ESPN College Football

Colorado: Please come back to the Big 12.

• What does Wes Lunt starting at Oklahoma State mean? Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman breaks it down. He also says the news of a playoff was the best of a jam-packed Thursday.
• West Virginia AD Oliver Luck is one proud papa, but he's not interested in the Big 12 commissioner job.
• Can Texas win the Big 12? A panel of folks from Athlon weigh in on the question.
• TCU fans can still purchase a brick at the new Amon G. Carter Stadium.
• Doesn't sound like Brandon Weeden's going into Cleveland to compete with Colt McCoy. It sounds like he's replacing him.
• Jenni Carlson of The Oklahoman says OSU's QB decision had odd timing and overshadowed Justin Blackmon and Brandon Weeden's draft night. The Oklahoman's Gina Mizell <a href%3

The NFL Pro Bowl released its rosters on Tuesday, and seven players have their roots in the Big 12.

Texas

• Derrick Johnson, LB, Kansas City
• Earl Thomas, S, Seattle (starter)

Missouri

• Justin Smith, DE, San Francisco (starter)

Oklahoma

• Davin Joseph, OG, Tampa Bay

Texas A&M

• Von Miller, LB, Denver (starter)
• Shane Lechler, P, Oakland

Texas Tech

• Wes Welker, WR, New England (starter)

Monday we began a week-long project looking at the most famous touchdowns from 100+ yards down to one yard, and we'll be taking a look at each of the Big 12 entrants on the blog throughout the week.

You can see the full project here.

The title for the greatest 58-yard touchdown ever goes to Texas Tech's Wes Welker. Before he became the NFL's premier slot receiver, he was a punt return specialist.

Nov. 1, 2003: Texas Tech's Wes Welker broke an NCAA record with his eighth career punt return for a touchdown, racing 58 yards for a score in the second quarter of the Red Raiders' 26-21 victory over Colorado. Welker, who had 211 all-purpose yards in the game, broke an NCAA record previously shared with Nebraska's Johnny Rodgers, Kansas State's David Allen and Oklahoma's Jack Mitchell.

-- Mark Schlabach

NFL.com just finished unveiling its list of the top 100 players in the league heading into the 2011 season, as voted by both players and fans. Both groups had separate lists, but seven Big 12 players landed on it. Here's where they were placed:

3. Adrian Peterson, RB, Minnesota (Oklahoma; ranked seventh by fans)

33. Jamaal Charles, RB, Kansas City (Texas; ranked 48th by fans)

50. Wes Welker, WR, New England (Texas Tech; ranked 50th by fans)

51. Ndamukong Suh, DT, Detroit (Nebraska; ranked 20th by fans)

55. Carl Nicks, OL, New Orleans (Nebraska; unranked by fans)

57. Andre Gurode, OL, Dallas (Colorado; unranked by fans)

86. Josh Freeman, QB, Tampa Bay (Kansas State; ranked 88th by fans)

Note: Considering they played in the Big 12 for the duration of their careers, Suh, Nicks and Gurode are all included in the Big 12, rather than their respective programs' new conferences.

Here's how it compares to the rest of the conferences:

Big East: 16
Big Ten: 13
SEC: 13
ACC: 12
Pac-10: 11
Big 12: 7
Notre Dame: 1
Non-AQ/Small schools: 27

I was surprised the number was so low compared to the rest of the conferences, but hey, what can you do? The Big East rules college football. No one denies this.

No Big 12 player snubs popped out to me, but what about you? Anyone missing?

My frame of a collective sports memory reaches back as long as the Super Bowl has been played.

I can distinctly remember the cold, snowy day (for me) from Super Bowl I on Jan. 15, 1967, at our home in Indiana. I was 7 years old, but I knew it was something big because the game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Green Bay Packers was being shown on two television networks at the same time. There was more snow as we tried to adjust our rabbit ears on the television set for a better picture.

Since then, I've been able to watch almost all of the Super Bowls. There might have been one I missed because I had to work for a friend who was getting married that day. But I have seen and digested almost every play of every Super Bowl over the years.

With my narrow frame of the Big 12 conference, it got me thinking earlier this week about which performances in the history of the NFL's biggest game have been the most memorable or most infamous that involved alumni of the conference's schools.

Here is what I came up with.

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

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

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

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

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

But as strong as those efforts were, other players from Big 12 schools didn't fare nearly as well in their Super Bowl moments. Here are the five most infamous moments or performances from a Big 12 player in Super Bowl history.

