ESPN College Football

Northwestern Wildcats (7-5) vs. Texas Tech Red Raiders (7-5)

Jan. 1, noon ET (ESPNU)

Northwestern take by Big Ten blogger Adam Rittenberg: Northwestern’s season will officially end Jan. 1 in the inaugural TicketCity Bowl against Texas Tech. The bigger question: Did the Wildcats’ campaign already come to a close back on Nov. 13?

Northwestern has looked extremely shaky since losing star quarterback Dan Persa to a season-ending ruptured Achilles’ tendon in a Nov. 13 win against Iowa. Not surprisingly, the Wildcats have struggled on offense as backup quarterback Evan Watkins goes through some growing pains. The more shocking backslide has come on defense, as Northwestern surrendered 118 points, 848 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns in losses to Illinois and Wisconsin. Missed tackles became a big problem down the stretch, and Pat Fitzgerald’s crew needs to get things rectified against a Texas Tech squad that ranks among the top 20 in both passing and total yards.

Bowl practices will be valuable for Watkins, who had attempted only seven passes before taking over the starting job on Nov. 20. The redshirt freshman could use a boost from the ground game, although top running back Mike Trumpy is questionable for the game after fracturing his wrist against Illinois. Northwestern needs to find a way to establish an offensive rhythm and keep the high-powered Texas Tech attack on the sideline.

After two near misses in bowls the last two years, Northwestern aims for its first postseason victory since the 1949 Rose Bowl. This one would qualify as an upset.

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Texas Tech take by Big 12 blogger David Ubben: Early in the season, a bowl game was no guarantee for the Red Raiders. A loss to Oklahoma State landed them at 3-3 and 1-3 in conference play, but the transition year from Mike Leach to Tommy Tuberville didn't result in the end of the Big 12's longest bowl streak. Texas Tech is the only team to qualify for a bowl game in every year since the birth of the Big 12, and that wasn't going to end in the final year of its existence as a 12-team league.

The Red Raiders offense has been inconsistent this season, but it still boasts two experienced, senior quarterbacks in starter Taylor Potts and backup Steven Sheffield, who saw time this year and a start, despite losing a preseason quarterback battle. Receiver Lyle Leong is also a player to watch; his 17 touchdown catches are second only to Biletnikoff Award finalist Justin Blackmon.

The in-state Red Raiders should have the advantage in an atmosphere with a substantial amount of alumni not needing to leave the Dallas city limits to see Texas Tech play. They’ve already played in the Cotton Bowl once this season, facing Baylor back in October.

Texas led the Big 12 and ranked fourth in the nation with an average attendance of 101,175 during the 2009 season.

The NCAA released football attendance figures today, which you can review here.

The Big 12 ranked third among BCS conferences in attendance with an average of 62,875.

The SEC was No. 1 (76,288) and the Big Ten was second (71,769).

Five Big 12 teams ranked in the top 30: No. 10 Nebraska, No. 12 Oklahoma, No. 16 Texas A&M and No. 28 Missouri.

Three Big 12 teams produced top-30 attendance increases from 2008 to 2009: Oklahoma State (up 5,458, ninth-best increase); Texas (up 3,129, 17th best); and Baylor (up 2,182, 26th best).

Here are the Big 12 figures:

Texas... 101,175
Nebraska... 85,888
Oklahoma... 84,778
Texas A&M... 76,800
Missouri... 64,120
Oklahoma State... 53,719
Kansas... 50,581
Texas Tech... 50,249
Colorado... 50,088
Kansas State... 46,763
Iowa State... 46,242
Baylor... 36,306

Happy Monday. What's happening in the Big 12?

• Colorado has signed a safety from New Jersey, a 22nd member to its recruiting class. The best news is his name isn't "Snooki." Former running back Darrell Scott is considering a return.
• Kansas stars from different eras are teaming up.
• Missouri will open a Touchdown Terrace this fall.
• Why did Nebraska offensive coordinator Shawn Watson and coach Bo Pelini meet with athletic director Tom Osborne and former offensive line coach Milt Tenopir? And a Tom Shatel column on the matter.
• Oklahoma is hoping big things come in small packages at running back.
• What's the draft scuttlebutt on a couple of prospects late of Oklahoma State?
• Is Texas really part of the Big Ten's expansion plans? Texas athletic director DeLoss Dodds thinks the Big 12 should play nine conference games instead of eight. He's not as keen on making conference revenue sharing equal because the Longhorns get a larger slice of the pie.
• Texas A&M is hoping for its special teams to be more special.
• By the way, where the heck is Mike Leach these days? And, with him gone, what will the Red Raiders' offense look like in 2010?

