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DALLAS -- At 5 a.m., Tommy Tuberville arrived at the Texas Tech football facilities, food for his assistants in hand.

The rest of his staff would arrive shortly.

The sun followed about two and a half hours later. Seven of his 27 recruits ready to sign letters of intent were on the East Coast, and he'd like to avoid any fax machine shenanigans.

"Those guys can start faxing in letters at 6 a.m. local time, so you've got to be ready," Tuberville said with a laugh.

Of course, anyone can attest climbing out of bed is a lot easier when you know a good day awaits. By its end, Tuberville had signed what Texas Tech says is the highest-rated recruiting class in school history. More encouraging? It's Tuberville's first "full" class, and he doesn't even believe he's had a chance to complete his recruiting process. He took the job on Jan. 9, 2010, less than 13 months ago.

"To me, recruiting really is a two-year process for a player," Tuberville said.

The process starts with evaluation, by far the most important stage, Tuberville says. During a prospect's junior year, Tuberville collects all his film, evaluates the prospect and before spring practice, decides whether or not to extend an offer.

He had three weeks after taking the job to complete that process last year for his 2011 class before kicking off spring practice.

"If you wait until mid or late summer, some of them might have already committed, and there will be a lot of guys committed before late spring," Tuberville said.

As a result, he likes to have every scholarship offer out before spring practice begins.

What's at risk isn't an impressive "recruiting class ranking," but finding contributors.

"It’s essential that you have an 80-90 percent rate of kids that come in and maybe they're not be great players, but they can contribute to wins at your school," Tuberville said.

He estimates that about half of his 27 signees will have a chance to either start or be in the rotation as freshmen.

This year, Tuberville didn't have to hear questions about whether he'd throw the ball.

At his post-signing day rallies in Dallas and Houston last year, it seemed like that's all boosters and alums wanted to know.

"And I said, listen, do I look stupid?" Tuberville said. "We’re going to take the players we’ve got and do what we need to do to be successful. We’re going to run it a little bit more, but we’re going to try to do whatever we can to keep what you’ve built here in the last few years."

On Thursday, the day after signing day, Tuberville made the rounds again. He flew to Houston from Lubbock in the morning, and flew from Houston to Dallas in the afternoon to present his new class via a photo/video slideshow to the program's supporters.

What he showed them was a class full of speed on both offense and defense and a collection of pass rushers, exactly what Tuberville believes he needs to have success in the Big 12.

"In the Big 12, if you don’t have a good pass rusher, I don’t care how good your DBs are, you have to have a good pass rusher or you’re getting beat," he said. "So we signed five or six guys that are 6-foot-4 or 6-foot-5 with good wingspan."

A good pass rush doesn't mean racking up sacks, Tuberville says. Especially in the Big 12. The prevalence of the quick passing game and the shotgun means that goal is unrealistic. What's not unrealistic is making a quarterback go through through as many reads as possible by getting those long arms in passing lanes and making a quarterback throw on the move.

The last piece of his class who can offer that came late.

Defensive end Cooper Washington had committed to Oklahoma in April 2010, and remained a solid commitment for most of it. But Tuberville did what he does with plenty of committed recruits.

"You’ll have guys who commit really early to Nebraska or a Texas or Oklahoma and we’ll tell him, 'Hey, you're committed. We understand that. But just stay in contact. Make a phone call once a week or whatever, hey, how you doing? Everything going alright? Stay in touch in case something happens,'" Tuberville said.

Last Sunday, something happened. Washington began doubting that commitment. He placed a call to Sonny Cumbie, his recruiter. Playing his college ball seven hours away suddenly wasn't as attractive as doing the same an hour away from his hometown of Muleshoe, Texas.

Monday morning, Cumbie had a welcome message for Tuberville. Washington wanted to be a Red Raider. On Wednesday, in front of banners at his school congratulating him for signing with the Sooners, he signed with Tuberville and Tech.

