SEC's top individual performances, Part 2

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Now that you've seen Chris' top 10, here's mine. Let's see where we were the same and where we differed:

1. LSU's Tyrann Mathieu against Arkansas: Mathieu replaced the injured Eric Reid and played safety for the first time in his career. All he did was record eight tackles, force two fumbles, and recovered a fumble. With LSU down 14-7 in the second quarter, he ignited a dominating run when he returned a punt 92 yards for a touchdown in LSU’s 41-17 win over Arkansas. A loss to the Hogs might have cost LSU a chance at the national title game.

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Brandon Boykin
Jeff Griffith/US PresswireGeorgia's Brandon Boykin recorded a safety, had a punt return TD and a TD catch in the Outback Bowl.
2. Georgia’s Brandon Boykin in the Outback Bowl: Boykin sure went out in style, scoring three different ways in the loss to Michigan State. On Michigan State's first offensive play, he recorded a safety when he tackled Keshawn Martin in the end zone on a pass play. He later scored on 92-yard punt return, which is the longest play in Outback Bowl history, and scored on a 13-yard touchdown catch in the fourth quarter to give Georgia a 27-20 lead. He also had seven tackles, including two for loss.

3. LSU’s Tyrann Mathieu in the SEC championship game: He saved LSU yet again with his special-teams work. His 62-yard punt return for a touchdown in the second quarter got LSU on the board after trailing 10-0. On Georgia’s first drive of the second half, Mathieu recovered a fumble at the Bulldogs’ 27 to set up the Tigers’ second touchdown. He set up LSU's third score with a scintillating return that left just about every Georgia player's head spinning.

4. Arkansas’ Tyler Wilson against Texas A&M: Wilson not only helped orchestrate a tremendous second-half comeback against the Aggies, but he passed for a school-record 510 passing yards, had three touchdowns and no interceptions on 30-of-51 passing.

5. Alabama’s Trent Richardson against Ole Miss: Richardson couldn't be stopped in Oxford, as he rushed for 183 yards and four touchdowns in Alabama's 52-7 drubbing of the Rebels. Richardson grabbed his signature play as well when he put on a show at the end of his 76-yard touchdown run by literally shaking Ole Miss' Senquez Golsen to the ground with his cut seen round the college football world.

6. Georgia’s Jarvis Jones against Florida: Jones had four sacks in the Bulldogs’ 24-20 win over Florida and forced a fumble at the Gators' 18-yard line in the third quarter that led to the game-tying touchdown. His fourth sack came in the fourth and basically sealed the Bulldogs' win.

7. Arkansas’ Jarius Wright against Texas A&M: Wilson couldn't have done his thing without Wright, who caught 13 passes, which tied a school record, for a school-record 281 yards and a touchdown. Wright surpassed the old record of 204 yards by halftime. He also recovered a fumble in the end zone for a touchdown that tied the game at 35 in the fourth quarter.

8. Florida’s Chris Rainey against Florida Atlantic: Rainey kicked off the Will Muschamp era by scoring touchdowns three different ways in the season opener. He scored rushing, receiving and on a blocked punt. Rainey also registered 146 yards of total offense.

9. South Carolina’s Antonio Allen against East Carolina: Allen started the year off pretty well when he had 16 tackles, forced two fumbles, recovered two fumbles and broke up two passes in a season-opening 56-37 win over East Carolina. He also returned a fumble 25 yards for a touchdown.

10. LSU’s Brad Wing against Alabama Part I: In a game in which kicking mattered, four of his six punts were downed inside Alabama's 20-yard line. One punt was downed at the 5 and another at the 4. His 73-yarder in the fourth quarter saved LSU's defense from having to work with a short field and helped propel the game into overtime.

Here are five more that just missed the cut:
  • South Carolina's Melvin Ingram ran for a 68-yard touchdown on a fake punt against Georgia and scored a second touchdown on a 5-yard fumble return. He sealed the Gamecocks' 45-42 win when he recovered an onsides kick.
  • Tennessee's Tyler Bray passed for a career-high 405 passing yards, had four touchdown passes and no interceptions in a 45-23 win over Cincinnati. He also had a rushing touchdown and completed 34 of 41 passes.
  • Vanderbilt’s Zac Stacy rushed for 184 yards and three touchdowns in a 41-7 road victory over Wake Forest that sent the Commodores bowling. Stacy also became the school’s single-season record holder for rushing yards after his performance.
  • Kentucky’s Danny Trevathan registered 17 tackles, including 12 solo and three for loss in a 19-10 loss to Georgia. He also forced two fumbles.
  • Arkansas' Joe Adams had one of the best special-teams performance of the season in Week 1 against Missouri State when he had two punt returns for touchdowns of 69 and 61 yards in the 51-7 win. He had a school-record 174 yards on six punt returns.

SEC's top individual performances, Part I

February, 9, 2012
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Tyrann MathieuChris Graythen/Getty ImagesTyrann Mathieu had a knack for the big play all season for LSU.
We’re already looking ahead some to the 2012 season in the SEC, but we haven’t completely forgotten about 2011.

We’re finishing up our postseason position rankings and taking another look at the top 25 players in the league based on what they did during the 2011 season.

Today, we’ll rank the top 10 individual performances from this past season. I’ll go first (That’s what happens when you dominate the picks contest), and Edward will follow.

We’ll also have a poll for the fans later today, so you guys will get your chance to weigh in as well and tell us how right or wrong we were.

Please don’t hold back, although you never do.

Here goes:

1. LSU’s Tyrann Mathieu vs. Arkansas: Moving over to safety for the injured Eric Reid, the Honey Badger put on a show for all shows. The only thing he didn’t do was clean up Tiger Stadium afterward in the 41-17 win over the No. 3-ranked Hogs. Mathieu had eight tackles, forced two fumbles, recovered a fumble and returned a punt 92 yards for a touchdown. His punt return tied the game at 14-14, and the Hogs were toast from there.

2. LSU’s Tyrann Mathieu in the SEC championship game: Yep, it’s the Honey Badger again. The Tigers were dead in the water in the first half against Georgia, but Mathieu returned a punt 62 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter to get LSU on the board. Mathieu followed that up by recovering a fumble at the Bulldogs’ 27 to set up the Tigers’ second touchdown. He then returned another punt 47 yards, this one even more spectacular than the first, to set up LSU’s third touchdown, and a close game suddenly became a 42-10 rout.

3. Georgia’s Jarvis Jones vs. Florida: It was a case of Jones simply not allowing his team to lose. He racked up four sacks in the 24-20 win over the Gators and forced a fumble at the Florida 18-yard line in the third quarter that led to the game-tying touchdown. His fourth and final sack came on fourth down late in the game and all but finished the Gators, lifting Georgia to just its fourth win over Florida in the last 22 meetings.

