ESPN College Football

We're looking at coaches you love to hate this week, and today, it's all about the guys who left programs with a bad taste in its mouth.

Mike Leach and Mark Mangino certainly had contentious exits from Texas Tech and Kansas, but they're hardly hated by the schools they left behind. Dennis Franchione and Ron Prince simply didn't win enough and left programs frustrated, but far from angry.

In the Big 12, there's really only one coach that fits the bill.

Are you "All In" on making Gene Chizik the lone man on the list?

Chizik earned a reputation as one of the nation's best defensive coaches as the coordinator at Auburn first, and then moved to Texas under Mack Brown.

That earned him enough accolades for Iowa State to take notice, and the Cyclones hired him in November 2006 to take over for the legendary Dan McCarney. McCarney went to five bowl games in his final seven seasons, including a top 25 finish in 2000. That's unheard of in Ames.

Chizik? Well, it didn't go well.

He won three games in his first season, including two conference games and a win over Iowa, and improved the defense. The next season, though?

Nightmare. Iowa State began the year 2-0 and proceeded to lost its final 10 games, leaving Chizik with a 5-19 record in two seasons. Chizik fired two assistants and demoted his offensive and defensive coordinators, and looked like he was digging in his heels for the long haul.

Nope.

Auburn fired Tommy Tuberville (now at Texas Tech) after the 2007 season and gave Chizik a call. He took it, and eventually took the job of replacing his former boss at his former stop in Alabama. Auburn caught lots of flack for hiring a coach with a 5-19 career record, but it has paid off.

Chizik made a struggling Iowa State program flounder even more, and making matters even more infuriating, Chizik won a national title at Auburn in 2010.

That seemed pretty hard to believe for the Cyclones, but it's not all bad at Iowa State. They've found a match made in heaven with Iowa native Paul Rhoads, another former defensive coordinator at Auburn. He's 18-20 in three seasons and put Iowa State in a bowl twice, winning once. That's a whole lot more than Chizik ever accomplished, and Rhoads signed a mammoth contract extension for 10 more years in December.

Puppies, y'all.

• Feel like you're behind on all this "Florida State to the Big 12?" talk? Coley Harvey of the Orlando Sentinel will get you caught up.
• Could Big 12 expansion be the key to ushering in four major conferences? Dennis Dodd of CBSSports.com examines the issue.
• How would the Seminoles fit in the new Big 12?
• The Big 12 needs to explore the idea of admitting Florida State and research their interest, writes the Austin American Statesman's Kirk Bohls. And where does Mack Brown rank among Big 12 coaches recently? Very low.
• The Red River Rivalry is locked into staying at the Cotton Bowl during the State Fair of Texas through 2020.
• After last week's receiver suspensions, OU fans should feel even better about having Landry Jones back, writes Jenni Carlson of The Oklahoman.
• Former Kansas Stater (and I use that term liberally) Bryce Brown credits Bill Snyder for helping him reach the NFL, but says he'd do nothing differently.
• New Kansas coach Charlie Weis wants to reverse the latest trend of Sunflower Showdown beatdowns, writes Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star.
• Former Baylor receiver Kendall Wright talks about the phenomenon of Baylor not having a playbook.
• Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman offers up a touching story of former Heisman winner Jason White and his relationship with his late mother.
• Iowa State coach Paul Rhoads can't help but get emotional talking about his mother's death after a battle with Alzheimer's.
• Here's another touching Mother's Day story about Baylor's other Robert Griffin, who played in the Alamo Bowl with a heavy heart few knew about.
• New Kansas quarterback Turner Baty liked what he saw on a visit to KU's spring game, writes Matt Tait of the Lawrence Journal-World.
• Oklahoma is dealing with its suspensions, but they won't be the end of the world, writes Mike Baldwin of The Oklahoman.
• There's a playoff on the way, but it won't fix everything, writes Stefan Stevenson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
• Oklahoma State's offensive line might be its best ever, writes Gina Mizell of The Oklahoman.
• A Kansas State assistant committed a minor NCAA violation, and will have his recruiting restricted.
• The Tulsa World's John Hoover is moving from OU beat writer to columnist for the paper. Congratulations to him, and check out his debut column.

