, will the Red Raiders depend even more on the run? If the offense doesn’t continue its run of piling up gawdy numbers against Big 12 defenses, will the spread return in 2011?

3. Will Tech fans embrace Tommy Tuberville? Mike Leach was perhaps the most beloved figure in the history of the program. Among the fans, at least. Will the fans cozy up to his less colorful, less quotable replacement? If he wins, it’ll be easy. Tuberville’s been historically more successful than Leach, but the bar in Lubbock has been set by Leach, who won more games than any coach in Texas Tech history.

Despite its isolated location, Texas Tech became one of the prime stories in college football during the last decade.

Tech was an underrated program on the field, qualifying for a bowl game in every season under Mike Leach.

In building his program, Leach was known for his love of pirates and Sherlock Holmes and many other things that had little to do with football. He was a breath of fresh air in the coaching fraternity.

When he was fired after the 2009 regular season, it was a national story because of its abrupt nature.

The Red Raiders claimed 85 victories during the decade, trailing only Oklahoma and Texas. All but one of those wins was earned by Leach, who was fired shortly before Tech’s Valero Alamo Bowl victory over Michigan State.

The Red Raiders certainly were the Big 12's most entertaining program with a high-powered offense and the quirky Leach in charge. And when they were at their very best, the Red Raiders had an underrated defense directed by Ruffin McNeill that accentuated the team’s offensive firepower.

Here’s a look at my selections for the top moments and players for Tech from the last decade.

OFFENSE

QB: Graham Harrell

RB: Taurean Henderson

RB: Baron Batch

WR: Michael Crabtree

WR: Joel Filani

WR: Wes Welker

OL: Brandon Carter

OL: Rylan Reed

OL: Luis Vasquez

OL: Daniel Loper

C: Dylan Gandy

DEFENSE

DL: Aaron Hunt

DL: Adell Duckett

DL Brandon Sharpe

DL: Brandon Williams

LB: Lawrence Flugence

LB: Mike Smith

LB: Marlon Williams

DB: Dwayne Slay

DB: Kevin Curtis

DB: Darcel McBath

DB: Jamar Wall

P: Alex Reyes

K: Alex Trlica

Ret: Wes Welker

Offensive player of the decade: WR Michael Crabtree. Despite playing only two seasons, he became the most productive receiver in Tech’s history. He was a two-time winner of the Biletnikoff Award with 231 receptions and 41 TD grabs setting an NCAA record for two seasons of production.

Defensive player of the decade: S Kevin Curtis. A fiery, hard-hitting safety, Curtis was the most decorated and one of the most versatile defensive player of the decade for the Red Raiders. Curtis earned first-team All-Big 12 honors in 1999 and 2000 and second-team all-conference honors in 2001. He was a second-team All-American in 2000 while playing strong safety and a second-team All-America choice in 2001 after moving to free safety.

Coach of the decade: Mike Leach. He perhaps was the most influential coaching figure in Big 12 history as he helped push the conference from a stodgy run-based attack to one where cutting-edge passing attacks predominated. He also became a national figure because of his personality and his guest appearances on television shows as diverse as “Sixty Minutes” and “Friday Night Lights.”

Moment of the decade: Michael Crabtree’s late touchdown grab beats Texas in 2008. Graham Harrell’s 28-yard touchdown pass to Crabtree was one second left helped push Tech to an area it had never been before. It not only boosted them to a 39-33 triumph over Texas but also served as a national coming-out party for Leach, Crabtree and the rest of the Tech program. In the process, the Red Raiders earned an unprecedented share of the Big 12 South title that season.

Here's a look at what each of the South Division teams need to address in terms of recruiting with signing day fast approaching.

Baylor

Defensive line: After losing starters Jason Lamb and Trey Bryant and having Phil Taylor and Earl Patin entering their senior seasons, the Bears need to add immediate depth. Xavier Ruben and Anthony Gonzales will help shore up the deficiencies and the Bears still are in the hunt for top prospects like Carlos Thompson and Byran Jones.

Secondary: Starters Jordan Lake and Jeremy Williams have graduated and four juniors in the two-deep roster will start their senior seasons. Coach Art Briles has already lured surprising strength in the defensive backfield with Ahmad Dixon, Tyler Stephenson and Prince Kent. That trio makes it one of the finest positional groupings for Baylor in recent history.

