ESPN College Football

Miss your team's mailbag? Here's the first two:

• Texas Tech
• Texas A&M

On with the show...

Dan St. Peter, Minn. asks: Who do you think has/had more pressure put on them, Freshman Colt McCoy following VY's run into glory or Grapes (GG) following his...um...encounter with the Alabama Defense?Do you think the "lights will be to bright for him" as they were for Nebraska's Cody Green or will he deliver as a freshman?

DU: First off, Grapes is a fantastic nickname. Although, it opens up the Horns to some too-easy jokes every time he gets sacked about what’s eating him. And I can only assume you’d have to pay Johnny Depp some royalties. I’m sure no one wants to get into that.

But to your question: It’s Gilbert. The hopes were high for McCoy, but no one expected him to do what Vince did. Even though he never got that national title, he was arguably as good overall as Vince was, even though they were very different quarterbacks. Now, the folks in Austin have seen that legends can be replaced and that it’s possible for Gilbert to be as good as McCoy—and he might be. No pressure, just replace the quarterback with the most wins in the history of college football.

I don’t think “the lights will be too bright,” but like McCoy in his first year (Ohio State, Texas A&M), Gilbert’s going to have his bad days and forgettable games alongside his memorable ones. But unlike McCoy, he’ll have a top-notch defense to fall back on and help the Longhorns “down year” be pretty high. The Longhorn defense finished 24^th nationally in scoring and total defense when McCoy was a freshman. I’d be shocked if Texas was that low this year.

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Eric in Dallas, Texas asks: Which running back actually steps up to take some of the load off Gilbert, and will Texas stick with the running game if Gilbert proves he is consistent and reliable?...........Or will Texas ditch running the ball around the UCLA game, only to try and revive it after OU takes a halftime lead in the RRR?

DU: Tre’ Newton and Fozzy Whittaker should receive the bulk of the carries, but I think the distribution will vary game-to-game based solely on who’s being more productive. As for your second question, I think the reverse is more possible. They’ll keep running the ball and I don’t see Texas losing a game until maybe at Texas Tech in the third game but more likely the Red River Rivalry. If they’re down at the half, I could definitely see the running game scrapped and the game put in Gilbert’s hands, depending on how he’d played in the first four games. If he engineers a comeback and beats Oklahoma, thus reincarnating the spread in Austin, well… let the legend begin. He looked really good in the spring game, and I didn't see any real negatives in his Easter performance against his own defense. Obviously, that wasn't the case against Alabama, but he won't see defenses like that every week. We'll probably get a good read of what to expect from him this year by the end of the Texas Tech game.

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Bobby in Austin, Texas asks: Why did you not put Texas' three-headed monster on your list?? I mean, Texas has so much talent to be afraid of, it is ridiculous! Garrett Gilbert will be the best QB in the Big 12 this year with all his skill and leadership. He already has 2 Texas state championships to his credit and several Texas high school passing records. Fozzy Whitaker and/or Tre' Newton will have a big year in the new offense with Gilbert being more under center. They are fast and shifty and can make big plays. And Malcolm Williams and Marquise Goodwin will have a party on the field this year at receiver. The size and athleticism of Williams could rival anyone in the conference, while Goodwin is one of the fastest players in the nation and can jump farther than anyone (proven by his national championship in long jump). So what gives?

DU: Who would you kick off my list for a quarterback with zero career starts, two running backs who have never rushed for more than 600 yards in a season and two receivers who have also never touched that mark? Oklahoma State has a couple of those, but they also have a guy without a real ceiling in Kendall Hunter and a chance to put up crazy numbers offensively.

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Larry in Salina, Kansas asks: Does Texas pay you weekly or monthly for your services?

DU: Bi-weekly, with per-post bonuses.

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Cecil in Plano, Texas asks: Mack Brown and Co. have a lot of work to do this off season and once the season starts. What are the realistic expectations for the 2010 Horns and what will you be looking for in order for them to make a championship run this year or next?

DU: The defense will keep the Longhorns streak of winning 10 games for the past nine seasons alive. How many more they win is up to Gilbert. If he plays well, Texas could go undefeated. The defense won’t be able to beat teams like Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Nebraska and Texas A&M by itself. If he plays poorly in those games, the defense will need to make a couple big plays or force some timely turnovers to win.

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Kevin in Austin, Texas asks: David, love the blog. I have a feeling that the post-Earl Thomas era for UT's secondary is going to be BETTER than last year. I think the added experience of Aaron Williams, Chykie Brown, Curtis Brown and Blake Gideon, in a defense that snatched 17 non-Earl Thomas INTs in 2009, will mature into the scariest secondary in college football. Do you agree and should the rest of the conference decide to focus on the run game versus UT?...(uh oh...Acho brothers....)

DU: I agree completely. Texas should have the best secondary in the nation, and that front seven will help them do it. The Acho brothers, Sam and Emmanuel, LB Keenan Robinson and DT Kheeston Randall will put pressure on passers and keep teams from focusing on the run. The entire defense will have a hand in what should be a good turnover ratio and a great pass defense, but the talent and depth that Texas has on the defense’s back line is unrivaled.

Here's a prediction: California defensive end Tyson Alualu is going to surprise some folks and end up a top-10 NFL draft pick.

Little late on that one, eh?

Alualu was the first Pac-10 player drafted Thursday night -- which was projected by no one -- going 10th overall to the Jacksonville Jaguars, while Bears teammate Jahvid Best was the only other conference player selected on Day 1. Best went to the Detroit Lions with the 30th pick.

Round 2 begins today at 6 p.m. ET. Expect the second round to include a number of Pac-10 players, including those who slipped during recent weeks, such as USC safety Taylor Mays and UCLA defensive tackle Brian Price.