Earlier this week, the Sporting News ranked the Big 12 coaches from top to bottom, but later on, it released its rankings of the nation's coaches from top to bottom.

How'd the Big 12 stack up?

Better than the rest of the competition.

Alabama's Nick Saban topped the list -- argue with that at your own risk and UMass' Charley Molnar brought up the bottom.

Where do the Big 12 boys rank?

• No. 5: Bob Stoops, Oklahoma
• No. 7: Gary Patterson, TCU
• No. 10: Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State
• No. 11: Bill Snyder, Kansas State
• No. 16: Mack Brown, Texas
• No. 40: Charlie Weis, Kansas
• No. 41: Art Briles, Baylor
• No. 44: Dana Holgorsen, West Virginia
• No. 48: Paul Rhoads, Iowa State
• No. 50: Tommy Tuberville, Texas Tech

That's everybody well above the top half of the line.

From the Sporting News:

• The Big 12 coaches have by far the best average ranking: 27.2, which crushes the second-best SEC’s average ranking of 43.3. Next in line: the Pac-12 (43.8), ACC (45.6) and Big Ten (46.8).
• In our top 25 are five coaches apiece from the SEC and Big 12, four apiece from the Big Ten and Pac-12, and two apiece from the ACC and Mountain West.

What do you think?

For me, Stoops is where he needs to be. I might bump Patterson down a few spots, and Snyder up a few, just outside the top five. If someone can explain to me exactly how Weis should be above Briles, I'm all ears.

Briles has built a legitimate program in a place where it looked impossible. Weis' history as a head coach is taking a place where it should be impossible to lose, and eventually declining it until he was fired. Briles should be near the top 25.

I'd definitely move Paul Rhoads up about 10 spots, too. You could probably move Mack Brown down a couple spots, based on the hiccup in Texas' run lately. It's still to early to get a great feel for where Holgorsen should be.

What would you change?

What are you looking at, Jar Jar Binks?

• Could Wes Lunt lose his spot as OSU's starting QB? Offensive coordinator Todd Monken says if he doesn't play well in fall camp, it's possible.
• Iowa State coach Paul Rhoads is fighting for Alzheimer's research. Why? "Because it's personal to me," he said. Andrew Logue of the Des Moines Register has the story. Will Rhoads always be at Iowa State? He talks about the complicated issue.
• West Virginia starting defenders Darwin Cook and Terence Garvin were arrested for shoplifting after stealing snacks from a convenience store.
• Baylor received a large donation that will go toward naming rights of the field inside its new stadium. It'll be called John Eddie Williams Field.
• Would you like to go to a Texas football game with Longhorns superfan Matthew McConaughey? Today is your lucky day, friends.
• After a handful of suspensions, Berry Tramel of the Oklahoman breaks down the winners and losers at Oklahoma.
• WVU is searching for a media partner for its third-tier media rights, and could have one by September, writes Mike Casazza of the Charleston Daily Mail.
• Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy sits down for a wide-ranging Q&A with Bill Haisten of the Tulsa World.
• Paul Myerberg at Pre-Snap Read pegs five transfers to watch in the Big 12.
• Coley Harvey of the Orlando Sentinel addresses the idea of Florida State to the Big 12 in the wake of the ACC media deal.
• Texas Tech safety Cody Davis takes you inside the last few weeks of the semester in the life of a college athlete.
• Brandon Weeden helped former Oklahoma State teammate Josh Cooper become his current teammate with the Cleveland Browns.
• Turner Gill's poor recruiting classes are hurting KU in 2012, writes Tom Keegan of the Lawrence Journal-World.
• Colleague Ivan Maisel points to what's unique about Oklahoma's new transfer.
• The Big 12's website takes a post-spring look at Texas Tech.
• And because WVU fans have been begging me all day to put this in lunch links ... here you go.

A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men.