Robert Griffin’s redshirt season has lessened the immediate need at quarterback: With Griffin now having three years of eligibility remaining, recruits now see only a two-season window to play. But another Robert Griffin should help the Bears as well. Baylor coaches see the other Griffin, a junior college transfer from Coriscana Junior College, being able to contend for the starting position at right tackle from his first day in the program.

Oklahoma

Running back: With Chris Brown graduating and DeMarco Murray entering his senior season, the Sooners need some producers at the position. Bob Stoops has never hesitated to playing top freshman players in the past if they can help. Don’t be surprised if top recruits like Brennan Clay and Roy Finch get an early chance in 2010 with the Sooners.

Receiver: Ryan Broyles is entrenched in the slot, but the Sooners are looking all over for pass catchers who can challenge existing players. Recruits Kenny Stills, Joe Powell, Julian Wilson and Sheldon McClain all should challenge this summer to battle their way into the rotation.

Defensive tackle: Injuries and NFL declarations have riddled the Sooners’ depth at the postion. Gerald McCoy will leave early for the NFL draft with JaMarkus McFarland ready to take over. Adrian Taylor was set at the other position, but his nasty ankle injury sustained in the Sun Bowl has depleted the Sooners’ depth. Redshirt sophomore Casey Walker and four incoming freshmen are all that is in place as far as depth at the critical position.

Oklahoma State

Offensive line: The Cowboys lose four senior starting offensive linemen from the Cotton Bowl team, including the left side of their offensive line in tackle Russell Okung, guard Noah Franklin and center Andrew Lewis, as well as right tackle Brady Bond. Mike Gundy needs some immediate help at the position, both from existing players and incoming ones.

Defensive tackle: Starters Swanson Miller and Derek Burton both will graduate and top backups Shane Jarka and Chris Donaldson both will be senior this season. Defensive coordinator Bill Young needs to find some defensive linemen who can challenge for playing next season.

Linebackers: Young also will have to rebuild this group after the underrated group of Andre Sexton, Donald Booker and Patrick Lavine helped sparked the Cowboys’ surprising defensive growth last season. All will be gone this season, putting pressure to add some more contributors to add to the returning mix of players including James Thomas, Tolu Moala and Justin Gent.

Texas

Defensive end: With Sergio Kindle graduating and Sam Acho and Eddie Jones both entering their senior season, the Longhorns need a talent boost here. It also just happens to be the position where top target Jackson Jeffcoat would immediately fill the rather sizable hole.

The left side of the offensive line: Tackle Adam Ulatoski, guard Charlie Tanner and center Chris Hall combined for 114 starts during their careers.The Longhorns has some strong arriving talent, but they’ll still miss the leadership and savvy that this trio provided over the years.

Quarterback: Even with Garrett Gilbert seemingly entrenched as the Longhorns’ quarterback of the future, the Longhorns added depth with the commitments of Connor Wood and Colt’s little brother Case McCoy. It will make for some interesting competition this spring and fall as the rotation sorts itself out.

Texas A&M

Defensive end: The Aggies received a huge boost when Von Miller announced he would return for his senior season, but A&M needs to prepare for his departure -- particularly after losing starting defensive end Matt Moss and Miller’s backup Matt Featherston as departing seniors from 2009.

Tight end: Starter Jamie McCoy graduated and top replacements Kenny Brown and Craig Raschke both will be seniors next season. Adding at least one player would be beneficial as the Aggie coaches hope they can find a combination blocker/receiving threat at the position like McCoy was.

Offensive tackle: The Aggies lose bookend senior starters Michael Shumard and Lee Grimes. They do have Stephen Barrera and Danny Baker in the depth chart but would like more depth to help the line develop.

Texas Tech

Defensive line: The Red Raiders’ biggest need is at defensive end where all three players in the two-deep roster -- Brandon Sharpe, Ra’Jon Henley and Daniel Howard were seniors. At defensive tackle, Richard Jones departs as a senior and Colby Whitlock will be a senior next season. New coordinator James Willis needs to find some productive players in the trenches quickly.

Linebackers: Starters Bront Bird and Brian Duncan will be back as seniors next season, but Tech loses departing starter Marlon Williams on the other side. They need some depth to help build for the future at the position.

Quarterback: Taylor Potts and Steven Sheffield will wage one of the closest-watched battles for playing time in the nation during the spring and summer. But both will be seniors, meaning the Red Raiders need to prepare for their departure by grooming some young talent like Scotty Young, a recent commitment at the position.

