ESPN College Football

Desperation or improvement?

That's the question Texas A&M football fans have to be asking themselves after Aggies coach Mike Sherman rebuilt his coaching staff after only two seasons. After the Aggies finished 6-7 in 2009, dropping Sherman's record to 10-15 in two seasons in College Station, he completely overhauled his staff. All but one defensive assistant was replaced, and former Louisville coach Steve Kragthorpe was hired to coach wide receivers.

There's really no way to sugarcoat it: If Texas A&M's defense and special teams are as bad as they were in each of the past two seasons, Sherman will be the coach looking for a job in 2011.

The A&M defense can't possibly be any worse, after it finished 106th among FBS teams in pass defense (254.7 yards per game), 105th in total defense (426.3 yards) and scoring defense (33.5 points per game) and 90th in rushing defense (171.6 yards).

After the Aggies allowed 30 points or more in nine games last season, defensive coordinator Joe Kines retired. Defensive line coach Buddy Wyatt left for Kansas and defensive backs coach Van Malone departed for Tulsa.

Sherman is betting that former Air Force defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter can shore up his defense quickly. DeRuyter runs an aggressive 3-4 scheme, which helped the Falcons lead the country in turnover margin (plus-1.69 turnovers per game) and finish fifth in passing defense (154.3 yards per game), 10th in scoring defense (15.7 points) and 11th in total defense (288.3 yards) in '09.

The good news for DeRuyter? The Aggies will bring back 10 defensive starters, including pass-rushing specialist Von Miller. DeRuyter's chore is to make the Aggies more aggressive and disciplined.

Sherman hired former Texas A&M All-American Dat Nguyen as inside linebackers coach, which is a very smart move. Bringing back one of the school's most-decorated players is always a public relations coup with alumni and fans. The fact that Nguyen worked the past three seasons as an assistant linebackers coach with the Dallas Cowboys shows he's more than just a big name, too.

Sherman lured Purdue defensive line coach Terrell Williams to College Station and hired Nick Toth as his team's outside linebackers coach. Toth worked last season as defensive backs and special teams coach at The Citadel. Toth played and coached under DeRuyter at Ohio and is well-versed in coaching the 3-4 scheme.

Toth also will be asked to help fix Texas A&M's special-teams woes. Last season, the Aggies finished 104th in net punting (32.9 yards), 98th in kickoff return defense (23.1 yards) and 49th in kickoff returns (22.3 yards).

The special-teams miscues were never more evident than during Texas A&M's 44-20 loss to Georgia in the Independence Bowl. The Aggies allowed a kickoff return for a touchdown, had a field goal and punt blocked and snapped the ball over the punter's head.

Kragthorpe, who was fired after compiling a 15-21 record in three seasons at Louisville, replaces former A&M wide receivers coach Nolan Cromwell, who left for the same position with the NFL's St. Louis Rams. Kragthorpe previously worked as offensive coordinator at A&M from 1998-2000, helping lead the Aggies to their lone Big 12 title in 1998.

With Big 12 powers like Oklahoma and Texas having to replace several star players, and programs such as Kansas and Texas Tech undergoing major renovations, the Aggies might be well positioned to move up the league's ladder this coming season.

If they don't, Sherman's job might be on the line.

Let's see what's going on in Big 12 land today.

• Texas head coach-in-waiting Will Muschamp will be affected by a new NCAA recruiting policy, Chuck Carlton writes in The Dallas Morning News. Longhorns reserve wide receiver Philip Payne has left the team, Alan Trubow writes in the Austin American-Statesman.
• Offensive coordinator Nolan Cromwell is gone, and more Texas A&M assistants could follow him out the door, Randy Riggs writes in the Austin American-Statesman. A&M will interview former Louisville coach Steve Kragthorpe for the offensive coordinator vacancy, Rivals.com's Tom Dienhart reports.
• Colorado fans should brace themselves for the possibility of Pac-10 expansion, Neill Woelk writes in the Boulder Daily Camera.
• CBSSports.com's Dennis Dodd opines on how the Big 12 would react to losing Colorado and Missouri.
• Could Texas be on the Pac-10's radar? The Sporting News' Neil Hayes thinks so.
• Kansas quarterback Jordan Webb has drawn comparisons to Todd Reesing, Tom Keegan writes in the Lawrence Journal-World.
• Nebraska cracks the top 5 of Rivals.com's latest Top 25 rankings for 2010.

