ESPN College Football

Well played, Houston. Well played.

• Texas Tech chancellor Kent Hance opens up about the Mike Leach firing, among other things, with the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Says Hance: "He told me to go ‘f’ myself, and that’s in the testimony, and he just refused to work with me. The truth of the matter is he fired himself."
• Meanwhile, in Austin, we talkin' 'bout practice ... uniforms. Texas' new ones have spawned a debate, writes Cedric Golden of the Austin American-Statesman.
• Oklahoma State's quarterback contest is nearing an end, writes John Klein of the Tulsa World.
• Stedman Bailey's a small receiver making a big impact in Morgantown, writes Mickey Furfari of the West Virginia Register-Herald.
• Plenty of Big 12 coaches are "underappreciated."
• Jeff Woody is allowing Iowa State's offense to do new things, writes Andrew Logue of the Des Moines Register.
• Those renovations to the Cotton Bowl are on a pretty tight schedule.
• How does new coordinator Joe DeForest feel about the defense? Scott Grayson of West Virginia Illustrated fills you in.
• Texas Tech coordinator Art Kaufman talks about his defense after his first spring in Lubbock.

We had to check out of this week's Tuesday chat, but we keep it fair here on the Big 12 Blog.

To do so, here's a mid-week Mailbag.

If you've got something to say or ask, here's where to reach me. We'll have another on Friday, so get your questions in now.

Bruce in Houston writes: "So, what are you guys doing on Nov. 17? Texas and Texas A&M are both off that weekend. Just a thought, you know. In case you got a wild hair to stop being petty, Longhorns."Stop being petty??? How about you stop being a hater. It's business. TAMU made their choice and Texas is not going to let them have their cake and eat it to. Don't be a jerk.

David Ubben: No, it's not business. That's literally the worst defense possible. It's pettiness.

It's business? Let's do some math. What game's going to bring in the most TV revenue and be a guaranteed sellout? Wyoming? New Mexico? Ole Miss? What's going to pack the silver bleachers in Austin which have had crowds thinning the past few years?

What's going to attract attention? What's going to move the needle with the fan base? Playing Texas A&M every year. Texas can pretend all they want in this. At least Kansas is up front about their pettiness in discontinuing the rivalry with Mizzou. I respect that, even if I disagree with it.

But the schedule is full? Garbage.

Texas A&M is nowhere near innocent in all this. They made what I believe is an ill-advised decision to leave for the SEC, but Texas has the control to continue the Lone Star Showdown. Instead, it's choosing to kill one of the best rivalries in college football.

Congratulations. You're hurting football fans everywhere in Texas as a result of little more than ego on both sides of the rivalry.

---

Lawrence in Chickasha, Okla., asked: David, love the blog, and here's my question. Why did it take two years of teams leaving the Big 12 before the conference got behind this grant of media rights solution that has now stabilized the conference? Why wasn't this done after Nebraska and Colorado left originally? Who's to blame for this screw up that let Missouri and Texas A&M go as well?

David Ubben: That's a complex issue. The easy answer is the Big 12 has tried. It's tried for a long, long time. Texas and Oklahoma, among others, refused to make that commitment until recently. Often, they were joined by others across the league.

These negotiations have never been very public, but the problem has never been a lack of effort on the part of the Big 12. It's been a reluctance on the part of the Big 12 members to sign away those rights. However, when Texas A&M left and Mizzou started wandering, too, the league's members realized it didn't have a great chance of attracting quality members or going about their business and keeping current members in without the grant of rights. Hence, here we are.

---

Chris in Bloomington, Ind., asked: I was reading your article on schedules and best coincidences. I noticed that Nebraska and Oklahoma also have a mutual open date. Think you could get a write in campaign started to make that happen?

David Ubben: I'd love to see it, but don't count on it. The Sooners have a pretty good nonconference schedule coming up. Notre Dame is already on the schedule, plus a nine-game Big 12 slate. Add Nebraska to that? That's a little much, if you ask me.

The last few years, Oklahoma has traditionally scheduled one marquee game (Miami, Florida State, etc.) one pretty good opponent (TCU, BYU, Cincinnati, etc.) one just OK team (i.e. Tulsa) and one low-level opponent that's basically a bought win.