Mike Leach is one of the smartest people I’ve ever met.

Unconventionally smart, undoubtedly. But a coach who can prattle on about “The Hound of the Baskervilles” and neoclassical architecture trumps most of his contemporaries who struggle discussing anything more than a three-gap technique or beating a zone defense.

That’s why I’m amazed that Leach would ever do the things that he’s alleged to have done to Adam James, a backup wide receiver for Texas Tech.

Leach was suspended Monday by the Tech administration for ordering a player to stand in a shed at the Texas Tech practice facility for two hours, and then repeating the punishment two days later because he felt the player was faking an injury that happened during practice on Dec. 16.

Several sources have indicated the player is James, whose parents notified school officials about their complaints.

But I’m especially surprised Leach would get entangled in this maelstrom after he watched a close friend, Kansas coach Mark Mangino, see his program crumble at Kansas only a month before.

Leach, who worked with Mangino on Bob Stoops’ staff in Oklahoma in 1999, was Mangino’s most ardent defender before his resignation. Leach termed the situation a “witch hunt” and offered his support to the former Kansas coach.

"Heaven forbid somebody should ask a (player) to pay attention and focus in for the sake of all his teammates and coaches and everyone else," Leach said during a Nov. 23 Big 12 coaches' teleconference. "Well, there’s different ways to ask a guy to do that, and sometimes, after you’ve asked him a number of times, you raise the bar.

"The mean man told some player something he didn’t want to hear," Leach said. "Well, there’s a mean man in Lubbock that tells people stuff they don’t want to hear, too, and that’s just part of it.”

Leach’s program has been marked by internal strife since beating Texas last season and soaring as high as No. 2 nationally for a three-week period in early November.

The Red Raiders cratered after a 65-21 loss at Oklahoma cost them the undisputed South title and they dropped a 47-34 Cotton Bowl loss to Mississippi. Leach's contract extension became a contentious, messy situation that was settled only after Leach and Tech chancellor Kent Hance personally negotiated the deal during an 11th-hour meeting in February.

The problems continued once the season started. After the Red Raiders’ loss at then-No. 12 Houston in September, Leach indefinitely suspended All-Big 12 starting offensive lineman Brandon Carter for an undisclosed violation of team rules that occurred after the game.

Later that week, Leach banned his players from having Twitter pages after senior linebacker Marlon Williams ripped him on his social-networking site that he was in a team meeting room and “the head coach can’t even be on time.”

After a home upset loss to Texas A&M in October, Leach blamed his team for listening to “their fat little girlfriends” rather than concentrating on beating the Aggies. But after that loss, the Red Raiders rebounded to win three of their final four games and finished at 8-4.

Timing will be critical in how all of this plays out. Leach is due to receive an $800,000 bonus if he’s Tech’s football coach on Dec. 31.

Still, Leach wins football games and graduates players. That’s what the modern football coach is supposed to do.

No coach has done it better in Texas Tech’s history than Leach over the last 10 seasons. He took the school to a share of its first Big 12 South title and has led them to a bowl game every year he has been coach.

Can he keep his job with the embarrassment of the recent allegations?

We’ll have to see how it plays out.

But if he returns, it might be a bigger act of magic than the card tricks that Leach delights in showing to his prospects during his recruiting spiel.

Patrick Lavine's 20-yard interception return for a touchdown has boosted Oklahoma State to a lead over Texas Tech and put the Cowboys close to putting this one away.

Lavine stepped in front of a pass from Steven Sheffield to Lyle Leong and streaked down the sideline for the score.

The apparent Oklahoma State victory could put Texas' South Division title hopes on ice at least for a week.

The Longhorns could have clinched an appearance in the Dec. 5 Big 12 title game with an Oklahoma State loss.

That will have to wait until next week, when the Longhorns host Kansas.

As soon as Sheffield threw the interception, Taylor Potts was inserted into the lineup. He responded with a six-play scoring drive, capped by a 24-yard touchdown pass to Edward Britton.

