College Football Nation: Kale Pick
Charlie Weis marched Justin McCay out alongside quarterback Dayne Crist at a news conference earlier this year. The two faces of KU's renewal under Weis sat and answered questions from the media about their road from blue-chip recruits who signed with traditional powers -- Crist with Notre Dame, McCay with Oklahoma -- before landing at Kansas.
Weis believed McCay would be given a waiver from the NCAA, and indicated as much repeatedly as the application process drew longer and longer. He believed it still after McCay's initial request was denied, but the Jayhawks were encouraged to appeal.
That's over now.
The NCAA Subcommittee for Legislative Relief denied McCay's appeal, and he'll be ineligible for 2012. He'll be a junior with two years of eligibility remaining in 2013.
"They informed our compliance officer that there wasn’t that one catastrophic event evident to rule in his favor," Weis said. "I’m extremely disappointed that common sense did not prevail. I have read all of the information on this case and it is a shame that this case resulted in a rejection. I cannot release all of the details of Justin’s case as it would be an invasion of his privacy. I can only say that the University of Kansas felt the evidence was overwhelmingly in his favor. I also do not understand why the NCAA had us appeal this case to the subcommittee only to have received the same answer with the same rationale."
Those are strong words from the head Jayhawk, but he clearly feels wronged by the NCAA. He wouldn't be the first one. Weis is a straight talker, but those kinds of comments -- especially in a prepared statement -- make it clear how strongly he disagreed with the decision.
You have to feel sorry for McCay, too, who came home to Kansas after two unproductive years at Oklahoma.
"Despite the disappointment I am feeling today, I have no regrets," McCay said in a statement.
He also thanked Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione by name.
"I am very happy to be at Kansas and I am going to go out and work hard every day to be the best teammate I can be. Even though I won’t be playing in games this year I am going to take advantage of every opportunity I have to improve as a player."
Tough result, but the Jayhawks will have to move on with experienced receivers Daymond Patterson and D.J. Beshears leading the way. Kale Pick also played well in Saturday's spring game.
Weis believed McCay would be given a waiver from the NCAA, and indicated as much repeatedly as the application process drew longer and longer. He believed it still after McCay's initial request was denied, but the Jayhawks were encouraged to appeal.
That's over now.
The NCAA Subcommittee for Legislative Relief denied McCay's appeal, and he'll be ineligible for 2012. He'll be a junior with two years of eligibility remaining in 2013.
"They informed our compliance officer that there wasn’t that one catastrophic event evident to rule in his favor," Weis said. "I’m extremely disappointed that common sense did not prevail. I have read all of the information on this case and it is a shame that this case resulted in a rejection. I cannot release all of the details of Justin’s case as it would be an invasion of his privacy. I can only say that the University of Kansas felt the evidence was overwhelmingly in his favor. I also do not understand why the NCAA had us appeal this case to the subcommittee only to have received the same answer with the same rationale."
Those are strong words from the head Jayhawk, but he clearly feels wronged by the NCAA. He wouldn't be the first one. Weis is a straight talker, but those kinds of comments -- especially in a prepared statement -- make it clear how strongly he disagreed with the decision.
You have to feel sorry for McCay, too, who came home to Kansas after two unproductive years at Oklahoma.
"Despite the disappointment I am feeling today, I have no regrets," McCay said in a statement.
He also thanked Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione by name.
"I am very happy to be at Kansas and I am going to go out and work hard every day to be the best teammate I can be. Even though I won’t be playing in games this year I am going to take advantage of every opportunity I have to improve as a player."
Tough result, but the Jayhawks will have to move on with experienced receivers Daymond Patterson and D.J. Beshears leading the way. Kale Pick also played well in Saturday's spring game.
Jayhawks trying to find offense, get fancy
November, 26, 2011
11/26/11
5:49
PM ET
By
David Ubben | ESPN.com
Kansas led at halftime, but it scored a defensive touchdown and its only other scoring drive went for negative yardage after an interception.
The Jayhawks needed a change on offense, and they've gone with an uptempo pace out of the Jayhawk formation to make it happen with the game tied at 10.