It's a solid strategy, and just what the Sooners need. But, with the new nine-game schedule, you could see that strategy become a bit more conservative.

---

Doug in Sebastopol, Miss., asked: David, When are you going to start including WVU in your player rankings?

David Ubben: Next fall, before the season. Right now, our current rankings are from last season, so it will include Texas A&M and Mizzou players. The preseason rankings will include TCU and West Virginia players.

For West Virginia, check out the Big East's list of the top 25 players from 2011.

---

Dustbowl in Lubbock, Texas, asked: Texas Tech's non-conference schedule has to be the weakest in the nation (FCS Northwestern State, first year FBS Texas State, and New Mexico). Is anyone else even close to playing a non-conference schedule where the opponents combined for exactly one win over FBS teams last season (and that was a NM win over 2-10 UNLV).

David Ubben: Wow, that's pretty awful. Even worse than usual for Texas Tech. Fortunate for the Red Raiders, their conference home schedule is excellent.

But weak nonconference schedules are nothing new for Texas Tech. Mike Leach never liked to play major conference opponents.

Criticize it if you want. It doesn't really get me all that riled up. Unless you're a team like Texas or OU that wants to win national titles about every other year, the value of playing bigtime nonconference games is pretty overrated.

What's the harm, other than random people like me blasting you for it?

There's a reason Tech went almost two decades without a losing season before 2011.

---

Adam in Morgantown, W.V. asked: Hello Mr. Ubben! It's good to now be in a conference that has schools with fan support closer to our level. A couple things for you. 1. It's gold, not yellow. 2. While it's officially called Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium, if you could please just call it Mountaineer Field. Most of us fans prefer MF over MPS and wish it wasn't changed. Thanks for your time! Here's to a great new era!Let's Go Mountaineers!!!

DU: Thanks, Adam. I was actually wondering about that. I'm pretty uneducated when it comes to all things WVU, so I'm looking forward to changing that as we lead up to the season. Thanks for the head's up.

Did you know that the original title for War and Peace was War, What Is It Good For?

• The money and tradition of Notre Dame were too much for now former Iowa State coach Bobby Elliott to turn down, writes Marc Hansen of the Des Moines Register.
• Suzanne Halliburton of the Austin American-Statesman looks back on how the 2007 recruiting classes shook out for Texas and Texas A&M.
• Former Texas Tech quarterback Steven Sheffield has some interesting comments about the final year and (lack of) quarterback shuffle for the Red Raiders. Don Williams of the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal caught up with him.
• Fox in Lubbock got a hold of the documents surrounding the failed settlement between former coach Mike Leach and Texas Tech.
• Want fewer bowl games? It's a change that brings with it a cost, writes Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman.
• Kansas State added a commitment at defensive end from the Kansas City area.
• Gina Mizell of The Oklahoman tracks Oklahoma State's growing recruiting efforts on the West Coast.
• Texas A&M women's basketball coach Gary Blair is no fan of the Aggies' move to the SEC.
• One of Oklahoma's top recruits was officially cleared by the NCAA.
• Don't look for Texas A&M to play a season away from Kyle Field while it's renovated.
• The decision to return to Texas A&M didn't work out like Jeff Fuller had hoped, writes Carlos Mendez of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

We'll take a look back at each team's season in the coming weeks, beginning with the squads who won't be in the postseason. First up: the Texas Tech Red Raiders.

Offense: Seth Doege started hot. He was among the nation's best quarterbacks early in the season and broke the NCAA record for completion percentage by hitting 40 of 44 passes in a win over New Mexico. However, he threw just one touchdown and five interceptions in losses to Kansas State and Iowa State. Those games sandwiched his best night of the season, a 441-yard, four-touchdown outing, in a win over Oklahoma. Running back Eric Stephens was on track to easily become the program's first 1,000-yard rusher since 1998, but dislocated a knee against Texas A&M. After the team surpassed 130 yards in every game before that loss, it topped the mark just once over the final seven games. The Red Raiders were 1-6 in those games. Darrin Moore showed potential with a strong start and finish, but injuries muddled most of his season. Seven of his eight scoring catches came in the first two and final two games. They were also his four highest receiving totals of the year.