4. Arkansas’ Tyler Wilson vs. Texas A&M: With the Hogs trailing 35-17 at the half, Wilson brought them back with a school-record 510 yards passing in a 42-38 victory over the Aggies. Wilson finished 30-of-51 with three touchdown passes and no interceptions. He also had the 2-point conversion run that tied the game at 35-35.

5. Georgia’s Brandon Boykin in the Outback Bowl: The Bulldogs fell to Michigan State 33-30 in three overtimes, but don’t blame Boykin. The senior cornerback scored three different ways. He recorded a safety to open the game, also had a 92-yard punt return for a touchdown and scored on a 13-yard touchdown catch in the fourth quarter to give the Bulldogs a 27-20 lead. He finished with seven tackles, including two for loss.

6. Arkansas’ Jarius Wright vs. Texas A&M: Don’t forget about Wright in the Hogs’ dramatic comeback win over the Aggies. He tied a school record with 13 catches and set a school record with 281 receiving yards. The old record was 204 yards, and Wright surpassed that by halftime. He also caught a 68-yard touchdown pass and pounced on a loose ball in the end zone in the fourth quarter that wound up being the tying touchdown.

7. LSU’s Brad Wing vs. Alabama: Without Wing’s heroics, LSU doesn’t win that first game against Alabama. It’s just that simple. He kept the Crimson Tide bottled up all night. He punted six times and four were downed inside the Alabama 20-yard line. One was downed at the 5 and another at the 4. His 73-yard punt in the fourth quarter completely changed the game and helped get the Tigers to overtime, where they prevailed 9-6.

8. Alabama’s Trent Richardson vs. Ole Miss: There were so many great performances by Richardson that it’s difficult to pick out just one. But he rolled up 183 rushing yards and four touchdowns in the 52-7 rout of Ole Miss, and they’ll be showing the highlights of his dazzling 76-yard touchdown run for a long time to come. He averaged 10.8 yards per carry that night and finished with 213 all-purpose yards.

9. Tennessee’s Tyler Bray vs. Cincinnati: It’s about as perfect a game as a quarterback could have. Bray lit up the Bearcats in the second week of the season for a career-high 405 passing yards, four touchdown passes and no interceptions. He also had a rushing touchdown and completed 34 of 41 passes in the 45-23 victory. In the second half, Bray completed all but one of his 14 passing attempts, and his 83 percent completion rate set a school record.

10. South Carolina’s Antonio Allen vs. East Carolina: It’s one of the great performances of the season that nobody really remembers because it came in the opener. Allen, the Gamecocks’ “Spur” linebacker/safety, totaled 16 tackles, forced two fumbles, recovered two fumbles and broke up two passes in the come-from-behind 56-37 win over East Carolina.

Here are five more that just missed the cut:
  • South Carolina’s Melvin Ingram running for a 68-yard touchdown on a fake punt, scoring a second touchdown on a 5-yard fumble return and recovering an onside kick to preserve a 45-42 win over Georgia.
  • Florida’s Chris Rainey rushing for 108 yards and also totaling 104 receiving yards in a 33-23 win over Tennessee. Rainey accounted for 233 all-purpose yards and had an 83-yard touchdown catch to put the Gators ahead 30-7 in the third quarter. He also blocked a punt in the second quarter, leading to a Florida field goal.
  • South Carolina’s Connor Shaw passing for 210 yards and three touchdowns and rushing for 107 yards and a touchdown in a 34-13 victory over Clemson. Shaw finished 14 of 20 passing without an interception.
  • Vanderbilt’s Zac Stacy rushing for 184 yards and three touchdowns in a 41-7 road victory over Wake Forest that made the Commodores bowl eligible. Stacy had touchdown runs of 40 and 20 yards on his way to becoming the school’s single-season record-holder for rushing yards.
  • Kentucky’s Danny Trevathan totaling 17 tackles, including 12 solo stops, for the second week in a row. He had three tackles for loss and also forced two fumbles in the Wildcats’ 19-10 loss to Georgia.

The Big East's scheduling headache

February, 9, 2012
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With eight league members, scheduling nonconference games has never been easy in the Big East.

Now imagine trying to put together a schedule without knowing who exactly is going to be around for the 2012 season. West Virginia has made it all too clear it has every intention of playing in the Big 12 in 2012 -- it already dropped a game against Florida State to prepare for a nine-game league schedule.

It is enough to give Big East athletic directors around the league major migraines.

The Big East has been tight-lipped about when it is going to release its schedule, pending the resolution of two lawsuits between the league and West Virginia. Athletic directors of teams staying in the Big East are hesitant to comment publicly about the bind they have been put in because of the events of the past several months. But make no mistake, this is a nightmare scenario for most, if not all, Big East schools.

That nightmare scenario actually began back in October, when TCU pulled out of the Big East without ever having played a down. At the time, nearly every Big East school had already dropped a nonconference game in preparation for an eight-game league schedule with the Horned Frogs on board for 2012.

When TCU was allowed to leave immediately, without having to wait, that opened up a spot for a fifth nonconference game. Pitt, for example, paid its way out of a game against UCF to make way for TCU. Now the Panthers are in need of a fifth nonconference game. Athletic director Steve Pederson told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review last week:

"We actually bought our way out of the Central Florida game. That wasn't our preference. We weren't consulted on letting TCU out of the league without a waiting period. It really has put us in a very difficult spot."

Of the seven teams expected to be in the Big East in 2012, four are in need of a fifth nonconference game: Cincinnati, Pitt, Rutgers and Syracuse.

Now it would be one thing if these schools were looking for one game. But there is a real possibility they will be looking for two should West Virginia leave. Not surprisingly, West Virginia says one of the reasons it should leave immediately is because TCU was allowed to leave immediately.

Throw in the possibility that Pitt and Syracuse could follow suit, and, start reaching for the aspirin bottle.

So what would the Big East do if West Virginia leaves, creating one to two holes in every single team's schedule? There are a number of options.
  • The Big East could try and convince one of its new schools to enter for 2012. Boise State has been mentioned as a possibility, though president Bob Kustra said it was too late for that to happen.
  • Big East schools in need of another nonconference game could go the FCS route, but that is probably unlikely. All four teams looking for a nonconference game have one FCS game on the slate. Getting a second is unappealing for a variety of reasons: it diminishes home fan interest, and it also impacts what teams have to do to become bowl eligible.
  • If the Big East is stuck with seven schools for 2012, then there is the possibility of each school playing another league member twice. It would obviously be a one-time only situation and only done in an emergency.

What about the possibility that Syracuse and Pitt leave as well? Folks inside the Big East and the ACC would be shocked if that happened, but nothing can be ruled out, especially if you read all of what Pederson had to say.