"It wasn’t anything we did," Tuberville said. "It was just a decision of, do I want to go there or stay home? And when you’re the home team, usually you’ve got a little bit of an advantage."

But that philosophy of keeping in touch helped quite a bit.

It's not often that Texas Tech swipes a recruit from one of the Big 12 powers, but it could be happening more often as Tech tries to become one under Tuberville.

And if that's going to happen, it'll have to start with recruiting.

"If we can get a defense to go with the kind of offense we’ve got, we’ve got a chance, but we’re not even close defensively right now," Tuberville said. "But [on signing day], we helped it a lot."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How about a few hot Big 12 links for your lunchtime edification?

My doctor tells me that these nuggets are better than orange juice or hot chicken soup to keep away the common cold.

So here's to your health by reading these.

• The Omaha World-Herald’s Tom Shatel reports that Texas turned down the opportunity for a Thursday night game at Nebraska on Oct. 14 that would have been nationally televised by ESPN.
• Texas, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State are Matt Hayes’ top four teams in his final installment of his weekly Big 12 rankings.
• Top Nebraska recruit Corey Cooper tells the Lincoln Journal Star’s Brian Christopherson that he will decide on signing day among scholarship offers from the Cornhuskers, Notre Dame, Arizona and Illinois.
• Baylor added strength in the trenches with the addition of recruits Dominque Jones from Midwest City, Okla., and Beau Yap from Honolulu, the Waco Tribune-Herald’s John Werner reports.
• The Boulder Daily Camera’s Neill Woelk opines that the proposed $50 million infusion from boosters could change the face of Colorado’s athletic department.
• Texas A&M defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter tells the San Antonio Express-News’ Brent Zwerneman that his family is excited about moving to College Station for his new job.
• Bob Stoops was torn in Sunday’s NFC Championship Game by the number of his former players playing for both teams, the Tulsa World’s David Sittler reports.
• Former Texas Tech and Memphis assistant Brian Mitchell has joined Ruffin McNeill’s staff at East Carolina, the Greenville (N.C.) Daily Reflector reports.
• Denton (Texas) quarterback and Texas Tech recruit Scotty Young headlines the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal’s “Fabulous 44” team of top recruits.
• CollegeFootballNews.com analyzes why Colorado’s recruiting efforts appear to be stuck in neutral.
• Former Texas Tech quarterback and broadcaster Sonny Cumbie has been promoted from a graduate assistant to a full-time position as inside receivers coach on coach Tommy Tuberville's staff, the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal reports.
• The Oklahoman’s Brandon Chatmon analyzes Oklahoma State’s incoming recruiting class.

The coaches who were most directly responsible for helping direct Texas Tech to the Red Raiders' victory over Michigan State in the Valero Alamo Bowl won't be a part of Tommy Tuberville's new staff.

Interim coach/defensive coordinator Ruffin McNeill and inside receivers coach Lincoln Riley were among six coaches who were let go by Tuberville.

McNeill worked as the interim coach after Mike Leach was fired the week before the game. And Riley served as the Red Raiders' offensive coordinator, juggling the quarterback switch where Steven Sheffield was inserted in place of Taylor Potts in the middle of the fourth quarter to direct the comeback victory.

Other coaches from Leach's staff who won't be retained include running backs coach Clay McGuire, safeties coach Carlos Mainord, cornerbacks coach Brian Mitchell and special teams coordinator Eric Russell.

Among former members of Leach's staff who survived the coaching switch included offensive line coach Matt Moore, defensive ends coach Charlie Sadler and Sonny Cumbie, who is a graduate assistant for the offense. Wide receivers coach Dennis Simmons also will be retained in some capacity with Tuberville's staff.

McNeill directed the transformation of the Red Raiders' defense over the last 2 1/2 seasons. The Red Raiders finished 2009 ranked fourth nationally in sacks, but only 94th in turnover margin.