• According to a poll, 41 percent of West Virginians were indifferent to the Big 12 move. Another 40 percent favored the move and 19 percent opposed it. Jared Hunt of the Charleston Daily Mail has the report.
• Eyebrow-raising story from Iowa State. Defensive back Anthony Young believes he was run off by coach Paul Rhoads because of a knee injury he says was mistreated by ISU staff. ISU declined comment. Dan Tracy of the Iowa State Daily explains.
• Transfer? Oklahoma State quarterback J.W. Walsh doesn't sound like he's going anywhere after losing the QB job to freshman Wes Lunt.
• West Virginia had a memorable trip to the Orange Bowl, but it still lost more than $200,000 on the game.
• Former TCU linebacker Tanner Brock looks like he's transferring to UTEP. Brock was one of four TCU players arrested in a campus drug sting this spring. His brother, however, says the reports are mere rumor.
• Kansas State AD John Currie is joining the board of directors at the Fiesta Bowl.
• Oklahoma offensive lineman Austin Woods is now battling Hodgkin's lymphoma.
• Big 12 commissioner Chuck Neinas came away very impressed with the BCS meetings last week, writes colleague Ivan Maisel.
• How will Texas Tech handle its third-tier TV rights? AD Kirby Hocutt discusses the logistics with Don Williams of the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal.
• New Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly weighed in on Charlie Weis' prospects at his new home in Kansas.
• There's nothing left for WVU to do on the field for now. Coach Dana Holgorsen's hoping his players don't make headlines off the field this offseason, writes Mike Casazza of the Charleston Daily Mail.
• Kansas' backfield duo proved the running back position is in good hands after James Sims' suspension, writes Matt Tait of the Lawrence Journal-World.
• WVU defensive end Bruce Irvin talks about his pre-draft arrest and surprising draft night.
• Oklahoma State defensive lineman Calvin Barnett was arrested on four driving charges this week.
• What will the first round in 2013 look like? Plenty of Big 12 talents could hear their name called.
• Texas Tech looks like its adding a QB transfer from New Mexico.

Iowa State already played without linebacker Jake Knott all spring.

That's after losing its top running back, Shontrelle Johnson, with a neck injury early in the 2011 season.

Though it's been more than six months since the injury, Johnson's status is still in doubt.

"He’s not cleared, yet, to do anything football-wise,” coach Paul Rhoads said during the Big 12 coaches teleconference this week. "They will wait until July, when they take the final round of pictures and his surgeon sees those, and decides whether he’s going to sign off."

That's bad news for the Cyclones, though Rhoads' squad played well in the absence of the team's most electric runner. James White emerged to lead the team with 743 yards rushing, but getting Johnson back would be an obvious huge boost.

"Speculation is, probably, that he will get cleared," Rhoads said. "But until that final round of X-rays is taken and viewed, we’ll just sit back and wait and see. And let the young man train like he is going to play."

That's a tough spot for Rhoads, but Johnson isn't going to play if his health is in serious risk. With neck injuries, that's always possible.

The Cyclones are also waiting for receiver Aaron Horne to heal from a broken collarbone, but signs are good for him to return.

"I’m confident we’ll have Aaron back," Rhoads said.

That's especially good news for his junior-college teammate Steele Jantz, who's competing for the quarterback job with Jared Barnett this spring.

Horne's production waned after Jantz was benched in midseason. Horne caught 23 of his 38 balls in the season's first six games. He was held without a catch in the final two games of the regular season.

Thanks for all the mail this week. Here's where you can reach me.

On to your mail ...

Aaron in Plain City, Ohio, writes: In my mind I see Oklahoma as the clear favorite for the Big 12. But is there really a clear second place team in the Big 12? For that matter, is there really a favorite? I was just curious about your thoughts for the Big 12 this season. Thanks

David Ubben: I definitely think Oklahoma's the clear favorite, but by "clear" I only mean it's clear Oklahoma's the best team to start the season. Last year, it looked like the gap between the Sooners and A&M/Oklahoma State was pretty wide. Injuries and OSU being better than most everyone thought (and I thought they were a 10-win team) changed that up.

OU's the favorite, but not by much. Nobody in the Big 12 is going undefeated next year, but there's definitely no clear second-place team.

West Virginia is probably the second-best team on paper, but will they handle the transition? There are many variables to the transition with no way to figure out the values until the season starts in the fall. The same is true for the Horned Frogs, who I think will have a tougher time with the transition in the immediate future, and also aren't quite as good as WVU on paper. Those defensive losses, mostly Tanner Brock and Devin Johnson, are huge. You need lots of depth and lots of playmakers on defense to win in the Big 12.

As for Kansas State? You saw it last year. They get it done, but they don't do it in impressive fashion. I've mentioned it a couple times, but will K-State get better and still win games when they're close? Part of me says no.