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

2. Jack Pardee's (Texas A&M) long ride on Larry Csonka's back: The veteran Washington linebacker was hoisted for nearly 30 yards by Miami fullback Larry Csonka on a pivotal 49-yard run in Super Bowl VI. The play has been replayed in countless NFL Films showings over the years as emblematic of the Dolphins' domination in the 14-7 victory. Even worse, it was the final game of Pardee's proud 15-season career.

3. Justin Hartwig’s (Kansas) holding call in the end zone almost cost the Steelers: Pittsburgh was poised to ice its Super Bowl XLIII victory after Ben Roethlisberger's 19-yard pass got them out of a third-and-10 hole from their own 1-yard line late in the game against Arizona. But Hartwig was flagging for holding in the end zone on the play, leading to a safety that pulled the Cardinals within 20-16. Even worse, Arizona stormed back to take the lead two plays later when Kurt Warner hooked up with Larry Fitzgerald on a 64-yard TD pass.

Hartwig was saved from being one of the biggest goats in Super Bowl history when Roethlisberger marched the Steelers on a game-winning touchdown drive, capping it with a 6-yard TD pass to Santonio Holmes with 35 seconds left. Otherwise, we would still be hearing about Hartwig’s bonehead play -- the only time an offensive lineman has been flagged for holding in the end zone in Super Bowl history.

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

5. Boyd Dowler's (Colorado) injury makes Max McGee's career: We never would have heard about McGee's pregame carousing before Super Bowl I if Dowler hadn't separated his shoulder early and been forced out of the game. McGee grabbed seven receptions for 138 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Packers to a 35-10 victory over Kansas City, becoming a wealthy man from his restaurant franchises and broadcasting career that capitalized on his one game of glory. Dowler didn't have a catch in the game.

Former Nebraska running back Roger Craig is among the finalists whose credentials have been studied and analyzed before the new class of the Pro Football Hall of Fame is announced on Saturday.

Craig is the only product from a Big 12 school among the group of 17 finalists. Others who made the final cut include Tim Brown, Cris Carter, Don Coryell, Dermontti Dawson, Richard Dent, Russ Grimm, Charles Haley, Rickey Jackson, Cortez Kennedy, Dick LeBeau, Floyd Little, John Randle, Andre Reed, Jerry Rice, Shannon Sharpe and Emmitt Smith.

Craig's candidacy appears to be strong. He was a member of three Super Bowl championship teams with the San Francisco 49ers. He was a four-time Pro Bowler who led the league in receptions in 1985 and ranked among the top seven receivers during four consecutive seasons from 1985 to 1988. He also finished in the top 10 in rushing for three straight seasons from 1987 to 1989.

His numbers appear strong, but he likely will be hurt by two "no brainer" selections. Smith and Rice have to be picked in their first seasons of eligibility. Smith was the greatest running back of his generation and Craig pales compared to him. And I'm thinking if voters choose to reward a player from the San Francisco dynasty of the late 1980s, it will be Rice.

The Big 12 is underrepresented in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. There hasn't been an alumnus from the conference selected since Thurman Thomas and Roger Wehrli in 2007.

Here's a look at the Big 12 schools and their alumni chosen for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Baylor: LB Mike Singletary (1998)

Colorado: None.

Iowa State: None.

Kansas: T Mike McCormack (1984), RB John Riggins (1992), RB Gale Sayers (1977).

Kansas State: None.

Missouri: CB Roger Wehrli (2007), TE Kellen Winslow (1995).

Nebraska: T Bob Brown (2004), E/coach Guy Chamberlin (1965), T William "Link" Lyman (1964).

Oklahoma: QB Troy Aikman (later finished at UCLA/2006), WR Tommy McDonald (1998), DE Lee Roy Selmon (1995).

Oklahoma State: RB Barry Sanders (2004), RB Thurman Thomas (2007).

Texas: RB Earl Campbell (1991), DB/coach Tom Landry (1990), QB Bobby Layne (1967), administrator Tex Schramm (1991).

Texas A&M: DB/P Yale Lary (1979).

Texas Tech: None.

How about it, readers? Are there any Big 12 products either retired or playing today in the NFL who deserve a slot in Canton for their deeds in the NFL?

I think an argument can definitely be made for Craig and for former players Tommy Nobis (Texas) and Lester Hayes (Texas A&M). I can also see recently retired players like Zach Thomas (Texas Tech) making it one day. And it also wouldn't surprise me to see Adrian Peterson (Oklahoma) and Wes Welker (Texas Tech) there if they can keep progressing in their careers.

What do you think?

Announcements made this week to tweak the rosters because of injuries and Super Bowl replacements have resulted in 12 former Big 12 players from nine different schools making rosters for the NFL's Pro Bowl Sunday night at Sun Life Stadium in Miami.

