ESPN College Football

It's time to look at the new men on the block -- the guys heading into their first years as head coaches in the country's most cutthroat league.

The SEC welcomes Will Muschamp at Florida and James Franklin at Vanderbilt. Expectations are certainly high in Gainesville, where Muschamp replaces Urban Meyer, who developed into an icon in his six seasons by winning two national championships and appearing in three SEC championships. Franklin steps into a program with a history of consistently finishing near the bottom of the SEC barrel and is riding back-to-back 2-10 seasons.

Here is a look at both coaches and what impact each could have on the SEC this fall:

Will Muschamp, Florida: Muschamp enters his first season at Florida with 16 years of coaching experience, with eight coming in the SEC. The former Georgia safety served as defensive coordinator at LSU (2002-04; he was LSU’s linebackers coach in 2001) and Auburn (2006-07), where he was a finalist for the 2007 Broyles Award as the nation’s top assistant. He was also the assistant head coach for defense for the Miami Dolphins in 2005.

Muschamp replaces Meyer, who left the cupboard far from bare and the expectations high. Muschamp, who left Texas as the coach-in-waiting, is a hard-nosed, all-business coach who has tempered those crippling Gator egos from last season. He also assembled a NFL-heavy staff, headlined by offensive coordinator Charlie Weis, who scrapped the spread favored by Meyer for a pro-style offense.

The talent is there for Muschamp to lead Florida back to the SEC championship, but with a new system and staff, expect growing pains. Muschamp will be very hands-on with the defense, which should be a major strength for the Gators, but offensively, Weis will do most of the directing, with the goal of resurrecting an offense that ranked 82nd nationally in total offense (350.85 yards per game).

Highlights:

• In four of his eight seasons as a defensive coordinator, Muschamp's teams allowed less than 100 rushing yards per game and twice led the nation in rushing defense while allowing less than 75 yards per game.
• LSU's 2003 defense led the country in rushing defense (67 ) the best of any SEC team in the 2000s.
• In 2009, Texas led the nation allowing 73.1 yards rushing
• Over the past three seasons, Texas' defense ranked first nationally with 119 sacks for 949 yards lost.

James Franklin, Vanderbilt: Franklin is the 27th head coach at Vanderbilt and also brings 16 years of coaching experience. Most notably, he was the wide receivers/recruiting coordinator at Maryland from 200-04, the wide receivers coach for the Green Bay Packers in 2005 and spent two years as the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach at Kansas State before taking the same job at Maryland from 2008-10.

Though he was named Ralph Friedgen's successor at Maryland in 2009, he decided to take one of the toughest jobs in college football, where he'll be asked to win at a school known more for academics than football in the nation's best conference . Franklin inherits 21 returning starters and has brought a new and exciting energy to Vanderbilt. You can see it in the confidence his players are showing and in the solid recruiting class he's putting together. There seems to be a new culture at Vandy and Franklin is out to make sure this team becomes competitive in the SEC.

It's hard to say what the Commodores will do in Franklin's first season, but expect him to be immersed in Vanderbilt's offense, which ranked 110th in total offense (298.3). If this team can improve its play like it has its confidence, the Commodores could pull a surprise or two this fall. Starting the season off right will go a long way. Beginning the year with numbers in the loss column could hurt that swagger Vandy is strutting.

Highlights:

• Last season, Maryland quarterback Danny O'Brien earned ACC Rookie of the Year and first-team Freshman All-America honors, ranking third nationally among freshmen with a pass efficiency rating of 135.2 and throwing 22 touchdowns and eight interceptions.
• Marylands' 2010 offense ranked third nationally committing only 12 turnovers.
• In 2007, Franklin mentored Kansas State quarterback Josh Freeman, who set numerous school records and threw for 3,353 yards. Freeman was selected in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft (17th overall) by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Baylor, Texas and Texas Tech already have begun spring drills., but I'm kicking off my spring tour around the Big 12 campuses on Wednesday.