Veteran Texas A&M offensive coordinator Nolan Cromwell is among the candidates for the vacancy at wide receivers coach for the St. Louis Rams.

Cromwell, who has been Mike Sherman's offensive coordinator in each of his first two seasons with the Aggies, has talked with St. Louis coach Steve Spagnuolo, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Cromwell played 11 seasons with the Rams during his pro football career and also served as an assistant with the team in 1991 with John Robinson's staff in Los Angeles.

He later coached with Green Bay from 1992 through 1998 and in Seattle from 1999 through 2007.

The Aggies already replaced their defensive coordinator when Joe Kines stepped down and was replaced by former Air Force defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter.

Changing offensive coordinators so close to spring practice could present some abrupt changes for quarterback Jerrod Johnson before heading into his senior season. With seven starters returning, the Aggies' offensive unit is expected to be the team's biggest strength heading into the 2010 season.

There wasn't much surprise that Kansas wide receiver Dezmon Briscoe decided to declare for the NFL draft.

But it was a little surprising that the decision came so quickly on the heels of Mark Mangino's resignation.

Briscoe learned a lot of lessons from his old coach -- most notably the importance of going to class after his suspension this spring.

His departure will make whomever is hired at Kansas' rebuilding job a little bit tougher.

Mack Brown's first big recruiting victory after he took over at Texas was convincing Ricky Williams to remain for his senior season. It helped jump-start his turnaround and helped push the Longhorns into the Cotton Bowl in his first season.

Briscoe's return wouldn't have been that big. But it still would have made things easier for Jim Harbaugh, Turner Gill, Larry Fedora, Nolan Cromwell or whoever is hired by Lew Perkins.

Mike Sherman has talked about the development of his offensive line all season long.

The group lived up to Sherman's promise Saturday, pushing Texas A&M into bowl eligibility.

The Aggies piled up 375 rushing yards to help power past Baylor in an impressive 38-3 performance at Kyle Field. Christine Michael accounted for 116 yards and Cyrus Gray added 107 to pace a bruising A&M ground attack.

Quarterback Jerrod Johnson did the rest, passing for 153 yards and two touchdowns and rushing for 83 yards and another score to push the Aggies into their first bowl trip since 2007.

The loss ended the bowl hopes of 4-7 Baylor, which had gamely remained in contention despite losing starting quarterback Robert Griffin in their third game.

The fact that the Bears were still playing for a bowl berth in late November talks to the grit and determination that Art Briles has infused his team with.

But it still didn't help them end the Big 12's longest bowl drought. The Bears haven't made a bowl appearance since 1994.

The other big winner in A&M's late charge to a bowl might be offensive coordinator Nolan Cromwell, who has quietly forged one of the Big 12's most productive offenses.

Will that performance, along with his NFL pedigree, make Cromwell an attractive candidate for one of the open jobs after the season?

Particularly if the head job at his alma mater of Kansas opened up?

We'll wait and see as the Aggies head into their game against Texas on Thanksgiving night with a heavy dose of confidence from today's strong performance.

Assistant coaching jobs in the Big 12 are among the highest paying in college football.

A survey conducted earlier this week by USA Today indicates the Big 12 has five of the top 11 highest paid assistant coaching staffs in college football and seven schools among the top 21.

Texas leads the Big 12 with a combined assistant coaching salary of $2,948,698. That ranks second in college football, trailing only Tennessee's staff that makes $3,325,000.

And Texas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp, who has already been designated as Mack Brown's designated replacement, is the highest paid assistant coach in the Big 12. Muschamp earns a yearly salary of $900,000, which is the second highest salary in college football for an assistant behind only Monte Kiffin at Tennessee, who makes a total package of $1,200,000.

Here's a look at how the Big 12 coaching staffs rank. Baylor is not included because it is a private school and not subject to open records requests like public institutions.