The result: Three first downs on a single drive after having just two in the entire first half. A false start on 4th-and-1 near midfield forced a punt, but it's a huge step in the right direction for Kansas, especially if Christian Matthews can throw a bit more to keep the Tigers honest.
Expect to see more of that until Missouri stops it. James Sims even took snaps out of the formation, which most often features Matthews. He completed his first pass of the season out of the formation to a wide-open Kale Pick, another fellow former quarterback, for 12 yards.
The Jayhawks needed a change on offense, and they've gone with an uptempo pace out of the Jayhawk formation to make it happen with the game tied at 10.
The result: Three first downs on a single drive after having just two in the entire first half. A false start on 4th-and-1 near midfield forced a punt, but it's a huge step in the right direction for Kansas, especially if Christian Matthews can throw a bit more to keep the Tigers honest.
Expect to see more of that until Missouri stops it. James Sims even took snaps out of the formation, which most often features Matthews. He completed his first pass of the season out of the formation to a wide-open Kale Pick, another fellow former quarterback, for 12 yards.
We'll kick off our look today at the position rankings for each team in the Big 12 before looping back around to rank the top 10 at every position in the Big 12.
We'll start at the most obvious position: Quarterback, a position that I'd argue is more important in the Big 12 than in any other conference.
Depth will be a huge factor in these rankings, though at quarterback, it's the toughest to gauge, considering how little we see of backup quarterbacks.
Here's how each Big 12 team ranks at the quarterback position:
1. Oklahoma
Oklahoma learned the hard way in 2009 about the importance of the backup quarterback, but even in his limited experience, Drew Allen has impressed Bob Stoops after narrowly losing out on the backup job behind Sam Bradford in 2009. Landry Jones is a great one, and with his opportunities, has become a Heisman Trophy favorite. Could Allen have done the same if he had beaten out Jones in 2009? Blake Bell, the nation's No. 3 quarterback in the 2010 class, will likely be Oklahoma's No. 3 in 2011.
2. Oklahoma State
Brandon Weeden's profile spiked when he led the Cowboys to a comeback win over Colorado on a Thursday night game in 2009. He took over as the starter shortly after, but going into that game Weeden was a third-stringer. Alex Cate transferred after it became evident that Weeden would be the starter in 2010, and behind Weeden is Clint Chelf and two solid recruits: Johnny Deaton and J.W. Walsh, who was the nation's No. 10 QB (just outside the ESPNU 150) in 2011 and enrolled early.
3. Texas A&M
Ryan Tannehill is entrenched at the starting spot, with a lot of youth behind him. Matt Joeckel and Jameill Showers will try to hold off incoming freshman Johnny Manziel for the No. 2 spot this fall. Manziel was impressive during the spring, and will contend for the starting job in 2012, but he'll likely redshirt unless he wins the backup job.
4. Texas Tech
Seth Doege looks ready to grab the reins for two seasons, barring injury. Jacob Karam is probably ready to start in the Big 12 right now, he's just not as good as Doege. Behind them are two promising prospects with upside and development to do: Scotty Young and Michael Brewer. The Red Raiders are the last of the Big 12 teams who have truly solid depth at quarterback.
5. Baylor
Robert Griffin III will probably hold every school record for quarterbacks by the time he leaves Waco, but the Bears need to find a true replacement behind him. Nick Florence filled in well in 2009 when Griffin missed the final nine games with a knee injury, but he's a junior like Griffin and their eligibility will expire simultaneously. Redshirt freshman Bryce Petty and 2012 commit Jared Johnson could battle for the spot in 2013.
6. Missouri
The Tigers depth took a hit after Tyler Gabbert's transfer following spring practice, but expectations are high for sophomore James Franklin, who got a bit of experience in 2010 behind Blaine Gabbert. Senior Jimmy Costello quit the team after last season to focus on an impending fall enlistment in the Army, but rejoined after the Gabbert brothers' departures from Columbia. He's likely to be the backup, with Ashton Glaser and walk-on Ryan Howerton filling out the rest of the quarterback spots. Corbin Berkstresser, a 6-foot-3, 218-pound quarterback from Kansas City that ESPN ranked No. 43 at his position, will arrive in the fall, too.