Alabama associate head coach/linebacker coach James Willis appears to have the inside track on becoming Tuberville's new defensive coordinator. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported that Willis has been Lubbock the last two days with his family attempting to get settled in the area.

Mike Leach's reluctance to apologize to Adam James and his family led to his school-mandated suspension for the Valero Alamo Bowl.

The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal reported Tuesday that the Tech coach did not dispute the facts after ESPN analyst Craig James had complained to school officials about Leach's treatment of his son, Adam, after he suffered a mild concussion last month.

The Avalanche-Journal reported that the school completed an initial investigation before suspending Leach. Leach did not dispute the facts, but also did not believe he had done anything wrong. The Tech coach also told officials that Adam James was "a slacker" and that Craig James was too involved in his son's football career.

Leach had until Monday to write a letter of apology to James and his family. When he didn't, Tech officials took action.

It led to Leach's suspension, with pay, from his job as head coach.

Leach's attorney, Ted Liggett, told the Avalanche-Journal that he hasn't given up hope that Leach will coach the Red Raiders in Saturday night's Valero Alamo Bowl against Michigan State in San Antonio. Liggett said he could consider legal action to get him back on the sideline.

"We're going to do everything we can to see that our client is duly served justice and that he's reunited with his boys as soon as possible,'' Liggett said.

When asked how he planned to go about it, Liggett said, "Through the court system, don't ya?''

If Leach can't coach, it will lead to a unique coaching situation for the Red Raiders in the bowl game. Defensive coordinator Ruffin McNeill will serve as Tech's interim coach.

McNeill told reporters Monday in San Antonio it will be the first time he has served as a head coach since he coached a high school team in Lumberton, N.C., in the mid-1980s.

Wide receivers coach Lincoln Riley will take over Leach's play-calling duties for Saturday's game, with staff assistant Sonny Cumbie signaling plays from the sideline.

The Alamo Bowl already had been marked by who wasn't going to be at the Alamodome. Michigan State suspended 11 players and dismissed two others in connection with a Nov. 22 dorm fight. Among the players who will be missing are wide receivers B.J. Cunningham and Mark Dell and starting cornerback Chris L. Rucker, who have all been charged with misdemeanors in connection with the incident.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

There's a reason why Mike Leach has had a sly smile on his face every time I saw him this summer.

After unprecedented attention last season, most pundits are wondering if Tech crawls in a hole after losing Michael Crabtree and Graham Harrell.

Leach isn't worried about 2009 as you might think. Incoming quarterback Taylor Potts has won the job sooner than any other first-season Texas Tech quarterback in recent memory. The Tech defense has lost top pass rushers like McKinner Dixon and Brandon Williams from last season. But Leach likes his collection of talent that's on hand.

It might not be good enough to keep the Red Raiders in Big 12 South title contention in November, but the Red Raiders will still be a tough game to make them a challenging opponent for the expected gauntlet of opponents in the division.

1. Leach will wonder why he moved the Texas game ahead to Sept. 19. The Red Raiders were going to have trouble winning in Texas no matter when the game was scheduled -- especially considering the Longhorns' memories of last season's gut-wrenching loss in Lubbock. But the Red Raiders' hopes would have been a lot better in November when the game was originally scheduled than moving it to the third week of the season. It will be Potts' first road game and Leach likely would prefer a test run before throwing him to the wolves -- especially more than 100,000 people at Royal Memorial Stadium. Baron Batch's condition might be iffy, depending on how serious his arm injury is. It won't be a pleasant experience and Leach will wonder if playing the game as scheduled would have worked out better for his team.

2. Taylor Potts will have first-season statistics equal to, if not better, than any of Leach's other quarterbacks. Recall those one-season quarterbacks who lit up the Big 12 in their short stints as Tech's quarterbacks? You remember them, Sonny Cumbie, B.J. Symons and Cody Hodges. Those three quarterbacks averaged nearly 4,900 passing yards and 38.3 touchdown passes in their season as a starter. And Potts will be right in that same ballpark when the 2009 season is over.