Alualu is the highest Cal selection since Andre Carter was taken seventh overall by San Francisco in 2001. He is the Bears’ ninth top-10 pick in the draft’s history. And his selection was rated the "biggest reach" of the first day by Todd McShay.

Wrote McShay, "Jacksonville used the 10th overall pick to take California DT Tyson Alualu, who we feel is a good player but is only the No. 35 overall on our board. Top-10 money is pretty rich for a player like Alualu, especially when pass-rushers like Derrick Morgan and Jason Pierre-Paul would have offered much more value at that point."

Another notable pick is the Seattle Seahawks' selection of safety Earl Thomas at No. 14. That means former USC coach Pete Carroll wanted a safety but didn't want Mays.

Ouch.

Got to admit: I thought at least one team would jump on Mays just because of his athleticism, much like it took only one team to make Tim Tebow a No. 1 pick (Denver).

Another observation: Former Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford going No. 1 overall is a good thing for college football. It shows players who want to come back for their senior season that even a major injury won't automatically ruin your draft prospects.

Of course, Mays right now is probably questioning his decision to return, considering he likely would have been a top-15 pick in 2009.

We're only a few hours away from tonight's first round of the NFL draft, one that could be unprecedented for the conference.

As many as five of the first six picks could come from the Big 12.

Oklahoma's Sam Bradford is the assumed first pick. Defensive tackles Ndamukong Suh and Gerald McCoy should follow. As will offensive tackles Trent Williams (Oklahoma) and Russell Okung (Oklahoma State).

Considering where the conference has been in recent years, that's not a surprise to the coaches sending those players to the next level.

"I don’t think there’s any question it’s been excellent, evidenced by what, us and Texas in the last couple national championship games," said Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops, who was forced to play most of 2009 without Bradford, the 2008 Heisman winner. "And year in and year out we’ve been there. I’ve known that for a long time and it’s obvious the talent in this league is second to none and its throughout the league and it’s exciting."

Texas coach Mack Brown could also have a pair of Longhorns go in the first round: defensive back Earl Thomas and defensive end/linebacker Sergio Kindle. Both are Texas natives, with Thomas hailing from Orange and Kindle from Dallas.

"More of the kids are staying at home and wanting to play in the Big 12 area, where one of our schools is traditionally playing for the national championship, so we’re in the mix each year," Brown said. "And I also feel like since we’ve won in this league and we’ve been in the final game more often, that more national kids are starting to look at our schools more readily than before."

Missouri's program has reached new heights in the last few years, winning 12 games in 2007 and another 10 in 2008. Missouri's two first-round draft picks last season, receiver Jeremy Maclin and defensive tackle Ziggy Hood, helped make those seasons possible. The Tigers also had safety William Moore drafted in the second round of last year's draft.

"I remember Don James, my mentor who I worked for at Washington, he told me about three or four years ago, he says, ‘When you start getting more players drafted, a lot more high draft choices, you’re going to win a lot more games.’ And at this level, as it was at Washington, that’s the way it is," Pinkel said. "You’re not going to get six drafted every year, but certainly, if you’re going to win at this level, you’re going to get more players that go on and play in the NFL."

He could add another first-round pick, his third in two seasons, tonight in linebacker Sean Weatherspoon, giving the Big 12 as many as 10 selections among the first 32 picks.

"It shows schools are recruiting quality young men and good football players," said Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy.

AUSTIN, Texas -- Mack Brown knows what an NFL defensive back looks like. He's coached plenty. From Michael Huff and Cedric Griffin in 2006, to Michael Griffin and Aaron Ross in 2007 to Earl Thomas in 2009; the Longhorns' secondary has been home to a handful of early draft picks in just the last few years.

That hasn't kept Brown from heaping praise on his 2010 defensive backfield.

"We feel like we’re as good at corner right now, potentially, as we’ve ever been," Brown said.

His three reasons for smiling at the thought of that potential are Curtis and Chykie Brown, along with Aaron Williams.

"We’re really fortunate right now," Brown said. "All three are potential NFL guys to me."

That means trouble for Big 12 quarterbacks. Though Texas loses Thomas, a safety and finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation's best defensive back, the Big 12's second-best pass defense a season ago plans to challenge for the top spot in 2010. If Brown's senses are correct, they should be able to do it, and improve on their NO. 19 national ranking at defending the pass.

"We’re more comfortable with [defensive coordinator Will] Muschamp’s scheme; I know I am," Williams said. "A lot of guys are returning guys who are coming back and are more knowledgeable about what he wants to do."

Blake Gideon returns at safety, and Kenny Vaccaro and Nolan Brewster will compete for Thomas' freed-up spot.

"We had high expectations last year, but we’re probably going to have more expectations this year," Williams said. "Our goal right now is to be physical, we’re trying to be one of the most physical DB corps in the nation."

In the Texas spring game to close practice on Sunday, Williams and Vaccaro took steps to establishing that identity. Williams broke up a deep pass early by going over the intended receiver to swat the ball away. Vaccaro unleashed the biggest hit of the exhibition on running back Tre Newton, driving through his teammate on a short pass in the flats.

"We don’t want a team to be like 'Okay, well he’s that one physical person.' We want a team to be like 'Whoa, we’ve got that team coming through,'" Williams said. "As a team, we want to be more physical."

But even in praising them, in the same breath, their coach can't help but think like a coach.

"We’re really pleased with those corners, we just have to find the younger ones, because two of those are seniors and they’ll be gone," Brown said.

Not to mention Williams, a junior who enters 2010 with a legitimate case as the Big 12's top defender and whose future could includes an early entry into the 2011 NFL draft. That would leave Brown without any of his three future pro corners. But he's already picked out a few successors, including A.J. White and Eryon Barnett.

"We’ve got to find somebody to step up," Brown said.