Here's a team-by-team look at Big 12 schools and their alumni who were selected for the game. Some will see action and others will miss the game because of injuries.

COLORADO

• Dallas C Andre Gurode (starter/injured)

KANSAS STATE

• Dallas CB Terence Newman (starter/injury replacement)

MISSOURI

• San Francisco DE Justin Smith (injury replacement)

NEBRASKA

• Tennessee DE Kyle Vanden Bosch (starter/Super Bowl replacement)

OKLAHOMA

• Minnesota RB Adrian Peterson (starter)

OKLAHOMA STATE

• Minnesota DT Kevin Williams (starter/injured)

TEXAS

• Dallas G Leonard Davis (starter)
• Pittsburgh DT Casey Hampton
• Washington OLB Brian Orakpo (starter)
• Tennessee QB Vince Young (injury replacement)

TEXAS A&M

• Oakland P Shane Lechler (starter)

TEXAS TECH

• New England WR Wes Welker (injured)

With all of the looking back we've done this week, I couldn't leave without picking my own All-Big 12 all-decade team.

It was a tough choice at several positions, but here's my all-decade team.

Please feel free to provide any changes you would make, and explain why you would make them.

Believe me, it's a hard choice. I spent more than an hour trying to choose between Darren Sproles and Cedric Benson and Jermaine Gresham and Chase Coffman.

OFFENSE

QB: Vince Young, Texas

RB: Adrian Peterson, Oklahoma

RB: Cedric Benson, Texas

WR: Michael Crabtree, Texas Tech

WR: Rashaun Woods, Oklahoma State

TE: Chase Coffman, Missouri

T: Russell Okung, Oklahoma State

T: Jammal Brown, Oklahoma

G: Duke Robinson, Oklahoma

G: Derrick Dockery, Texas

C: Andre Gurode, Colorado

DEFENSE

DE: Brian Orakpo, Texas

DT: Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska

DT: Tommie Harris, Oklahoma

DE: Dan Cody, Oklahoma

LB: Derrick Johnson, Texas

LB: Rocky Calmus, Oklahoma

LB: Teddy Lehman, Oklahoma

CB: Terence Newman, Kansas State

CB: Derrick Strait, Oklahoma

S: Roy Williams, Oklahoma

S: Michael Huff, Texas

K: Mason Crosby, Colorado

P: Daniel Sepulveda, Baylor

Ret: Wes Welker, Texas Tech

Despite its isolated location, Texas Tech became one of the prime stories in college football during the last decade.

Tech was an underrated program on the field, qualifying for a bowl game in every season under Mike Leach.

In building his program, Leach was known for his love of pirates and Sherlock Holmes and many other things that had little to do with football. He was a breath of fresh air in the coaching fraternity.

When he was fired after the 2009 regular season, it was a national story because of its abrupt nature.

The Red Raiders claimed 85 victories during the decade, trailing only Oklahoma and Texas. All but one of those wins was earned by Leach, who was fired shortly before Tech’s Valero Alamo Bowl victory over Michigan State.

The Red Raiders certainly were the Big 12's most entertaining program with a high-powered offense and the quirky Leach in charge. And when they were at their very best, the Red Raiders had an underrated defense directed by Ruffin McNeill that accentuated the team’s offensive firepower.

Here’s a look at my selections for the top moments and players for Tech from the last decade.

OFFENSE

QB: Graham Harrell

RB: Taurean Henderson

RB: Baron Batch

WR: Michael Crabtree

WR: Joel Filani

WR: Wes Welker

OL: Brandon Carter

OL: Rylan Reed

OL: Luis Vasquez

OL: Daniel Loper

C: Dylan Gandy

DEFENSE

DL: Aaron Hunt

DL: Adell Duckett

DL Brandon Sharpe

DL: Brandon Williams

LB: Lawrence Flugence

LB: Mike Smith

LB: Marlon Williams

DB: Dwayne Slay

DB: Kevin Curtis

DB: Darcel McBath

DB: Jamar Wall

P: Alex Reyes

K: Alex Trlica

Ret: Wes Welker

Offensive player of the decade: WR Michael Crabtree. Despite playing only two seasons, he became the most productive receiver in Tech’s history. He was a two-time winner of the Biletnikoff Award with 231 receptions and 41 TD grabs setting an NCAA record for two seasons of production.

Defensive player of the decade: S Kevin Curtis. A fiery, hard-hitting safety, Curtis was the most decorated and one of the most versatile defensive player of the decade for the Red Raiders. Curtis earned first-team All-Big 12 honors in 1999 and 2000 and second-team all-conference honors in 2001. He was a second-team All-American in 2000 while playing strong safety and a second-team All-America choice in 2001 after moving to free safety.