3. Texas Tech's stretch of winning seasons will continue for another season. The Red Raiders are the only team in the Big 12 to post a winning record in every season. That streak will stretch for one more year as the Red Raiders win seven or eight games, make a bowl trip and pull off an upset victory or two. No, it won't be as successful as last season, but the Red Raiders will still roll up a slew of yards and score a bunch of points as their coach fills up reporters' notebooks everywhere. In other words, a normal season for Leach and his program -- even without Harrell and Crabtree.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

Here's a look at the Big 12's most pressing early concerns as teams break for the summer for a couple of weeks before returning in June to begin conditioning drills to prepare for the upcoming season:

1. Can Texas find a running game? The Longhorns are still looking for a featured back after no player really emerged during the spring. Cody Johnson had the best early production before he was slowed late in training camp with a hamstring injury. Neither Vondrell McGee or Fozzy Whittaker jumped forward during the spring. Heralded freshman Chris Whaley will get his chance once fall practice begins, but likely won't be counted on early. But filling the hole is important. The Longhorns desperately need somebody as they likely can't challenge for a national championship if Colt McCoy again is their leading rusher.

2. Is Oklahoma's offensive line capable of playing at a level to win conference championships and beyond? After being called out before spring practice for its lack of diligence in conditioning, Oklahoma's offensive line had an uneven spring practice. Four new starters need to emerge along with Trent Williams, who returns and moves to left tackle to protect Sam Bradford's blind side. The unit's growth will determine much of the Sooners' offensive success -- even with the return of talented skill-position players like Bradford, Chris Brown, DeMarco Murray, Jermaine Gresham and Ryan Broyles already in place.

3. Is Oklahoma State's defense really good enough to compete for the Big 12 title? Veteran defensive coordinator Bill Young was counted on to boost production in a unit that didn't seem ready late last year after being blistered for averages of 58.5 points and 593 yards per game in late-season losses to Texas Tech and Oklahoma. The Cowboys have another season of experience and some strong individual players like Perrish Cox and Andre Sexton. But unless they find a pass rush, their hopes of challenging for their first Big 12 South title will be dubious.

4. Can Kansas find linebackers who will enable them to contain Big 12 defenses? The Jayhawks lost three capable playmaking linebackers in James Holt, Mike Rivera and Joe Mortensen from last season. Coach Mark Mangino has hinted that he's considering a 4-2-5 alignment to better combat the Big 12's spread offenses. But he still has to hope that Jake Schermer and Arist Wright prove to be capable replacements -- or it could be a long season for the Jayhawks against their tough schedule of Big 12 South power teams like Oklahoma, Texas and Texas Tech.

5. How much will Texas Tech miss Graham Harrell and Michael Crabtree? Most are thinking that the loss of Harrell and Crabtree will be too much for the Red Raiders to overcome. But Texas Tech coach Mike Leach has quietly -- at least for him -- maintained that he likes his current group of replacements. Taylor Potts will have more experience coming into the program than any of the one-year players who preceded Harrell. All that group (Sonny Cumbie, B.J. Symons and Cody Hodges) did was average nearly 4,943 yards and 38.3 touchdown passes per season in their only season starting, so maybe Leach's comments should be considered. And at wide receiver, the Red Raiders won't have the overall star power of Crabtree, but will still have capable replacements in players like Detron Lewis, Lyle Leong, Edward Britton, Alex Torres, Adrian Reese and Tramain Swindall who should be ready.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

Who said that May is supposed to be the "dog days" of college football?

How great is it that some topic or another seems to percolate for conversation about the Big 12 almost all the time?

Today was no exception.