Nonconference scheduling is a tough business. Big East schools are fighting to land some marquee games, but they are not the only ones looking. Florida State needs a replacement game; a few schools in the Big 12 also are in need of filling out their schedules. Oklahoma, for example, has two nonconference openings. Arkansas, Texas A&M and Missouri have openings as well. Most, if not all, want a home game to boot, so that makes things tougher.

Because of the uncertainty around West Virginia, there is a hesitancy from the bigger AQ schools to set up major matchups. So until this issue is resolved, scheduling will remain up in the air.

3-point stance: More on expansion

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1. The Big East expansion has made the best of an untenable situation. If Memphis is the end of expansion --Air Force, what are you going to do? -- then taking four teams from Conference USA, Boise State, San Diego State and Navy just may be a wash for losing Pittsburgh, Syracuse and West Virginia. That is, if you measure by football. The problem is that the Big East football schools share neither tradition nor geography, both critical to the well-being of a conference.

2. We let the NCAA train us to say “student-athlete” like it’s a word and not something made up to sound academic. Enough’s enough. “Plus-one” is nothing more than a nom de grid for a playoff, made up by those who don’t want to upend the bowl system. The most popular plus-one idea, with the top four teams seeded into (or separate from) the bowls, is nothing more than a four-team playoff. So, unless it’s absolutely necessary, I’m done with the term plus-one. It is what it is: a playoff.

3. The Pac-12 is playing a nine-game schedule. The ACC, as of this week, and Big 12 are on board to follow. The Big Ten will play an eight-game schedule with a ninth-game against the Pac-12, which is admirable. The SEC is sticking with an eight-game schedule, allowing its members to play four stadium-filling, bowl-qualifying home games. The argument that that eight SEC games is enough to prove a team’s worth is just so much chicken salad. The schedules cheat the ticket-buying fans and mock the viewers at home.

Blog debate: How will TCU handle its jump?

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Gary PattersonChristopher Hanewinckel/US PresswireCan coach Gary Patterson, who has a 130-15 record at TCU, continue his winning ways in the Big 12?

So, we introduced you to TCU on the blog earlier today, but the pleasantries are out of the way. Let's get serious about this now.

TCU's entering a brand-new world. They won't find any New Mexicos or UNLVs in the Big 12. Even 2-10 Kansas beat the MAC champions last year.

College Nation blogger Andrea Adelson and Big 12 blogger David Ubben went head to head to offer their thoughts on how the Horned Frogs will handle the transition.

David Ubben: We're back, and it's time to get our hands dirty. The first question is the biggest: Can the Horned Frogs handle the jump and continue their success? TCU's enjoyed 11-win season after 11-win season in the Mountain West. Gary Patterson is 130-15 as the Horned Frogs' coach. What do they have to do to win like that on the big stage?

Andrea Adelson: That is the eternal question facing any school outside one of the automatic qualifying conferences -- how do they measure up once they start playing with the big boys? All we can do is guess until the games begin. But from my vantage point, I think TCU is well positioned to have a run of success in the Big 12 for a variety of reasons. First, TCU actually plays defense, and plays it well. Now I know some folks in the Big 12 might not understand what I am talking about, but consider that the Horned Frogs had a string of three consecutive seasons in which they ranked No. 1 in total defense from 2008-10. Coach Gary Patterson is known throughout the country as one of the sharpest defensive minds, and his group's tenacity and aggressiveness have been their hallmarks. Second, TCU is in the perfect place for recruiting, right in the heart of Texas. Patterson already has worked wonders with gems who were deemed "not good enough" for the likes of Texas. Now that he can sell the Big 12, the quality of his classes is sure to go up. And third, he has an experienced team coming back this season with some serious playmakers on offense, which should allow the Horned Frogs to fit right in to the high-powered Big 12. Casey Pachall proved last season he has what it takes to lead this group, and receiver Josh Boyce is a rising star.

DU: All good points. I agree with you on both counts. TCU's days of leading the nation in total defense are absolutely over with the kinds of offenses in the Big 12, but they've got the program stability to rebound from a below-average year defensively in 2011.

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Horned Frog
Tom Pennington/Getty ImagesThe Horned Frogs could benefit enormously in recruiting from being the only Big 12 school near Dallas.
As for recruiting, we could be poised for a giant to rise. I really believe that. If TCU starts winning consistently in the Big 12, the draw of being the only team in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex could be enormous. The amount of talent in DFW is more than most states. Now, they're almost all within a 30-40 minute drive of TCU. Everybody in the Big 12 recruits the area. TCU is now the only team with the ability to offer them a chance to stay really, really close to home. For some, that will be a big draw. I wouldn't be surprised at all if TCU starts stringing together top 10 recruiting classes annually, right on par with Texas and OU.

The team coming back this year wasn't too far off from playing in the national championship game (seriously). Baylor won that dramatic game on the season's opening night, and TCU lost to SMU in overtime later in the year. It's scary to think that you switch a play or two here and a play or two there, an undefeated TCU team plays for the national title.

You hear a lot of talk about TCU's lack of depth. How's that going to affect this team? Is there anything mythical to the idea that the week-to-week grind could be too much of an immediate challenge for the Horned Frogs' current personnel?

AA: Depth is always the argument that is held against any team outside the non-AQ conferences. I thought Utah joining the Pac-12 would be the perfect test case. To me, the Utes had a successful season, even though they lost more games than they had in the Mountain West. They made it to a bowl game in Year 1 as an AQ school, and they won their bowl game against Georgia Tech to finish 8-5. Consider they also lost starting quarterback Jordan Wynn and had to play somebody with limited experience. I think TCU is in even better position than Utah, simply because TCU has a better team returning in 2012. The Big 12 might have a stronger overall conference, but Patterson is no stranger to play in the league, having faced Baylor, Oklahoma, Texas and Texas Tech in recent years. But back to the question on depth -- of the 11 players listed on the two-deep at defensive line at the end of last season, 10 return. The running back rotation goes at least three deep. The receiving group is deep and talented as well. If I did have a concern about depth, it would probably be on the offensive line and in the secondary. But TCU replaced nearly everybody last year on the line and had no problem, and the defensive backs got better as the season went on. Still, as a college coach you want your depth to be in the trenches so that is the one area I am going to be paying most attention to in 2012.

DU: Yeah, Gary Patterson is no stranger to Big 12 squads. I think OU fans are still a little sore about that upset back in 2005. The Sooners have only lost at Owen Field three times under Bob Stoops, and the Horned Frogs did it to Stoops and Adrian Peterson.

Depth on the line will be big, but unlike the SEC, where you need big defensive tackles, the Big 12 requires you to have speedy, physical pass-rushers. If you can get pressure on the quarterback -- not necessarily sack him, but get in his face and make it difficult for him to get through his progressions -- with just four or five guys, you're going to have huge success in this league. Texas has done it a lot lately, even while they've struggled the past few years. Oklahoma did it a lot this year with Frank Alexander.