7. Texas
How long until we see a quarterback make the kind of plays Garrett Gilbert made against Alabama in the national championship? Those kinds of long scores were rare last year, but the Longhorns will have a competition this fall that sounds like it's pretty open heading into camp. If Gilbert wins, he'll likely have a much shorter leash in 2011 than he did in 2010, before Case McCoy or Connor Wood gets a crack, and dark horse true freshman David Ash could make things interesting, too.
8. Kansas State
Collin Klein made a nice move toward winning the job with a strong spring game performance. But coach Bill Snyder says he still didn't see a ton of separation between Klein and his backups, Sammuel Lamur and Boston College transfer Justin Tuggle, who spent last year replacing Cam Newton at Blinn College in Texas.
9. Iowa State
James Capello transferred after the spring, but Iowa State's race has likely boiled down to two men: Jerome Tiller and Steele Jantz. Jantz, a juco transfer, is the wild card and Tiller will need to show that his struggles in spot duty last season were temporary. He didn't show the progress you'd expect from a maturing player when he played for an injured Austen Arnaud in a few games early and late in 2010. Jared Barnett is still battling in Ames, but him winning the job would be a huge upset.
10. Kansas
The Jayhawks could use a couple more years of Todd Reesing. The Jayhawks saw a huge drop off at the quarterback position in 2010, as Jordan Webb, Quinn Mecham and Kale Pick all got time under center. Kansas will likely run its offense through a strong group of running backs, but unless newcomer Brock Berglund shows potential and proves he's the best of the group, expect Kansas to remain near the bottom of the Big 12 by the end of 2011.
We'll start at the most obvious position: Quarterback, a position that I'd argue is more important in the Big 12 than in any other conference.
Depth will be a huge factor in these rankings, though at quarterback, it's the toughest to gauge, considering how little we see of backup quarterbacks.
Here's how each Big 12 team ranks at the quarterback position:
[+] Enlarge
Mark J. Rebilas/US PresswireLandry Jones leads the Big 12's deepest and best group of quarterbacks.
Mark J. Rebilas/US PresswireLandry Jones leads the Big 12's deepest and best group of quarterbacks.Oklahoma learned the hard way in 2009 about the importance of the backup quarterback, but even in his limited experience, Drew Allen has impressed Bob Stoops after narrowly losing out on the backup job behind Sam Bradford in 2009. Landry Jones is a great one, and with his opportunities, has become a Heisman Trophy favorite. Could Allen have done the same if he had beaten out Jones in 2009? Blake Bell, the nation's No. 3 quarterback in the 2010 class, will likely be Oklahoma's No. 3 in 2011.
2. Oklahoma State
Brandon Weeden's profile spiked when he led the Cowboys to a comeback win over Colorado on a Thursday night game in 2009. He took over as the starter shortly after, but going into that game Weeden was a third-stringer. Alex Cate transferred after it became evident that Weeden would be the starter in 2010, and behind Weeden is Clint Chelf and two solid recruits: Johnny Deaton and J.W. Walsh, who was the nation's No. 10 QB (just outside the ESPNU 150) in 2011 and enrolled early.
3. Texas A&M
Ryan Tannehill is entrenched at the starting spot, with a lot of youth behind him. Matt Joeckel and Jameill Showers will try to hold off incoming freshman Johnny Manziel for the No. 2 spot this fall. Manziel was impressive during the spring, and will contend for the starting job in 2012, but he'll likely redshirt unless he wins the backup job.
4. Texas Tech
Seth Doege looks ready to grab the reins for two seasons, barring injury. Jacob Karam is probably ready to start in the Big 12 right now, he's just not as good as Doege. Behind them are two promising prospects with upside and development to do: Scotty Young and Michael Brewer. The Red Raiders are the last of the Big 12 teams who have truly solid depth at quarterback.