• Tulsa World sports editor Mike Strain wonders if Texas fans will fly banners over the Big 12 meetings later this month as conference athletic directors gather to discuss tiebreaking rules. And Bryan Eagle columnist Robert Cessna thinks that Big 12 coaches made a wise move by not changing the tiebreaking rules.
• Colorado could be facing a reduction in the number of available football scholarships after player attrition could affect the school's Academic Progress Rate, Boulder Daily Camera beat writer Kyle Ringo reports.
• Former Texas Tech quarterback Sonny Cumbie will be headed back to Lubbock this fall as a graduate assistant coach for the Red Raiders, the San Angelo Standard-Times' Bill Nance reports (hat tip Double T Nation.com). But first, he's got some playing still left as the quarterback for the San Angelo Stampede of the Indoor Football League.
• St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist Jeff Gordon says there's some merit to Missouri soliciting an invitation to join the Big Ten, although he thinks adding an Eastern school would be more beneficial to the conference.
• The Omaha World-Herald's Tom Shatel provides his takes on a potential move in the future for Nebraska-Omaha athletic director Trev Alberts back to Nebraska and his stance on a potential penalty for wide receiver Niles Paul.
• The St. Louis Post-Dispatch's staff kicks around whether Missouri can maintain its recent success produced after making back-to-back championship game appearances.
• Austin American-Statesman columnist Kirk Bohls catches up with two Florida fans who are making a cross-country trek in an RV to rally support against the Bowl Championship Series.
• After washing out at their first NFL minicamps, Dave Matter of the Columbia Daily Tribune reports that Tommy Saunders and Chase Patton will likely get another shot with new NFL teams. Saunders has signed with the Detroit Lions and Patton is close to accepting an offer with the Kansas City Chiefs.
• Steve Sipple of the Lincoln Journal-Star had some interesting comments from Nebraska athletic director Tom Osborne about some dissatisfaction in the Big 12's current television contract:

"One thing we're looking at [in the Big 12] is television because the SEC kind of stole the march on us with its pact with ESPN, which is very lucrative," Osborne told the Journal-Star. "The Big Ten has its own network. We think that's probably OK but not necessarily a super arrangement for them. So I think there's some thought in the Big 12, with our Fox contract expiring in a couple years, that we need to be ready to make a move. That's something in the next year or so that will need to be more clearly defined."

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

Here are a few of the letters and e-mails I received over the last few days.

Dennis from Corpus Christi, Texas, writes: Tim, I enjoy your blogs very much even though I ride you a little hard at times. I still think your blogs are very informative. I've noticed that Mike Caputo, a walk-on from Omaha, has emerged as one of the top linemen in training camp for Nebraska this spring. Walk-ons have obviously been an important part of Husker football for a long time. How much better or worst can a walk-on program help by improving the talent level, player attitude and team spirit of a Big 12 team.

Tim Griffin: Obviously, there are some walk-on players that can help a program. It's as much with team chemistry as anything else because these players can help infuse a program with a different attitude. It's very rare when a true playmaker will come into a program as a walk-on, although standouts like Kevin Greene, Wes Hopkins, Daniel Sepulveda and Joel Klatt all started that way.

And no Big 12 program has embraced the concept of walk-ons quite like Nebraska. Bo Pelini sees the value in it and I think it provides the Cornhuskers with some advantages.

But I don't think a team can count on attracting a starter or two a year with walk-on players. I think most coaches count whatever contributions they get from those players as a bonus.

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Sean Murphy from Omaha writes: Hey Tim, I absolutely love your blog. One question for you, why do you think Colorado will have the best offensive line in the North next season?

Tim Griffin: Sean, I just believe that the Buffaloes have been wracked by injuries in the last year or so in the trenches. If they can get guys like Ryan Miller and Mike Iltis back in the lineup, it will help them greatly. And players like Evan Eastburn and Bryce Givens should give them a boost in talent, on top of having four starters back from last season.

And it also would help the Colorado offense look good if Darrell Scott and Rodney Stewart got back to health. Both are legitimate threats to rush for 1,000 yards this season if they are healthy. I realize that's a big if, but if they run behind a retooled line, the Buffaloes have a great shot to be a dark-horse contender in the North.