The other half says this is a Bill Snyder-coached team we're talking about and one that returns just about everybody from last year's 10-win team. Pressure me for a guess? I think K-State could be a better team than last year and still only win nine games in a Big 12 that's absolutely loaded in the top half, with some pretty good teams in the bottom half too, like Baylor, Texas Tech and Iowa State.

So yeah, Oklahoma's the best team in the league. That doesn't mean they'll win it, and the race for No. 2 heading into the season could go one of three ways.

---

Curtis in Boone, Iowa, writes: I tweeted you, but i figured id take another approach as well. Do you agree with me that Brandon Weeden is the No. 3 QB in the draft, NOT tannehill? and what are the chances that Cleveland takes both Justin Blackmon AND Weeden with the 4th and 22nd picks, respectively. Colt Mccoy isn't the answer in cleveland, and Weeden could step right in and produce, especially with a top talent like Blackmon.

DU: I do, but I also understand why a) Tannehill has surged and b) teams are unwilling to spend first-round money on Weeden.

For the record, I think they're both early second-rounders. Tannehill is a big risk, and you're asking for trouble if you're a struggling team with a top 5-10 pick that needs a lot of other things to be successful. Tannehill could be good in the league, but I don't think I buy him as an immediate franchise guy you can build around.

Weeden will be more successful in the immediate future, but I also understand that he's an 8-10-year guy vs. a 14-16-year guy like most normal rookies. That's a whole lot of games. Putting Blackmon and Weeden on the same team? Oh man, that would be all kinds of fun.

It'd also be pretty humorous to see Oklahoma's best QB ever throwing to Oklahoma State's best receiver ever out in St. Louis.

---

Cyclones in Ames writes: Hey Ubben, just thought that I would bring it up to your attention but of the 10 coaches next year in the big 12 there will be 4 coaches with connections to the state of Iowa. Mack Brown was an OC at ISU, Dana Holgorsen was born and raised in Iowa along with Paul Rhoads, and Bob Stoops played football at the University of Iowa. A lot of connections to the state of Iowa in the conference.

DU: You're right about that, Mr. Cyclones, but those are far from the only ones. What about the man some consider the greatest coach of them all: Bill Snyder? He spent almost a decade as the offensive coordinator under Hayden Fry at Iowa.

For what it's worth, two different Iowa State coaches served as defensive coordinator under Texas Tech coach Tommy Tuberville. Gene Chizik (sorry for the mention, Iowa State) and Paul Rhoads both got valuable experience under Tuberville at Auburn before moving to Ames.

Iowa doesn't have the greatest reputation when it comes to football culture, but that's a staggering amount of connections for a state with just two major programs within its borders.

---

Jason in Charleston, W. Va., writes: Dave, I just have to ask... what were your expectations before coming to WV versus what you actually found when you got here?

DU: Honestly, it was pretty much exactly what I expected. The actual stuff in the town was a little more expansive than I thought it would be, in terms of restaurants and nightlife, etc. In terms of having a fun weekend, Morgantown will be right in the middle in the Big 12. Folks will enjoy the trip out, and it'll be a new experience for everyone.

The scenery and rolling hills basically looked the exact same as they do in photos, but it was kind of hard to get around. I like hitting open roads with the windows down, and that's pretty tough to do in West Virginia because of all the hills and winding roads. Alas, you could find a much stiffer criticism of a city.

I like Morgantown a lot.

The spring is nearing its end with just a little over a week remaining for some.

Oklahoma State and West Virginia will wrap up their spring practices this weekend. Until then, it's time to break down where we stand in the quarterback competitions around the league.

Baylor: Bears coach Art Briles said it was Nick Florence's job to lose entering the spring, and Florence did nothing to let Briles down. Instead, he seized the job ahead of talented backup Bryce Petty, who has a bright future ahead of himself. Florence gave up his redshirt last season by playing the second half against Texas Tech, but he'll try to make his senior season count. For now, this is his team.

Iowa State: Nothing's been settled after Iowa State's spring game last Saturday. Steele Jantz got back into the race when Jared Barnett struggled in the bowl game, and the competition was too close to call at the end of spring. ISU coach Paul Rhoads even said redshirt freshman Sam Richardson isn't out of the race. Former QB Jerome Tiller is, though. He was in the four-man competition last spring, which Jantz eventually won, but missed the season because of academic issues. He's a receiver now, and doing well at the position.