All season long, I heard offensive coordinators across the Big 12 talk about how much more difficult it was to move the ball in the conference last season than it was in 2008.

The conference still leads the nation in scoring when compared to other conferences with a per-game, per-team average of 28.39 points per game.

But the Big 12's average in yards per play was down to 5.47 yards per snap. That figure ranks ninth among the 12 FBS conferences and worst among the conferences that receive automatic berths in the Bowl Championship Series.

As shown on Tuesday, most every team in the Big 12 saw a noticeable reduction in offensive production and scoring last season compared to the previous year.

That trend didn't necessarily correlate across the rest of the country, when individual conferences are analyzed.

The number of plays remained the same from 2008 to 2009, but total yards and yards per play increased across the nation. Rushing yardage and passing yardage was up a little bit across the board as well. Scoring did drop, but not by the 20.3 percent reduction that we saw in the Big 12 in 2009.

Obviously, the graduation of top players like Michael Crabtree, Chase Daniel, Jeremy Maclin, Graham Harrell, Quan Cosby, Josh Freeman and Joe Ganz had something to do with it. The conference also struggled with injuries to many of its top stars as Jermaine Gresham missed the entire season, Sam Bradford, Robert Griffin, Dez Bryant and Kendall Hunter all were gone for most of the season. Even Colt McCoy's injury came at a critical time to limit his team's offensive efficiency when it really could have used him.

Most importantly, the Big 12 had a wealth of top defensive players last season. We'll see that in the NFL draft when Ndamukong Suh is the likely first pick of the draft. Gerald McCoy should follow soon thereafter -- perhaps as quickly as the next pick. It wouldn't surprise me to see Earl Thomas and Sean Weatherspoon both as high first-round picks as well.

For a closer examination, I looked at every conference and compared offensive numbers from 2008 to 2009. The Big 12's figures were noteworthy, when compared to the rest of the nation.


It's interesting to note that the Big 12's per-team averages were down in yards per game, yards per play and scoring from 2008. The only other conferences where this trend occurred were in Conference USA and the Mid-American Conference.

And contrasting with this trend, the Southeastern Conference's figures in all three categories went up in 2009.

These figures are cyclical. But with the departure of so many dominant defensive players in 2010, along with the return of eight of 12 starting quarterbacks next season, we might see an increase from the numbers of this year.

If that happens, maybe we won't hear as much whining from the offensive coordinators, either.

Mack Brown revived the glory at Texas in the last decade, claiming at least 10 victories in each of the last nine seasons, including a 25-2 record in the last two seasons. The Longhorns have finished in the top 10 in five of the last six seasons.

Darrell K. Royal/Texas Memorial Stadium now has more than 100,00 seats. The Longhorns have a designated successor for Brown in place with rising star Will Muschamp. And that pesky problem with Bob Stoops has been alleviated recently with four victories in the last five seasons over the Sooners.

Times are good for Brown.

Here's a look at the Longhorns’ all-decade team during that time.

OFFENSE

QB: Vince Young

RB: Jamaal Charles

RB: Cedric Benson

WR: Jordan Shipley

WR: Roy Williams

TE: David Thomas

OL: Justin Blalock

OL: Jonathan Scott

OL: Derrick Dockery

OL: Leonard Davis

C: Lyle Sendlein

DEFENSE

DL: Brian Orakpo

DL: Cory Redding

DL: Shaun Rogers

DL: Casey Hampton

LB: Sergio Kindle

LB: Derrick Johnson

LB: Roddrick Muckelroy

DB: Earl Thomas

DB: Michael Huff

DB: Nathan Vasher

DB: Aaron Ross

P: Richmond McGee

K: Hunter Lawrence

KR: Quan Cosby

Offensive player of the decade: QB Vince Young. The most electrifying player of the decade capped his career by scoring the game-winning touchdown to lead his team to the national championship in his final drive. Brown finished with a 30-2 record, 6.040 passing yards and 3,127 rushing yards.

Defensive player of the decade: LB Derrick Johnson. He wasn’t around when the Longhorns won the national championship, but was perhaps the best player at his position at the school since Tommy Nobis. He capped his career with the Nagurski and Butkus Awards after earning All-America honors in each of his last two seasons.

Coach of the decade: Mack Brown. Remember when people used to joke about his inability to win big games or how he coddled his players. That all changed as the decade progressed. Brown got tougher and made some astute moves at defensive coordinator to help his program take the next step with the addition of coaches like Gene Chizik and Will Muschamp.

Moment of the decade: Vince Young’s run leads comeback victory to the 2005 national championship. Young’s game-winning 8-yard TD run with 19 seconds left boosted the Longhorns to a 41-38 victory over USC in the 2006 Rose Bowl, providing the margin of victory in one of the greatest college football games in history. Michael Huff’s fourth-down stop of LenDale White on the preceding drive set up Young’s heroics to snap the Trojans’ 34-game winning streak.

The Big 12 had two national championship teams and five others that played in the BCS title game in the decade.

The two championship teams were the best of the conference's last 10 years. Some of the other BCS title participants were good, but not necessarily among the very best teams during the conference's recent history.

Here's how I rank the Big 12's top 10 teams over the last decade.

1. 2005 Texas: A star-studded team paced by All-Americans Michael Huff, Jonathan Scott, Rodrique Wright and Vince Young ran off 13 straight victories, capping the season with a BCS title-game victory over USC. The team averaged 50.2 points per game en route to a then-NCAA record 652 total points, earning Texas’ first undisputed national championship since 1969. It was the greatest team that Mack Brown ever coached and arguably the best team in the rich football history of Texas.