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

Here's a group of the best letters I received this week. Thanks again to all who contributed.

Matt from Orlando, Fla., writes: Tim, I love your blogs, especially during the off season reading them religiously. My question is, a few months ago you gave Nebraska the edge over Kansas. Yes you said you reserve the right to change your mind which is totally understandable. But I find it funny how you change your mind on Nebraska winning the North and saying that Kansas will all because of one player leaving Nebraska.

Yes, Quentin Castille was a big feature in Nebraska's offense. However, one player should not make or break a team. Don't count out Roy Helu Jr., who happens to be our STARTING RB. Plus our nasty defensive line that kept pressure on Kansas QB Todd Reesing (who couldn't handle it last year). Could you tell me why one player leaving made you change your mind on a great prediction?

Tim Griffin: I figured I would be answering this question, considering I got it in one form or another from about 40 people this week. Heck, one of my favorite members of the media in Omaha compared me to John Kerry earlier this week because of my late change.

Let me first say that my edge for Nebraska over Kansas wasn't ever that large to start with. I favored Nebraska as much for Kansas' tough cross-divisional schedule as anything else. It's going to be a bear for the Jayhawks to win any of those three games against Texas, Oklahoma and Texas Tech. It still will.

But I also think Castille's dismissal will affect the way that Nebraska plays offense. With Castille and Helu, they had the best combination of backs in the North Division. They would be able to dictate the tempo for the Cornhuskers. It would take off pressure from an iffy passing game led by untested junior-college transfer Zac Lee.

Also, Helu is bigger and stronger this season. But he also appears to be more susceptible to muscle pulls - he's already missed a few days of fall practice - and the depth at the position has contracted with Castille's dismissal. They have only other back with college experience as a running back in Marcus Mendoza.

As anybody who reads this blog on a regular basis knows, I have a lot of respect for the job that Nebraska offensive coordinator Shawn Watson does. He was able to put together an explosive offense in Colorado for the Buffaloes' 2001 Big 12 championship that was remarkably like this Nebraska team. He had journeyman quarterbacks in Bobby Pesavento and Craig Ochs, a three-pronged rushing attack in Chris Brown, Bobby Purify and Cortlen Johnson and a stud tight end (to borrow a description from Bo Pelini) in Daniel Graham. The Cornhuskers were similar when Helu and Castille were both on the roster and the five-headed monster they have a tight end probably comes close to matching what Graham meant to the Buffaloes.

But this conference is a lot different in 2009 than it was in 2001. You're going to need to score points in bunches to win. And I think the Cornhuskers need some help at wide receiver to be more explosive to boost the contributions of Menelik Holt, Niles Paul and the rest.

The Cornhusker defense will be just as fearsome as before. Their defensive line might be the conference's best this side of Oklahoma. But losing Castille will tweak how they are able to play offense. And it will make things more difficult for Watson to control games with his young inexperienced quarterback and his lack of explosive playmakers at wide receiver.

It might only mean one game during the course of the season. But as close as I figure the North to be, the Cornhuskers will need that game at the end of the season.

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Jamie Cabela of Midland, Texas, writes: Tim, quick question for you. Who is going to be your surprise player in the Big 12 this season?

Tim Griffin: I'll actually go with two of them. My first will be Markques Simas of Colorado, once he is eligible. I think he's got a great opportunity to become a top receiver immediately for the Buffaloes. And my other choice will Missouri freshman tailback Kendial Lawrence. I've heard some good things about him, even if he is third-string on the Tigers' roster. Look for him to contribute for the Tigers as the season goes on.

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Jim from Grand Junction, Colo., writes: Ignoring the good, competitive games for a minute, which of the "cupcakes" has a chance to pull off an upset against the Big 12 teams in the first two weeks of the season? Any at all? Thanks for your insight.

Tim Griffin: Jim, I don't know exactly what your definition of a cupcake would be, but I'm going to presume you mean a school from outside the BCS-affiliated conferences.

If that's the case, don't look for anything in the first week of the season. But it wouldn't surprise me if two Big 12 teams have troubles in the second week of the season in road games.