1. Texas: $2,948,698: (high $900,000, low $152,942), national ranking, 2.
2. Oklahoma: $2,464,600: (high, $406,500, low $201,900), national ranking, 6.
3. Missouri: $2,164,020: (high, $320,200, low $201,800), national ranking, 8.
4. Oklahoma State: $2,130,000: (high, $335,000, low $125,000), national ranking, 10.
5. Texas A&M: $2,100,508: (high, $404,633, low, $166,161), national ranking, 11.
6. Nebraska: $1,934,160: (high, $376,000, low, $151,000), national ranking, 20.
7. Texas Tech: $1,913,300: (high, $332,500, low, $167,500), national ranking, 21.
8. Kansas: $1,795,300: (high, $306,100, low, $148,000), national ranking, 29.
9. Kansas State: $1,735,000: (high, $265,000, low, $120,000), national ranking, 31.
10. Colorado: $1,515,960: (high, $217,776, low, $100,000), national ranking, 43.
11. Iowa State: $1,385,000: (high, $275,000, low, $100,000), national ranking, 47.

And here's a look at the 10 highest-paid assistant coaches in the Big 12

1. Will Muschamp, Texas defensive coordinator: $900,000, national ranking, 2.
2. Greg Davis, Texas offensive coordinator: $467,075, national ranking, 8.
3. Brent Venables, Oklahoma defensive coordinator, $406,600, national ranking, 10.
4. Joe Kines, Texas A&M defensive coordinator, $404,633, national ranking, 12.
5. Kevin Wilson, Oklahoma offensive coordinator, $395,000, national ranking, 14.
6. Shawn Watson, Nebraska offensive coordinator, $376,000, national ranking, 18.
7. Nolan Cromwell, Texas A&M offensive coordinator, $355,729, national ranking, 26.
8. Joe DeForest, Oklahoma State associate head coach/special teams, $335,000, national ranking,29.
9. Ruffin McNeill, Texas Tech defensive coordinator, $332,500, national ranking, 31.
10. Joe Wickline, Oklahoma State co-offensive coordinator/line coach, $325,000, national ranking 37.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

Texas A&M Aggies

Record: 3-3, 0-2 in Big 12 play

The Aggies sparked some early excitement after a 3-0 start against New Mexico, Utah State and UAB. But it all caught up with them during a recent three-game losing streak to Arkansas, Oklahoma State and Kansas State, when the Aggies have been blistered for averages of 48.3 points and 435.3 total yards per game. The recent collapse has reignited the firestorm about Mike Sherman’s job security -- particularly with a run of tough Big 12 South opponents waiting. Most recently, an Aggie team with 17 freshmen was humiliated in their first true road game by Kansas State, 62-14. Interestingly, the blowout loss came only three days after A&M athletic director Bill Byrne responded to fans about the progress of the team under Sherman. “I’ve heard from many of you that see improvement every week,” Byrne wrote in his weekly column on the school’s Web site. “Thanks, that is true, but now I’d like to win a few.” It will be a big challenge with the current group facing the upcoming schedule to fulfill Byrne’s wishes.

Offensive MVP, QB Jerrod Johnson: During A&M’s 3-0 start, Johnson was the biggest reason, accounting for 13 touchdowns in those games, including a school-record six against UAB. He’s slowed down a little bit during the recent losing streak with 1,893 passing yards and 16 touchdowns for the season. Improved confidence in Nolan Cromwell’s offense had him limiting mistakes until a disastrous game against Kansas State where he was intercepted three times and sacked six times. It was the first time he had been intercepted this season, after setting a Big 12 streak of 225 passes to start a season.

Defensive MVP, DE/LB Von Miller: A&M coaches hoped that Miller’s speed would pay dividends by playing the hybrid “Jack” position which combines the responsibility of a defensive end and linebacker. Miller thrived during the Aggies’ winning streak, producing eight sacks in the Aggies’ first three games. He’s only had two in the last three games, but his total of 10.5 sacks still leads the country. Miller has been the Aggies' most active defender, producing 28.5 tackles and 21 solo stops. How he holds up against South Division teams familiar with Joe Kines' defensive concepts will determine if he can continue his strong start and finish strongly.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

I got a lot of good feedback last week after I detailed a post that listed the top NFL player from each Big 12 school in the modern era.

ESPN Stats & Information went back through every draft of the modern era -- since the NFL-AFL merger -- to determine the players who accomplished the most during their NFL careers.