Coach of the decade: Mike Leach. He perhaps was the most influential coaching figure in Big 12 history as he helped push the conference from a stodgy run-based attack to one where cutting-edge passing attacks predominated. He also became a national figure because of his personality and his guest appearances on television shows as diverse as “Sixty Minutes” and “Friday Night Lights.”

Moment of the decade: Michael Crabtree’s late touchdown grab beats Texas in 2008. Graham Harrell’s 28-yard touchdown pass to Crabtree was one second left helped push Tech to an area it had never been before. It not only boosted them to a 39-33 triumph over Texas but also served as a national coming-out party for Leach, Crabtree and the rest of the Tech program. In the process, the Red Raiders earned an unprecedented share of the Big 12 South title that season.

I received a slew of comments about some of my early choices for my All-Decade teams across the conference. Hopefully, that will prove as popular during the rest of the week for the rest of the Big 12 teams as they are released.

Here's a representative example of some of the other missives I've received over the last few days.

Mike Heuertz of Iowa writes: Tim, even with Ndamukong Suh leaving Nebraska, as well as a couple other key defensive players, do you think the Blackshirts will be better next season? And what do you think Nebraska's record will be?

Tim Griffin: I talked with several Nebraska fans during my swing through the state last week who seemed almost giddy about the Cornhuskers’ chances next season.

That being said, the loss of Suh will be huge. I think he can be considered the arguably greatest defensive player in the history of the program. The Cornhuskers also will lose Barry Turner, Phillip Dillard, Larry Asante and the heart, grit and talent provided by Matt O’Hanlon.

Now I can see players like Prince Amukamara, Will Compton, Sean Fisher and Jared Crick getting a lot better gaining experience playing Bo Pelini’s defense. But it might be a little wishful thinking to hope for much improvement from this season -- considering the Cornhuskers’ big defensive personnel losses.

As far as their record, I would expect them to be one of the powers of the Big 12. They have a tricky game at Washington which will earn them a lot of national notoriety if they can win. Texas will be coming to Lincoln, as will Colorado and Missouri. A road game at Oklahoma State doesn’t look as daunting as it could be with the Cowboys breaking in a new quarterback. But an underrated challenge for the Cornhuskers might wait at Texas A&M with Jerrod Johnson and all of A&M’s strong returning offensive weapons back for next season.

Looking at that schedule, I’ll pick the Cornhuskers to go 10-2 and finish as the Big 12 North champion. Considering their returning talent and their schedule, I think that’s a relatively conservative pick.

But as far as next year's team being better than the 2009 version of the Blackshirts, that might be wishing for a little bit much -- even for the Pelinis.

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Chris Henson from Salt Lake City, Utah, writes: Tim, a quick addition to the Texas A&M-Oklahoma State tidbit. The Red, White, and Blue Out in 2001 was organized by a group of students first and foremost as a fundraiser for the victims of 9/11. I appreciate you noting this event as it really shows what Texas A&M is all about.

Tim Griffin: Chris, thanks for the clarification. Like you wrote, it was truly an emotional event. There’s a picture of the stadium that is still hung in the press box at Kyle Field of the stadium bedecked for that game. It still gives me goose bumps when I see it.

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Travis from Seattle writes: Tim, the players of the decade category has created quite a stir, with many saying, "...well how could X player be off the list." For the most part I agree with your list if you look at it being, who were great players, AND who did the most to influence their team's success, (thus why Graham Harrell is off, being a plug-and-play quarterback in that system although he did do a fine job).

But I propose a different category. Who were the best ATHLETES of the decade? And how about the best competitors, the ones who did everything to try to win. What are your thoughts?

Tim Griffin: You raise a good point about my list earlier being an all-around grouping of all qualities. As far as the best athletes of the decade in the Big 12 from the last decade, in no specific order I would include Ndamukong Suh, Eric Crouch, Robert Griffin, Chris Brown, Vince Young, Seneca Wallace, Dez Bryant, Dezmon Briscoe, Darren Sproles, Danario Alexander (before and after his injury), Brad Smith, Jeremy Maclin, Adrian Peterson, Brian Orakpo, Michael Huff, Earl Thomas, Reggie McNeal, Robert Ferguson, Sammy Davis and Michael Crabtree.

And among the top competitors I’ve seen include Stephen McGee, Crabtree, Colt McCoy, Roy Miller, Joe Pawelek, Jordan Lake, George Hypolite, Todd Reesing, Chase Daniel, Sean Weatherspoon, Matt O’Hanlon, Suh, Josh Fields, Brian Iwuh, Darrell Stuckey, Steven Sheffield, Wes Welker and Kliff Kingsbury. There are many others, but those are just some of the names that come to me off the top of my head. And the fact that Suh and Crabtree made both of those lists is pretty indicative of how exceptional they really were.