Here's a wide-angle look at the Big 12, with the five biggest questions hounding the conference to begin the spring.

1. Does it have a national championship contender or not? Oklahoma is by no means uncontested at the top of the Big 12, but it is a clear notch above Texas A&M and Oklahoma State as the favorite to win the conference. Additionally, there's a good chance the Sooners will open 2011 as the No. 1 team in the country. But in the two months before spring drills began, Oklahoma's had plenty of negative headlines off the field. Their best cornerback, Jamell Fleming, won't be with the team in the spring and his future is in doubt. Starting defensive tackle Stacy McGee was cited for misdemeanor marijuana possession. Star freshman Kenny Stills, a receiver, was arrested on a DUI complaint and his close friend, freshman safety Tony Jefferson -- also a California native and the Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year, was booked on a complaint for interfering with the official process in the incident with Stills. That's a lot of distractions, but the Sooners will need to end that list now to have the best chance of validating their preseason hype on the field. Oklahoma has no glaring weaknesses as it stands, but if academics or discipline keeps players off the field, that could change. The hype will only grow if the Sooners stay out of the police blotter and book a solid spring camp.

2. Is Texas over its "entitlement?" Is the new staff jelling with players? This should be a fascinating spring in Austin. For the first time in perhaps a decade, the Longhorns have a long, long list of things to prove. They'll try to do it with a youth-infused staff and it all begins this spring. The defense was decent last season, the offense was awful. Both will need to be great if the Longhorns are going to compete for a Big 12 title after a last-place finish in the Big 12 South. Is Texas up to the challenge?

3. Where are the quarterbacks? Think back to 2008. The Big 12 had -- by my count -- eight quarterbacks that could play for about anybody across the country. Sam Bradford won the Heisman. Colt McCoy was one of the best in school history, winning more games than any quarterback in college history and reaching a pair of BCS bowls, including a national championship appearance. Chase Daniel, Graham Harrell, Todd Reesing, Robert Griffin III and Josh Freeman were all solid. That's eight out of 10 teams in the current Big 12 with excellence under center. This year? I count four. Griffin is still around. Oklahoma and Oklahoma State are set with Landry Jones and Brandon Weeden and Texas A&M should be fine with Ryan Tannehill. Beyond that? It's pretty slim. Will we see breakout stars at Texas Tech, Missouri or Kansas State? All three have players who could be set for breakout years in Seth Doege, James Franklin and Justin Tuggle, but they'll have to win the job first and try to make a name for themselves if they can pull that off.

4. Are leaky defenses with new coordinators ready to support their teams' high-powered offenses? Texas Tech and Baylor both had offenses good enough to compete for a Big 12 title, but poor defense meant both had to settle for seven-win seasons and lower-tier bowl games. Both are back this spring with new coordinators. Veteran Phil Bennett is in at Baylor, and first-time coordinator Chad Glasgow will try to extrapolate the success he had coaching TCU's secondary into Texas Tech's secondary and defense, which ranked last in the Big 12 last year.

5. Can the Cowboys keep the status quo? Dana Holgorsen was the big story in Oklahoma State's spring camp last year, and he showed why during the season, turning the Cowboys into the Big 12's best offensive team. He's gone, and Todd Monken is taking over. Can the excellence continue? Bringing back all five offensive linemen will make it a lot easier. Skill positions look a lot better when quarterbacks have time and running backs have holes. Justin Blackmon and Brandon Weeden are back, but can their talents be showcased as two of the Big 12's best in 2011. They better be. If not, the Cowboys can rule out a Big 12 title.

ESPN the Magazine had a fascinating feature looking back at the past 25 No. 1 high school recruits, where they are now and what the ranking meant to them. With apologies to Vince Young, there aren't a ton of Big 12 talents on the list, but there have been plenty of great recruits to come through the Big 12. We took a look on Thursday at how the All-Big 12 team stacked up as recruits, and you saw quite a mixed bag.