I think Kansas State might be tested at Louisiana-Lafayette. I saw a Texas A&M team lose there in 1996 and weird things can happen down at "The Swamp" for unintiated teams that aren't prepared. Also keep an eye on Kansas' trip to UTEP on the same date. The Jayhawks have lost three-straight non-conference regular-season road games. They haven't won a non-conference road game during the regular season since beating Wyoming in 2003. And I think UTEP quarterback Trevor Vittatoe might provide the Kansas defense with some problems.

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Matt Strohm from Parkersburg, Iowa, writes: Tim, with the start of the season only eight days away, I was wondering if you would rank all the Big 12 schools in terms of team entrances.

Tim Griffin: Matt, I don't think I can do justice to them all, but I'll give you a few of my favorites.

Let me say that I'm not usually all that enraptured by the cookie-cutter entrances around college football these days. It reminds me of something you might see in the NBA.

But there's still something about the Nebraska Tunnel Walk that gets me pumped up, although the ones used at the end of the Callahan tenure were pretty lame. I also like the "Running of the Bulls" in Austin for Texas games and the "There's Only One Oklahoma " video that plays at Owen Field before Sooner games.

But for sheer intimidation factor, my all-time favorite still has to be the old-school Iowa entrance when the Hawkeyes used to take the field in a slow walk while holding hands when they were coached by Hayden Fry. I could only imagine what that would look like for an opposing team on the other side of the field.

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David L. Stoudt writes: I'm glad that the Pac-10 officials have deemed "San Antonio a marvelous post-season destination and the Valero Alamo Bowl as one of the nation's elite bowl games."

But I'm wondering did anyone consider asking the fans where they'd rather go. We love heading south to San Diego every year for a fantastic bowl matchup. Who in Hades wants to go to San Antonio in December?

I think this is a huge mistake in judgment and we won't b
e attending those games, regardless of who's playing.

Tim Griffin: I'm also curious about how this affiliation switch will change the dynamics of the Big 12's bowls.

It sounds like the Holiday Bowl's matchup basically will be switching to San Antonio and the Valero Alamo Bowl. Those Holiday Bowls have always been exciting, high-offense games. I think the Pac-10/Big 12 matchup is a good one because both conferences have reputations for offensive football. You see those kind of games in bowls anyway, but I think this makes it even more attractive with those two conferences involved.

It's going to be interesting because the Pac-10 always had a homefield advantage in San Diego. This will switch over when the game moves to the Alamo City.

I realize I'm probably the wrong person to ask about this, but I suggest coming to San Antonio before you make any snap judgments. But I suggest that you take a walk through Southtown. Try the carne guisada tacos with cheese at Taco Haven once or sip a margarita at Rio Rio Cantina on the Riverwalk and tell me that San Antonio isn't a good place for a bowl game.

I'll bet you'll come back with a different answer.

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(Read full post)

Brent Musburger and Kirk Herbstreit preview the Big 12 heading into 2009 season.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

As promised, here are a few tidbits about the Big 12 teams that were ranked in the preseason Associated Press poll released earlier today.

Texas: Ranked at No.2, the Longhorns return to the top 10 after starting the season No. 11 last season. It's the Longhorns highest ranking since starting the 2005 season in the second slot. As all Longhorns' fans remember, that was the last time that Texas won the national championship.

Texas' 2009 ranking also represents the ninth time in the last 10 seasons that Texas started the season in the top 10. And it also extends the Longhorns' current streak of being ranked in preseason polls to 11 -- longest in school history.

Oklahoma: The Sooners' No. 3 ranking is their highest in the preseason since checking in at No. 2 in 2004. It's also their ninth-straight season in the preseason top 10. The last time the Sooners weren't in the top 10 in the preseason was in 2000, when they were 19th. And as all Sooner fans remember, that was the season they won their last national championship.

Oklahoma State: Tied for ninth with Penn State, the Cowboys have their highest preseason ranking in school history. Their previous high came in 1985 when they were ranked 16th. It is the first time the Cowboys have been ranked in the preseason since 2003.

Nebraska: Checking in at No. 24, the Cornhuskers are ranked in the poll for the first time since 2007, when they were ranked 20th. The Cornhuskers had a record among Big 12 teams with a string of 33-straight seasons when they were ranked in the preseason top 25 from 1970 through 2002.

Kansas: The Jayhawks are ranked No. 25, marking the second-straight season they have been ranked to start the season. It marks the first time in school history that Kansas has been ranked in the preseason in back-to-back seasons.