We'll find out quick if TCU has the athletes to make something like that happen.

TCU is a little more like Mizzou than Texas A&M in that the program is so established before coming to its new league, versus A&M, which is undergoing lots of change on the field and on the sidelines. How will that affect their entrance?

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Gary Patterson
Icon SMIGary Patterson led the Horned Frogs to a Rose Bowl win in the 2010 season.
AA: I think it is a huge plus for TCU to have stability right now. You could even say TCU is one of the most stable teams in the country. How many other teams can say their head coach has been around for 12 years, been to two BCS games and won one of them -- the "Grandaddy Of Them All"? Patterson has gotten overtures from other programs, but he seems committed to TCU today and into the future. He has rebuilt this program in his image. It has to be a confidence-builder going into the season to know that TCU has beaten teams like Baylor, Texas Tech and Oklahoma in the recent past; that this program is used to winning with discipline and focus. Every year Patterson talks about putting up his pyramid and making sure his players understand they are starting at the bottom and have to work their way to the top -- a conference championship. From there, perhaps a national championship would be in their sights. That obviously gets a ton easier now that they are members of the Big 12. But I don't think Patterson is going to do anything differently, other than maybe coach 'em up a little bit harder.

DU: Yeah, most people sort of assumed Patterson would leave at some point, but he's really built something special at TCU. Clearly, the move to the Big 12 both validates that and makes it seem likely he won't leave Fort Worth for a long, long time. He's got the Frogs rolling.

Being in the region will help. Like you said, playing and beating those teams adds to the familiarity. West Virginia, on the other hand, is going to be almost a total outsider in that respect. Both WVU and TCU are built to win quickly in this league, but I have to think TCU gains a little edge because of the familiarity factor.

TCU's built to win, but probably not built to win big just yet. You talked about that pyramid. What does TCU have to do to scale it and win its first Big 12 title? Any guesses as to how long it takes?

AA: I bet TCU wins a Big 12 title in the next five years. I don't see it this year because TCU has to get adjusted to new opponents and playing in an AQ conference. But I really have a hard time doubting Patterson, especially given his ability to recruit. To me, Texas and Oklahoma remain the goliaths that have to be slayed. Every other team has made nice runs, but nobody has really had the same long-range, sustained success as Texas and Oklahoma. If I am Patterson, my focus is getting into their territory.

DU: I don't know about five years, but I'll take your bet within the decade. It's tougher to win now without a championship game and divisions. If TCU was in the old Big 12 North, I'd like their chances in a five-year span. But having to outplay Texas, OU and everyone else in the Big 12 over a nine-game conference season is never easy. That's the goal. It'll be fun to see if TCU can reach it.

LSU's Josh Dworaczyk gets sixth year

February, 9, 2012
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LSU offensive guard Josh Dworaczyk has been granted a sixth year of eligibility, the NCAA and LSU announced Wednesday.

Dworaczyk, who was arguably the Tigers' top lineman heading into last season, suffered a season-ending knee injury during training camp in August and missed all of the 2011 season.
“I’m excited to be able to get another year so that I can finish my career on the field,” Dworaczyk said in a release through the school. “I felt like I had some unfinished business, so being able to get this additional year is a blessing.

“Watching from the sidelines last year wasn’t always easy, because I was so used to being a contributor on the field. Getting another year means that I get to wear the Purple and Gold again, and for that I’m very thankful.

“Getting to see the game through the eyes of a coach and understanding what they are looking for from the players on the field, it helped me fully understand our offense. It also gave me a different relationship with my teammates. As a player, I was a leader on the field. Last year, I couldn’t be in the huddle with my teammates so I tried to be a motivator, giving words of advice or encouragement and doing whatever I could to help from the sidelines.”

Dworaczyk's return will ease the loss of All-American Will Blackwell, who took over at left guard halfway through his past season.

Dworaczyk has started in 26 of the 38 games (all at left guard) that he's played in, and will add to an already experienced returning line. The addition of Dworaczyk means LSU's offensive line will enter the fall with 105 combined starts -- Dworaczyk (26), center P.J. Lonergan (26), right tackle Alex Hurst (24), left tackle Chris Faulk (15), and right guard Josh Williford (14) -- and will yet again cement itself as one of the top offensive lines in the SEC.

“This is great news for our program,” LSU coach Les Miles said. “You never want to see a player have his career cut short because of an injury. Josh is a tremendous representative of our program, and it’s nice to see that he’s going to get a chance to finish out his LSU career on the field.”

Introducing TCU to its home in the Big 12

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TCU FansCal Sport Media/AP ImagesThe Horned Frogs move to the Big 12 next season, an AQ conference with a perfect geographic fit.

We'll cap our moving week by introducing a new team to the big stage: TCU, welcome to the Big 12.

Our former Southwest Conference teams surely remember the Horned Frogs, but it's time to get everyone acquainted. To help me out, we've got College Nation blogger Andrea Adelson.

David Ubben: Andrea, you've been around this program the last year or so. Most fans won't have to travel far when they make it to the newly renovated Amon G. Carter Stadium, but what can they expect for a game-day experience?

Andrea Adelson: TCU might not have a stadium as big as Texas or Oklahoma, but fans sure get loud and provide a really good home-field advantage. The Horned Frogs have won 26 of their last 27 home games, and coach Gary Patterson has only lost seven times there in his 11 seasons as head coach. The newly renovated stadium should provide even more of a home-field advantage as the student section has now been reconfigured to run goal line to goal line behind the opponent bench. Students typically get dressed up all in purple and there is one spirit organization known as the HyperFrogs that leads chants throughout the game to get everybody fired up. Word is that playing a full slate of Big 12 competition is going to spur even more excitement at games and lead to many more sellouts.

DU: I'm excited to see it. I've done baseball and basketball at TCU, but I've never been to a football game. I'll have to end that this year. I'm definitely buying the idea that TCU's attendance issues have been accentuated by some less-than-stellar opponents. I'm not impressed by the home record, though.

The Horned Frogs already have their hand signal ready, a signature of Texas teams from that old Southwest Conference, but what's this move, getting reacquainted with some old friends, mean to TCU?

AA: It means everything, David. TCU was so desperate to get into an automatic qualifying conference, it agreed back in 2010 to join the Big East and then tried to tell everybody that geography did not matter and making the move was the perfect fit. The truth is, TCU always had designs on the Big 12, but the league had no interest in the Horned Frogs. Maybe that is because they were viewed as the pesky little brother that needed to be kept locked in his room. But the shifting sands of realignment made it increasingly obvious that TCU was the no-brainer choice to join the Big 12. It is no wonder TCU jumped ship for a conference closer to home without ever having played a down of football in the Big East. The Horned Frogs have finally achieved the goal set when the Southwest Conference broke up -- and it only took three (and a half) league homes to get there.