But the Red Raiders will be going against a tired Tech defense without linebacker Marlon Williams, who was just carted off the field for the locker room with a leg injury.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

Texas Tech Red Raiders

Record: 5-2, 2-1

It was expected to be a rebuilding season for Texas Tech after the loss of Graham Harrell, Michael Crabtree, Brandon Williams and several other key players from the Red Raiders’ Big 12 South tri-champions last season. Despite a nasty near-mutiny after disappointing losses to Texas and Houston earlier this season, the ol’ Pirate Mike Leach has got his ship back on track with a three-game winning streak. Taylor Potts started strongly with 13 touchdown passes before he sustained a concussion in the New Mexico game. Backup Steven Sheffield immediately picked up the slack as he fired 12 touchdown passes and provided a running element at the position that was missing with Potts. Sheffield was injured in the Nebraska game and reportedly won’t play Saturday against Texas A&M. And Ruffin McNeill's fiery defense has been surging as the Red Raiders have limited opponents to 97 rushing yards per game in their last three games and notched 12 sacks and 18 tackles for losses during that period. The Red Raiders appear to be a certainty for a bowl and a possibility for second place in the Big 12 South if they can continue their high streak.

Offensive MVP, QB Steven Sheffield: When Sheffield inherited the team after Taylor Potts’ concussion, the Red Raiders were 2-2 and in a tight game with New Mexico. He immediately blew the game open with a run of four straight scoring drives and then pushed the Red Raiders to two more victories. The former invited walk-on completed 76 of 102 passes for 1,014 yards and 12 touchdowns and added two touchdown runs. His quarterback rating of 192.91 would be more than 22 points ahead of national leader Kellen Moore of Boise State. Even with his recent foot injury, Sheffield turned the Red Raiders’ season around when it needed a lift.

Defensive MVP, DE Brandon Sharpe: The key to Tech’s recent staunch pass rush has been Sharpe, who has notched seven of his eight sacks this season in the last two games and earns a slight edge over linebackers Brian Duncan and Marlon Williams and cornerback Jamar Wall. Sharpe produced four sacks to spark the win against Nebraska last week. He’s been a key producer in a retooled defensive front that features five new players among a nine-player rotation. And his recent surge only gives a hint of what more could be coming down the stretch for the Red Raiders if he builds on his two recent big games.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

After all of the excitement from last season’s memorable South Division race, more of the same was expected this season in the Big 12.

The return of Heisman contenders like Colt McCoy, Sam Bradford and Dez Bryant would make this season perhaps even more exciting than last.

But that outlook hasn’t been fulfilled as the first half of the Big 12 season has been marked largely by what could have been. Instead of action on the field, the infirmary has been filled with Big 12 quarterbacks during a disappointing first half of the season.

	Ned Dishman/Getty Images
	Ndamukong Suh Cornhuskers leads the Cornhuskers in solo and total tackles.

No injury was bigger that Oklahoma’s loss of Bradford in the opening game of the season with a third-degree sprained shoulder. Bradford made it back for one game and part of another, but reinjured his shoulder and likely will never play college football again.

His injury, along with the season-ending loss before the season of preseason All-American tight end Jermaine Gresham and the loss of breakaway receiver Ryan Broyles for much of the season, has stripped the Sooners of much of their offensive firepower. It’s understandable why the Sooners have started 3-3, losing three games by five points.

But other injuries have also affected the Big 12’s national stature. Robert Griffin’s knee injury has made Baylor’s hopes of making a bowl game iffy. The league's leading rusher from a year ago, Kendall Hunter of Oklahoma State, has missed most of the season with a cracked foot. Bryant has been idled for three games with eligibility issues from his suspension by the NCAA. Texas Tech has lost starting quarterback Taylor Potts and his productive backup Steven Sheffield also appears to have been knocked out of the lineup.

It’s made the first half of the season a battle of attrition. The South appears to be a two-team race between Texas and Oklahoma State. And every North Division team has at least one loss with surprising Kansas State in first place and perhaps headed for an unlikely North title.

The deflation of the Big 12’s image also came because of the conference’s struggles with opponents from other BCS conferences. A disappointing 4-7 record in the nonconference part of the season didn’t turn many heads -- especially with three of those wins coming on the opening weekend. The conference also lost a pair of tough one-point games to non-BCS schools when Texas Tech fell to Houston and BYU beat Oklahoma.

Texas at No. 3 is the highest-ranked Big 12 team in the BCS. Oklahoma State is ranked No.15 and Kansas is 25th. It’s a far cry from last season, when the Big 12 had three teams ranked among the top seven in the BCS’ final standings and four among the top 13 teams.

Here's a quick look at the first half of the season in the Big 12.