And here's a list I came up with for Big 12 teams and the last time they were ranked in the preseason AP poll, or their streak of consecutive AP preseason rankings:

• Texas: 11 straight rankings
• Oklahoma: 10 straight rankings
• Kansas: 2 straight rankings
• Nebraska: 1 straight ranking
• Oklahoma State: 1 straight ranking
• Missouri: Last ranked in 2008 preseason poll
• Texas Tech: Last ranked in 2008 preseason poll
• Texas A&M: Last ranked in 2007 preseason poll
• Kansas State: Last ranked in 2004 preseason poll
• Colorado: Last ranked in 2002 preseason poll
• Baylor: Last ranked in 1986 preseason poll
• Iowa State: Last ranked in 1978 preseason poll
  

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

There weren't many surprises when the Associated Press released its media poll earlier this morning with five Big 12 teams ranked in its Top 25. 

Texas is ranked second and Oklahoma third behind defending national champion Florida.

Oklahoma State is tied for ninth, Nebraska returns to the Top 25 at No. 24 and Kansas is ranked No. 25.

It marks the sixth time in the conference's history that five Big 12 teams have been ranked in the AP's preseason poll. The other years were in 2008, 2002, 2000, 1999 and 1996.

Two other Big 12 teams received votes. Texas Tech was ranked 31st and Missouri was tied for 45th.

We've got an ESPN Power Poll which I think will rank right up there with the AP poll. I've always thought the media poll is a little bit more credible than the coaches' poill, mainly because I know that we media members didn't have any sports information directors or football operations directors either voting for us or helping us with our picks. And also, the polls are public record each week at the AP's Web site. I don't see the coaches doing that. And it's their loss.  

I'll be back later today with some factoids about each team and their preseason polling histories.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

Let's throw open the mailbag on a Friday afternoon and see what you the readers are thinking and asking me about.

W. Dawson of Dallas writes: Tim, have you looked at Oklahoma State's schedule yet? How can they get away with having eight home games? I can't believe the Big 12 allowed this to happen, much less their competition. This is an incredible advantage, especially given the narrow margins that separate various Big 12 foes. Talk about running downhill before anyone else has snapped the ball.

Tim Griffin: Obviously, Mike Holder and Mike Gundy can do anything they want with their schedule. And it's a good home schedule with the four Big 12 games and home non-conference games against Georgia, Houston, Grambling and Rice. I guess the risk/reward is this. Most coaches want their team to face a non-conference challenge of some kind before they head into conference play. It doesn't have to be especially taxing - Texas going to Wyoming, Kansas to UTEP -- but most coaches believe that kind of experience is good before they head into conference play.

Obviously, Gundy doesn't think like that. The Cowboys will get a huge boost after playing four home games, but he won't know much about how ready his team will be to play on the road for their first trip to Texas A&M on Oct. 10. If I was coaching, I'd like a little more piece of mind before that first conference road game. And I bet Gundy will be thinking that way the week before the game.

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Ocean from Kemah, Texas, writes: Tim, I'm very interested to hear if there has been any shift of momentum due to freshman Chris Whaley's arrival this summer. Also an update on the other Big 12's other freshman prospects would be greatly appreciated.

Tim Griffin: Whaley has struggled keeping up with the other Texas backs after reporting to training camp with an ankle injury that was aggravated playing basketball before he ever arrived. It set him back in his battle for playing time in a crowded Longhorn backfield.

From what I'm hearing, Fozzy Whittaker will be the leading candidate to have more of the carries in the Texas backfield. But he's got to remain healthy, which is something he hasn't been able to do so far. Then, look for veteran Vondrell McGee to have the next shot. Cody Johnson will also be there along with Tre' Newton and Whaley. I look for Whaley to get more playing time as he shows coaches he is more comfortable with his role in the offense and particularly in pass-protection schemes. We'll see that later, rather than sooner for the Longhorns.

And also, look for a post early next week where I'll break down the conference's leading freshman producers so far in training camps.

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Mark M. from Arlington, Texas, writes: I know Baylor is pegged as your eighth team in the conference, but I think even that might be overrated! Why is no one talking about how incredible of a job Jason Smith did protecting Robert Griffin last year? Without his protection, combined with a very challenging non-conference schedule, I think Griffin takes a lot more hits and goes through a sophomore slump. I think they finish last in the Big 12 South as a result. Am I wrong?