DU: Yeah, people want to knock TCU for conference jumping, but how can you not when the non-AQ leagues are shifting as much as they have in the past couple of decades. There's no doubt about it: TCU is home. I was at the news conference when they announced the move, and I've never seen so many people in suits wearing enormous smiles.

Big 12 fans may know TCU's combo of quarterback Casey Pachall and receiver Josh Boyce, but who are a few names Big 12 fans should keep an eye out for in 2012?

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Ed Wesley and Waymon James
Troy Babbitt/US PresswireEd Wesley and Waymon James are part of TCU's deep running back corps.
AA: TCU has a three-headed running back trio in Ed Wesley, Matthew Tucker and Waymon James, and all three return for this season. The three nearly split their carries evenly in 2011 -- each getting over 100 -- and combined for 2,337 yards and 24 touchdown runs. On the defensive side of the ball, watch for Stansly Maponga, a first-team Mountain West selection who really blossomed in his sophomore season. Maponga had nine sacks, 13.5 tackles for loss and five forced fumbles and will be expected to anchor what should be a solid defensive line. I am also going to be intrigued to see how receiver Brandon Carter does in his sophomore season. He did play as a true freshman and had 352 yards and three touchdowns, but bigger things will be expected. He was one of the big gets in the 2011 recruiting class, a four-star prospect out of Euless, Texas.

DU: OU fans may remember Brandon Carter. He was almost a Sooner, but they wanted him to play corner. Safe to say he's feeling good about his decision now.

Time to put you on the spot, AA: Forecast the Horned Frogs first year in the Big 12. Win total, conference record, bowl game and Big 12 finish.

AA: Without knowing the actual schedule, as in home games and away games, I am going to say at least eight wins and a finish in the top four. So that would project out to Alamo or Insight, and of course that depends on who else is eligible to be selected.

DU: Yeah, the Big 12's not really making this one easy on us.

I like what TCU's got coming back. This is a team that could run the table outside of the Big 12, but they may hit a few speed bumps in the transition. I'll say TCU wins nine games, finishes fourth in the Big 12 and heads to the Insight Bowl. Not a bad debut for a program that could see its success sky-rocket in years to come.

Kicking it with Texas A&M's Kevin Sumlin

February, 9, 2012
Feb 9
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Kevin Sumlin isn’t a stranger to winning. The two-time national coach of the year finalist recorded a 35-17 record during his four years at Houston, before taking over as Texas A&M’s new coach in December.

But as Sumlin makes his return to College Station, Texas, he’ll do so as a SEC coach. While he hasn’t coached in this league before, he understands that size, strength and speed are on a new level down here.

That’s why he pushed spring practice back two weeks after spring break in order to give strength and conditioning coach Larry Jackson eight full weeks to punish his new players and get them into the proper shape for a full SEC season.

Sumlin took some time out of his busy schedule to talk to ESPN.com about life as the Aggies’ coach before the move to the SEC:

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Kevin Sumlin
AP PhotoTexas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin said that the Aggies' move to the SEC is helping him in recruiting.
What has the whirlwind of coming back to Texas A&M after your successful years at Houston been like for you?

Kevin Sumlin: Having been here before, I’ve got a better feel for the university, for the traditions, for how things work. There’s a certain comfort level in that, instead of walking into a completely new situation. Also, many of the recruits that were committed or that were prospects from Dec. 10 to Feb. 1, most of those guys we had a relationship with [at Houston], so it wasn’t a cold call, so to speak. A lot of the stress level of moving into a completely new situation and not knowing what’s going on, that wasn’t necessarily the case.

It isn’t easy for a new head coach, especially when you’re behind like you were, when it comes to recruiting. How much did being able to tell recruits that they’d be playing in the SEC help?

KS: It’s a factor. It’s not everything, but it certainly is a factor, particularly here in-state. It’s different than it has been in the past. Kids (in the state of Texas) have a choice now with the Big 12, the Big East and the SEC in where they want to play. It gives the guy an opportunity in our primary recruiting states of Texas and Louisiana to play in the SEC. I don’t think it’s hurt us at all, I think it’s helped us. The ability for a young man to play in arguably the best league in the country that’s what real competitors want to do and guys who want to play at the highest level. The quality of football and then the types of players in that league are exciting to a lot of young men.

Obviously, in recruiting, you want to hit Texas hard, but how important is it to get into the southeast and tap into states like Florida, Georgia and Alabama?

KS: We’re in a unique situation here because of the large amount of talent in the state of Texas and the importance that’s placed on development and coaching in high school. We’ve got a great, great talent pool here. I also think we can do a better job in state and expand into Louisiana. Really, those are our primary recruiting areas because we’ve got a proximity here in College Station to Louisiana (that is) probably closer than some schools on the east side of the SEC. After that, we’ll look at the top five or six players by position nationally that have an interest in us.

Focusing on the team you have now, what was the message you tried to convey to your team when you first met with them?

KS: It was a really unique situation. Both teams were in a bowl game -- Houston was in a bowl game and A&M was in a bowl game. It gave me an opportunity to really be here and watch practice and I purposely haven’t watched any video, but to be on the ground and watch practice and see our guys … it gave me about a week to do my own evaluations. When we got back the day before school started, we had a team meeting and basically we asked them to trust us and by saying that, meaning that there were going to be some changes, primarily their strength and conditioning program. We weren’t going to do anything that was just to play with people’s minds. Everything that we were going to do when they came into this building was to make them better, whether it was academically, whether it was athletically, or strength and conditioning, we aren’t here to play games with them. We’re here to get better.

These guys have been great and working at it like crazy and the attitude has been really, really phenomenal in a transition period.

Looking at the depth chart, you guys lose a few pieces to that defensive line. The SEC is known as a line-of-scrimmage league; so how important is it to develop that defensive line and also the offensive line.

KS: It’s extremely important. Right now, the strength of our team is the offensive line and we signed basically a third of our class this year as defensive linemen. We’ve got to continue to develop that moving from a 3-4 to a 4-3. It may be kind of a misnomer that we’re short defensive linemen because we’ve got a couple of guys who are playing outside linebacker who are 240-50 pounds and can put their hands down in the ground and go. We’ve got to continue to get better and our No. 1 goal moving here is we had to increase our talent level and we’ve taken one of the first steps to that with the first recruiting class. Then, I wanted to hire a staff of coaches that have coached at the highest level, been in those types of games, but are also developmental coaches.

We are all very familiar with what you did with Case Keenum and that Houston offense, but now that you’re making the move to the SEC do you anticipate any kinds of changes to combat this defensive speed?