Well, it's the same for the recruits who came to campus with high rankings and high profiles. Going back to 2006, here's how every Big 12 commit from the ESPNU 150 turned out. We'll look at 2006 in this post before eventually reaching 2010 and the current class, 2011, by signing day.

2006

No. 6: DeMarco Murray, RB, Oklahoma. Murray set the school records for touchdowns (64) and all-purpose yards (6,498) as a Sooner. He's projected to be drafted on the first day of this year's NFL Draft.

No. 7: Sergio Kindle, OLB, Texas. Kindle was a finalist for the Butkus and Hendricks Awards and was a two-time All-Big 12 performer with 176 career tackles. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the second round last year's NFL Draft, but missed his rookie season after fracturing his skull in a fall on the stairs at his home.

No. 13: Jevan Snead, QB, Texas. Lost a quarterback battle to Colt McCoy following the 2005 season. Played sparingly as a freshman before transferring to Ole Miss. Went undrafted in 2010. Now plays for Arena League's Tampa Bay Storm.

No. 21: Gerald McCoy, DT, Oklahoma. McCoy was a Lombardi finalist, a three-time All-Big 12 performer, a two-time All-American who left Oklahoma after his junior season and was selected No. 3 overall by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2010 NFL Draft.

No. 22: Eddie Jones, DE, Texas. Jones just finished his career at Texas with an All-Big 12 honorable mention year in 2010. Finished his career with 111 tackles and 13.5 sacks.

No. 34: J'Marcus Webb, OT, Texas. Webb played one year at Texas before transferring to Navarro College and eventually West Texas A&M. He was drafted in the seventh round of the 2010 draft and spent the season with the Chicago Bears.

No. 36: Adron Tennell, WR, Oklahoma. Tennell finished his four-year career at Oklahoma with 40 catches, 505 yards and five touchdowns.

No. 42: Dustin Earnest, LB, Texas. Earnest finished his career in 2010 with 84 tackles and a sack for the Longhorns.

No. 45: Mike Goodson, RB, Texas A&M. Goodson was the Big 12 Freshman of the Year in 2006 with his career high 847 yards. He finished with 1,966 yards and 13 TDs in three seasons before being drafted in the fourth round by the Carolina Panthers.

No. 67: Phillip Payne, WR, Texas. Caught his first career pass in 2009, his third year at UT, before transferring after the season.

No. 75: Derek Burton, DE, Oklahoma State. Started 15 games in four years for the Cowboys, recording 67 career tackles.

No. 82: Ben Alexander, DT, Texas. Made four career starts, with 51 tackles and half a sack in 38 career appearances.

No. 104: Terrance Anderson, CB, Oklahoma State. Made 96 tackles in four years with the Cowboys. Had four career interceptions.

No. 110: Jonathan Nelson, CB, Oklahoma. Started all 14 games in 2010 for the Sooners after earning All-Big 12 honorable mention as a junior in 2009. Finished career with 155 tackles and five interceptions.

No. 111: Jermaine Gresham, TE, Oklahoma. Caught 111 passes for 1,629 yards and 26 touchdowns in three seasons, including an All-American season in 2008. Missed all of 2009 with knee injury. Drafted No. 21 overall in the 2010 draft by Cincinnati Bengals.

No. 137: Jeremy Beal, DE, Oklahoma. Had 224 tackles, 58.5 tackles for loss, and 29 sacks in four seasons, including three All-Big 12 seasons, an All-American season and was a Hendricks Award finalist in 2009. Projects as middle-round pick in 2011 NFL Draft.

No. 141: Josh Freeman, QB, Kansas State. Threw for 8,078 yards and 44 touchdowns and 34 interceptions in 35 career games. Also ran for 404 yards and 14 touchdowns as a junior. Drafted No. 17 overall by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2010 NFL Draft.

1. Christmas for recruiting geeks arrives tomorrow. Consider this a friendly reminder that no one really know what’s in each package. I went back and looked over the ESPNU 150 from four years ago . No. 12 was Mitch Mustain. No. 13 was Jevan Snead. And No. 141 was Josh Freeman. Of the two Heisman winners, Tim Tebow was No. 15. Sam Bradford didn’t make the list.