Kansas: Charlie Weis brought in his guy, Dayne Crist, from Notre Dame, and last year's starter, Jordan Webb, transferred. Crist has entrenched himself as the starter midway through spring practice, which ends with the spring game on April 28. BYU transfer Jake Heaps is taking reps with the second team now, but he'll be phased out in the fall while he sits out his NCAA-mandated redshirt season after transferring.

Kansas State: Collin Klein is still developing as a passer, but he is K-State's offense. Moving on ...

Oklahoma: Landry Jones returned for his senior season, but with a healthy set of running backs, the Belldozer, a power formation named after big-bodied backup Blake Bell, may be phased out this season. Bell, though, showcased his arm in the spring game and outperformed the older Drew Allen. The backup QB race should be interesting to watch this fall.

Oklahoma State: Coach Mike Gundy really wanted to name a starter by the end of spring, but it doesn't look likely to happen. No quarterback has established any distance, but they'll have a huge chance in Saturday's spring game. For now, true freshman Wes Lunt is still in the race, though dual-threat man J.W. Walsh may be the favorite ahead of junior Clint Chelf, who has some game experience the past two seasons. This is the league's best race, but also its most difficult to predict. Just about anything could happen.

Texas: Coach Mack Brown isn't making anything official, but sophomore David Ash was getting nearly all the first-team reps in the spring, ahead of Case McCoy. There's no official title yet, but there would be major shock if anyone but Ash starts the season opener. Now, if Ash struggles...

TCU: Casey Pachall had a great first year, and brings back his top three targets in Josh Boyce, Skye Dawson and Brandon Carter. The sky is the limit for Pachall.

Texas Tech: The Red Raiders' staff liked what Seth Doege did as a first-year starter, but the defense and injuries to his offense put too much strain on him in 2011. He'll look a lot better if his receivers and running backs can stay healthy.

West Virginia: Geno Smith may be the league's best quarterback, and coach Dana Holgorsen can't quit calling him "special." That's not to say he should. It could be a special season for him and the Mountaineers as they join the Big 12.

Miss Iowa State's spring game on Saturday? No worries, we've got you covered.

What happened:

• Jared Barnett threw for 67 yards on 11-of-21 passing, and Steele Jantz completed 16 of 28 passes for 194 yards.
• Barnett rushed 11 times for 55 yards.
• A 56-yard bomb to Josh Lenz highlighted Jantz's day.
• Linebacker A.J. Klein returned an interception 94 yards for a touchdown, a stretch of five plays with three interceptions.
• Lenz led the team with seven catches for 98 yards.
• Cardinal beat Gold, 13-7, whatever that means.
• An estimated 5,000 fans showed up.

What we learned:

• Iowa State has nothing settled at quarterback. Barnett looked like the future quarterback midseason after leading ISU to three wins in his first three starts --including an upset over No. 2 Oklahoma State. He struggled down the stretch, was benched in the bowl game and gave way to Jantz. He started the 2011 season with three fourth-quarter comeback wins. After 15 spring practices, nothing is settled. Coach Paul Rhoads says it's still even and he won't declare a winner until August, which is exactly where the Cyclones were this time last year.
• They're down one quarterback, though. Jerome Tiller, who was in the race last year, has found a nice home at receiver. This is good to see after Tiller missed all of the 2011 season because of academic ineligibility. He caught five passes for 44 yards. "It was fun," Tiller told reporters. "It was a pretty smooth transition."
• The defense looked good, although it is not used to giving up long passes to Lenz. He established himself as Barnett's top target in the slot late last season while Darius Reynolds was Jantz's favorite. But long balls from Jantz to Lentz? That's nutz.
• The offense turned it over four times, including Klein's long score, but Rhoads wasn't taking a lot away from those plays. "I didn’t think those interceptions were all just great defensive plays," Rhoads told reporters "I think the offense hurt themselves in that regard. ... I shouldn’t let those turnovers completely influence me, but they didn’t show up like they have in probably the last four to six practices."