2. 2000 Oklahoma: Bob Stoops claimed a national championship in his second season coaching the Trojans behind Josh Heupel, who finished second in the Heisman race that season. All-Americans Heupel, linebacker Rocky Calmus and J.T. Thatcher helped the Sooners notch the first undefeated season and national championship in Big 12 history. After winning three of their final four regular-season games by less than five points, the Sooners dominated Florida State in a 13-2 triumph in the Orange Bowl for the national championship.

3. 2008 Oklahoma: Sam Bradford won the Heisman Trophy with this team, which overcame a midseason loss to Texas and still claimed the Big 12 title in a 12-2 season that was marred by a 24-14 loss to Florida in the national championship game. The Sooners rolled-up a record 702 points as Bradford passed for 50 touchdowns, Chris Brown and DeMarco Murray each rushed for 1,000 yards and Juaquin Iglesias topped 1,000 yards receiving. The Sooners scored 35 points in each regular-season game and finished the regular season with five straight games of at least 60 points before the BCS title-game loss.

4. 2004 Oklahoma: The Sooners charged to 12 straight victories before a dropping a 55-19 decision to USC in the Orange Bowl for the national title. Freshman running back Adrian Peterson rushed for an NCAA freshman record 1,925 yards to finish second in the Heisman. Jason White claimed the Heisman the previous season and his numbers were down with Peterson's arrival, but he still passed for 3,205 yards and 35 touchdowns. This group had strength in the trenches with All-Americans like Vince Carter, Dan Cody, Jammal Brown and Mark Clayton as it claimed Bob Stoops’ third Big 12 title.

5. 2009 Texas: After streaking to a school-record 13-0 mark through the Big 12 title game, the Longhorns dropped a 37-21 decision to Alabama in the national title game in a contest that changed when Colt McCoy was hurt on the fifth play of the game. McCoy became the winningest quarterback in NCAA history during this season, repeatedly hooking up with favorite target Jordan Shipley, who snagged a school-record 116 receptions, 1,485 yards and 13 touchdowns. The Longhorns led the nation in rush defense, and All-American safety Earl Thomas tied a school record with eight interceptions. Lamarr Houston and Sergio Kindle also added playmaking abilities to the defense.

6. 2004 Texas: The Longhorns overcame a midseason 12-0 loss to Oklahoma to finish the season with seven straight victories in a season capped by a dramatic 38-37 victory over Michigan in the Rose Bowl. The Longhorns ranked second nationally in rushing offense and seventh in total offense as Young gradually found his confidence as a passer late in the season. Cedric Benson rushed for 1,834 yards and 19 touchdowns, and Young chipped in with 1,079 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns. This team showed a knack for comebacks, overcoming an early 35-7 deficit against Oklahoma State and also coming from behind in an early-season victory at Arkansas.

7. 2007 Oklahoma: Bradford led the first of two consecutive Big 12 championships on a team that enabled the Sooners to become the first Big 12 school to win back-to-back titles. The Sooners dropped road games to Colorado and Texas Tech but still overcame Missouri in the Big 12 title game behind a huge defensive effort keyed by Big 12 defensive player of the year Rufus Alexander. Bradford led the nation in passing efficiency, but the Sooners' bowl struggles continued in an embarrassing 48-28 loss to West Virginia in the Fiesta Bowl.

8. 2003 Kansas State: Don’t let the Wildcats’ 11-4 record fool you. After an early three-game losing streak to Marshall, Texas and Oklahoma State (by a combined margin of 15 points), Bill Snyder’s team won its final seven regular-season games by a combined margin of 271-66. That streak was culminated by a stunning 35-7 upset victory over Oklahoma in the Big 12 title game -- the last victory by a North Division team in the title game. The Wildcats ranked in the top 10 nationally in rushing, scoring, total defense, scoring defense and pass defense as Darren Sproles rushed for 1,986 yards and 16 touchdowns. The Wildcats dropped a 35-28 Fiesta Bowl loss to Ohio State in a game they fell into an early 21-0 deficit and had a chance to tie on the final play of the game after a frantic comeback directed by Ell Roberson.

9. 2007 Missouri: Chase Daniel led Missouri into the Big 12 title game for the first time in school history, taking the team to No. 1 nationally heading into the conference championship game. The Tigers lost twice to Oklahoma during a 12-2 season that was capped by 38-7 beatdown over Arkansas in the Cotton Bowl. Tony Temple made that game memorable by rushing for a record 281 yards and four TDs that pushed Missouri to No. 4 nationally at the end of the season. A star-studded collection of talent including Daniel, Jeremy Maclin, Chase Coffman, Martin Rucker and Sean Weatherspoon helped the Tigers rank among the top-10 teams nationally in passing, total offense and scoring and 11th in turnover margin.

10. 2007 Kansas: The Jayhawks earned Mark Mangino the national coach of the year award by running to an 11-0 start before losing to Missouri in the regular-season finale. The Jayhawks rebounded for a 24-21 victory over Virginia Tech in their first BCS bowl appearance in school history, finishing a 12-1 season that set a school record for victories. Todd Reesing passed for 33 touchdowns to highlight a high-powered offense that scored 76 points against Nebraska and scored at least 43 points in eight games. The Jayhawks were a balanced team that ranked second nationally in scoring offense, fourth in scoring defense and in the top 10 nationally in eight different team statistics. Anthony Collins and Aqib Talib earned consensus All-America honors.

It’s not really a surprise that Texas sophomore safety Earl Thomas declared Friday night for the NFL draft.

Thomas is coming off one of the best seasons for a Texas defensive back in school history in 2009. The redshirt sophomore had eight interceptions, which broke Noble Doss’ mark of seven interceptions that was set in 1940. Thomas ran two of them back for touchdowns to set another record.