2. In an era when today’s technological marvel is tomorrow’s museum piece, coaches will sit and watch their fax machines Wednesday morning for Letters of Intent from their 2010 signees. Fax? Why not ask the Pony Express to do the job? As I understand it, a Letter of Intent scanned and sent as a PDF would be considered valid by the NCAA. But for some reason, that method of delivery has been slow to catch on.

3. Let’s get this straight: Texas Tech agreed to move its game against Texas to Sept. 18, the third week of the season. In order to do so, the Red Raiders and TCU move their game, which had been scheduled for that day, to a future year. The replacement for TCU, which will be a top-10 team again, is FCS Weber State on Nov. 20. That’s some kind of housewarming gift for new coach Tommy Tuberville.

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.

Much was made during the past season about the Big 12 defenses had finally started catching up to the offenses across the conference.

Obviously, numbers would be expected to plummet with players like Chase Daniel, Graham Harrell, Michael Crabtree, Joe Ganz and Josh Freeman gone from last season. Toss in injuries to Sam Bradford, Kendall Hunter, Jermaine Gresham and Robert Griffin and offenses would be expected to be weaker.

But an underrated factor in the offensive decline across the Big 12 was the hard work of defensive coordinators across the conference.

Defensive coaches and players got tired of being humiliated on a weekly basis last season. It led them to come back determined to stop the offensive growth in the conference. The numbers bear out that they did a much better job in 2009 than the previous season.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

MANHATTAN, Kan. -- The game-clad figure in purple and white jumps out from the billboards along the Kansas prairie, standing apart from the notices for truck stops, ice cream parlors and outlet malls.

The image of Kansas State coach Bill Snyder can be found at several locations along Interstate 70, pointing across expanses of the Sunflower State as he seemingly implores motorists to get out of their cars to hurry into game action.

	John Rieger/US Presswire
	Bill Snyder knows he has his work cut out for him at Kansas State.

While Snyder says he's uncomfortable with becoming such a front-and-center symbol of the school's intended resurgence, it's understandable why he has become spotlighted so much since his return.

"I'm not a big fan of that," Snyder said. "This is about a program and not Bill Snyder. But maybe I'm in a position where I can help smooth the waters. I'd like to think I could do it without my face being all over billboards. It's not appropriate, because it's never been about Bill Snyder. I'm just a part of it."

On the school's Web site, Snyder's return has been given a prominent constant presence. An advertisement for season tickets harkens that "the Hall of Fame can wait" and "the tradition continues" with Snyder's return to bring the Wildcat program back from its recent doldrums.

As fans and players exit Interstate 70 and head to Manhattan, they turn onto the Bill Snyder Highway. And when they arrive in Manhattan the focal point of the campus is where the Wildcats play their games -- the Bill Snyder Family Stadium.

But even with that exalted status after his legendary career, Snyder was restless during retirement. Those concerns led him to return to coaching after a three-year sabbatical, eager to resume coaching with another challenging rebuilding job facing him.

It won't be easy. When asked about where the Wildcat program is and where he wants it to eventually be, Snyder has a succinct answer.

"I can't see there from here." Snyder said. "It's a long ways from where I would like it to be."

(Read full post)

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

One day and counting to the NFL draft. I guess that means we can still consider players like Michael Crabtree, Jason Smith, Josh Freeman and Jeremy Maclin as Big 12 players for at least one more day, can't we?

Until then, here are a few lunchtime links that are as tasty as the gorditas, turkey legs and funnel cakes that are available in downtown San Antonio right now at the Battle of Flowers parade.

Only about 300,000 people are attending.

Boy, am I glad I don't have to commute down there anymore.   

Here are the links, sans the traffic and parking problems I used to face every year.