Offensive player of the first half: Texas wide receiver Jordan Shipley. This multi-talented receiver/returner was the Longhorns’ biggest offensive weapon in the first half of the season with consistent play throughout. Shipley ranks second in the conference with 51 catches for 605 yards. But where he sets himself apart from players like Danario Alexander, Kerry Meier and Dezmon Briscoe is with his punt returns, accounting for 16.4 yards per return, including two TDs. Mack Brown advised him earlier in his career to give up because of frequent injuries. Today, Brown is glad that Shipley didn’t listen to him.

Defensive player of the first half: Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. After his performance against Missouri, some pundits were hyping Suh for the Heisman Trophy. Some of that blather had died down since the Cornhuskers’ loss last week to Texas Tech, but Suh assuredly is the Big 12’s best defensive player. He leads the Cornhuskers in solo and total tackles, tackles for losses and hurries, and ranks second in sacks. Most amazingly, he paces the team with seven passes broken up, which is tied for second in the conference. NFL scouts are lining up to check him out.

Biggest surprise of the first half: Texas Tech. The Red Raiders have struggled with injuries to Potts early and an apparent one to Sheffield last week. But after early growing-pain losses to Texas and Houston, the Red Raiders have rebounded with impressive wins over Kansas State and Nebraska to have them solidly in third place in the South Division. After the suspension of Brandon Carter and the Twitter controversy involving Marlon Williams, it would have been understandable if Tech had cratered. Instead, Mike Leach has kept his team afloat and likely headed to a nice bowl trip.

Biggest disappointment of the first half: Oklahoma. The Sooners came into the season with legitimate national title hopes that were killed by their season-opening loss to BYU along with the loss of Bradford. Another loss at Miami under backup Landry Jones continued the spiral downward. But the biggest capper was last week’s 16-13 loss to Texas in a game where the Sooners defense played well enough to win, but Bradford again was hurt early. Now, the Sooners' hopes of an unprecedented four-peat of conference championships look dim, considering their three losses to ranked opponents and tough upcoming schedule.

Best game: Houston 29, Texas Tech 28. This game had a little bit of everything as the two teams played a memorable game on a hot, sticky night in Houston. The two teams combined for 1,063 yards, 60 first downs and one memorable comeback, capped by Case Keenum’s game-winning 4-yard keeper with 49 seconds left that stamped him as a Heisman contender. Tech had its chances to put the game away earlier in the fourth quarter, but the momentum changed when Potts was stopped on a fourth-and-goal sneak from the 1.

Best coach: Oklahoma State’s Mike Gundy. The Cowboys were expected to challenge for the Big 12 South Division this season, but Gundy has done a nice job of keeping the Cowboys together despite the loss of top playmakers like Hunter and Bryant. Even after an early loss to Houston that was decided on two plays involving tipped passes, Gundy has the Cowboys pointed to a pivotal Oct. 31 showdown against Texas that likely will decide the Big 12 South title. Honorable mention has to go to Bill Snyder, who surprisingly has Kansas State in first place in the North Division despite a 66-14 loss at Texas Tech earlier this season.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

Long odds have proved daunting to Steven Sheffield way the entire time he’s been at Texas Tech.

The invited walk-on quarterback never got the recruiting notoriety or publicity that other quarterbacks received when he was playing at Connally High School in the Austin suburb of Pflugerville, Texas.

But it’s been hard to argue with his production once he’s gotten a chance to play. The Red Raiders have scored touchdowns on 14 of 19 drives and added another field goal with Sheffield directing them since Taylor Potts was idled with a concussion midway through the New Mexico game two weeks ago.

After that performance, Sheffield believes he’s proven enough to win the starting job for the Red Raiders heading into Saturday’s game at Nebraska.

“In my mind, yes,’’ Sheffield said when asked by reporters if he’d earned the job after orchestrating a 66-14 victory over Kansas State. “But it’s not my decision. It’s up to the coach. We’ll see what (Texas Tech) Coach (Mike) Leach says next week and go from there.’’

Leach acknowledged that Sheffield’s debut is making him consider a midseason quarterback change for the first time in his 10-season tenure with the Red Raiders.

“This is the first time that I’ve ever changed or potentially changed or any of that,” Leach said. “I guess I’m new at that position.”

Sheffield, a 6-foot-4, 190-pound junior provides a different look for the Red Raider offense with his mobility and ability to keep plays alive because of his scrambling abilities. Potts, a 6-foot-5, 218-pound junior, is more of a classic dropback passer who won plaudits because of his courage facing a fearsome Texas pass rush earlier this season. Both have had games this season where they have thrown seven touchdown passes.