Alex Torres is capable of catching more than 51 passes for 616 yards and four scores, though Eric Ward had a nice season after emerging as the team's top target once Moore went down.

The Red Raiders threw a touchdown pass in 69 consecutive games dating back to 2006. Twice in losses this season, Doege failed to throw a touchdown pass. Grade: C

Defense: Injuries were a theme on defense for a second consecutive season. Star juco transfer Leon Mackey suffered a lung injury and missed time early, and the secondary thinned out more and more as the season progressed. Late in the year, receiver Cornelius Douglas was forced into the starting lineup at cornerback. Still, the numbers told the story for a defense that gave up at least 31 points in every conference game and averaged more than 51 points allowed in the five-game losing streak that ended the season.

Texas Tech's 46 points allowed per game in conference play was the worst mark in the conference, even worse than 2-10 Kansas. The injuries hurt, but they didn't hurt that bad. Unacceptable. Grade: D-

Overall: Yes, injuries probably hurt Texas Tech more than any other team in the Big 12 this season. Even still, this team had a lot more potential, and had no excuses for a 5-7 campaign, the first losing season since 1992. The Red Raiders have issues. They bring back a lot of talent next season, but there are clearly issues in transitioning from Mike Leach to Tommy Tuberville. The defense has dealt with two coordinators in two years, but this was a disaster. The offense took a slight step back with a first-year starter at quarterback once conference play hit, but it was still good enough to compete. The defense didn't give the Red Raiders a chance.

Final grade: C-

Here's how the Big 12 sits heading into the bowl season.

1. Oklahoma State (11-1, 8-1, LW: 1) The Cowboys made it clear on Saturday night that they're the Big 12's best team. The defense shined on a big stage, and the offense returned to form after the shocking night in Ames.

2. Kansas State (10-2, 7-2, LW: 3) How about the Wildcats? They started the season at No. 8 in the Power Rankings and slipped all the way down to No. 10 after needed a fourth-quarter comeback to beat Eastern Kentucky in the opening week. Now? Here they are. Unbelievable.

3. Baylor (9-3, 6-3, LW: 4) There was no late-season collapse this season. The Bears beat Oklahoma and Texas in the same season, won nine (!) games and as Robert Griffin III said, may have itself its first Heisman winner. Only two years after Alabama got their first, right? Best season in Baylor history?

4. Oklahoma (9-3, 6-3, LW: 2) What a fall for the Sooners. One blowout loss lands Oklahoma all the way down here at the end of a disappointing season riddled by injury. Disappointing season for a million different reasons, but the Sooners fell well short of their stated goal of a national title. One of the most disappointing preseason No. 1 teams of all-time.

5. Missouri (7-5, 5-4, LW: 5) The Tigers rescued their season from 3-4 to win four of their final five games and reach 7-5. Well short of what they'd like, but still an OK year with a defense that wasn't quite what most expected and a first-year starter at quarterback. Off the Tigers go into the SEC East.

6. Texas (7-5, 4-5, LW: 6) The Longhorns' defense was solid, but if you can't put points on the board, you can't win big in the Big 12. Texas learned that this year, and for the second consecutive season, the Longhorns don't have a quarterback they know they can roll with for a 12-game season. With nothing settled between Case McCoy and David Ash, and Connor Brewer on the way next year, don't expect that to change soon.

7. Texas A&M (6-6, 4-5, LW: 7) The Aggies are coachless, and the fired Mike Sherman was justifiably unhappy with being notified he was fired via phone while pulling into a recruit's driveway. Texas A&M will try to win a bowl game under interim coach Tim DeRuyter, but loses a lot on the field and will be in a new system come spring. It could be a rough first year in the SEC West for the Aggies.

8. Iowa State (6-6, 3-6, LW: 8) The Cyclones took the last two losses to Oklahoma and Kansas State really hard, and as painful as they are, Iowa State is bowling, and that's all that matters. Two in three years for Paul Rhoads, who already won his first shot in a bowl game.