• Austin American-Statesman columnist Kirk Bohls disputes the notion that Texas players are too soft for the NFL.
• It wasn't safe for former Texas A&M quarterback Stephen McGee to attend his old team's practice earlier this week, Houston Chronicle/San Antonio Express-News beat writer Brent Zwerneman reports.
• The Omaha World-Herald's Lee Barfknecht analyzes the spring practice of Missouri quarterback Blaine Gabbert.
• Texas A&M coach Mike Sherman mentioned earlier this week to reporters that the Aggies' opener against New Mexico could be nationally televised. The Bryan Eagle's Robert Cessna analyzes the chances of the Aggies' game being chosen on a busy opening weekend.
• New Colorado offensive line coach Denver Johnson has helped his group develop by keeping its terminology from last season, Boulder Daily Camera beat writer Kyle Ringo reports.
• Former Baylor offensive tackle Jason Smith is set to make history as the school's first first-round draft pick of the Big 12 era, the Waco Tribune-Herald's John Werner reports.
• New Iowa State offensive coordinator Tom Herman has developed a "Wildcat" offensive package that features tailback Alexander Robinson taking direct snaps and quarterback Austen Arnaud as a wide receiver, the Cedar Rapids Gazette's Eric Peterson reports.
• Colorado offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich told the Denver Post's Tom Kensler that there's a "razor-thin" margin separating quarterbacks Cody Hawkins and Tyler Hansen heading into the Buffaloes' spring game on Saturday.
• The pundits from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch analyze whether Jeremy Maclin or Michael Crabtree will develop into a better NFL player.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

It might be a little quieter at Memorial Stadium this season, at least if a directive from the Nebraska athletic department is enforced.

Lee Barfknecht of the Omaha World-Herald reports that skybox holders at Memorial Stadium have received word that there will be stricter enforcement of the campus law that forbids alcohol possession on campus.

No beer or whiskey in those prime seats might lead to a more sedate crowd -- at least in what some Nebraska insiders refer to as "Lexus Lane."

But something tells me that if Bo Pelini's team is as good as expected, the rest of the stadium might drown them out.

We won't know about that until early September at the Cornhuskers' first game. Until then, here are some notable stories from across the conference.  

• Mark Hasty of Fanhouse.com wonders if the Big 12 can rebound after last season's disappointing bowl performance. 
• Randy Riggs of the Austin American-Statesman writes about how Texas A&M defensive coordinator Joe Kines has simplified his defensive scheme in hopes of improving the defense's production.
• Colorado is intent on improving its ability to block kicks this spring, the Boulder Daily Camera's Kyle Ringo reports.
• Robert Cessna of the Bryan Eagle is sticking to his 6-6 prediction for Texas A&M next season.
• Backup Oklahoma offensive tackle Donald Stephenson turned himself into Norman police after a municipal warrant was issued for his failure to pay a previous speeding ticket, the Oklahoman's Jake Trotter reports.
• Backup Texas Tech quarterback Steven "Sticks" Sheffield is intent on earning a scholarship to get his parents off the hook for tuition, the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal's Don Williams writes.
• Michael Crabtree and Brian Orakpo are among players who will serve as cover athletes for different platforms of EA Sports' NCAA Football, the Business Wire reports.
• Former Kansas State quarterback Josh Freeman tells Joshua Kinder of the Manhattan Mercury he isn't looking back at his decision to declare for the NFL draft.
• John Whisler of the San Antonio Express-News profiles backup Iowa State quarterback Jerome Tiller, who has emerged as one of the Cyclones' biggest spring surprises.
• Lydon Murtha and Matt Slauson hope to renew the reputation of Nebraska's offensive line as a pipeline to the NFL, the Omaha World-Herald's Rich Kaipust reports.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

Happy Patriots' Day.

We don't normally have a morning marathon through Kenmore Square or a morning baseball game down here in South Texas like they do in Boston to remember the Battles of Lexington and Concord. 