The Red Raiders’ offensive productivity with Sheffield in charge is his most notable attribute, according to Leach.

“I thought he did the things you really want a quarterback to do,’’ Leach said. “He played decisive and then worked the pocket really good. And he made some things happen with his feet, not just recklessly running around, but getting himself in position to make additional plays.’’

Potts easily won the job in the spring, earning the position faster than any other first-time starting quarterback Leach has had in his program.

But he’s not a loss to explain why Sheffield has blossomed once he received his starting opportunity.

“I think he’s steadily done some good things and I think that’s his own personal excitement to be out there,” Leach said. “I think that rubs off on everybody in a very good fashion."

The team has gravitated to its new leader, rolling up the most points in a Tech Big 12 game last week since a 70-10 beatdown of Nebraska in 2004.

That unity is particularly noteworthy after the dysfunction that marked the program after back-to-back losses to Texas and Houston earlier in the season.

Senior offensive captain Brandon Carter was suspended for an undisclosed violation of team rules after the Houston loss. And offensive lineman Marlon Williams ripped Leach in his Twitter account.

But the recent wins directed by Sheffield have served as palliative for the Red Raiders after the earlier turmoil.

“I thought he played really well,’’ Leach said. “He’s a real good presence out there for the entire offensive unit, and I think he has a lot of presence for the whole team. He’s a real inspiration to everybody, and I thought he played real well.’’

It’s still not determined that Potts automatically will earn his starting job when he’s healthy enough to play.

Leach plans to keep the media guessing until the last minute on who will be starting against the Cornhuskers.

“I’ve been criticized for not doing what ‘big-time’ programs do so I’ve decided to accommodate the wishes of the media,” Leach said. “And ‘big-time’ programs like to have game-time decisions so we’ve got us a game-time decision on our hands, and I think that’ll be not just ‘big-time’ for everyone but exciting for everyone. So there’s ‘big-time’ for you, how do you like that?”

After that, Leach was asked if the quarterback decision will be a game-time decision, a game-time announcement or whether the media should just assume it to be a game-time decision.

“Well, all of the above,” Leach said. “Not to do anything to diminish the excitement and anticipation of a game-time decision because I think that would screw up the whole thing and then we’d be less ‘big-time’ around here and that would certainly be disturbing to everybody.

“I think that the biggest thing is we’re going to look at practice and see how people do in practice and see how they play in practice and perform in practice.”

Potts has thrown for 1,817 yards and 13 touchdown passes this season and Sheffield has added 780 yards and 11 touchdown passes. Both rank among the top 25 nationally in touchdown passes.

“I can't say that I've felt this since high school, where I can go out there and take charge of things - everyone looks to me for guidance and tempo and to stay fast-paced and what-not,'' Sheffield told the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. "Yeah, it's a good feeling. I've been waiting for this for a long time, and I've worked real hard for this. I'm glad things are going the way they are.''

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

So much for freedom of expression around Texas Tech.

Texas Tech coach Mike Leach has banned his players from using Twitter after several unflattering things about him and his program seeped out from players’ comments after the Red Raiders’ 29-28 loss to Houston Saturday night.

The self-styled “Pirate of the High Plains” might be facing a mutiny unless he can right his ship very quickly. Squelching their comments on social networks appears to be his first step.

The most surprising move came Sunday when senior offensive guard, Brandon Carter, a team captain and frequent team spokesman, was indefinitely suspended for an undisclosed violation of team rules.

Leach left the door open -- barely -- for the return of Carter, a preseason All-America selection who didn’t allow a sack last season. Carter’s attitude was infectious with his tough playing disposition, tattoos, and spiked hair.

“Anything he needs to do to get back is pretty much between him and me,” Leach said.

The discord continued after the Red Raiders returned to Lubbock and Leach apparently was late for a meeting with his team Sunday afternoon. Senior linebacker Marlon Williams was especially vociferous about Leach's leadership on his Twitter account.

"Wondering why I'm still in this meeting room when the head coach can't even be on time to his on [sic] meeting," Williams wrote on his "Kos 39" Twitter account. The tweet has been taken down as silence has spread over the Red Raiders’ program.

Leach fired back at the disgruntled players Monday on the Big 12’s weekly coaches’ teleconference.

“Anyone who is a malcontent doesn’t stay around here long,” Leach said. “We’ve got a full group of players who are ready to take (his) place. And interestingly enough, he doesn’t have a Twitter page anymore.”