If there’s such a thing as “The Natural” among defensive backs, it's Thomas. He isn’t overly big or physical (5-foot-10, 197 pounds) but he has the uncanny instincts to stick with any receiver. His skills definitely will translate well to the next level.

Thomas isn't as physically gifted as either Eric Berry of Tennessee or USC’s Taylor Mays. Both figure to be picked ahead of Thomas unless he has an off-the-charts workout for NFL scouts later this spring.

Thomas was a finalist for the Thorpe Award in 2009 and would have been the favorite for the award if he had remained for his junior season in 2010.

If he had stayed for another season and had another productive year, it’s not out of the question that Thomas could have developed into the greatest defensive back in Texas football history.

As it is, he’ll be in the conversation with players like Tarell Brown, Cedric and Michael Griffin, Michael Huff, Quentin Jammer, Aaron Ross and Nathan Vasher. All left Texas for a career as a starting defensive back in the NFL. Huff and Ross left with Thorpe awards in back-to-back seasons in 2005 and 2006.

With Thomas leaving, sophomore Nolan Brewster could move into the starting job when spring practice begins for the Longhorns late next month.

A more likely scenario might be to move Blake Gideon to the tight safety position to make room for game-breaking defensive back Christian Scott at Gideon’s current position at free safety.

Scott was giving Gideon a serious challenge in fall camp this year before he was academically suspended. His ferocious hits would provide an intimidating presence to the secondary that was missing this year.

But whoever takes over Thomas' spot will be attempting to fill a sizable void that makes Texas’ rebuilding job a little more daunting.

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. -- The first time that Lamarr Houston saw a scale reading starting with a “3” was a little unsettling.

Houston came to Texas as a super-sized 260-pound linebacker/running back prospect. He has kept growing during his career, transforming himself from a defensive end to a 300-pound defensive tackle.

“It was a little strange when it happened, but you just have to kind of accept being a 3-bill guy,” Houston said.

His change also has thrown him into the middle of the scrum at the line of scrimmage on most plays, doing the dirty work tying up blockers while other defenders around him make tackles.

That aspect of his job took some getting used to. But Houston has gradually progressed into one of the Longhorns’ top players and a defensive force who will be important in their hopes of containing Alabama’s fearsome running game Thursday night at the Rose Bowl.

Earlier in his career, Houston dreamed of being a running back who broke long runs and scored touchdowns after rushing for 3,325 yards and scoring 49 touchdowns during his high school career at Doherty High School in Colorado Springs, Colo. But he outgrew those hopes as he kept getting bigger and found himself moving from defensive end to tackle before his junior season.

“Obviously, it’s not a glory position,” Houston said. “A lot of guys don’t want to buy into playing defensive tackle. It’s just a whole different style of technique.”

And one where Houston has persevered despite getting pounded every play.

“Playing outside isn’t a physical in what you face on a constant basis,” Houston said. “You just have to change your mind frame to get used to it. It’s taken me some time to get used to it.”

Another change has been that he no longer can concentrate on the field play. Houston’s focus is usually riveted to the man across the line of scrimmage rather than the field as when he was a defensive end.

“I do kind of miss seeing that,” Houston said. “But it’s a habit I had to break because I don’t want to be too high when I’m coming out of my stance. It’s neat when you have guys in front of you and make a tackle. But it does take some getting used to after playing at tackle.”

(Read full post)

Eric Berry of Tennessee claimed the Jim Thorpe Award, beating out a group of defensive back finalists that also included Earl Thomas of Texas and Joe Haden of Florida.

Berry, a 2008 Jim Thorpe finalist, is the fourth winner of the award from the Southeastern Conference.

Here's a look at my All-Big 12 team. There were couple of late selections that were affected by the Big 12 championship game. If you look closely enough, you probably will see where I made my switches.

Oklahoma leads the team with five selections, Texas had four and Nebraska and Missouri three picks apiece.

Offense:

QB: Colt McCoy, Texas

RB: Daniel Thomas, Kansas State

RB: Keith Toston, Oklahoma State

WR: Danario Alexander, Missouri

WR: Jordan Shipley, Texas

TE: Riar Geer, Colorado

OL: Russell Okung, Oklahoma State

OL: Brandon Carter, Texas Tech

OL: Trent Williams, Oklahoma

OL: Adam Ulatoski, Texas

C: Reggie Stephens, Iowa State

K: Grant Ressel, Missouri

KR: Brandon Banks, Kansas State

Defense:

DL: Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska

DL: Gerald McCoy, Oklahoma

DL: Jeremy Beal, Oklahoma

DL: Brandon Sharpe, Texas Tech

LB: Von Miller, Texas A&M

LB: Sean Weatherspoon, Missouri

LB: Joe Pawelek, Baylor

DB: Perrish Cox, Oklahoma State

DB: Earl Thomas, Texas

DB: Brian Jackson, Oklahoma

DB: Prince Amukamara, Nebraska

P: Alex Henery, Nebraska

PR: Ryan Broyles, Oklahoma

The lights were on early last Friday morning at the Texas defensive coaches’ offices

There was no chance for any of Will Muschamp's group to sneak away to any "Black Friday” sales. The Texas defensive coaches were working long and hard trying to rebuild some schemes heading into the Big 12 championship game after a struggling performance against Texas A&M.

Maybe it was the short work week. Or it might have been too many demands placed on his team. But whatever the reason, the Longhorns’ defense had its first clunker of the season in a closer-than-expected 49-39 victory over the Aggies.

Among the painful reminders were the most rushing yards, total yards and points allowed this season by the Longhorns. It was a game where defensive players felt like the offense bailed them out to continue their 12-0 season.

“We’re going to self-evaluate what we did,” Muschamp said. “But obviously, whatever we did wasn’t right.”

Texas A&M quarterback Jerrod Johnson befuddled the Longhorns with 439 total yards, including 97 yards rushing. That total was more than what nine teams had produced against the Longhorns this season.