5. Baylor
Robert Griffin III will probably hold every school record for quarterbacks by the time he leaves Waco, but the Bears need to find a true replacement behind him. Nick Florence filled in well in 2009 when Griffin missed the final nine games with a knee injury, but he's a junior like Griffin and their eligibility will expire simultaneously. Redshirt freshman Bryce Petty and 2012 commit Jared Johnson could battle for the spot in 2013.
6. Missouri
The Tigers depth took a hit after Tyler Gabbert's transfer following spring practice, but expectations are high for sophomore James Franklin, who got a bit of experience in 2010 behind Blaine Gabbert. Senior Jimmy Costello quit the team after last season to focus on an impending fall enlistment in the Army, but rejoined after the Gabbert brothers' departures from Columbia. He's likely to be the backup, with Ashton Glaser and walk-on Ryan Howerton filling out the rest of the quarterback spots. Corbin Berkstresser, a 6-foot-3, 218-pound quarterback from Kansas City that ESPN ranked No. 43 at his position, will arrive in the fall, too.
7. Texas
How long until we see a quarterback make the kind of plays Garrett Gilbert made against Alabama in the national championship? Those kinds of long scores were rare last year, but the Longhorns will have a competition this fall that sounds like it's pretty open heading into camp. If Gilbert wins, he'll likely have a much shorter leash in 2011 than he did in 2010, before Case McCoy or Connor Wood gets a crack, and dark horse true freshman David Ash could make things interesting, too.
8. Kansas State
Collin Klein made a nice move toward winning the job with a strong spring game performance. But coach Bill Snyder says he still didn't see a ton of separation between Klein and his backups, Sammuel Lamur and Boston College transfer Justin Tuggle, who spent last year replacing Cam Newton at Blinn College in Texas.
9. Iowa State
James Capello transferred after the spring, but Iowa State's race has likely boiled down to two men: Jerome Tiller and Steele Jantz. Jantz, a juco transfer, is the wild card and Tiller will need to show that his struggles in spot duty last season were temporary. He didn't show the progress you'd expect from a maturing player when he played for an injured Austen Arnaud in a few games early and late in 2010. Jared Barnett is still battling in Ames, but him winning the job would be a huge upset.
10. Kansas
The Jayhawks could use a couple more years of Todd Reesing. The Jayhawks saw a huge drop off at the quarterback position in 2010, as Jordan Webb, Quinn Mecham and Kale Pick all got time under center. Kansas will likely run its offense through a strong group of running backs, but unless newcomer Brock Berglund shows potential and proves he's the best of the group, expect Kansas to remain near the bottom of the Big 12 by the end of 2011.
Measuring the Big 12's starting QB experience
April, 12, 2011
4/12/11
4:00
PM ET
By
David Ubben | ESPN.com
Quarterback play in the Big 12 is more important than in any other conference, and there's plenty of turnover (what about turnovers?) at the position this year.
So, with a nod to our friends at the SEC Blog, here's how it shakes out in the Big 12. Players with no career starts were omitted from the list. As were players with past starts who enter the season as sure backups or have moved positions. (i.e. Baylor's Nick Florence and Kansas' Kale Pick).
Missouri is the only team in the Big 12 without a quarterback on the roster that has started a game.
1. Robert Griffin III, junior, Baylor - 28 starts
2. Landry Jones, junior, Oklahoma - 24 starts
3. Brandon Weeden, senior, Oklahoma State - 13 starts
4. Garrett Gilbert, junior, Texas - 12 starts
5. Jordan Webb, sophomore, Kansas - seven starts
6. Ryan Tannehill, senior, Texas A&M - six starts
7. Quinn Mecham, senior, Kansas - four starts
8. Jerome Tiller, junior, Iowa State - three starts
9. Collin Klein, junior, Kansas State - two starts
10. Seth Doege, junior, Texas Tech - one start
Of course, players like Tiller, Klein, Mecham and Webb have competitions to win before they become starters, but let's re-order that list by winning percentage. Here's what they did with those starts:
1. Seth Doege, Texas Tech: 1-0, 1.000
2. Brandon Weeden, Oklahoma State: 11-2, .846
3. Ryan Tannehill, Texas A&M: 5-1, .833
4. Landry Jones, Oklahoma: 19-5, .792
5. Collin Klein, Kansas State: 1-1, .500
6. Robert Griffin III, Baylor: 13-15, .464
7. Garrett Gilbert, Texas: 5-7, .412
8. Jerome Tiller, Iowa State: 1-2, .333
9. Jordan Webb, Kansas: 2-5, .285
10. Quinn Mecham: 1-3, .250
So, with a nod to our friends at the SEC Blog, here's how it shakes out in the Big 12. Players with no career starts were omitted from the list. As were players with past starts who enter the season as sure backups or have moved positions. (i.e. Baylor's Nick Florence and Kansas' Kale Pick).