The sniping across Cyberspace is the last thing the Red Raiders needed after the disappointing losses to Texas and Houston -- their first back-to-back losses since midway through the 2007 season.

“That game left a bad taste in everybody’s mouth,” senior cornerback Jamar Wall said. “We’ve got to come back ready to go.”

The turnaround and the late loss came after Tech appeared to have dominated the early parts of the game. The Red Raiders’ seldom used rushing game kicked in and gave them a chance to mash the Cougars at the point of attack as they claimed an early 21-10 lead.

But the Red Raiders struggled moving the ball later in the game and were turned away on downs inside the Houston 5 early in the fourth quarter, including a pivotal fourth-down stop of quarterback Taylor Potts from inside the Houston 1.

“That series was extremely disappointing,” Tech center Shawn Byrnes said. “We had the ball four times inside their 5. We wanted to put on our shoulders and punch it in. And the fact we weren’t able to do was frustrating.”

Leach said Monday he probably would have elected to have kicked a field goal that would have given his team an eight-point lead if he had it to do over again.

“We only needed half a yard and we had been moving them around pretty good down there,” Leach said. “If I had to do it over again, I probably would do it different.”

It makes the Red Raiders 3-4 since a 10-0 start to start last season that pushed them to No. 3 in the country after victories over Texas and Oklahoma State late last season. Their victories during that period came over North Dakota, Rice and Baylor last season.

Their challenge to turn the season around will be daunting in a South Division that appears more competitive than ever this season. Texas, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State all are among the nation’s top 14 teams nationally in the most recent Associated Press poll. Texas A&M appears to have a recharged offense and defense. Baylor has its strongest recent collection of talent, although the loss of Robert Griffin will be a tough one to overcome.

And any comments from the Red Raiders’ BlackBerries have been suppressed, Wall said his team has vowed to put aside the recent controversy as it tries to complete with their upcoming scheduling gauntlet.

“We need to forget about it, let it go,” he said. “What happened Saturday and yesterday, we’ve got to put it aside. We’ve got to pull tighter. We just need to put it behind us, play the next team and keep going from there.”

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

Gather round for some Big 12 sustenance this noontime.

• The Lincoln Journal-Star’s Steve Sipple writes that Nebraska I-back Roy Helu Jr. can grab some national attention with a big game Saturday against Virginia Tech.
• Oklahoma still will be searching for an identity this season until Sam Bradford returns to action, the Tulsa World’s Dave Sittler opines.
• The tradition of someone named Smith contributing as a Missouri defensive end is analyzed by the Kansas City Star’s Mike DeArmond.
• Heralded defensive end Sergio Kindle has no sacks in Texas’ first two games. But that doesn’t mean he hasn’t been disruptive for the Longhorns’ defense, the San Antonio Express-News’ Mike Finger writes.
• The Waco Tribune-Herald’s John Werner writes that Baylor is excited to start its home season after an impressive opening-week victory.
• Dan Hawkins tells the Boulder Daily Camera’s Kyle Ringo that he’s not worried about his job security. But the BDC’s Neill Woelk writes that although a vocal group of fans are demanding a coaching change, he still doesn’t believe it will happen.
• Iowa State quarterback Austen Arnaud is trying to put the memories of his struggling performance against Iowa behind him, the Ames Tribune’s Bobby La Gesse reports.
• The Lawrence Journal-World's Dugan Arnett writes that Maxwell Onyegbule's development is the most obvious sign of Kansas' defensive makeover.
• The Kansas City Star’s Chris Fickett serves up some answers to burning questions about Kansas, Kansas State and Missouri.
• The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal’s Don Williams writes that linebackers Bront Bird and Marlon Williams have been keys for Texas Tech’s rapid defensive development.
• Guard Matt Allen tells the San Antonio Express-News’ Brent Zwerneman that finally attending Texas A&M after playing for LSU for two years was well worth the wait.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

All spring long, Texas Tech coach Mike Leach has openly discussed how his "rebuilding job" is overrated.

Sure, the Red Raiders lose standouts like Graham Harrell, Michael Crabtree and Shannon Woods from last season's team. But Leach saw flashes of promise among the young Red Raiders during the Red-White scrimmage on Saturday that made him pleased as the team finishes spring practice this week.

Backup quarterback Steve Sheffield threw a go-ahead touchdown pass and Cody Davis returned an interception 100 yards for a clinching score to power the White to a 19-7 victory over the Red before about 12,500 people at Jones AT&T Stadium.