“We had some missed communication, assignments, alignments, 13 missed tackles ... critical errors on third down," Muschamp said. "It makes for a long night. And it all falls on my shoulders.”

Those struggles are coming as the Longhorns prepare for their biggest game of the season. Nebraska looms, and with it , the Longhorns' first chance to play in the BCS title game since the 2006 Rose Bowl.

But in order to get there, the defense will have to show marked improvement this week against the Cornhuskers.

Texas coach Mack Brown doesn’t expect any hangover after last week’s struggles. In fact, he said the defense's struggling performance in College Station might be a benefit against the Cornhuskers.

“They will play their tails off," Brown said. "They were mad and embarrassed. They are very prideful kids. They were not happy, which I like. They were happy we won, but they know it was not good.”

That realization has the Texas defense excited about its chance at redemption.

“We’re excited to get back out there and have another chance to play football,” Texas defensive tackle Lamarr Houston said. “All of us can’t wait.”

Defensive end Sam Acho was even more direct.

“We know we made some mistakes, but we know we can improve on our performance,” Acho said. “We’ve moved on.”

The Longhorns might be receiving some benefits because they are playing Nebraska. The Cornhuskers don’t feature a dual-threat quarterback like Johnson or the Aggies’ squadron of speedy playmakers.

Instead, the Cornhuskers rank a pedestrian 11^th in the Big 12 in total offense and have pulled back on some of their play-calling strategy during a recent five-game winning streak after Zac Lee reclaimed the starting quarterback position.

The Cornhuskers’ ground-based attack should play well into Texas' defensive strength, which remains the nation’s stingiest against the run, allowing only 61.8 yards per game.

“We’re anxious about the challenge about how they will play us,” Texas safety Earl Thomas said. “It will test how physical we are. Our defense is all about effort. I think we’ll be OK.”

Houston is particularly looking forward to that direct, physical challenge after last week.

“There is no linger,” Houston said. “A&M is a top-10 offense and no one gives them credit. We had some mental breakdowns we’re going to fix. And we’ll get ready for Saturday.”

Brown also thinks the struggles against the Aggies were a one-game aberration, and nothing like how his team will play in the Big 12 championship game.

"The lack of performance will get our attention for this week,” Brown said. “We probably tried to do too much last week. But we’ll go back and be who we are this week.”


The media interviews Lamarr Houston about the Big 12 title game.

Texas coach Mack Brown, Texas quarterback Colt McCoy and Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh were announced today as the Big 12's coach of the year, offensive player of the year and defensive player of the year, respectively.

McCoy and Suh also were the only two unanimous first-team selections to the All-Big 12 team picked by coaches.

McCoy becomes the fourth Texas player to be selected as OPOY and the third Longhorn quarterback. Previous Texas selections included Ricky Williams (1997 and 1998), Major Applewhite (1999) and Vince Young (2005).

Suh becomes the second Nebraska defensive player to be honored, joining Grant Wistrom (1996 and 1997).

And Brown earns his second coach of the year honors after winning it in 2005.

One interesting note that shows the balance in the conference this season is that every team in the league was represented by at least one player on the first-team squad.

Coaches also announced their All-Big 12 teams. They were forbidden from voting for their own players.

Here's a list of the award winners, as selected by the league's coaches:

Coach of the Year: Mack Brown, Texas

Offensive Lineman of the Year: Russell Okung, Oklahoma State

Defensive Lineman of the Year: Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska

Offensive Freshman of the Year: Christine Michael, Texas A&M

Defensive Freshman of the Year: Aldon Smith, Missouri

Special Teams Player of the Year: Brandon Banks, Kansas State

Defensive Newcomer of the Year: David Sims, Iowa State

Offensive Newcomer of the Year: Daniel Thomas, Kansas State

Defensive Player of the Year: Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska

Offensive Player of the Year: Colt McCoy, Texas

And here's a look at who the coaches chose for their first-team offensive and defensive units.

OFFENSE:

QB: Colt McCoy, Texas

RB: Daniel Thomas, Kansas State

RB: Keith Toston, Oklahoma State

FB: Bryant Ward, Oklahoma State

WR: Dezmon Briscoe, Kansas

WR: Jordan Shipley, Texas

WR: Danario Alexander, Missouri

TE: Jeron Mastrud, Kansas State

OL: Russell Okung, Oklahoma State *

OL: Trent Williams, Oklahoma *

OL: Nick Stringer, Kansas State

OL: Brandon Carter, Texas Tech

OL: Nate Solder, Colorado

K: Grant Ressel, Missouri

KR/PR: Brandon Banks, Kansas State

DEFENSE

DL: Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska

DL: Gerald McCoy, Oklahoma *

DL: Von Miller, Texas A&M

DL: Brandon Sharpe, Texas Tech

DL: Jared Crick, Nebraska

LB: Sean Weatherspoon, Missouri *

LB: Jesse Smith, Iowa State

LB: Travis Lewis, Oklahoma

DB: Earl Thomas, Texas

DB: Perrish Cox, Oklahoma State

DB: Larry Asante, Nebraska

DB: Prince Amukamara, Nebraska

P: Derek Epperson, Baylor

Note: Bold notations are unanimous selections. Those selections with an asterisk are repeat choices from last season.

I was a little disappointed that the coaches can make a decision to pick a fullback as a specific positional choice and then not designate one of the picks specifically for a center. Every team in the league has a center. Not every team in the Big 12 has a true fullback that plays the majority of his snaps.

Also, it's an age-old pet peeve of mine that they don't break down the defensive choices into specific positions like ends, tackles, linebackers, cornerbacks and safeties.