The rankings were based on the following criteria: Hall of Fame induction, MVP awards, All-Pro first-team selections, All-Pro second-team selections, Pro Bowls, offensive and defensive player of the year and rookie of the year awards and membership on a Super Bowl-winning or -losing team. A player scores on the ranking system when he earns at least one of those honors.

Specifically, this was the criteria that was used:

THE POINTS SYSTEM

Players received points based on the following criteria, coming up with rankings for the 13,808 NFL players who have played since 1967:

Super Bowl loss (1 point)
Offensive rookie of the year (2 points)
Defensive rookie of the year (2 points)
Pro Bowl (2 points)
Super Bowl win (3 points)
AP All-Pro second team (3 points)
AP All-Pro first team (4 points)
AP Defensive Player of the Year (6 points)
AP Offensive Player of the Year (6 points)
AP Most Valuable Player (8 points)
Hall of Famer (15 points)

After popular demand, here's how the formula calculated the five most valuable NFL players produced from each Big 12 school. I'm curious what some of your thoughts about these players and others might be.

Remember, this includes only players who were drafted. So free agents like Wes Welker were not included.

BAYLOR

Mike Singletary 81
Mike Nelms 22
Vann McElroy 10
Gary Green 8
Thomas Everett 8

COLORADO

Dick Anderson 30
Cliff Branch 29
Mark Haynes 23
Chad Brown 15
Charles Johnson 14
Alfred Williams 12

IOWA STATE

Matt Blair 18
Keith Sims 9
Marcus Robertson 5
Otto Stowe 4
Karl Nelson 3

KANSAS 

John Riggins 25
Dana Stubblefield 24
Nolan Cromwell 21
Leroy Irvin 15
Larry Brown 14

KANSAS STATE

Larry Brown 34
Martin Gramatica 8
Barrett Brooks 3
Clarence Scott 2
Henry Childs 2
Terence Newman 2

MISSOURI

Roger Wehrli 44
Kellen Winslow 40
Eric Wright 23
Russ Washington 16
Mel Gray 12

NEBRASKA

Will Shields 44
Roger Craig 30
Neil Smith 28
Irving Fryar 17
John Dutton 13

OKLAHOMA

Lee Roy Selmon 46
Keith Jackson 28
Billy Sims 14
Roy Williams 14
Adrian Peterson 13
Greg Pruitt 13

OKLAHOMA STATE

Barry Sanders 93
Thurman Thomas 60
Kevin Williams 24
Leslie O'Neal 16
Dexter Manley 13

TEXAS 

Earl Campbell 65
Doug English 21
Steve McMichael 21
Bill Bradley 17
John Elliott 16

TEXAS A&M

Shane Lechler 31
Lester Hayes 29
Richmond Webb 28
Ray Childress 26
Sam Adams 13

TEXAS TECH

Zach Thomas 40
Curtis Jordan 4
Dylan Gandy 3
Maury Buford 3
Ted Watts 3
Timmy Smith 3

Source: ESPN Stats & Analysis Team

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

It would be fitting if the Mount Rushmore of Kansas had a wheat field nearby for inspiration. I can almost hear "Rock Chalk Jayhawk" in the background as I try to winnow my choices.

Here are my final four destined for the side of the Jayhawk football Mount Rushmore:

• Gale Sayers -- Two-time All-American was the most notable and dramatic player in school history, leading the Jayhawks in rushing in three straight seasons and in receiving in two seasons.
• John Hadl -- Made All-American as halfback and quarterback and had a knack for making big plays in his career -- a 98-yard interception return, a 97-yard kickoff return and a 94-yard punt.
• Ray Evans -- Only player in history to lead the nation in passing and interceptions in the same season (1942). He also led the Jayhawks to the 1947 Orange Bowl, earning All-American honors in football and basketball during his college career.
• Mark Mangino -- There's got to be a place for Mangino on this mountain. He's made history by leading the Jayhawks to their first BCS bowl victory in school history and back-to-back bowl trips for the first time ever in the last two seasons.

If Todd Reesing takes the Jayhawks to a Big 12 title, he might have some argument for a place. And so could past titans like Nolan Cromwell, Mike McCormack, John Riggins, Aqib Talib and Bobby Douglass.