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Fred Dodge of Annapolis, Md., writes: Tim, in reference to your top 10 jobs in college football. You have a good list, BUT the one caveat that I think goes with this list or any list is context. Most of these are still the "right-guy-for-the-right-place" jobs -- as are coaches. Being a Husker, I lean toward Bo Pelini and Nebraska as my first examples. Bo would not be a good fit for many of these jobs...I just can't see Bo fitting at USC or Florida for example; but I also can't see Lane Kiffin or Pete Carroll being successful in Lincoln. And in my opinion there are only a few guys who can shape a program around their personality. Nick Saban could coach anywhere, Urban Meyer probably could, and Jim Tressel could in most places. But I have a difficult time seeing Mack Brown outside the southeast or southwest and Bo Pelini outside the midwest. All of these guys could still coach, but I think they would struggle in fan support -- and so they would also in recruiting.

Tim Griffin: You make an interesting point, although I think that Pelini would work in more places than you might suspect. He’s a dyed-in-the-wool football coach and would succeed at most traditional powers, although I think his style best suits him at Nebraska. But I could see him being successful in the Southeastern Conference, in the Big Ten or even at Notre Dame. Anywhere they have a deep appreciation for football, I can see Pelini working out.

I think coaches like Bob Stoops, Saban, Meyer and Tressel would work most places. I also think you might include some underrated coaches out there like Mike Riley of Oregon State, Gary Patterson of TCU, Jeff Tedford of California and Chris Peterson of Boise State would be adaptable at almost any job in the country. But it does seem that the smart coaches are the ones who pick places where they are comfortable and have the best chance for success.

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Kyle Zander of Fort Hood, Texas, writes: Will Chris Whaley and Desean Hales get playing time for Texas in 2010? I played against Hales in high school and the kid is the real deal, Texas needs to get him involved as soon as possible. And Whaley could help, too.

Tim Griffin: Texas needs to find some help for its running game. Whaley was hurt when he reported to practice last summer and never regained his form. If he’s willing to rededicate himself, there likely is a chance for him to earn some playing time this spring. He needs to have a big spring to get there.

Sales is in a similar situation. The Longhorns have wide receiving talent in players like senior-to-be John Chiles and James Kirkendoll. Malcolm Williams is a big strong receiver who will emerge in coming seasons and should be the team’s featured receiver in 2010. But there are catches – plenty of them -- available for Hales if he can force himself into the mix.

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Brett Stamm from Keller, Texas, writes: Tim, love the blog! Keep up the good work! Has Mike Sherman, or will Mike Sherman, or why will Mike Sherman not, consider Dat Nguyen for defensive coordinator? Talk about a guy who has done an outstanding job in his current position and would bring some instant credibility with players and recruits in a program that has pretty much let a proud defensive tradition die with questionable and mediocre hires. This is a guy who was the face of and exemplified the "Wrecking Crew" tradition for four years! Your thoughts?

Tim Griffin: Brett, Dat Nguyen has been a key member of Wade Phillips’ staff as an assistant linebacker coach and defensive quality control assistant with the Dallas Cowboys. But I would suspect that Sherman probably would like for Nguyen to have a little more seasoning and experience calling defenses before he would give him the responsibility of serving as the Aggies’ defensive coordinator.

In a way, Nguyen reminds me a little of Major Applewhite as they develop in their coaching careers. It won’t surprise me if both become successful coordinators and eventually outstanding head coaches. But they need more experience to get there.

Nguyen seems like a natural to join the A&M coaching staff in the future. But I think it might be a stretch to see him as the Aggies’ defensive coordinator at this stage of his career.

That’s all the time I have for today. Thanks again for all of the good questions and keep the letters and e-mails coming. I’ll check back again on Friday.

Mike Leach’s firing wasn’t a surprise on Wednesday.

His attorney had predicted to several reporters earlier this week that his client would be let go by Texas Tech officials -- probably sooner rather than later.

But it was still a cataclysmic shock in Lubbock and West Texas when Leach was let go earlier this morning. For a period after his firing was announced, the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal's Web site crashed due to interest in the story.

That firing speaks to a larger controversy than what happened over Adam James' concussion and “The Shed.”

Leach and Tech athletic director Gerald Myers always had a contentious relationship from the very beginning of his tenure there. It’s understandable when you consider the turf wars that sometimes develop in athletic departments when a headstrong former basketball coach is the athletic director and makes decisions over a similarly headstrong football coach.