Here's a link to the Big 12's Web site for a complete listing of the first-team, second-team and honorable mention choices.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

As Texas streaks to its second 9-0 start since 1983, it’s understandable that some are already comparing this year’s team to the other team that started that fast.

Texas’ 2005 national championship team is the benchmark for all of the other Texas teams coached by Mack Brown. And this team appears to be the closest to the national championship squad in many respects.

While Brown says such comparisons are premature, he does say his current team’s fast start makes for some inevitable comparisons.

	Brendan Maloney/US Presswire
	Colt McCoy and the Longhorns have drawn comparisons to the 2005 national championship team.

“I would think you could compare them because there’s been only one close game for this team and for that team in 2005,” Brown said. “It was the Ohio State game in 2005 and the Oklahoma game this year that was in question late in the ballgame.”

But in order to meet the challenge of matching the 2005 team, Colt McCoy’s team will have to match the finishing kick of Vince Young’s team.

“At this time, they’ve earned the right to be in conversation with the 2005 team,” Brown said. “But they haven’t earned the right to be considered as good because they have to finish like that bunch did.”

The 2005 national championship led the conference in 11 statistical categories; the current team leads it in five. The 2005 team was the nation’s leading scoring team and led the nation in pass efficiency. The current team is more defensively oriented as it leads the nation in rushing defense and scoring defense and ranks second in kickoff returns.

The 2005 title team ranked 10th or better in 10 of the 17 team statistical categories tracked by the NCAA. The 2009 team ranked 10th or better in eight of those team statistical groups.

Here's a position-by-position comparison of the two teams:

Quarterbacks: Both teams featured quarterbacks who were involved in the Heisman Trophy race. The 2005 team had Vince Young, a multi-purpose player who accounted for 3,036 passing yards and 26 touchdown passes. Most importantly, he provided leadership for a team that had never won a Big 12 title under Brown. McCoy redshirted on that team, earning the opportunity to soak up lessons watching Young’s leadership. He’s capping the most productive statistical career for a Texas quarterback by passing for 2,447 yards and 17 touchdowns with at least three games remaining -- not counting a potential Big 12 championship game and a bowl. And his leadership skills are comparable with Young’s in guiding his team to an undefeated season so far.

Edge: Even

Rushing game: The 2005 team relied on Young, who rushed for a team-high 1,050 yards and scored 12 touchdowns and also had a strong starter in Jamaal Charles and an outstanding change-of-pace player in Ramonce Taylor. That team produced 55 rushing touchdowns and had five different backs with eight rushing touchdowns or more. The current team’s rushing game might be its major weakness without a featured rushing threat, as no current back has rushed for more than 275 yards. Depending on game situations, the team has utilized any of three starters, but its most consistent producer has been Cody Johnson, who will become its fourth starter this week against Baylor.

	Mark J. Rebilas/US Presswire
	Vince Young quarterbacked the 2005 Texas team to the national title.

Edge: 2005 Texas

Receivers/Tight end: The 2005 team had a stacked collection of receivers led by top deep threat Billy Pittman and Limas Sweed. But the most consistent receiving threat for Young was tight end David Thomas, who produced 50 receptions, including a career-best 10 in the BCS title game victory over USC. But that team had no receiving threat to match Jordan Shipley, who has already produced 75 catches, four double-figure reception games and broken the school single-game receiving yardage record. Dan Buckner developed early into a receiving threat at flex end and Malcolm Williams, James Kirkendoll and John Chiles all have been strong in an offense that has lived by short passes. But Shipley has been the focal point of a passing game that features short, quick passes as its primary offensive weapon.

Edge: 2009 Texas

Offensive line: The 2005 team featured three-first team All-Big 12 picks in Justin Blalock, Jonathan Scott and Will Allen. Because of Young's mobility, that team allowed only 14 sacks and produced 5.9 yards per carry and 55 rushing touchdowns. The current team is nearly as strong with key players like Adam Ulatoski, Charlie Tanner and Chris Hall, who have currently combined for 99 career starts and should be peaking as the season continues. The current team is producing 3.9 yards per carry, 16 sacks and 20 rushing touchdowns.

Edge: 2005 Texas

Defensive line: The 2005 team featured first-team All-Big 12 players like Rodrique Wright and Tim Crowder and pass-rushing specialist Brian Robison, a converted linebacker who led the team with sacks. But that team didn’t feature anybody as proficient as Sergio Kindle or a run-stuffing tackle like Lamarr Houston. It’s the main reason the current Texas team leads the nation in rush defense (55.33 yards per game), total defense (230.78 yards per game) and ranks in the top 20 in both sacks and tackles for losses. The 2005 team was 39th nationally in sacks and 29th in tackles for losses.

Edge: 2009 Texas

Linebackers: The 2005 unit was at its weakest at linebacker where no players earned All-Big 12 first-team or second-team designation. Robert Killebrew was that team’s only player to earn honorable mention. The current team features an anchor in the middle in senior linebacker Roddrick Muckelroy, flanked by Keenan Robinson and Emmanuel Acho. Will Muschamp’s unit seldom uses three linebackers except in run-stuffing situations, preferring to use a nickel formation. But his current group still has the edge at linebacker over the championship team.

Edge: 2009 Texas

Secondary: The 2005 team might be one of the great college units of all time. That team featured the Thorpe Award winner in Michael Huff and another all-league player in Cedric Griffin. Huff, Cedric Griffin, Michael Griffin, Aaron Ross and Tarell Brown all were drafted in the NFL and had eventual pro careers. The unit was nearly impermeable as it broke up 85 passes and permitted only two teams to pass for more than 200 yards against them. The current group is young and skilled and might develop into as strong of a group with experience.