9. Texas Tech (5-7, 2-7, LW: 9) For the first time since 1999, Tech won't be bowling. The transition from Mike Leach to Tommy Tuberville has been difficult and made even more so by huge numbers of injuries in both seasons, but the Red Raiders bring back lots of talent in 2012. They could make some noise if they stay healthy.

10. Kansas (2-10, 0-9, LW: 10) Chalk up another coachless Big 12 team. The Jayhawks won't get Leach on the sideline, but a change was needed after two years of blowout losses and no respect across the Big 12.

I lost an enormous last-minute bet I placed on myself with a shady Las Vegas bookie.

• Who has the better coaching tree: Bob Stoops or Mike Gundy?
• A win against Texas would have special significance for safety Ahmad Dixon, who broke a commitment to Texas to play for Baylor, writes Jimmy Burch of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
• If Texas Tech had it to do all over again, it would keep Mike Leach, writes Buck Harvey of the San Antonio Express-News.
• If Oklahoma State's going to storm the field on Saturday, Cowboys fans better be careful, writes Jenni Carlson of The Oklahoman. The Cowboys already experienced one field storming this season.
• Texas Tech offensive coordinator Neal Brown interviewed for the head coaching job at his alma mater, UMass.
• Kansas' new coach needs to be defensive-minded, writes Blair Kerkhoff of the Kansas City Star.
• Oklahoma State can storm the world college football on Saturday.
• Iowa State's in awe of what Collin Klein's been able to do this season, writes Andrew Logue of the Des Moines Register.
• One lifelong Oklahoma fan is switching allegiances and jumping aboard with the Pokes this weekend.
• Laura Oberle of the Columbia Missourian offers a deeper look at Missouri tight end Andrew Jones' decision to go out and play on the basketball team.
• Colleague Ivan Maisel talks to Texas Tech coach Tommy Tuberville about the team's injury struggles.

Ultimately, I knew the Big 12's landlocked status made its chances of a Leach return minimal.

• So, Mike Leach is off the market? Where does KU go next for its new coach? AD Sheahon Zenger says he's not coming home until he finds his man, reports J. Brady McCollough of the Kansas City Star. Here's colleague Ted Miller on Leach's hiring.
• Mike Sherman's fate at Texas A&M hangs in the balance, and is "50-50," writes Brent Zwerneman of the Houston Chronicle.
• The one man who could change the rematch is silent. Mike Gundy's gone from Gundy to Gandhi, writes Chris Dufresne of the Los Angeles Times.
• Ten years ago, everything changed for Oklahoma State and Brandon Weeden, writes John Helsley of The Oklahoman. When Weeden got back into football, he called OU, but they weren't interested.
• No worries: RG3 is back at practice and ready to go against Texas. Mark Rosner of the Austin American-Statesman takes you inside the Longhorns' gameplan to make sure Baylor's QB doesn't beat them.
• Quietly, Iowa State will have an opportunity to play spoiler against Kansas State, writes Andrew Logue of the Des Moines Register.
• Texas Tech quarterback Jacob Karam, he of the awesome trick play pass/sketchy jersey switch, told coach Tommy Tuberville he plans to transfer. He'll transfer to play at an FBS school.
• Kansas State sees lots of similarities between itself and Iowa State, writes Kellis Robinett of the Wichita Eagle.
• Missouri's launching its new "Mizzou Network" today, reports Zach Miller of the Columbia Missourian. Here's the network.
• Former Oklahoma receiver Cameron Kenney was arrested in Georgia on suspicion of theft charges.

Parenthood might be the best show I've never heard anyone talk about. Do it, Netflixers.