I don't know if they can make 10-2 as Coach Dan Hawkins has predicted, but I do think they are definite threats to go to a bowl game and can contend for the North title if they can catch a few breaks along the way.

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Jay from Kansas City writes: Hey Tim! I hate to be the guy that emails you to moan about one of your rankings but I very much think Kerry Meier is far underrated by your blog. The stats speak plenty for Kerry. The fact that he is a playable Division 1 QB as well has to bump him up, in my opinion. Keep up that good work.

Tim Griffin: I labored about where to place Meier in my rankings. He's obviously a valuable player and can becoming that much more of a receiving threat if he was able to concentrate on playing wide receiver all the time. But realistically, Meier is the second most valuable receiver on the team. Dezmon Briscoe can stretch defenses with his deep receiving skills and could become one of the best receivers in college football if he can get back in Mark Mangino's good graces. That's why I placed Meier where I did  with Briscoe in front of him. Meier is still a very valuable player, although I don't think he's the most valuable receiving threat on his team.

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Shane from Elm Creek, Neb., writes: Hey Tim, any ideas on other possible Heisman hopefuls that are not on the offensive side of the ball, both from the Big 12 and outside the conference? Will the Heisman voters ever change the way they vote? Will they ever stop voting just on the quarterbacks, with a running back in the race here and there. It would be nice if the award went back to its original roots, in my opinion.

Tim Griffin: I don't see a defensive player winning a Heisman Trophy award solely on his defensive merits any time soon. I think most voters think the multitude of awards solely for defensive players already rewards them. Charles Woodson's award in 1997 was as much for his kick returns as his defense. Obviously, I would think that USC safety Taylor Mays, Florida linebacker Brandon Spikes, Tennessee safety Eric Berry and Big 12 defensive tackles Ndamukong Suh of Nebraska or Gerald McCoy of Oklahoma could be considered as Heisman contenders with a monster season. But it will be an unusual circumstance for it to occur.

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Big Steve from Floydada, Texas, writes: Tim, how much is Texas Tech going to miss Graham Harrell this season? Can they still make a challenge for the Big 12 South or make a bowl trip with Taylor Potts in charge?

Tim Griffin: There's no doubt that Harrell will be missed around Texas Tech program. His record-setting numbers attest to his abilities and it's unfair to compare Potts or anybody else in the program to his high standards. But I think people are forgetting the turnover that used to follow the Tech program in previous seasons at quarterback. Harrell was one of the few multiseason starters in the program at quarterback along with Kliff Kingsbury. Mike Leach had a repeated run of one-year starters in B.J. Symons, Sonny Cumbie and Cody Hodges over a three-year period from 2003-05. I haven't seen Potts play yet, but from everything I've heard about him, I think he's comparable with any of those previous one-season starters. He's bigger and apparently has a strong arm. So it will be interesting to see what he does when he gets the chance to start.

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James Williams from Tulsa writes: I'm curious if you think R.J. Washington will play much for Oklahoma this season? The Sooners have one of the deepest defensive lines in the country, but I think he's just too talented to sit the bench.

Tim Griffin: You might need to convince Bob Stoops because I think he likely believes he can never have too much depth in the trenches. That being said, I think the Sooners could have more talent along their defensive line than any Big 12 team I can remember. And for Washington playinf, he's going to have to beat out Jeremy Beal, David King, Frank Alexander and Auston English.

I think English could really emerge as a breakthrough player -- again. People forget how dominant he was in 2007 before he was hurt late that season and last year. If he is ever healthy, I think he can be one of the best pass-rushing threats in the nation. But I also believe that Brent Venables will rotate his players, giving Washington a chance to get some snaps this season. When he gets them, he needs to make the most out of them.

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Adam Bates writes: Hey, Tim, is there any chance that Missouri game is going to be on television on Saturday like it was last season. Or will any of the other Big 12 teams with spring games left this season have their games televised live?