Earl Thomas has played like the best defensive back in the country this season with six interceptions, including two touchdown returns. Curtis Brown, Chykie Brown, Aaron Williams and Blake Gideon have already helped the defense combine for 16 interceptions. And the group is playing with swagger as the season continues.

The current group could match the eventual production of the 2005 team, but it still has to get there.

Edge: 2005 Texas

Special teams: Neither team had to punt very often, but Hunter Lawrence has a narrow edge over David Pino at kicker for his consistency and range. The biggest difference is in the return game. The current team features two threats with D.J. Monroe (two TDs, 36.5 yards kick return average) and Shipley (14.5 punt return average, two TDs), giving it an edge over Ramonce Taylor and Aaron Ross (14.7 punt return average, two TDs).

Edge: 2009 Texas

Coaching: With largely the same cast of coaches, the 2009 team appears to be better coached. In 2005, Brown was trying for his first Big 12 title and utilized defensive co-coordinators with Gene Chizik and Duane Akina. It often seemed that the individual talents of Young took over the game during that championship season. But this team features a better job by Greg Davis as he compensates for his team’s lack of a consistent running game by developing a crafty passing game utilizing quick short passes. And the defense has taken big steps this season in its second season under Muschamp.

Edge:2009 Texas

Intangibles: The 2005 team was trying to become Brown’s first Big 12 title team and played well throughout. It started with a dramatic comeback victory over Ohio State and continued with a run through the Big 12 that featured no victory less than 19 points. The 2005 team needed a comeback over Oklahoma State, but Young helped the team peak as the Longhorns scored at least 40 points in 12 games. The team rolled to victories of 62, 52 and 11 points in November before notching a record-breaking 70-3 triumph over Colorado in the Big 12 title game and the 41-38 BCS title game victory over USC.

This team hasn’t faced many tests, although it did handle Oklahoma in a 16-13 triumph that ranks as its closest margin. Other than that game, the 2009 Longhorns have rolled up at least 34 points in every game and allowed more than 20 points on only two occasions. But it still has its chance to finish strongly in November like the 2005 team did.

Edge: 2005 Texas

If they met: The 2005 team still would merit a slight edge, mainly because this team doesn’t have a transcendent talent like Young. But the current team is developing and could have a chance to match the championship with a strong finish.

Edge: 2005 Texas

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

After last week, I have the opportunity to savor a rare perfect week.

And is it ever rewarding.

And the best part, I finally got on the right side of Texas A&M after struggling with picking incorrectly on the Aggies the previous four weeks.

But as Mike Sherman’s team watches fight films the night before games and receives carabiners a few days before they upset teams, their confidence is growing.

Even for me.

Here’s a look at this week’s games. Hopefully, another 6-0 week is in store this time around, too.

Texas 45, UCF 7: This rare November nonconference game shouldn’t be that much of a challenge for the Longhorns, although George O’Leary’s team is feisty on defense and will make the Longhorns sweat as they try to run the ball. But with Colt McCoy and Co. in the passing game, that shouldn’t be a concern as Texas should be able to pass at will. And the Texas defense should harass UCF quarterback Brett Hodges throughout the game.

Kansas State 28, Kansas 24: Bill Snyder improbably brings his Wildcats into the Sunflower Showdown in first place in the North Division. Even in a loss at Oklahoma, the Wildcats showed pluckiness as they were competitive despite falling into an early 21-0 hole. But Snyder always seems to get up for the Jayhawks, whom he beat 12 of the last 13 times before his sabbatical. Kansas arrives mired in a three-game losing streak. And with Mark Mangino’s team reeling after the surprise benching of Todd Reesing, along with a sputtering offense, don’t be surprised if the Wildcats claim an upset in this one. Kansas State must dominate time of possession and win special teams with a key play or two from Brandon Banks in order to win the game.

Texas A&M 38, Colorado 27: The Aggies have traditionally struggled in Boulder, but arrive with a lot of confidence after their two-game winning streak. With Jerrod Johnson, Jeff Fuller, Uzoma Nwachukwu and an emerging running game, A&M looks like the same kind of team that has troubled Colorado all season long. And the defense is appearing to make progress after a strong effort last week against Iowa State. Colorado will have trouble matching those weapons.

Missouri 34, Baylor 14: Two teams going in different directions will meet at Faurot Field. The Tigers still have legitimate hopes for a North Division title if they can sweep the rest of their games -- an amazing statement considering their 0-3 start. Baylor’s bowl hopes were derailed as soon as Robert Griffin hurt his knee against Northwestern State. Missouri will have a healthy Blaine Gabbert, an improved running game and a developing pass rush. Baylor will be challenged to contain any of those huge Missouri advantages.

Oklahoma State 33, Iowa State 27: It will be interesting to see how Mike Gundy’s team rebounds after the turnover-filled loss to Texas last week. And the Cowboys will be tested by an Iowa State team that has all of its weapons healthy with Austen Arnaud returning to the lineup after missing two games with a bruised hand. The Cyclones need only one victory for bowl eligibility, but it will be tough to get against the Cowboys. Look for Zac Robinson to bounce back after his struggling game against Texas as the Cowboys should be able to exploit an Iowa State secondary that has allowed 18 touchdown passes this season.

Oklahoma 21, Nebraska 17: It will seem just like old days when Oklahoma and Nebraska meet and the defenses for both teams will be their key strengths. The team that wins will be the one that gets the best play out of their quarterback. Landry Jones leads all freshmen with 17 touchdown passes and has an expanding receiving corps with a bevy of playmakers. It still won’t be easy against a Nebraska defense that has limited its last seven opponents to 280 yards or less. But the Cornhuskers don’t have the offensive firepower -- particularly with top rushing threat Roy Helu Jr. struggling with a bad shoulder -- to keep up with the Sooners.

Last week: 6-0, 100 percent

Season total: 56-18, 75.7 percent