Instead, one of the largest night parades in the country will be staged here tonight to help kick off Fiesta activities -- with a big NBA playoff game to boot that has a bunch of my neighbors worried about somebody named J.J. Barea.

But before all that, we've got delectable lunchtime links from all of those spring games that were played Saturday across the Big 12.

I'll crack a cascarone or two while compiling them to get me in the mood.

• The development of players like Sam Bradford, Todd Reesing and Josh Freeman help make the quarterback class of 2006 one of the best in history, Athlon Sports writer Braden Gall writes.
• New Oklahoma State defensive coordinator Bill Young embraces the high expectations that are booming for his retooled unit, the Oklahoman's Scott Wright reports.
• Missouri's defense appears to be ahead of the Tigers' offense after the first post-Chase Daniel spring game, Dave Matter of the Columbia Daily Tribune reports.
• A study by Tulsa World data editor Gavin Off indicates that Bob Stoops and Mike Gundy are the two highest-paid employees of any public college or university in the state of Oklahoma.
• After watching Nebraska's Red-White spring game, Tom Shatel expects that Cornhuskers will be able to challenge for the North Division title in 2009.
• Former Michigan receiver Toney Clemons raved to the Boulder Daily Camera's Kyle Ringo about his playing opportunities at Colorado.
• Baylor has picked up a commitment from tall, talented wide receiver Eddie Johnson of Midlothian (Texas) High School, John Werner of the Waco Tribune-Herald reports. Johnson is the Bears' second commitment in the Class of 2010.
• Wide receiver Chris Brooks made the most of his opportunity to play with a big performance in Nebraska's Red-White game, Curt McKeever of the Lincoln Journal-Star reports.
• Robert Cessna of the Bryan Eagle was impressed with strong efforts by Jeff Fuller and Von Miller at Texas A&M's spring game, but wonders if their dominance came because of A&M's weaknesses at other positions.  

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

Spring practice is springing across the Big 12 with four more teams set to begin work this week.

Football will start to command much attention across the conference with the exception of Sweet 16 basketball participants Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma. But there will still be attention for football there, too.

Here's a look at some stories from across the conference today. Enjoy them with your lunch.

• A Boulder non-profit agency will pocket about $50,000 after the NCAA has directed part of a fine levied at Colorado's athletic department back to the local community that the school paid in 2005. Lance Vaillancourt of the Boulder Camera reports the fine came when Colorado did not charge walk-on athletes to pay to eat at the athletic training table.
• The Omaha World-Herald provides extensive previews of Nebraska's offense, defense and special teams heading into Wednesday's start of spring practice.
• Jeremy Maclin notched an impressive 25 on the Wonderlic test (considered high for wide receivers) for NFL teams, Josh Freeman scored a 27 (considered acceptable) and Michael Crabtree had a 15 (a little below average), according to a story by the Chicago Tribune's Dan Pompei.
• College Football News reporter Pete Fiutak pegs Missouri and Texas Tech among 10 teams he expects to tumble this season.
• Lawrence city commissioner Boog Highberger told the Lawrence Journal-World's Chad Lawhorn that the idea of renaming Missouri Street in honor of former Kansas football coach Don Fambrough is" petty and childish."
• John Hillman of realfootball365.com notes there is little concern with the quarterback switch from Graham Harrell to Taylor Potts at Texas Tech.
• Steve Sipple of the Lincoln Journal-Star writes that Nebraska offensive coordinator Shawn Watson might be more likely to consider working on a no-huddle offense this spring with Zac Lee at quarterback.
• Oklahoman beat writer Scott Wright details the recent development of Oklahoma State sophomore slot receiver Josh Cooper, who is challenging for playing time this spring.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

With several teams taking off for spring break this week and most of the Big 12's attention diverted to the basketball tournaments, it would be easy to turn away from football.

But not here, where lunchtime links are a daily obsession.

Enjoy them.