They said it:

"When we get started in August, we will see who wants to perform. Timetable ... I don’t know. When I know we got a No. 1, 1 I will tell you." - Paul Rhoads, on the quarterback race.

Please, please let Mikhail Prokhorov and Mark Cuban engage in hand-to-hand combat. Please.

• West Virginia's Bruce Irvin was a high school dropout and a burglar. Now, he's a future NFL draft pick. Les Carpenter of Yahoo! Sports explains how he got there.
• Why is Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops so careful about injury information? He explains to Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman. Tramel also examines the possibility for OSU to win a Big 12 title with a first-year starter at QB.
• Jon Gruden says if you don't like former Cowboy Justin Blackmon, you don't like football. Here's more of what Gruden had to say, with lots of comments about Big 12 talents.
• I spent some time with West Virginia Illustrated breaking down the Big 12 and where the Mountaineers fit. I also took to the radio with the West Virginia MetroNews. Here's the webcast. Plenty of on- and off-the-field talk here, plus more on my first impressions of Morgantown.
• Oklahoma's all about simplifying the defense in Norman, writes The Oklahoman's Mike Baldwin, who also has an updated depth chart based on spring interviews.
• Could West Virginia finally see what happens when Dana Holgorsen gets four or five years to develop a quarterback? Bob Hertzel of the Times West Virginian wonders.
• Iowa State coach Paul Rhoads offered a brief update on the QB race in Ames.
• Should fans help pick the uniform combos at Oklahoma State? Here's my review of the season in fashion in Stillwater.
• Bill Haisten of the Tulsa World has your update on the rising OSU coaching salaries.
• The transition at KU is difficult, but the coaching staff's history with one another has made it easier, writes Matt Tait of the Lawrence Journal-World.
• Life's going to be more difficult for WVU cornerback Brodrick Jenkins in the Big 12. Is he ready?

Bobby Petrino is out at Arkansas and the Hogs need a new man.

Colleague Travis Haney broke down a few of the possibilities and two Big 12 coaches cracked the list. You'll need ESPN Insider to see them all, but here's what he had to say about the Big 12 candidates:

Gary Patterson, TCU:

Many have wondered what sort of job it would take to get Patterson to leave TCU, where he makes a very comfortable living (reportedly between $2-3 million) and wins a bunch of football games.

Why not now and why not Arkansas? TCU is embroiled in an uncomfortable drug scandal, which could force Patterson to suspend or lose several players this fall and affect recruiting in the near future. Additionally, while the move to the Big 12 is certainly a boost for the school, it makes winning all the more difficult for Patterson.

My take: Hard for me to see this one. It's not the right time for Patterson to leave. He's the chief reason TCU is in the Big 12 (consider the difficulty of doing that, by the way), but after a decade-plus of hard work, why leave now, right when he has TCU on the doorstep of becoming a true elite team? I don't buy it.

Paul Rhoads, Iowa State:

Like Patterson, Rhoads has a defensive background. Perhaps that doesn't matter a great deal in the long run, but Long would be wise to find someone, if he can, to lead the loaded, offensive-minded 2012 team. If the Razorbacks go the interim route this season and open things up to a full search this winter, then both Patterson and Rhoads could become leading candidates.

My take: I'm not sure Arkansas could sell the Rhoads hire after Petrino. You won't find a coach liked by more people in the profession and by those who cover the sport. Even if Arkansas did want him, I'm not sure it's the right job for Rhoads. He just signed a 10-year, $20-million contract extension. It's not impossible, but it's hard for me to see Arkansas getting so far down on their list that Patterson and Rhoads get offers and choose to leave.

What's the bigger upset? KU winning the Big 12, considering its roster to start the season? Or KU winning tonight?