KS: Yeah. You know, I don’t think speed is an issue for us. I think size is. This team has gone on the field and played pretty well against some people from a speed standpoint. I think size and strength may be where it is and we have to continue to recruit to that. That being said, I don’t think we’re in any position right now to win a 6-3 ball game. I don’t think we can do that. We’re going to have to score points. People look at us and think we throw it all over the place, but we’ve also been able to get the ball to our playmakers and that’s the basis of our offense. Whatever it’s going to take to get some points on the board, we’re going to have to be able to do that. Right now, we’re not anywhere near built to win a 6-3 game, but we’ve got enough talent here to be successful and as long as we continue to recruit these types of players, increase our size on our defensive front and continue to get the type of skill players that we’ve got in this class we’ll be alright.

Once spring practice comes and you’re able to put your hands on these guys when they're in pads, what do you want to immediately get out of them and what do you want to see?

KS: Our primary focus is changing our physical makeup, our conditioning and also our mental makeup. The bigger and stronger and more in shape you are, the more confident you are. That’s a fact. We have to start with that. Then, as we get into spring football, we want to really institute getting through those 15 practices with the basis of three new schemes -- offensively, defensively and special teams -- and make sure that we have a foundation with all of those new schemes.

We have to come through spring football and establish really where we are on the depth chart. I don’t know if we’ll have a quarterback named at the end of spring football. I’ve never really done that unless we’ve had a guy coming back who’s a starter. I look for that to continue even in two-a-days, unless somebody surfaces as a clear No. 1. The surface of our depth chart needs to be set at just about every position.

Kirk Ferentz talks Iowa staff changes

February, 8, 2012
Feb 8
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Iowa fans grew antsy while waiting nearly two months for head coach Kirk Ferentz to name successor to Norm Parker at defensive coordinator. But Ferentz said Wednesday that he wanted to take his time with the decision, which resulted in defensive backs coach Phil Parker (no relation) being promoted on Tuesday.

"I just didn't see any advantage to moving quickly," Ferentz said at a news conference. "Unless you have to, there's no real advantage to that. So I just wanted to kind of sift through it, and I'm really glad that I did because my mind was in a couple different places. ... You want to take your time and feel really good."

Ferentz said he eventually settled on Parker -- who has spent the past 13 years coaching the Hawkeyes secondary -- as the best fit for the program. He said Parker has had opportunities to leave to go to other BCS teams, including a top-10 program that offered him a coordinator spot.

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Phil Parker
Mark J. Rebilas/US PresswireIowa coach Kirk Ferentz, after some deliberation, promoted longtime assistant Phil Parker, seen here in 2010, to defensive coordinator.
Ferentz did not announce a new offensive coordinator or any specific plans to fill the role vacated when longtime playcaller Ken O'Keefe left for the Miami Dolphins last week. He said he knew about O'Keefe possibly leaving as soon as Joe Philbin -- a friend of O'Keefe's -- got the Dolphins job. Expect Ferentz to take his time with this hire, too, even though current assistant Erik Campbell looks like a strong candidate to become another in-house promotion.

In some ways, it's understandable why Ferentz isn't making these decisions quickly. After all, O'Keefe and Norm Parker were the only coordinators he'd had at Iowa until this point.

"We probably cheated time here a little bit," he said. "I don't think anybody envisioned the head coach or two coordinators making it for 13 years. ... Right now, I'd settle for 10 out of the next two guys. That would be great if we could get 10 I'll be, what, 66. I'll have to figure that out then. Somebody will feel sorry for me and come join us at that point."

Some other notes from Ferentz's press conference:
  • He explained his surprising decision to move offensive-line coach Reese Morgan to the defensive line by saying Morgan is an excellent teacher. The Hawkeyes will be very young on the D-line next season, and Ferentz felt Morgan was the right guy to get that group up to speed. He pointed to Morgan's excellent work of developing offensive linemen, including projected 2012 NFL first-rounder Riley Reiff, who came to school as a defensive end prospect.
  • With the offensive line job open, speculation is rampant that Ferentz will hire his son Brian, currently a New England Patriots assistant, to coach that position. The elder Ferentz addressed that by saying he's "open to anything" but added that his son has a pretty good job right now.
  • LeVar Woods was elevated from administrative assistant to a temporary coach during recruiting, and most expect him to be named the full-time linebackers coach. "He's still the interim coach as far as I know, at least," Ferentz said. "He's certainly interested in working here, and we'll let him go through the process. Hopefully he'll do well in the weeks ahead here and we'll find a seat for him."
  • Ferentz said he didn't think the athletic department's budget would be an issue in hiring new assistants. But he also added, "I don't think we're going to try to sign a superstar coach or anything like that."
  • A lot of Iowa fans wanted some change in the staff and many criticized O'Keefe's conservative game plans. Ferentz didn't rule out a major change with the new offensive coordinator, but odds are more likely that Iowa's style of play will look mostly the same. Ferentz said his next coordinator has to "believe in blocking" first and foremost. "As a head coach what I'm interested in is we've got to block. We've got to make the make-able plays and make sure we're doing a good job in turnover ratio. I think that's really critical if you're going to try to get somewhere."
  • Iowa will move the start of its spring practice back a couple of days, and Ferentz would like to have the staff complete before the Hawkeyes get going in late March. But, again, moving fast is not his top priority. "Right now I think we've just got to make sure it's the right guy, certainly before we leave on spring break. ... Spring ball to me is about teaching the basics. It's about executing basic plays and just getting things taught. We have a very young team right now so it's not like we can be on page 7 anyway, so we really have to start at the beginning. So I think that gives us a little wiggle room there, too."

WVU-Big East legal questions answered

February, 8, 2012
Feb 8
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The Big East and West Virginia have yet to work out a resolution to their competing lawsuits, but there is a status hearing set for Thursday in the case filed in Rhode Island.

As a refresher, West Virginia filed suit against the Big East in its home state in order to be able to leave for the Big 12 in time for the 2012 season. The Big East filed its own lawsuit in Rhode Island in order to compel West Virginia to stay the full 27 months before leaving, as dictated by conference bylaws. The judge in that particular case has ordered non-binding mediation in the hopes of expediting a settlement.

There are many legal questions about the cases, so I turned to two experts -- Lester Munson, ESPN senior writer and legal analyst; and Christian Dennie, a former NCAA compliance officer who now practices sports law in Fort Worth, Texas, and contributes to his firm's blog.

The biggest question is this one -- say there is no settlement and both cases proceed. What happens in the event of two different rulings? There seem to be no clear-cut answers.

Dennie: The first ruling will create critical problems for the second case because the same issues will be litigated in both cases. This would create issues of res judicata (preclusion of the case) and collateral estoppel (issue preclusion). Both are affirmative defenses that may cause the second case to be dismissed.