Tim Griffin: Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but no Big 12 team will have their games televised live during the rest of spring practice from what I've heard.

Please keep the e-mails coming. I'll try to answer as many as I can next week.

Thanks again for your contributions. I appreciate them.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

Texas Tech is streaking through its most memorable season in Big 12 history. Texas A&M is floundering through its worst Big 12 start.

But even with that dichotomy in success, fans from the two old rivals remain bitter.

Tech cornerback Jamar Wall is very familiar with the feelings of Tech fans about the Aggies. It's not unusual to find an A&M logo adorning urinals at Lubbock nightclubs.

"Most people (at Tech) don't like A&M," Wall said. "But they are just another team to us."

And A&M coach Mike Sherman learned quickly of the depth of the rivalry among Aggie fans soon after taking the job.

"It's definitely is a sore spot with all Aggies and it's pretty evident traveling around this state," Sherman said. "One of the war cries is always, 'Beat Tech! Beat Tech!' That's something that is important to the people here and has been for quite some time.

"I grew up in Boston and the evil empire there was always the (New York) Yankees. It's kind of like that out there in Lubbock."

A&M leads the series, 34-31-1, but the Red Raiders have dominated recently, claiming 10 of the last 13 games in the series. And since the two schools became conference rivals in 1960, Tech has a 26-21-1 edge.

And after losing his first game to A&M in 2000, Tech coach Mike Leach has beaten the Aggies six of the last seven games.

The traditional rivalry has had its bitter moments over the years. There was the nasty altercation in 2001 in Lubbock when Tech fans carried a goalpost into a section where Texas A&M fans were sitting. An angry brawl ensued and Dr. Mike McKinney, father of former A&M football players Seth McKinney, was struck in the face by "some kid in a red shirt," he said after the game. It turned out it was another A&M fan.

And Leach brought some levity when he talked about A&M's cadets when he saw them at a game in Lubbock several years later.

"How come they get to pretend they are soldiers?" Leach said in a New York Times interview. "The thing is, they aren't actually in the military. I ought to have Mike's Pirate School. The freshmen, all they get is the bandana. When you're a senior, you get the sword and skull and crossbones. For homework, we'll work pirate maneuvers and stuff like that."

After beating the Aggies in a 2006 game in College Station, Leach made a famous comment after the Red Raiders escaped with a 31-27 victory.

"Once in awhile, a pirate can beat a soldier," Leach said.

The game had some sizzle last season. Jorvorskie Lane predicted victory before the game in Lubbock. And Von Miller leveled Graham Harrell with a tackle shortly before halftime that the Tech quarterback later said was a cheap shot. Tech claimed a 35-7 triumph.

Lane and other seniors didn't even show up for A&M media availability this week. About the closest to any retorts from the Aggie side was when A&M freshman receiver Ryan Tannehill told reporters he wasn't proud that he grew up a Tech fan during his youth in Big Spring -- even down to having a Red Raider football uniform as a little boy.

Some of Tannehill's early Tech infatuation was understandable. His father, Tim, was a Tech wide receiver. And his son grew up wanting to follow in his father's footsteps as the Kliff Kingsbury or Sonny Cumbie.

"Those are guys I always dreamed of because they were good quarterbacks," Tannehill told reporters earlier this week. "But now, I just want to take them down."

The rivalry could provide some fireworks, even as the Red Raiders attempt to defend their No. 5 ranking in the coaches' poll and a No. 7 ranking in the Associated Press poll. The Aggies are off to a 2-4 start, including two conference losses for their worst conference start since 1984.

A&M's struggling defense, which ranks 100th in turnover margin and 106th in scoring defense, will face a potent Tech offense that's averaging 46.3 points per game.

Sherman, in his first season as A&M's coach, is feeling that pressure to conjure up an upset that could turn around the season. The Aggies have allowed 100 combined points in their last two games.