Most of the interest in the scrimmage came from the performance of Taylor Potts, who is in line to replace Harrell. Potts completed 20 of 27 passes for 211 yards.

Davis got the pickoff on a tipped pass against backup Stefan Loucks to help ice the scrimmage victory, which came in game-like settings.

Leach typically likes to stretch competition for the quarterback out until shortly before the season begins. But he has shown no indication that Potts won't be the starter for the Red Raiders' season opener Sept. 5 against North Dakota.

"It's really comforting knowing you have the support of your coach and the coach is behind you as well as the other coaches and your teammates," Potts told the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. "It makes your job a little easier knowing that you're backed by a lot of people on your team, so it's nice."

Among receivers, Austin Zouzalik produced five grabs for 67 yards and Edward Britton had five catches for 43 yards.

But the biggest revelation might have been redshirt freshman running back Harrison Jeffers, who produced 21 rushing yards on eight carries and also snagged seven catches for 45 yards.

Leach and the Tech coaches tried to equalize talent as much as possible in the scrimmage. The Red team had six first-team players from the offense including Potts, Britton and Tramain Swindall and defensive standouts like defensive linemen Colby Whitlock and Ra'Jon Henley and linebacker Brian Duncan.

The White's offensive starters include linemen Brandon Carter and Chris Olson and receivers Detron Lewis and Jacoby Franks. First-team defensive starters included linebackers Marlon Williams and Bront Bird.

Several players played both ways, including running backs Baron Batch and Jeffers, receiver Adam James and defensive end Sandy Riley.

"I thought Potts played well," Leach told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "I think we consistently moved [the ball]. But any time you split the teams up, there's going to be breakdowns in execution because you're spread a little thin."

Defensive standouts included junior safety Brett Dewhurst (seven tackles) and sophomore linebacker Tyrone Sonier, who notched eight tackles a sack and broke up a pass.

The offensive execution was a little better than last season, when an angry Leach ordered a difficult practice to finish the spring practice a couple of days after the scrimmage. There's no indication that will happen after Saturday's performance.

But he can't be happy with the performance of kicker Donnie Carona, who misfired on two of three extra-point attempts after struggling last season. Carona also averaged 28 yards on three punts.

Will that mean that kicker Matt Williams will be a revelation after his success last season? We'll see over the summer.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

	Brett Davis/US Presswire
	Kansas LB Joe Mortensen had 15 tackles for a loss last season.

There aren't many national standout linebackers in the Big 12 this season. The conference's proud history featuring key players like Derrick Johnson, Dat Nguyen and Mark Simoneau that dominated action from the position seems a long way away.

Part of that is because of the preponderance of spread offenses that have diminished some of the effectiveness of linebackers throughout college football. And good linebackers are becoming increasingly hard to find.

But there are still a few good ones left. Here are the players I think are the Big 12's top linebackers this season.

1. Joe Mortensen, Kansas -- Thrived after moving inside to middle linebacker to key Jayhawks' defense. He led the conference with 15 tackles for losses last season.

2. Sean Weatherspoon, Missouri -- Lightly regarded product from Jasper, Texas, has blossomed into one of conference's most consistent defensive playmakers. His 127 tackles led all of the Big 12's returning defensive players.

3. Mike Rivera, Kansas -- Produced three sacks, 7.5 tackles for a loss last season in first as starter outside.

4. Ryan Reynolds, Oklahoma -- If he's healthy, he could blossom into one of OU's dominating middle linebackers like Curtis Lofton and Rufus Alexander before him.

5. Patrick Lavine, Oklahoma State -- Consistent producer who leads all Oklahoma State returnees with 81 tackles from last season. Oklahoma State defensive coordinator Tim Beckman hopes he will emerge as the Cowboys' key defender this season.

6. Marlon Williams, Texas Tech -- It will be interesting to see if his tackle numbers remain strong with the increasing defensive talent around him.

7. Joe Pawelek, Baylor -- Most valuable player on Bears' defensive team will be starting for his third-straight season.

8. James Holt, Kansas -- Underrated because he's sometimes overshadowed by Mortensen and Rivera on his own team.

9. Brock Christopher, Missouri -- Space-eating MLB who always seems to be around the ball.

10. Rashad Bobino, Texas -- Bruising 238-pounder will be counted for senior leadership and his hitting ability by new coordinator Will Muschamp.