Year of the Quarterback
ESPN has dedicated 2011 to examining one of the most crucial positions in all of sports -- the quarterback.
Year of the QB »
1. Robert Griffin III, junior, Baylor - 28 starts
2. Landry Jones, junior, Oklahoma - 24 starts
3. Brandon Weeden, senior, Oklahoma State - 13 starts
4. Garrett Gilbert, junior, Texas - 12 starts
5. Jordan Webb, sophomore, Kansas - seven starts
6. Ryan Tannehill, senior, Texas A&M - six starts
7. Quinn Mecham, senior, Kansas - four starts
8. Jerome Tiller, junior, Iowa State - three starts
9. Collin Klein, junior, Kansas State - two starts
10. Seth Doege, junior, Texas Tech - one start
Of course, players like Tiller, Klein, Mecham and Webb have competitions to win before they become starters, but let's re-order that list by winning percentage. Here's what they did with those starts:
1. Seth Doege, Texas Tech: 1-0, 1.000
2. Brandon Weeden, Oklahoma State: 11-2, .846
3. Ryan Tannehill, Texas A&M: 5-1, .833
4. Landry Jones, Oklahoma: 19-5, .792
5. Collin Klein, Kansas State: 1-1, .500
6. Robert Griffin III, Baylor: 13-15, .464
7. Garrett Gilbert, Texas: 5-7, .412
8. Jerome Tiller, Iowa State: 1-2, .333
9. Jordan Webb, Kansas: 2-5, .285
10. Quinn Mecham: 1-3, .250
Who's set and who's not at quarterback?
February, 17, 2011
2/17/11
9:00
AM ET
By
David Ubben | ESPN.com
We took a look at the Big 12's spring storylines yesterday, and for several teams, that involves the quarterback. For others, it doesn't. But heading into the spring, which starts as early as Friday at Texas Tech, here's how the Big 12's teams rank in terms of certainty at quarterback.
LOCKED AND LOADED
Baylor: Baylor's offense runs entirely through the Bears' Robert Griffin III. He rebounded well last season from the knee injury that made him miss most of the 2009 season, and became a much, much better passer. We'll see if that continues in 2011, but it would take a serious injury to knock him off his starting spot.
Oklahoma State: Brandon Weeden started every game for the Cowboys last season and earned All-Big 12 first-team honors. He's back. Look elsewhere for quarterback controversy. The backup race between Clint Chelf, Johnny Deaton and early enrolling freshman J.W. Walsh could be interesting, though.
Oklahoma: Landry Jones will effectively be a third-year starter for the Sooners next season, and a strong contender for All-Big 12 honors and possibly the Heisman. It's his offense for sure in 2011.
Texas A&M: Ryan Tannehill would be the easy front-runner even if he hadn't started the second half of the 2010 season. But he did, went 5-1 in his starts, and has the Aggies sniffing the top 10 in the preseason.
BETTER LOCK IT DOWN, KID
Texas: Garrett Gilbert had a horrible first year as starter in 2010, but he'll need to show his coaches -- new and old -- he'll be better in 2011. Grasping new coordinator Bryan Harsin's system will be key in keeping the junior ahead of his competition, Case McCoy and Connor Wood. Coach Mack Brown said last month that the job was open.