• All signs point to Mike Sherman coming back to Texas A&M next year, probably with an OC, writes Brent Zwerneman of the San Antonio Express-News.
• A fake Nick Saban quote is one more reason not to believe everything you read, writes Jenni Carlson of The Oklahoman.
• Bedlam goes beyond the rivalry for three Cowboys from Enid, Oklahoma, writes Adam Kemp of the Daily O'Collegian.
• Here's what Bedlam means to a few troops in Afghanistan.
• The difference in Baylor the past couple years? It's no longer a one-man team, writes Cedric Golden of the Austin American-Statesman.
• West Virginia has filed to have the Big East's lawsuit dismissed that would prevent the Mountaineers from leaving for the Big 12 until 2014, reports Mitch Vingle of the Charleston Gazette.
• Can Kansas handle Mike Leach? J. Brady McCollough of the Kansas City Star assesses the possibilities. Matt Tait of the Lawrence Journal-World touches on the highs and lows of KU's season.
• Paul Rhoads name will come up on the coaching carousel this offseason. For now, though, home is sweet, writes Marc Hansen of the Des Moines Register.
• The time off has done K-State QB Collin Klein well. He's healed up enough to get back in practice.
• Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman may have actually figured out the biggest reason Oklahoma has more injuries lately than ever before.

Sometimes you've just got to find an empty warehouse and dance. I mean, am I right?

• Interesting stuff here from Tom Fornelli of CBSSports.com. Who would you vote for at No. 2 if the names weren't on the résumés?
• Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy said Monday if he had a ballot, Alabama would be at No. 2 and OSU would be at No. 3. He needs a lesson in BCS politics, writes Dave Sittler of the Tulsa World.
• How has Texas held on despite it offensive troubles? The many schemes of defensive coordinator Manny Diaz, writes Kirk Bohls of the Austin American-Statesman.
• Oklahoma State will honor Justin Blackmon, a junior, during this week's Senior Day festivities. Anybody ever heard of that happening before?
• Iowa State may be handing a big piece of its running game load to a new face this week, writes Andrew Logue of the Des Moines Register.
• That Mike Leach guy? His fingerprints are on every one of the nation's top seven passing offenses.
• Oklahoma State lost one of its top commits, who may soon commit to Texas.
• Oklahoma will try to do what few have done all season: Pressure Brandon Weeden, writes Travis Haney of The Oklahoman.
• Baylor's had the confidence of a winner in the Big 12. Now it has the wins, writes Cedric Golden of the Austin American-Statesman.
• The quarterback who could be the future at Kansas weighs in on Turner Gill's exit.

This seems appropriate, considering the weekend.

• Nothing was going to stop Oklahoma State assistant Glenn Spencer from being beside his wife and sons when his wife died earlier this year, writes John Helsley of The Oklahoman.
• Baylor fans should pack Floyd Casey Stadium on Saturday against Texas, enough that Baylor officials must remove the stadium's tarp, writes Jimmy Burch of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
• J. Brady McCollough of the Kansas City Star gets some more insight on Turner Gill's firing from AD Sheahon Zenger.
• Sam Mellinger of the Kansas City Star says Gill should be replaced by Mike Leach. Zenger's got the guts to do it. Matt Tait of the Lawrence Journal-World breaks down the list of possible candidates.
• A football man will be making the hire, writes Blair Kerkhoff of the Kansas City Star.
• Kirk Bohls of the Austin American-Statesman says Mike Sherman should be fired now. That and more in his Nine Things and One Crazy Prediction.
• Once again, Kansas State's season has been boosted by big contributions from junior college transfers, writes Tony Adame of the Wichita Eagle.
• The end of the MU-KU rivalry isn't a bad thing, writes Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
• Missouri will make more in the SEC, but running its athletic department will probably cost more, too.
• Being bowl eligible didn't make losing any easier for Iowa State, writes Andrew Logue of the Des Moines Register.
• Is Bedlam now bigger than the Red River Rivalry? Mike Baldwin of The Oklahoman wonders. Berry Tramel says an OSU win on Saturday benefits everyone with a shred of neutrality.
• Alabama had their chance. Oklahoma State deserves a shot at the title, writes Gil LeBreton of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
• Oklahoma might slow the pace against Oklahoma State on Saturday, writes Travis Haney of The Oklahoman.
• Tommy Tuberville will be back in 2012, Texas Tech AD Kirby Hocutt said.

Here's what I learned on the penultimate week of football in the Big 12. Three more games this year, folks.