• Rich Kaipust of the Omaha World-Herald writes that Nebraska secondary coach Marvin Sanders vows to make his concepts simpler in his second season on Bo Pelini's staff.
• The Lawrence Journal-World has a video report about quarterback Todd Reesing wanting to finish his senior season strongly.
• Former Kansas State coach Ron Prince has a simple explanation for Matt Hayes of the Sporting News on why his program struggled last year. "The reality is, we didn't give Josh (former KSU quarterback Josh Freeman) a lot of help," Prince said.
• Heralded Missouri defensive end Brian Coulter talks to the Columbia Daily Tribune's Dave Matter about increased competiton for playing time among the Tigers' defensive linemen after losing three starters from last season.
• Jeremy Maclin caught the attention of NFL scouts at Missouri's pro day with a strong performance that included faster times in the 40-yard dash than he had at the NFL combine, Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
• Matt Hayes and Dave Curtis of the Sporting News analyzes whether Bill Young's arrival will push Oklahoma State's defense to a championship level.
• The Lincoln Journal-Star's Steve Sipple and Brian Christopherson break down Nebraka's battles for playing time at skill positions heading into spring practice.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

Every team is green someplace. Here are the specific areas of the most inexperience for each Big 12 team.

Baylor offensive tackle: The Bears need to break in two new starters after losing Jason Smith and Dan Gay.

Colorado defensive line: Help is needed along the defensive front where the Buffaloes lose starting defensive end Maurice Lucas, starting defensive tackle George Hypolite and starting nose tackle Brandon Nicolas.

Iowa State defensive line: Coach Paul Rhoads desperately wants somebody to emerge on the defensive line where the Cyclones lose starting defensive tackle Michael Tate, starting defensive end Kurtis Taylor and top backup defensive back Travis Ferguson.

Kansas linebackers: Even as Mark Mangino is contemplating going to a two-linebacker base defense because of the Big 12's spread offenses, he still needs to find those two players. The Jayhawks lose starters James Holt, Mike Rivera and Joe Mortensen at the position from last season.

Kansas State quarterback: Josh Freeman departed for the NFL early, leaving Carson Coffman and junior college transfer Daniel Thomas to compete for the starting job. It's not a pleasant introduction back to football for returning KSU coach Bill Snyder.

Missouri skill-position players: The Tigers need a quick infusion of playmakers after losing quarterback Chase Daniel, wide receiver/kick returner Jeremy Maclin and tight end Chase Coffman. All of them arguably were the greatest players at their respective positions in Missouri history. Blake Gabbert will receive first look at quarterback and Andrew Jones will work at tight end. It could take several players to fill in for what Maclin did.

Nebraska quarterback: It will be tough for the Cornhuskers to replace all that Joe Ganz did for them, both as a playmaker and a leader at quarterback. Zac Lee will get the first shot, along with freshman Cody Green and redshirt freshman Kody Spano. Maybe the Cornhuskers really could use former Miami quarterback Robert Marve next season.

Oklahoma offensive line: The departure of starting center Jon Cooper, tackle Phil Loadholt and guards Duke Robinson and Brandon Walker means that Sam Bradford will have an inexperienced group protecting him next season. Trent Williams moves to left tackle and Bob Stoops likes his incoming talent, if not its early work habits.

Oklahoma State defensive tackles: The Cowboys ranked last in the conference in sacks last season and lost starting defensive tackles Tonga Tea and Jeray Chatham. It will mean that new defensive coordinator Bill Young will need somebody to step up in the trenches to help shore up that weakness.

Texas defensive line: The major question dogging the Longhorns' national title hopes will be rebuilding a defensive front that loses All-American defensive end Brian Orakpo, defensive tackle Roy Miller, defensive tackleAaron Lewis and defensive end Henry Melton from last season.

Texas Tech offensive line: New quarterback Taylor Potts will be relying on a retooled offensive line protecting his blind side after left tackle Rylan Reed, left guard Louis Vasquez and center Stephen Hamby all departed from last year.