"Our backs are so far against the wall we have splinters up our [bottoms]," he said.

Despite A&M's struggles, Tech players are excited about their chance to play at Kyle Field. In eight of Tech's last nine trips there, the game has been decided by seven points or less.

"We always enjoy playing them," Tech wide receiver Eric Morris said. "It will be fun playing in that atmosphere. We understand that people from here and there don't really get along that well. And us coming into town and having the success we have, they will be ready to play. I'm sure we'll have a bull's-eye on our back."

Morris said he enjoys Kyle Field and Nebraska's Memorial Stadium as his two favorite stops in the Big 12.

"There is great atmosphere at both places where they have great and loyal fans," Morris said. "I remembered they cheered us at Nebraska after our game out there. But they might not be as welcoming at Kyle Field as the Nebraska fans are."

And despite A&M's struggles so far this season, Morris expects that A&M fans will be ready for Tech's visit on Saturday.

"It's more of a rivalry and there's no love lost between the two schools," he said, chuckling. "They're good fans, but not that good of fans."

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

	Sam Greenwood/Getty Images
	Graham Harrell racked up the second-most passing yards in history last season with 5,705.

Mike Leach made an interesting comment at a luncheon Thursday in Lubbock honoring his team, mentioning something I'm sure he probably thinks about more than he ever would readily admit.

In a throwaway line during the proceedings, Leach talked about how he'd like to see quarterback Graham Harrell have the opportunity to pass for "a few more yards, perhaps."

And when Leach said that, it could mean that Harrell might have a shot at a milestone that has more sizzle than any modern-day passing record: 6,000 passing yards in a season.

That number is so round and so magical that I'm sure it has a lot of appeal to Leach, particularly considering his passers already have notched the two top passing numbers in NCAA history and four of the top 10. It's particularly amazing that four different Texas Tech passers have accounted for those four big seasons.

But 6,000 passing yards would have the kind of permanence like Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game or a .400 batting average in baseball that would make it truly special in the modern-day world of athletics.

B.J. Symons passed for a record 5,833 yards in 2003. Harrell missed that by only 128 yards last season, notching the second-most passing yards in history with 5,705.

To get to 6,000 yards, Harrell would have to average 461.5 yards in a 13-game season. His chances to reach the milestone would be even better if Tech ended up with a 14-game season that would be necessitated by playing in the Big 12 championship game and a bowl game. That would drop his number to 428.6 yards per game. Harrell averaged 438.8 yards per game last season.

With the return of Biletnikoff Award winner Michael Crabtree and the development of young receivers like Edward Britton, Eric Morris and Detron Lewis, Harrell will have one of the best receiving groups in college football. He needs to stay healthy and thrive early against a weak nonconference schedule that will feature SMU, Nevada and Division I-AA schools Eastern Washington and Massachusetts.

Top passers in NCAA history Player School Yards Year 1. B.J. Symons Texas Tech 5,833 2003 2. Graham Harrell Texas Tech 5,705 2007 3. Colt Brennan Hawaii 5,549 2006 4. Ty Detmer BYU 5,188 1990 5. David Klingler Houston 5,140 1990 6. Paul Smith Tulsa 5,065 2007 7. Kliff Kingsbury Texas Tech 5,017 2002 8. Tim Rattay Louisiana Tech 4,943 1998 9. Steve McNair *Alcorn State 4,863 1994 10. Sonny Cumbie Texas Tech 4,742 2004 * Division I-AA school

And if he gets close, I'm sure a "numbers guy" like Leach would give him a few more snaps for "a few more yards, perhaps."

The Texas Tech program under Leach has obviously produced the biggest passing numbers in college football history. And that's why I'm thinking that having the first passer to toss for 6,000 yards would be kind of Leach's "man on the moon" moment that would truly provide his program with some kind of historical permanence.

And that's why I think "a few more yards," at least for Leach, certainly means 6,000.