It all started in 2002, when rumors about Leach’s off-field activities led to an investigation by the athletic department.

Leach was cleared, but the schism between him and his boss started at that time. At one point, Myers stopped Leach’s outgoing mail in a dispute about postage stamps.

It simmered early in Leach’s time when the Red Raiders played the toughest nonconference schedule in the Big 12 as a way to make money for the athletic department. During the 2002 season, for example, Tech played Ohio State, Mississippi and NC State in addition to the Big 12 South gauntlet.

That chapped Leach and he let Myers know about his concerns. The two always seemed to be better off if they were an arms-length away from the other.

Tech officials weren’t happy when news surfaced of Leach shopping himself for a number of major coaching openings over the past several years.

And it continued when he went through an extremely contentious negotiation with school officials before he was given a three-year extension on what was a five-year, $12.7 million contract. To get the deal done, Leach went over Myers’ head and personally negotiated with Tech chancellor Kent Hance.

Under terms of the contract, Leach was due an $800,000 bonus if he was still the Red Raiders’ coach on Thursday.

Now, it appears he won’t receive that bonus, although I’m sure the contract is headed for litigation between Leach and the school.

Even with the firing, Leach will be considered one of Tech’s top football coaches ever, leaving the school with a program he helped boost into contention in the extremely difficult Big 12 South Division. It’s not a stretch to say that he was one of the seminal figures in Big 12 history, helping transform the way offense was played from the ground-based philosophies of the old Southwest and Big Eight conferences into today’s high-powered aerial attacks that have become the national rage recently.

Leach built a program out of castoffs like Wes Welker, Michael Crabtree, Graham Harrell and Brandon Williams and turned them into a team that could consistently compete with teams like Texas and Oklahoma. The Red Raiders were ranked No. 2 in the nation for a three-week period during last year's 11-2 season, which was a national breakthrough for the school.

Leach was Texas Tech football. He was as much a part of Lubbock as dust storms, Buddy Holly’s statue and the blueberry muffins at the legendary Fifty-Yard Line Restaurant.

And no matter who follows Leach, he will face a mammoth chore of replacing a legend who directed the Red Raiders to 10 consecutive bowl appearances and more bowl victories in his tenure than the rest of the school’s 85-season football history combined.

The football program upstaged Myers’ basketball program and his hand-picked coach of choice, Bob Knight. Even with the legendary career leader in victories along the sidelines, the Red Raiders’ basketball team had trouble filling the United Spirit Arena or selling the personal-seat licenses that were intended to help build the facility.

But that wasn’t the case for the football program, which became a national phenomenon under their quirky coach. Tech’s success led to him being a cover story in the New York Times magazine and the subject of a fawning piece on CBS-TV’s "60 Minutes" late last season.

Leach gained notoriety for his fascination with pirates, mobsters and Indian chiefs. His stint as a weatherman on a Lubbock television station -- memorable because of his explanation of the local occurrence of “raining mud” -- became a YouTube staple with hundreds of thousands of hits.

He could coach a little, too. During what was expected to be a rebuilding job this season, Leach juggled three starting quarterbacks en route to an 8-4 mark and a berth in Saturday night’s Valero Alamo Bowl.

He’ll be gone from the sidelines in that game. The Red Raiders likely have the perfect solution to settle the upheaval with unassuming defensive coordinator Ruffin McNeill. He’s familiar with the players because of his recruiting and will give them the best opportunity to keep their program together against Michigan State on Saturday night.

But after that, it will be a different story.

Myers needs to mobilize quickly to salvage what had been the best recruiting season for Tech in recent years. Whether those recruits will be willing to stay firm on their commitments to the far-flung West Texas locale that is still one of the toughest recruiting destinations in the Big 12 will be interesting to see.

Leach carved an identity that made Tech one of the top 25 or 30 programs in the country over the past 10 years.

Now, we’ll see if his replacement can keep it there.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

Even with the memories of his last trip to Boone Pickens Stadium unshakable, Texas Tech cornerback Jamar Wall will be missing Oklahoma State wide receiver Dez Bryant from the Cowboys’ lineup on Saturday.

Bryant was a preseason All-American for the Cowboys who was suspended for the season last month by the NCAA. Wall wishes he could face the test of stopping the Bryant if he was still playing.

“It’s a disappointment because I like the challenge,” Wall said. “Playing against him gives you a chance to show how well you can play.”

	Karl Anderson/Icon SMI
	Texas Tech cornerback Jamar Wall likes a challenge.

Wall’s first game against the Cowboys in Stillwater remains one of the most memorable of his career. He notched a career-high 11 tackles and produced an interception in the Cowboys’ wild 49-45 victory over the Red Raiders in 2007.