Texas is still Texas A&M's big brother. I doubt many would disagree that Texas A&M was the better team on the field on Thursday night. But as it has done 76 times in 118 games, Texas proved why it's the best program in the state. The Longhorns played gutsy and while the offense struggled, the Big 12's best defense kept Texas in the game, scoring a defensive touchdown and forcing four turnovers. The defense faltered and gave up a go-ahead touchdown with less than two minutes left, but Texas earned bragging right for a long while with an amazing drive to deliver one final gut punch before Texas A&M left for the SEC. I struggle to come up with a more painful loss for a Big 12 team in a long while.

The Big 12's middle tier has shifted. So, Texas Tech went 18 years without a losing season and played in 11 consecutive bowls. Baylor went 16 years without playing in a bowl game. Now, Texas Tech will be sitting at home for the holidays and Baylor is going to it second consecutive bowl game and has a chance to win 10 games. The roles have been reversed between Texas' other two teams, and Art Briles has built something special at Baylor while the transition from Mike Leach to Tommy Tuberville, though marred by injuries, has been a struggle in Lubbock.

Oklahoma State won't get bailed out. The Cowboys did this themselves after suffering an inexplicable loss to Iowa State on Nov. 18. They watched Saturday's games with hope that Alabama could slip up against Auburn and give the Cowboys control of their fate, but it didn't happen. Alabama dominated on the road in a rivalry game, stating its final case for BCS title game inclusion before Saturday's SEC title game. ESPN's "College GameDay" is headed to Atlanta instead of Stillwater, and even if LSU loses, I'd argue that LSU-Alabama should still be the national title game, even if Oklahoma State beats Oklahoma by 40.

Baylor can thrive without Robert Griffin III. What a scary moment for the Bears. Texas Tech is always dangerous, and trailed 31-28 at halftime. Baylor knew it wouldn't have Heisman contender RG3. Nick Florence made big throws for a pair of long touchdowns and Terrance Ganaway carried the Bears' offense late in the game to keep the ball out of Tech's hands. The defense forced four second-half turnovers and returned an interception 90 yards for a score. That had to be great to see. In 2009, Baylor was 2-7 without Griffin. Clearly, progress has been made, even if we only saw a small sample size. Baylor owned that second half and a lot of different people helped.

Oklahoma's offense will not thrive without Ryan Broyles. Iowa State's defense has made big strides in recent weeks, but 26 points at home against the Cyclones, which included just three second-half points? Receivers dropped passes, including one that turned from an easy catch into an interception, and Landry Jones went a second consecutive week without a touchdown pass for the first time in his career. Without Blake Bell's ability to punch in touchdowns in short-yardage situations, where would this offense be over the past two weeks? Bell has six touchdowns in two weeks and nine in his last four.

• Oklahoma State fans hoping the Pac-12's best receiver would be off the field when the Cowboys played Arizona will be disappointed.
• Could Texas Tech be undefeated when it plays Oklahoma late in the season?
• Missouri quarterback James Franklin is taking control of his team, reports Dave Matter of the Columbia Tribune. He's also impressed T.J. Moe with his touch on intermediate throws. Missouri also added two commits from Texas on Tuesday. Vahe Gregorian of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch has a little more on Franklin's development.
• Former Texas quarterback Colt McCoy stops by ESPN to talk about his new book, "Growing up Colt."
• Receiver Trey Metoyer's future at Oklahoma looks like it'll come down to an A and a B at junior college in Tyler, Texas, but he won't be able to enroll until after the first week of fall camp, reports Anthony Slater of The Oklahoman.
• Baylor's Art Briles is among a handful of coaches to lose money in a possible Ponzi scheme totalling 7.8 million in losses to a man who committed suicide over the weekend, reports Pablo Torres of SI.com.
• Stephanie Druley of the Longhorn Network answers 10 questions about the upstart project.
• Notable recruiting news for Missouri and Oklahoma, chasing Gunner Kiel, the nation's No. 1 quarterback. Kiel told ESPN.com's Mitch Sherman that he'd likely eliminate teams that had another QB in its 2012 class. Missouri (Maty Mauk) and Oklahoma (Trevor Knight) recently got commitments from quarterbacks.
• Kansas State wants its brand to be nationally recognizable, writes Kellis Robinett of the Wichita Eagle.
• Betsy Blaney of the Associated Press has a report from Mike Leach's book signing back in Lubbock.
• Today's random link: This is the best news I've heard all week. If you're under 25 like me, I'm sure you'll agree.
• Matt Tait of the Lawrence Journal-World issues a warning: Don't doubt Quinn Mecham, Kansas' quarterback.