Tim Griffin: Your scenario could very easily happen, although I do have the Bears winning six games and making a bowl trip. But I think that watching the Bears' left tackle position will be one of the most interesting positions in the conference.

Obviously, Smith was the best lineman in the conference last season, as evidenced by his No. 2 selection in the NFL draft by the St. Louis Rams. I've heard some great things about his replacement, muscular 6-foot-4, 315 pound former Canadian fireman Danny Watkins. But we won't know anything until he starts hooking up with players like Jeremy Beal, Sergio Kindle and all of the others.  

Watkins' inexperience will be one of Baylor's biggest question marks. And one missed blitz assignment could end the Bears' season in a hurty. Coach Art Briles has to hope that Watkins is ready for the challenge.

But we'll see how he does. It might be the major factor if the Bears are able to go 6-6 and make that elusive bowl trip, or end up in the Big 12 cellar and you hint. The margin between the two is very slim - particularly with the balance in the Big 12.

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Ross Jackman from Sioux Falls, S.D., writes: Tim, I saw the story you linked earlier this week about the conference's most underrated and overrated coaches from that guy in Lincoln. Who is your selection, as the most underrated head coach, offensive coordinator and defensive coordinator in the Big 12?

Tim Griffin: Ross, good question. For a head coach, I'll take Kansas' Mark Mangino, who quietly has taken the Jayhawks on their most successful, consistent run in school history. The Jayhawks made back-to-back bowl trips for the first time in school history the last two years and are poised for much more this season.

For my offensive coordinator, I'll take Nebraska's Shawn Watson. The work he did with Joe Ganz the last two seasons was simply phenomenal. Earlier work at Colorado with Gary Barnett's team was outstanding as well. Watson's past history is one of the reasons I think Zac Lee might be better than a lot of people expect for the Cornhuskers. I know he'll be ready, considering Watson's track record.

And for my most underrated defensive coordinator, I'll choose Texas Tech's Ruffin McNeill. The work he did with the Red Raiders to help develop their defense was a big reason the Red Raiders were able to forge a three-way tie for the South Division title last season. He'll have his work cut out trying to replace pass-rushing specialists like McKinner Dixon and Brandon Williams and safeties Darcel McBath and Daniel Charbonnet, but I expect McNeill will have another strong unit again this season.

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Mitch Nelson from Kansas City, Mo., writes: Tim, the Big 12 has four high-profile quarterbacks this year in Sam Bradford, Colt McCoy, Zac Robinson and Todd Reesing who will probably finish their college careers after this season. Can you break down who their possible replacements will be and which team has the best chance to not miss a step with a new quarterback next year?

Tim Griffin: I really am hesitant to pick which team has the best quarterback situation in the future because so many of these players don't have any game action. I'd like to reserve my decisions until I get to see some of the young kids play in a little bit of game action. But here's how I see those four schools in the future.

Oklahoma: The leader as far as experience would appear to be redshirt freshman Landry Jones, along with junior John Nimmo and Ben Sherrard. I've heard some good things about Drew Allen, a tall 6-foot-6 thrower from San Antonio Alamo Heights High School. But especially keep an eye out for Blake Bell of Wichita, Kan., a dual-threat thrower/runner who is one of the prizes of the Sooners' 2010 recruiting class. He will be the most heralded quarterback to enter the Oklahoma program since Rhett Bomar.

Texas: As far as promise goes, the Longhorns would appear to have it with Garrett Gilbert who I expect to play as a freshman and beat out Sherrod Harris for the backup role this season. And they also have two more quarterbacks coming in the 2010 recruiting class - Connor Wood of Second Baptist High School in Houston and Case McCoy, the 6-foot-2, 169-pound little brother of Colt McCoy.

Oklahoma State: I know that Gundy actually wasn't that disappointed with Zac Robinson's injury last week because it forced the action in the backu quarterback battle
between junior Alex Case and sophomore Brandon Weeden. Gundy told me he was a little angry that one of the two players hadn't jumped out and taken the backup role. Whoever wins that would appear to be in line to replace Robinson.

Weeden has a little bit more maturity because of his five-season career in minor-league baseball. But Cate has more game experience and comfort in the OSU offense. And the Cowboys also have a commitment from 2010 recruit Johnny Deaton of Sand Spring, Okla., who might be their long-term answer.