• West Virginia will be adding some sports some time, but which ones? AD Oliver Luck isn't so sure. "I think the conference office is probably grateful to us because it's forcing them to take a look at their bylaws," Luck said. "I don't think they'd paid much attention to some of the things that are in there." This is my unsurprised face.
• The Texas QBs? David Ash's chance to win the job this year looks as likely as Garrett Gilbert's did this time last year, writes Kirk Bohls of the Austin American-Statesman. And hey, why didn't UT attempt a field goal in the spring game?
• TCU is changing leagues, but its program's foundation is the same, writes Gil LeBreton of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
• Don Williams of the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal sorts out who'll be playing and who won't among Tech receivers.
• Luck talks more about the Big 12 transition, noting that Florida State is still on the 2013 schedule.
• Iowa State coach Paul Rhoads offers a beard update, and linebacker Jake Knott talks about spending time off the field with Andrew Logue of the Des Moines Register. He also offers a look at former quarterback Jerome Tiller, who sat out last season because of academic issues, but is making an impact at receiver.
• It's not a big change, but Bobby Jack Wright is in charge of special teams at Oklahoma. Mike Baldwin of The Oklahoman explains exactly what that means.
• Cedric Golden of the Austin American-Statesman liked the physicality he saw from Texas in its spring game on Sunday.
• Former Baylor QB Robert Griffin III challenged Brittney Griner to a dunk contest. Hmm ... that sounds familiar.
• Texas unveiled its statue of Ricky Williams at the spring game on Sunday.
• The Sooners picked up a running back from Florida for the 2013 class.
• Oklahoma State offensive coordinator Todd Monken talks about his preparation for Year 2 with Gina Mizell of The Oklahoman.
• Ahmad Rashad checks in with Robert Griffin III and his parents.
• Richard Tijerina of the Austin American-Statesman has a few spare thoughts from Texas' spring game.
• The Statesman's Suzanne Halliburton tracks Baylor's recent rise as part of the "Baylor 2012" program, which sought to make the Bears the Baptist version of Notre Dame.
• Oklahoma would like you to begin drooling over receiver Trey Metoyer. Onward to YouTube!
• John Hoover of the Tulsa World catches up with former Sooner Brian Simmons, who tells what life is like in the Canadian Football League.
• Is Texas Tech moving a safety to defensive end? Looks like it.

Iowa State's receivers need a big spring, but injuries are keeping major contributors off the field.

Aaron Horne, a juco transfer who caught 38 passes for 431 yards in his first season, will miss the rest of the spring with a broken collarbone. He suffered the injury on Saturday, coach Paul Rhoads told reporters this week.

Fellow receivers Ja’Quarius Daniels (shoulder) and Chris Young (concussion) are also being kept off the field.

Iowa State's leading receiver, Darius Reynolds, is gone, and Josh Lenz will enter his senior season as one of the top targets, but his production narrowly outpaced Horne's, with 39 catches for 510 yards.

The unit was one of the least productive in the Big 12, and one of the positions that needs the most improvement this spring.

If that's going to happen, the receivers obviously have to stay healthy. Not what Iowa State wanted to see this spring.

Iowa State linebacker A.J. Klein was a big reason for the Cyclones' six wins in 2011 and a second bowl bid in three years.

He was second in the Big 12 with 117 tackles and had 7.5 tackles for loss, returning his only interception for a score. For his efforts, the coaches awarded him a share of the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year. He talks about that surprise, as well as the changes this spring and some follicular chit chat, too.

How does spring practice when you make a bowl game compare to one when you're not in the postseason?

I really don't think our mentality really changes whether we make a bowl game or not. Athleticism-wise, in terms of being in shape, we're probably in the same shape. If you do make a bowl game you've got those three extra weeks of training underneath your belt, but as far as overall, I think we're at the same exact point we were in the year we didn't make a bowl game.

We do the same things in the offseason, so it's really no different.

What's it going to be like for you this spring playing without Jake Knott (shoulder surgery) on the field?

It's a little different. I know Jevohn (Miller) is in there, behind Jake. I know being a freshman working into his sophomore season, he's got a lot to learn but he's taking it day by day and trying to learn and improve every day. I know Jake sometimes is missed out there just in communication. Right now, we obviously have to communicate different with Jevohn on the field, but it's good for me because it also makes me take on that leadership role more and helping Jevohn adjust to everything that's going in and getting him ready to play.

You never know during the season what happens. We want Jake to stay healthy, obviously, but if an injury would occur, he's the next guy in line, so I think he's excited to get all these reps and develop as a player right now.

When you talk about communication being different, what's an example of where you'd see an explicit difference of communication between when Jake is out there and when Jevohn is out there?

It's just overall concepts and understanding a defense. I know Jevohn knows his assignments, but he still has yet to get to the point where he knows why he's doing his assignment. That's just a part of learning the game of football. I know me and Jake went through the same exact things when we were his age going into our sophomore season and being No. 1 guys.