“It was hostile, hot, crazy. Definitely, it wasn’t a good experience to remember,” Wall said. “We had a bad taste in our mouths after it happened. And we know we can’t let it happen again.”

The showdown later became infamous because of the dueling news conferences after the game by the two rival head coaches. OSU coach Mike Gundy’s “I’m 40, I’m a man” rant was matched word-for-word by Tech coach Mike Leach’s where he questioned the toughness of his defense.

On the day after the game, veteran Tech defensive coach Lyle Setencich resigned and Ruffin McNeill was hired in his place.

That move has helped transform the Red Raiders defense. Wall said that McNeill hiring has helped bring a different attitude to a defense that traditionally had been overshadowed by Leach's high-powered offense.

“Everything about us has been changed with him transforming us,” Wall said. “He brought a different mindset to our defense. He’s pushing us, but knows what he can expect from us.”

The difference could be seen in the Red Raiders’ most recent victory, a 42-21 triumph over Kansas. Tech produced six sacks, nine tackles for losses, 10 deflected passes and forced two fumbles.

“You can see 11 guys swarming to the ball,” Wall said. “It’s a bunch of small things, but it gives us a different demeanor. It’s all because of Coach Ruff.”

Saturday’s game in Stillwater will be crucial in helping to settle the Big 12 South’s bowl order. The winner of the game will earn the inside track to the Cotton Bowl, while the loser could skid as far as the Sun Bowl or the Independence Bowl.

Wall is one of the key players on Tech’s improving defense. The Red Raiders have developed a fearsome knack for making plays, as they are tied for third nationally in sacks and 35th in tackles for losses.

Rival quarterbacks seem to be hesitant to test Wall in his third season as a starter. He still leads the Red Raiders with seven pass deflections, but doesn’t see as many pass attempts come his way as before.

His transformation into a lockdown cornerback is complete after a heralded career as a running back at Plainview (Texas) High School. Back-to-back 2,000-yard rushing seasons as a junior and senior earned him all-state honors before he arrived at college.

Shortly after his arrival at Tech and his move to cornerback, he earned confidence at his new position after working out against former Tech standout Wes Welker, currently an NFL Pro Bowler.

“It happened coming into my freshman year here and it was my first time I'd really played defense,” Wall said. “He made me come out and work with him every day. It gave me a boost when he told me I could get better and play cornerback if I kept working hard.”

Wall considered attending Baylor, Kansas State, Purdue, Wake Forest, SMU, TCU and UTEP before settling on the Red Raiders. In a way, it was kind of preordained he would be heading to Tech, considering that his older brother Koy Smith played basketball there in the mid-1990s.

And despite his success at cornerback, he still sometimes wonders how his career would have been changed if he had continued at running back.

“I still kind of question that,” Wall said. “I like my change in position, but there’s no telling what I could have done at running back. You always kind of miss getting the ball like you did on offense.”

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

IRVING, Texas -- Texas A&M junior wide receiver Roger Holland will miss his second-straight season due to the lingering effects of multiple concussions he has sustained during his college career.

"We're not going to play with him," Texas A&M coach Mike Sherman said. "We're going to sit him down and see how he does a year from now, maybe."

Sherman said that Holland was one of the most productive A&M receivers last year before his injury. That development likely would have kept Ryan Tannehill from switching to wide receiver last season if Holland had been healthy.

As a freshman in 2007, Holland had four receptions for 52 yards and a touchdown.

Sherman said the Aggies will miss Holland's productivity.

"He's kind of my 'Wes Welker guy,'" Sherman said. "He's been quite a pleasant surprise this spring. But he's still a little foggy and we won't play him."

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

No. 17

Kingsbury and Long hook up in passing duel for the ages

Date: Oct. 5, 2002
Place: Kyle Field, College Station, Texas
Score: Texas Tech 48, Texas A&M 47 (OT)

The Texas A&M-Texas Tech rivalry has developed into one of the country's most bitter blood feuds in the last few years. The Red Raiders have proved difficult for Texas A&M ever since Mike Leach took over in 2000.

One of the most memorable games in the rivalry wasn't settled until one of the wildest passing shootouts in conference history transpired.

Kliff Kingsbury was judged to be one of the nation's top quarterbacks in 2002, setting a conference record with six touchdown passes the week before the A&M game in a 49-0 beatdown of New Mexico.

Texas A&M quarterback Dustin Long wasn't expected to be nearly as proficient. Coming into the Tech game, he had thrown only one touchdown pass in his previous college career.