Missouri: James Franklin is the likely lead dog in the race, but only because he got more time and experience playing the game and adjusting to the speed of the game. He'll need to clearly be the best quarterback Missouri has to leave the spring as the projected starter. Tyler Gabbert and Ashton Glaser might steal the title with standout springs, but if all three aren't getting it done, incoming freshman Corbin Berkstresser could theoretically crash the party in preseason camp.
Iowa State: Jerome Tiller has five starts in two seasons because of injuries to Austen Arnaud, including an historic, albeit ugly, 9-7 win at Nebraska in 2009. But Paul Rhoads signed juco transfer Steele Jantz, and he'll have a great chance to win the job, too. James Capello and Jared Barnett will try to make splashes in the spring.
WHICH END IS UP?
Texas Tech: Tech, as usual, is likely to get good play out of whoever wins the job, but it's a near guessing game at this point. Seth Doege and Jacob Karam impressed coach Tommy Tuberville last spring working with the first team after Steven Sheffield and Taylor Potts were hurt, but Doege and Karam will have to hold off younger talents Scotty Young and Michael Brewer to win the job.
Kansas: The Jayhawks never settled on a quarterback, and battled injuries at the position last year. Kale Pick was moved to receiver during the 2010 season, and Jordan Webb and Quinn Mecham will be the main competition this year, despite a lack of truly inspired play for much of 2010. If incoming freshman Brock Berglund, who enrolled early, can show flashes of potential and outplay Webb and Mecham, he might be the guy best suited to help Kansas win right now and in the future.
Kansas State: The Wildcats' presumptive starter might not even be playing the position in 2011, and we've seen very, very little of the three quarterbacks hoping to replace the departed Carson Coffman. Justin Tuggle, a juco transfer, started three games at Boston College and has a good shot to win the job. Newcomer Daniel Sams could win the gig eventually, or it could be the returning Sammuel Lamur, who threw all of three passes last season (completing all three!) as the third-stringer.
LOCKED AND LOADED
Baylor: Baylor's offense runs entirely through the Bears' Robert Griffin III. He rebounded well last season from the knee injury that made him miss most of the 2009 season, and became a much, much better passer. We'll see if that continues in 2011, but it would take a serious injury to knock him off his starting spot.
[+] Enlarge
John Rieger/US PresswireBrandon Weeden enters next season as Oklahoma State's starting quarterback.
John Rieger/US PresswireBrandon Weeden enters next season as Oklahoma State's starting quarterback.Oklahoma: Landry Jones will effectively be a third-year starter for the Sooners next season, and a strong contender for All-Big 12 honors and possibly the Heisman. It's his offense for sure in 2011.
Texas A&M: Ryan Tannehill would be the easy front-runner even if he hadn't started the second half of the 2010 season. But he did, went 5-1 in his starts, and has the Aggies sniffing the top 10 in the preseason.
BETTER LOCK IT DOWN, KID
Texas: Garrett Gilbert had a horrible first year as starter in 2010, but he'll need to show his coaches -- new and old -- he'll be better in 2011. Grasping new coordinator Bryan Harsin's system will be key in keeping the junior ahead of his competition, Case McCoy and Connor Wood. Coach Mack Brown said last month that the job was open.
Missouri: James Franklin is the likely lead dog in the race, but only because he got more time and experience playing the game and adjusting to the speed of the game. He'll need to clearly be the best quarterback Missouri has to leave the spring as the projected starter. Tyler Gabbert and Ashton Glaser might steal the title with standout springs, but if all three aren't getting it done, incoming freshman Corbin Berkstresser could theoretically crash the party in preseason camp.
Iowa State: Jerome Tiller has five starts in two seasons because of injuries to Austen Arnaud, including an historic, albeit ugly, 9-7 win at Nebraska in 2009. But Paul Rhoads signed juco transfer Steele Jantz, and he'll have a great chance to win the job, too. James Capello and Jared Barnett will try to make splashes in the spring.
WHICH END IS UP?
Texas Tech: Tech, as usual, is likely to get good play out of whoever wins the job, but it's a near guessing game at this point. Seth Doege and Jacob Karam impressed coach Tommy Tuberville last spring working with the first team after Steven Sheffield and Taylor Potts were hurt, but Doege and Karam will have to hold off younger talents Scotty Young and Michael Brewer to win the job.