I'm working my way for the second time through the shame that is the second season (Note: if you haven't seen the show, major spoiler alert in that link) of "Friday Night Lights," and the first half? Worse than I remembered. Second half? Nowhere near as bad. More on how this happened? Well, check out the oral history of "Friday Night Lights" on Grantland.com tomorrow.

• El Reno police are trying to find the source of Austin Box's prescription drugs that were likely the cause of his death, reports Randy Ellis of The Oklahoman.
• Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman looks into what roles the Bedlam senior veterans will play in the upcoming season.
• "Friday Night Lights" fans, fret not. Re-live your favorite moments on ESPN Classic and the Longhorn Network.
• Blair Kerkhoff of the Kansas City Star details his day with Big 12 officials. Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman has his take, too.
• Texas Tech is giving fans a chance to influence the upcoming season via social media.
• Kansas is putting a high premium on recruiting close to home, writes Matt Tait of the Lawrence Journal-World.
• I talked some OSU, Texas Tech and various other Big 12ery with WJOX in Birmingham.
• Speaking of Oklahoma State, Brett McMurphy of CBSSports.com says the Cowboys will unveil their new mix-and-match uniforms on July 28. More on that here.
• If you were unsure of what's new in "NCAA 12," here you go.
• Kansas has announced its crew for Big 12 media days in Dallas in two weeks. We'll have a post on everyone's representatives once they're announced.
• Athlon ranks the Big 12 coaching jobs.

• Bedlam has replaced Red River as the Big 12's marquee game, writes Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman. He also ranks the Big 12 games from 1-75.
• There's a book coming out about Mike Leach's firing at Texas Tech, and the working title? "Double T--Double Cross."
• Bill Haisten of the Tulsa World takes a look at the three things that helped Oklahoma State climb and become a football school.
• Brandon Chatmon of The Oklahoman has a look at Oklahoma State's freshman class, which arrived on campus recently. He's also got their jersey numbers, if you're curious.
• Dave Matter discusses a number of things in a lengthy blog post. What's the impact of Oklahoma's recruiting in Missouri, what will life be like in the new Big 12 for the Tigers, and more from their recent trip to Joplin.
• He also ranks his top 10 linemen in the conference.
• Maybe Dana Holgorsen won't work at West Virginia, but Mike Gundy managed him wonderfully and helped build the Oklahoma State program, writes Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman.
• Former Kansas defensive coordinator Carl Torbush weighs in on the changes new coordinator Vic Shealy is putting into place with Matt Tait of the Lawrence Journal-World.
• Stu Durando of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch looks at the rise in college football assistants' pay. Both of Texas' new coordinators are in the top 10 nationally, the only assistants in the Big 12 to earn the distinction.
• Kansas coach Turner Gill promoted another coach. Robert Wimberly will coach safeties and be passing coordinator of the defense.
• Here's a Q&A on Texas' website with perhaps the most talked-about freshman arrival in the Big 12: Running back Malcolm Brown.

I love that this exists. I'd read a book of this.

• Twitter makes life hard on coaches, says former Texas Tech coach Mike Leach. Leach was also profiled by Rick Maese of the Washington Post.
• Missouri players pitch in for a pretty good Tigers season-ticket commercial.
• Former Missouri quarterback Blaine Gabbert is putting together an auction to benefit tornado victims.
• Don't expect to see Paul Rhoads as the next head Buckeye, writes Bobby La Gesse of the Ames Tribune.
• Look out, Kansas fans. Could be some exciting video headed your way soon.
• The nation's top recruit was in attendance at Missouri's football camp in his hometown of Springfield, Mo., on Thursday.
• Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe offered his thoughts on Kansas' new AD, Sheahon Zenger, who is attending his first Big 12 meetings this week.
• A former Iowa State offensive lineman is making an impact as a guidance counselor at a school for troubled children.