But that didn't faze him as he started quickly against the Tech secondary, blistering them for a 78-yard touchdown pass to Bethel Johnson on A&M's first offensive play of the game. He also added three other touchdown passes -- a 4-yard toss to Greg Porter, 9 yards to Terrence Murphy and 15 yards to Johnson -- to spark the No. 23 Aggies to a 28-17 halftime advantage.

Kingsbury was just as hot early, starting the game with 14 straight completions. But Long was more effective early, boosting the Aggies to a 35-17 lead on an 82-yard touchdown strike to Jamaar Taylor with 6:57 left in the third quarter.

That lead held until the fourth quarter when Kingsbury went to work.

The Red Raiders exploded for 21 unanswered points in a span of less than 10 minutes to take the lead after a 21-yard Kingsbury TD pass to Wes Welker, a 15-yard TD toss from Kingsbury to Taurean Henderson and a 88-yard punt return by Welker with 2:48 left. A two-point pass from Kingsbury to Anton Paige provided Tech with a 38-35 lead with 2:48 left.

The Aggies answered on a wild scoring play when running back Stacy Jones recovered a fumble by Porter at the Texas Tech 1 and carried it into the end zone with 1:40 left to extend A&M's lead to three. But kicker John Pierson missed the extra point to make it 41-38.

Kingsbury then engineered a seven-play 56-yard drive in only 98 seconds. It was capped by a 42-yard field goal by Robert Treece with two seconds left, tying the game at 41 and setting up the first overtime game in the history of the series.

The Aggies scored first in overtime on Long's seventh touchdown pass of the game, a 3-yarder to Terrence Thomas. But Pierson sent the conversion careening wide left, giving Tech an opening.

Four plays later, Kingsbury hooked up on an inside screen pass to Nehemiah Glover, who cut to the middle before scoring on a 10-yard reception. Treece's conversion gave the Red Raiders a wild 48-47 victory.

Kingsbury's heroics were particularly sweet considering he wanted to attend A&M coming out of high school. The Aggies never seriously recruited him and he ended up at Tech, where he left school as the most productive passer in school history.

The numbers: Kingsbury and Long combined for 841 passing yards and 13 touchdowns. Kingsbury completed 49-of-59 passes for 474 yards and six touchdown passes; Long was 21 for 37 for 367 yards and a Big 12 record seven TD passes. At the time, the Aggies' 47 points were the most they have ever scored in a loss.

It was also the most points that A&M had allowed at Kyle Field since a 57-28 loss to Texas in 1977. The week before the game, Long threw a touchdown pass in his first career start. It snapped a string of seven straight A&M games without a touchdown pass. And Henderson produced 13 catches for 61 yards to pace Tech.

They said it, part I: "This is the biggest definitely. To do it against A&M -- a college I wanted to come to out of high school, and they didn't recruit me -- I made my point today," Kingsbury, who told the Lubbock Avalanche Journal that the win was particularly memorable to him.

They said it, part II: "All week long, I had a great week of practice. The snaps and holds were great. It was my fault. I thought the first one was good, but it just missed going through. The second one I pulled from the beginning, and I knew I missed it right away," Pierson, who described his missed extra points to reporters after the game.

They said it, part III: "I didn't see anybody on our sideline that didn't think we couldn't win," Tech coach Mike Leach, commenting on his team's 18-point fourth-quarter comeback.

The upshot: Texas Tech utilized momentum from the victory to charge to an upset victory over Texas later in the season. That triumph boosted the Red Raiders into a winner-take-all battle for the South Division title against Oklahoma that they lost, 60-15.

After that loss, they advanced to the Tangerine Bowl where they notched a 55-15 triumph over Clemson for their first bowl victory under Leach. The Red Raiders finished the season at 9-5.

A&M coach R.C. Slocum and the Aggies had trouble overcoming the Tech loss. The Aggies lost four of their final five games that season to finish 6-6. Slocum was fired after the final game of the season, a 50-20 loss at Texas, and replaced by Dennis Franchione.

Long started the remaining games of the season but was supplanted by Reggie McNeal as the Aggies' starter the following season. After the demotion, Long transferred to Sam Houston State following the 2003 season where he completed his college career.

The countdown:

18. Henery and Suh make Colorado blue.
19. Stunning OSU rally leads to Stoops' first home loss.
20. It's never over for Texas Tech until it's over.
21. Reesing to Meier. Again and again.
22. A Texas-sized comeback -- Texas over Oklahoma State in 2004.
23. A Border War unlike any of the rest -- Missouri over Kansas in 2007.
24. Seneca Wallace's wild TD run vs. Texas Tech in 2001.
25. Baylor's "So Much for Taking a Knee" against UNLV in 1999.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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