Texas A&M running backs: The Aggies' offensive backfield will need to restock players: Michael Goodson left school early to declare for the NFL draft and fullbacks Jorvorskie Lane and Nick LaMantia are gone. Look for Cyrus Gray to get most of the work this spring with heralded freshman Bradley Stephens arriving in the summer.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

One of the most interesting parts of spring practice will be watching potential replacements emerge in key situations across the Big 12.

Here are some of the key departures from around the conference and some of the players who will compete to try to fill those vacancies.

	Getty Images
	Brian Orakpo's pass-rushing skills will be missed by Texas.

• Texas Tech wide receiver Michael Crabtree -- The Red Raiders will miss the two-time Biletnikoff winner. Lyle Leong will get the first shot and should be challenged by Jacoby Franks and 6-foot-4 Rashad Hawk. Top returning receivers Detron Lewis and Tramain Swindall will remain inside as slot receivers, meaning that other players will have to emerge at Crabtree's old featured slot.
• Texas' pass-rushing specialist replacing Brian Orakpo -- Texas coaches are hoping that Sergio Kindle will ratchet up his play to Orakpo-like levels as he moves to a near permanent status as a pass-rushing specialist at defensive end. Sam Acho will get most of the work on the other side during the spring with Eddie Jones battling back from shoulder and ankle surgery, meaning the spotlight will be on Kindle this spring.
• Jeremy Maclin's talents at Missouri -- It likely will take several players to cover what the multi-purpose Maclin provided as a receiver, rusher and kick return threat. Among the players who will get a look at a variety of roles include Wes Kemp, Jerrell Jackson, Gahn McGaffie and Rolandis Woodland.
• Oklahoma fills a depleted offensive line -- Only tackle Trent Williams will be back as a starter for the Sooners' unit, which will lose key producers like guards Duke Robinson and Brandon Walker, center Jon Cooper and mammoth tackle Phil Loadholt. The four departing starters combined for 149 starts during their college careers. Replacements like tackle Cory Brandon, guards Alex Williams and Brian Simmons and center Jason Hannan are presumed to be talented, but are still very inexperienced. That's not a comforting thought for returning Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford -- at least until spring practice begins.
• Kansas State replaces Ron Prince -- Sure, the Wildcats made only one bowl trip in Prince's three-season tenure before he was fired. But it will still be a huge test for legendary Kansas State coach Bill Snyder to match the success he produced earlier in his career after his sabbatical during the Prince years. It will especially be challenging this season with the loss of quarterback Josh Freeman and offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig, who went packing late last week for a similar position at California after only six weeks at Kansas State. Junior-college transfer Daniel Thomas and Carson Coffman will compete to replace Freeman. And it's anybody's guess whom Snyder will find to replace Ludwig with the start of spring practice approaching on April 6.
  

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

Good afternoon. Here are some Big 12 links to go with your lunch today.

• The Sporting News details a few of former Kansas State quarterback Josh Freeman's favorite things, including the movie "Braveheart," LeBron James and Jessica Alba.
• Kyle Ringo of the Boulder Daily Camera reports that former Illinois State coach Denver Johnson and former Army coach Stan Brock are among those who have interviewed for the vacant offensive line coaching position at Colorado.
• Scott Wright of the Daily Oklahoman speculates that Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy might give up some of his offensive play-calling control to do more work with the Cowboys' defense next season.
• Former Nebraska quarterback Scott Frost has been hired to coach receivers at Oregon, Rob Moseley of the Eugene Register-Guard reports.
• Topeka Capital-Journal reporter Austin Meek reports that Kansas State has filed a petition for declaratory relief in a contract dispute against three members of former head coach Ron Prince's staff -- defensive coordinator Tim Tibesar, quarterbacks coach Warren Ruggiero and linebackers coach Cornell Jackson.
• Robert Cessna of the Bryan-College Station Eagle notes that the biggest standing ovations during Saturday's Texas-Texas A&M basketball game came when the Longhorns' football team and Texas quarterback Colt McCoy were introduced separately to the crowd at the Erwin Center.