Munson: For res judicata to work, the legal issues in the two cases must be identical. The declaratory judgment in Morgantown is clearly a legal procedure different from the request for an injunction in Providence. A decision on a declaratory action would not bind a decision on an injunction. For collateral estoppel to work, the factual issues must be identical. Most lawyers would be able to find factual differences between these two cases. But, even if the facts are viewed as identical, that would not prevent the decisions from conflicting. Using the same facts, the Morgantown judge could say that WVU can depart, and the Providence judge could say that WVU must stay.

West Virginia has already made plans to play in the Big 12 for 2012, regardless of these ongoing court cases. Is there any way for the Big East to compel West Virginia to stay the full 27 months?

Dennie: Yes. The Big East is seeking to enjoin WVU, which would require it to honor the terms of their agreement for 27 months. This is what they are arguing in the Rhode Island case when they seek injunctive relief.

Munson: Is any judge willing to issue an injunction requiring a school to play in a conference? It’s one of those eternal questions in American law -- how much power does a judge have to force somebody in a free society to do something they do not wish to do, particularly a university? Injunction as an answer has problems all by itself. It's going to be harder for the Big East to get the injunction than it's going to be for West Virginia to get permission from the judge in Morgantown.

What if West Virginia leaves anyway?

Dennie: If the court issues an injunction and WVU does not follow the order of court, then WVU would likely be found in contempt. I doubt that will happen. They would buy out the order before letting that happen.

Munson: Christian may be correct when he says WVU would buy its way out from under an injunction and a contempt ruling. It would be difficult for a public university to defy a court order.

How solid is West Virginia's case against the Big East?

Dennie: At this point, it appears that the Big East will survive and has obtained new members to remain viable. WVU, however, argues that the conference breached fiduciary duties by not staying active during the carousel of conference realignment. In theory it is an interesting argument, but one that is difficult to make in light of the fast and loose times of the last 24 months.

Munson: The WVU argument that the Big East has failed in some "fiduciary" duty is a weak argument. I am not sure the duty even exists. It's a business organization. Its duty is to perform the collective will of its members. It's duty is to all members, not to one member. Even if it is a duty, it is not a fiduciary duty. To qualify as a fiduciary duty, it must be clearly established in law like a duty of a trustee to the beneficiaries of the trust. The WVU use of the term fiduciary duty is a desperate attempt to invent an argument where no argument exists.

What type of precedent does it set for Pitt and Syracuse should West Virginia be allowed to leave early?

Dennie: Whether by settlement or court order, this matter will set a precedent. If by settlement, other schools will know what they are negotiating against. If by court order, the schools or conference will point to the ruling as support.

Terps' QB situation remains a question

February, 8, 2012
Feb 8
5:00
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Maryland has its new offensive coordinator. It has its new defensive coordinator. The recruiting class has been inked.

The Terps are ready to move forward and put their abysmal 2-10 season behind them, but there’s only one piece missing -- the starting quarterback.

C.J. BrownJeff Vest/Icon SMIC.J. Brown took over the starting job last season after Danny O'Brien broke his arm.
Danny O'Brien and C.J. Brown, who were both used last year and sometimes in the same game, will continue to play out their competition this offseason, but O'Brien, who is still recovering from a broken left arm, will be limited this spring.

First-year offensive coordinator Mike Locksley said on Wednesday he is giving both quarterbacks a chance to start over.

“My thing is, and I told both of these guys -- I haven’t watched a lot of tape on either of them from last season or previous seasons because I wanted to have a blank slate when I go in and evaluate,” Locksley said. “Obviously Danny is a very talented quarterback, and I think he’s had some success here in both systems, whether it was two years ago in the West Coast, pro-style stuff, and last year he had some success in the spread system they’re running.

“I’m a guy who really believes in doing what your personnel allows you to do,” Locksley said. “We’ve got some tight ends and fullbacks. If you study our offense, we play under center, we play in the gun. We run power plays, we run lead plays, we spread them out and run zone read, we run zone read option, so a lot of that stuff will be predicated on our quarterback and what they’re capable of executing, as well as who the playmakers are with that personnel.”

There was some speculation this offseason as to whether or not O’Brien would return for the 2012 season or transfer. Locksley said he hasn’t talked to O’Brien about that.

“You hear those rumors,” Locksley said. “To me, I didn’t address it because unless I heard it from him, I wouldn’t address it. Everything I’ve talked to Danny about and C.J. about are things we want to do on offense and how I plan on shaping the offense to fit what they’re capable of executing.”

Locksley said he’d prefer, though, if only one of them were executing it this fall.

Video: Texas A&M offseason spotlight

February, 8, 2012
Feb 8
3:00
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Chris Low looks at a few Texas A&M players who need a big offseason.

Offseason spotlight: Texas A&M

February, 8, 2012
Feb 8
2:00
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As we welcome Texas A&M to the league, the offseason spotlight shines on the Aggies:

Spotlight: Running back Christine Michael, 5-foot-11, 213 pounds, rising senior

2011 summary: Michael teamed with Cyrus Gray to give the Aggies one of the best one-two punches in the country at running back. Michael rushed for 899 yards on 149 carries. He scored nine touchdowns and averaged 6 yards per carry. He had his season cut short when he tore his ACL against Oklahoma on Nov. 5 in the Aggies' ninth game.

The skinny: In each of the past two seasons, Michael was well on his way to reaching the 1,000-yard plateau. An ACL tear derailed him last season; in 2010 it was a broken leg. With Gray departing, the Aggies will need Michael more than ever for an entire season in 2012. He'll no doubt be very limited this spring, but it's still an important offseason for him in terms of building back the strength in that knee, not to mention getting over the mental anguish of being injured two seasons in a row. Physically, Michael is exactly what you're looking for in any offense. He's a punishing runner who can move the chains and pick up yards in chunks. First-year coach Kevin Sumlin is obviously going to put his stamp on the offense, but he's going to need a healthy Michael -- and a willing Michael from a leadership standpoint -- during this transition. There's always a bit of a learning curve when you change coaches. Throw in the fact that Texas A&M is jumping to the SEC, and it's going to be more paramount than ever that the Aggies' best players play their best in 2012. Michael will be at the top of that list.

Memphis move does little for football

February, 8, 2012
Feb 8
2:00
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The Big East has always fashioned itself as a basketball conference that just happens to play football.

That mindset has nearly destroyed the league, not once but twice. In this latest round of expansion mania, the split between the basketball faction and the football faction has become so dysfunctional, it took a near crippling blow to get everybody on the same page — and only because it was a matter of survival.

[+] Enlarge
Memphis
Spruce Derden/US PresswireThe Memphis Tigers finished their 2011 season with a 2-10 overall record, and 1-7 in Conference USA.
So you look at the addition of Memphis for the 2013 season and know this has nothing to do with football. Never mind that football brings in the cash, that football is the dominant sport in America, that nearly every conference does what is best for football first. Rising from its deathbed has not woken the Big East from its hoops dreamworld.