Kansas: I think the fact that redshirt freshman Kale Pick has won the backup job is significant here. First, it will enable Kerry Meier to move to wide receiver full time. It will also get Pick more snaps in practice and have him ready in the spring when the opportunity to replace Reesing will materialize for him.

Mangino is also high on a couple of freshmen quarterbacks he has in Christian Matthews, a taller, skinner thrower and Jordan Webb, who kind of looks like Reesing and followed his route by graduating early and reporting to college a semester early to boost his early assimilation into Ed Warinner's offense.

That's all the questions I have time for this week.

Thanks again and have a great weekend.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

I came across an interesting story in Forbes Magazine that provided rankings for the nation's best 600 colleges.

Using methodology developed and compiled by Forbes and the Center for College Affordability and Productivity, they came up with a ranking that placed the United States Military Academy at West Point as the nation's top school.

All of the Big 12 schools were ranked among the 600 after using a complex formula that would make developers of the BCS nod their heads in agreement.

Forbes' study was based on three factors: the quality of the education that schools provide, the experience of the students and how much they achieve.

The study indicated it wanted to gauge how a school met its students' needs. In doing that it used a complex methodology that included 25% of the rankings on 4 million student evaluations of courses and instructors, as recorded on the Web site RateMyProfessors.com. Another 25% was based on post-graduate success, equally determined by enrollment-adjusted entries in Who's Who in America, and by the average salaries of graduates reported by Payscale.com.

An additional 20% of the score was based on the estimated average student debt after four years. One-sixth of the rankings are based on four-year college graduation rates -- half of that is the actual graduation rate, the other half the gap between the average rate and a predicted rate based on characteristics of the school.

The final component is based on the number of students or faculty, adjusted for enrollment, who have won nationally competitive awards like Rhodes Scholarships or Nobel Prizes.

See, I told you the BCS organizers don't have anything to be ashamed of when they talk about quartiles and matrices.

Here are the rankings for the Big 12 schools by Forbes, along with estimated per-year costs and freshman class-size listed for each Big 12 school.

Rankings School Rank Cost Freshman class size Texas 174 $21,912 6,718 Colorado 187 $23,261 5,863 Texas A&M 190 $18,895 8,093 Texas Tech 292 $17,405 4,385 Missouri 374 $20,477 5,782 Oklahoma 379 $20,348 3,803 Oklahoma State 401 $18,833 3,073 Kansas 425 $18,446 4,483 Nebraska 463 $17,662 4,200 Kansas State 480 $17,712 3,761 Baylor 483 $39,276 3,761 Iowa State 587 $17,700 4,546

I thought these were some interesting figures that measured some variables that traditionally aren't employed in many of these best college rankings.

So what about the rankings? Is your school as fairly judged in a business magazine as it is on the sports pages? 

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

Friday is finally here.

And so are some links to get you primed for the weekend.

Enjoy them and be safe. Two weeks and counting to the season. We want all of you accounted for to enjoy the openers across the conference.

• No misprint here. The Lubbock Avalanche Journal's Don Williams reports how the Texas Tech offense was shut out by its defense at Thursday's scrimmage.
• The San Antonio Express-News' Brent Zwerneman reports that several sons of former professional athletes will be Texas A&M team members this season.
• The Lincoln Journal-Star's Steve Sipple ranks Art Briles and Mark Mangino among his five most underrated coaches and Dan Hawkins among his five most overrated.
• The Waco Tribune Herald's John Werner writes about how former skill-position players are dotting Baylor's defensive unit.
• Kansas will add a new scoreboard at Memorial Stadium in 2010 and is exploring adding club seating on the east side of the facility, the Lawrence Journal-World's Dugan Arnett reports.
• Colorado quarterback Tyler Hansen told the Boulder Daily Camera's Kyle Ringo that the competition for the Buffaloes' starting quarterback job remains close.
• Iowa State quarterback Austen Arnaud is diligently trying to stay away from turnovers and sacks in Tom Herman's new spread passing offense, the Ames Tribune's Bobby La Gesse reports.
• Pete Myerberg of the New York Times' blog "The Quad" ranks Oklahoma State No. 15 in his national poll countdown. 
• New Kansas State offensive line coach Charlie Dickey is the only member of Bill Snyder's staff without previous coaching ties to him, the Topeka Capital-Journal's Kevin Haskin reports.
• The Oklahoman's David Ubben wonders if injury-prone Oklahoma wide receiver Adron "Pooh" Tennell is finally ready to emerge in his senior season.
• The Dallas Morning News' Chuck Carlton writes about the factors that are considered when setting a non-conference schedule.
• The gang at the Kansas City Star's intriguing analytical blog "Upon Further Review" wonders whatever happened to the rushing games across the Big 12.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

Oklahoma State will be involved in its biggest season opener in school history Sept. 5 when Georgia travels to Stillwater.

Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy is acting like it's a big game, too.

Gundy has announced that there will be no media obligations for his team or coaches until the Monday before the Cowboys' season opener.

Gundy told reporters the move has been triggered as he hopes to bring better focus to a team that struggled down the stretch last season in a series of big games. After starting the season 7-0, the Cowboys lost four of their final six games to finish at 9-4. Those losses came against ranked opponents Texas, Texas Tech, Oklahoma and Oregon in the Holiday Bowl.

Gundy also said his move was triggered by the start of school and the number of additional diversions that will be come to his team.

"The most difficult thing we're doing right now, or trying to do, is keep them focused and concentrated on preparing to play the game," Gundy told the Oklahoman.

"You've got 19,000 students here. You've got a lot of cute girls out there. There's a lot of things going on. Guys have to focus. We're trying to reel them in."

It's an unusual move by Gundy, but clearly one that he feels is necessary.

And as he attempts to build tunnel vision for his team heading into the game, it shows how big he thinks the Georgia opener really is.  

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

The pundits over at College Football News had an interesting project a couple of weeks ago that I wanted to discuss before the start of the season.

Their group ranked the top 200 players in the country, starting with Florida quarterback Tim Tebow at No. 1.

Their list had a decided crimson-and-cream hue to it with more Oklahoma players -- by far -- than any other team in the country.

The Sooners had 10 players selected. Penn State was next with six players, followed by Florida, Virginia Tech and USC with five players apiece. Oklahoma State, Texas and Kansas were among the team with four players apiece.

Here's a list of the Big 12 players who were selected with their rankings in parenthesis.

Oklahoma (10): QB Sam Bradford (5), DT Gerald McCoy (8), TE Jermaine Gresham (20), T Trent Williams (47), CB Dominique Franks (T141), LB Travis Lewis (142), RB DeMarco Murray (148), LB Ryan Reynolds (173), DE Jeremy Beal (182), RB Chris Brown (185).

Kansas (4): QB Todd Reesing (31), WR Dezmon Briscoe (74), WR Kerry Meier (135), S Darrell Stuckey (T141).

Oklahoma State (4): WR Dez Bryant (7), T Russell Okung (38), QB Zac Robinson (39), RB Kendall Hunter (49).

Texas (4): QB Colt McCoy (4), DE-LB Sergio Kindle (19), T Adam Ulatoski (122), DT Lamarr Houston (152).

Baylor (3): QB Robert Griffin (37), LB Joe Pawelek (73), S Jordan Lake (126).

Missouri (2): LB Sean Weatherspoon (17), RB Derrick Washington (118).

Nebraska (2): DT Ndamukong Suh (10), DE Pierre Allen (170).

Colorado (1): RB Darrell Scott (116)

None selected: Iowa State, Kansas State, Texas A&M, Texas Tech

As expected, the Big 12's offensive reputation dominates with 17 players from that side of the ball, compared with 13 defensive players. And the 21-9 edge that the South Division enjoys isn't actually as one-sided as nearly every all-conference team that I saw.

But it again exhibits the star power of the conference when 30 of the top 200 players -- a cool 15 percent -- will be playing in the Big 12 this season.

I'll check back tomorrow with this list broken down by opposing nonconference players that Big 12 teams will be seeing in their nonconference games.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

Busy today with all kinds of interviews, including more later this afternoon at Texas A&M.

But would I forget your lunchtime links?

Not a chance.