Any glaring omissions on my list?

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

It's been fun to look back at the history of the Super Bowl over the last week, looking at the Big 12's association with the biggest game in football.

But upon closer inspection, the Big 12 has had players with great and infamous performances in the 43-game history of the Super Bowl. Here are some of the most notable and forgetable.

1. Mike Jones, St. Louis linebacker (Missouri) -- His stop of Tennessee's Kevin Dyson only inches short of the goal line on the game's final play preserved the Rams' 23-16 triumph over the Titans in Super Bowl XXXIV. It is one of the most memorable plays in Super Bowl history.

2. Timmy Smith, Washington Redskins running back (Texas Tech) -- Erupted for a Super Bowl record 204 rushing yards on 22 carries, including runs of 58 and 43 yards, to key the Redskins' 42-10 victory over Denver in Super Bowl XXII.

3. John Riggins, Washington running back (Kansas) -- Rushed for 166 yards on a Super Bowl-record 38 carries to power the Redskins to a 27-17 victory over Miami in Super Bowl XVII. Riggins gave the Redskins the lead for good on a 43-yard touchdown run on fourth-and-1 blast early in the fourth quarter, wrapping up an MVP performance that remains the only one earned by a former Big 12 player.

4. Roger Craig, San Francisco running back (Nebraska) -- Craig was a member of three Super Bowl championship teams with the 49ers and had several strong performances. But his biggest was a three-touchdown effort against Miami in Super Bowl XIX. Craig ran for 58 yards and a touchdown and also snagged a team-high seven receptions for 77 yards and two scores to pace the 49ers to a 38-16 victory.

5. Wes Welker, New England wide receiver (Texas Tech) -- Welker's team dropped a disappointing 17-14 game to the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII, but it wasn't his fault. Welker matched the Super Bowl record with 11 receptions for 103 yards, but it wasn't enough to lead his team to victory.

Most infamous moments/performances for a Big 12 player in Super Bowl history:

1. Buffalo running back Thurman Thomas (Oklahoma State) loses his helmet -- The College and Pro Football Hall of Famer had one of the most notorious moments of his career when he lost his helmet at the start of Super Bowl XXVI against Washington. Typically, Thomas placed his helmet at the 40-yard-line before a game, but it was moved in order for a stage to be set up for Harry Connick Jr.'s rendition of the national anthem. Thomas entered the game after missing Buffalo's first two plays from scrimmage. It was the start of a miserable performance where he rushed for only 13 yards on 10 carries in a 37-24 loss to the Redskins.

2. Boyd Dowler's (Colorado) injury makes Max McGee's career -- We never would have heard about McGee's pre-game carousing before Super Bowl I if Dowler hadn't separated his shoulder early and left the game. McGee grabbed seven receptions for 138 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Packers to a 35-10 victory over Kansas City. Dowler didn't have a catch in the game.

3. Jack Pardee's (Texas A&M) long ride on Larry Csonka's back -- The veteran Washington linebacker was carried for nearly 30 yards by Miami fullback Larry Csonka on a 49-yard run in Super Bowl VI. The play has been replayed in countless NFL Films showings over the years in the final game of the 15-year career of Pardee. Even worse for Pardee, his team lost, 14-7.

4. Donny Anderson (Texas Tech) levels the "The Hammer" -- Before the game, Kansas City defensive back Fred "The Hammer" Williamson vowed that he would knock out a Green Bay player from Super Bowl I with "his hammer," a well-placed forearm shiver. Instead, Green Bay running back Donny Anderson, a former Texas Tech player, caused a concussion for Williamson when his knee collided with Williamson's head early in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl I. Williamson also suffered a broken arm on the play when his teammate, linebacker Sherrill Headrick, fell on top of him.

5. The Los Angeles Rams' secondary collective bad day in Super Bowl XIV -- The starting secondary for the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl XIV was composed entirely of alumni of Big 12 schools -- CB Pat Thomas (Texas A&M), CB Rod Perry (Colorado), S Nolan Cromwell (Kansas) and S Dave Elmendorf (Texas A&M). Pittsburgh quarterback Terry Bradshaw riddled the group for 309 passing yards and two touchdowns en route to a MVP-winning performance in a 31-19 victory for the Steelers.