The Big East wants to protect its status as the No. 1 basketball conference in America. This is an obvious hat-tip to the hoops schools, to Rick Pitino, to all those unhappy over losing Syracuse, Pitt and West Virginia in favor of UCF, SMU and Houston. Basketball pride clearly comes first, and if you are the Big East, perhaps you realize and understand your place in the football world.

Was adding a good football program at the expense of basketball really going to change the perception of the league? Or its bid to retain automatic qualifier status? Probably not, so basketball won this round as a thank you to presidents who agreed to expand the league as far west as San Diego in the name of football.

"We understand how important this was to Rick. But that wasn't the driving force in us moving forward with the decision to explore and then invite the University of Memphis to the Big East conference," commissioner John Marinatto said Wednesday on a conference call. "The Big East conference, its genesis really is in men's basketball. That's where it established itself some 32 years ago. I think the moves that we've made overall strengthen the conference.

"But for different reasons, I think we're always going to be very, very strong in men's basketball. With the addition of Memphis, I think we solidify our position of being the best conference in the country for men's basketball, and for that matter women's basketball."

There are definite pros to adding Memphis. Big TV market. Good corporate sponsorship. Good facilities. A school in the Central Time Zone to help out the recent additions of San Diego State, Boise State, SMU and Houston. A final piece to get the Big East a championship game.

But the football program is not one of them. Memphis has been among the worst teams in America for the last three years, winning a combined five games from 2009-11. Only three were against opponents from FBS conferences. You have to go back to 2003 to find a nine-win season -- the only one over the course of the last 10 years.

In its recently completed 2-10 season, Memphis ranked No. 116 in the country in total offense and No. 117 in total defense and was outscored by an average of nearly 20 points a game. Coach Larry Porter was fired, and TCU co-offensive coordinator Justin Fuente was hired to try to reinvigorate a program that has been trolling the bottom of Conference USA. Even in its most recent "successful" season, Memphis got to 6-6 in 2008 and made a bowl game. But the Tigers got blown out 41-14 by USF.

It does not take a football expert to know this sport must be improved, and that was a part of the discussion Marinatto had with athletic director R.C. Johnson when he went to take a campus visit to Memphis.

"We're a diverse conference in a lot of ways," Marinatto said. "A very common element that rings through to all of our schools is our respective commitment to excellence in a variety of ways. Football, as you know, is the driving force not only with regard to realignment in moving forward but the value of our television contract, which will keep our membership together as we understand it and believe it for the long-term.

"So football is very important. We feel confident not only with regard to the moves that the university has made in the past in upgrading its facilities but, as I mentioned earlier, with the personnel and administrative moves they've made in order to solidify their situation going forward."

The Big East will get its big-money TV contract regardless of how good Memphis football is or will be in the future. That makes this move easier to take. But it still leaves questions about how the Big East is perceived on a national level -- and how it perceives itself.

Q&A: Utah OC Brian Johnson

February, 8, 2012
Feb 8
1:00
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Utah coach Kyle Whittingham put a lot of faith in his former quarterback-turned-quarterbacks coach Brian Johnson by naming the 24-year-old Utah's next offensive coordinator last week. One conversation with Johnson and it's clear he's energized and excited about the opportunity that many assistants wait decades for.

You're now the youngest coordinator in major college football. Is there some pressure that goes with that?

Brian Johnson: I think with any job there is pressure with how competitive everything is. But I think we're just more excited to put together an offense that can help win a conference championship.

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Brian Johnson
Boyd Ivey/Icon SMIFormer Utah quarterback Brian Johnson now takes over as the Utes' offensive coordinator.
Being so close in age to many of the players, is it tough sometimes to make the distinction between buddy and coach?

BJ: Absolutely not. There are about four or five guys on the team I played with who are still here. I think, for the most part, this is my third year and I haven't had to deal with it my first two years. That distinction is there. We have a great group of kids so that hasn't been an issue.

On the flip side, you're going to be overseeing coaches 10, 15, 20 years your senior who have been at it a lot longer than you. Is that going to be awkward?

BJ: Not at all. In this building, we have consummate professionals. Guys understand the task at hand and we understand what it takes to be successful offensively. We will work together and get this thing going in the right direction.

Any wholesale changes to the offensive philosophy or approach?

BJ: Not wholesale. I think the baseline of what we've done here the last seven years, that's remained intact. We'll continue to tweak stuff here and there. Dan Finn is on board to coach the offensive line along with Tim Davis. Those guys have coached a lot of ball. I'm excited to be getting their ideas on paper and getting their input on the scheme.

What are the immediate holes, fixes that need to be addressed on the offensive side of the ball?

BJ: I think the biggest concern is losing two all-conference tackles in Tony Bergstrom and John Cullen. Those guys have played a lot of football and were really good leaders for us. But that's the nature of the business in college football. There is a lot of turnover and you have to be able to replace those guys. Finding two tackles who can come in and provide immediate help for us will be important.

If Jordan Wynn is healthy, is he your quarterback? Or is there an open competition?

BJ: I think the experience that Jordan provides will help us tremendously in our offensive production. Everything we do here, it's always competition. That will never change as long as Coach Whittingham is the coach here.

So ... is Jordan your quarterback?

BJ: I think he goes in taking the reps with the ones and he's started a lot of football games and won a lot of football games. So yeah, he is.

How is his health?

BJ: He's back to throwing. He'll be full-go for spring ball. He's had some bad luck with injuries, but hopefully we won't ever have to go through that again.

A nice breakout season for John White IV. What are you expecting from him next season?

BJ: We expect him to continue what he started this season. He's obviously very explosive and dynamic with the ball in his hands. I think we have to build the offense around him. He's extremely talented. We have to find ways to get him the ball in space and get the ball in his hands as much as possible.

So you're approach is run first?

BJ: I think in football you have to be. You have to establish the run in order to be balanced. From there, you build it all. We have to establish that physical presence at the line of scrimmage and you have to be creative and find ways to get our playmakers the ball and let them give us the best chance to win.

At this pace, you'll probably be up for an NFL head-coaching job in the next two years. Any aspirations of being a coach in the pro game?

BJ: I think that's why you get in this profession. I've learned from some great coaches. I've been fortunate to be in this program for eight years and I've seen some great coaches come through here. Coach Whittingham has been almost a father-like figure to me for the last eight years and I strive to be like him as a coach. That's my ultimate goal. If I can do that, that would be OK with me.

Finish this sentence. If I can accomplish -- blank -- I will be happy with Utah's offense.

BJ: A conference championship. That's why we play this game, to win the Pac-12 South and get a chance to play in the championship game and play for the Rose Bowl. That's the starting point. That's why we're all in this profession. That's why we're all in this business is to be the best at it. That's what we're working towards.
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