• Texas safety Blake Gideon tells USA Today's Steve Wieberg that he's using last season's critical dropped interception against Texas Tech as motivation to prepare him for 2009.
• Iowa State wide receiver Darius Darks could miss the Cyclones' Sept. 3 opener against North Dakota State as he recovers from a hamstring injury, the Des Moines Register's Randy Peterson reports. Darks set an ISU freshman record for receptions last season.
• Lawrence Journal-World columnist Tom Keegan writes about the early production of Kansas freshman linebacker Huldon Tharp.
• Nebraska tight ends coach Ron Brown tells the Lincoln Journal-Star's Steve Sipple he's excited about the Cornhuskers' wealth of talent at the position.
• The Topeka Capital-Journal's Austin Meek writes about how fatherhood has matured former Minnesota transfer and current Kansas State walk-on wide receiver Broderick Smith.
• Even six likely starting sophomores and another freshman hasn't dampened the enthusiasm for veteran Texas A&M coordinator Joe Kines, the San Antonio Express-News/Houston Chronicle's Brent Zwerneman reports.
• The Daily Nebraskan's Kris Knowlton ranks the Big 12 coaches from worst to first.
• College Football News' Pete Fiutak examines the scariest potential letdown game for each Big 12 team.
• The Oklahoman analyzes Oklahoma tackle Trent Williams and Oklahoma State tackle Russell Okung, who the paper calls the two best tackles in the nation.
• The Denver Post's Tom Kensler writes about Colorado's return to a power running game.
• Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin expects massive defensive tackle Phil Taylor to have an immediate impact on the Bears' defense, the Waco Tribune-Herald's John Werner reports.
• Tulsa World columnist Dave Sittler writes about the improvement in Oklahoma State's defense as nurtured by veteran coordinator Bill Young.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

The preseason computer ratings compiled by Jeff Sagarin apparently are heavily tilted to the results of last season's Big 12 conference race.

The Big 12 had five teams in the Top 25 in Sagarin's preseason rankings, including four of the teams that shared a portion of a divisional championship last season.

Sagarin ranks Oklahoma as the nation's No. 3 team in the poll and Texas as No. 4. They rank only behind No. 1 USC and No. 2 Florida, the defending national champion. 

Here's how Sagarin ranks the Big 12 teams coming into the 2009 season.

3. Oklahoma

4. Texas

13. Texas Tech

18. Missouri

25. Kansas

26. Oklahoma State

28. Nebraska

56. Kansas State

60. Texas A&M

64. Colorado

82. Baylor

86. Iowa State

Four FCS teams are ranked ahead of Baylor -- No. 68 Appalachian State, No. 72 James Madison, No. 75 Richmond and No. 78 Montana.

These rankings apparently must provide some kind of boost from last season's success as both Texas Tech and Missouri are in the top 20 in front of teams like Kansas and Nebraska. Both the Jayhawks and Cornhuskers have typically been picked in front of Texas Tech and Missouri in most other preseason polls.  

Overall, the Big 12 is ranked third by Sagarin in his conference rankings. The Southeastern Conference is No. 1, followed by the Pac-10, which is ahead of the Big 12 by .05 points.

The Atlantic Coast was fourth, followed by the Big East, Big Ten, Mountain West, Independents, Conference USA, Western Athletic Conference, Mid-American and the FCS Colonial.

The Sun Belt Conference, which will provide five nonconference games to the Big 12 including three to Nebraska, ranked 12th in conference strength behind the Colonial.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

While doing some research for another story, I developed this chart. I was curious which coaches in BCS-affiliated conferences had the longest tenures without making a BCS bowl trip.

1. Jim Leavitt, USF: 13th season at job
2. Randy Edsall, Connecticut: 11th season at job
3. Mike Leach, Texas Tech: 10th season at job
4. Gary Pinkel, Missouri: ninth season at job
5. Al Groh, Virginia: ninth season at job
6. Mike Riley, Oregon State: ninth season at job
7. Greg Schiano, Rutgers: ninth season at job
8. Jeff Tedford, California: eighth season at job
9. Bobby Johnson, Vanderbilt: eighth season at job
10. Rich Brooks, Kentucky: seventh season at job
11. Mike Stoops, Arizona: sixth season at job

I think the list highlights several interesting trends. The top two are coaches who have led their programs from the formative stages.

Then, it gets interesting. Leach consistently has been one of the outstanding coaches in the nation. But his program still has never taken the "next step" to a BCS game.

The same goes for Pinkel, Groh, Riley and Schiano -- all accomplished coaches who have repeatedly taken their programs to bowl games over the years. They just haven't been able to take their program to that "big game."

Of those on the list, I think that Tedford has the best opportunity to break that streak this season as the Bears might be in line to challenge USC in the Pac-10 and maybe be in contention for a BCS at-large berth.

But I thought it was very interesting that two coaches who qualified for a share of their respective divisions championships in the Big 12 rank so highly on a list for the lack of a BCS bowl appearance.