With Jake, he understands everything. It's as simple of that. As I said before, it's just going to be a process for Jevohn to understand. Hopefully by the end of spring ball, he'll have everything down and we'll be able to keep our communication up and improve communication between each other.

With as much experience as you have, where can you get better this spring?

I can get better all over the field. I take it day by day and Coach (defensive coordinator Wally) Burnham has a saying: "If you get two percent better every day in some part of the game" -- and right now I want to work on tackling, which is obviously a big part of the game. It's important and again, though I'm a senior going into my last year and I understand the defense, I can always learn. I'm still learning as a football player and from Jevohn, he can understand the defense more, there's still things I don't understand that I can keep learning as spring goes on to put me ahead.

What was it like to find out you won Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year?

It was amazing. I don't want to say I didn't necessarily think I had a chance to win it. Obviously, it's been a goal of mine to be noticed for performing well throughout the season. I was just really thankful. I know it's not just an individual award. It comes from the whole team. It's the whole defense working together and for me to get singled out I think is almost unfair to the rest of the defense.

My teammates know they're a big part of my success, though, and it'll continue to be that way.

How'd you find out?

I found out through my dad, actually. I was taking a nap after class before my next class and my dad actually called me. He woke me up and told me the news.

I was surprised, I'm not gonna lie. I'm just thankful that it happened. I'm looking to improve for next season and hopefully keep on my good streak of playing good football and hopefully get recognized again next year.

What was he like when he told you?

He was kind of mellow-toned. Just really, really calm and told me congratulations. He knows how much hard work I'd been putting in and to see it finally pay off was great.

He was a little emotional and so was I, but it was good to hear from him first. I would have rather heard from him first than anybody else.

When you made that push last year and qualified for a bowl, what'd you prove to the rest of the league?

Obviously that we're not the old Iowa State that was here four or five years ago before Coach Rhoads was here. We're a team that's going to compete every game. We play hard and we're striving to be the most physical team in the league. You can't count us out anymore, no matter what people say.

They can predict whatever they want, but we have our own goals and our own mentality. We know the kind of football we can play. It's just eliminating mistakes.

Coach Rhoads made a point of that at the start of spring ball. You win games by eliminating mistakes, and that's our main focus going into these next few practices we have, is eliminating mistakes so we can win not six games and get to a bowl, but 9-10 games. We want to win a championship here, and that's what we're striving for.

I became aware that Coach Rhoads was rocking a beard at the beginning of the spring. Is that thing still around?

I think it is.

There's been some debate on how often he breaks it out. I don't think I've seen it this full during the season. How often have you seen him with it? He'd be the only Big 12 coach with any facial hair, I'm fairly sure.

I think he's got a beard most of the time, at least some scruff. I think he still keeps it around a little bit when we go into the season.

Well, tell him to have that stick around for the season.

I'd enjoy it. I wouldn't complain.

If I lose my helmet, am I also forced to miss a day of blogging? I'd never do that to you people.

• There's been a bit more clarity provided to the situation surrounding two Texas Tech players who were recently arrested.
• Is Bedlam catching up with the Red River Rivalry? Guerin Emig of the Tulsa World addresses the possibility, and notes that OSU's rise has changed the game.
• West Virginia's joining the Big 12, and it's also raising the price of season tickets and per-seat donations for Mountaineers fans.
• Iowa State is trimming its offensive playbook for its inexperienced quarterbacks, writes Andrew Logue of the Des Moines Register. Also, coach Paul Rhoads is rocking an outstanding spring beard. You can see it in that link.
• Mike Casazza of the Charleston Daily Mail introduces you to a possible future star on West Virginia's defense that had a tough year in 2011.
• Randy Riggs of the Austin American-Statesman has your update on the results from Texas' pro day.
• Bryan Fischer of CBSSports.com checks in with the family reunion at Oklahoma.
• Now's your chance to get to know Texas Tech offensive line coach Chris Thomsen.
• Gina Mizell of The Oklahoman has a Q&A with former Cowboy Brandon Weeden, leading up to next month's draft.
• Texas linebacker Emmanuel Acho may have a leg up on the draft process because of his brother's rookie success, writes Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.