Kansas: The Jayhawks never settled on a quarterback, and battled injuries at the position last year. Kale Pick was moved to receiver during the 2010 season, and Jordan Webb and Quinn Mecham will be the main competition this year, despite a lack of truly inspired play for much of 2010. If incoming freshman Brock Berglund, who enrolled early, can show flashes of potential and outplay Webb and Mecham, he might be the guy best suited to help Kansas win right now and in the future.
Kansas State: The Wildcats' presumptive starter might not even be playing the position in 2011, and we've seen very, very little of the three quarterbacks hoping to replace the departed Carson Coffman. Justin Tuggle, a juco transfer, started three games at Boston College and has a good shot to win the job. Newcomer Daniel Sams could win the gig eventually, or it could be the returning Sammuel Lamur, who threw all of three passes last season (completing all three!) as the third-stringer.
Jayhawks' squandered opportunities are costly
November, 27, 2010
11/27/10
1:38
PM ET
By
David Ubben | ESPN.com
Kansas struggled on its opening drive, giving up a pair of sacks and punting on a three-and-out.
But down 14 early in the second quarter, Kansas has reached Missouri territory twice. Both times it has left with no points. Kicker Jacob Branstetter pulled a 42-yard kick wide left, and quarterback Jordan Webb's pass for quarterback-turned-receiver Kale Pick fell incomplete on 4th-and-3 at Missouri's 41-yard line.
Missouri's going to keep scoring, and running back Kendial Lawrence answered with a 31-yard touchdown run that has Missouri up 21-0 in the second quarter.
Kansas' offense has struggled for most of the year, and it has to take advantage when it gets opportunities against an offense like Missouri's. It could be 14-6 or even 14-10. The Jayhawks' failed execution instead has Kansas looking like it's on its way to a season-ending blowout loss to the rival Tigers.
That's exactly what coach Turner Gill didn't need heading into the offseason after a disappointing debut season.
But down 14 early in the second quarter, Kansas has reached Missouri territory twice. Both times it has left with no points. Kicker Jacob Branstetter pulled a 42-yard kick wide left, and quarterback Jordan Webb's pass for quarterback-turned-receiver Kale Pick fell incomplete on 4th-and-3 at Missouri's 41-yard line.
Missouri's going to keep scoring, and running back Kendial Lawrence answered with a 31-yard touchdown run that has Missouri up 21-0 in the second quarter.
Kansas' offense has struggled for most of the year, and it has to take advantage when it gets opportunities against an offense like Missouri's. It could be 14-6 or even 14-10. The Jayhawks' failed execution instead has Kansas looking like it's on its way to a season-ending blowout loss to the rival Tigers.
That's exactly what coach Turner Gill didn't need heading into the offseason after a disappointing debut season.
What we learned in the Big 12: Week 6
October, 10, 2010
10/10/10
10:16
AM ET
By
David Ubben | ESPN.com
1. Taylor Martinez is a Heisman candidate. We're five games into the season. Martinez is a redshirt freshman who's played one conference game. Yes. It's a little early. He's going to make mistakes. But as it stands right now, Martinez has given the Big 12 its first legitimate candidate for the Heisman Trophy. When Nebraska's defense plays well like it did against Kansas State, Nebraska looks very scary, knowing that it may only be a matter of time before Martinez gets loose. He's going to get his carries every week, and when he gets in the open field, he's probably going to outrun whoever meets him there.
2. It's time to take Missouri's defense seriously. Talk all you want about strength of schedule, but so far, this defense looks like one of Gary Pinkel's best. The loss of linebacker Sean Weatherspoon hurts in the leadership department, but the other nine starters have forged together a defense that looks like one of the Big 12's best midway through the season. We'll find out more when the Tigers see the best offense they've faced all season in Texas A&M next weekend, but Missouri is giving up just more than 11 points a game -- good for a spot in the top five nationally. I don't care who you're playing, shutouts are hard to come by in conference play. And the ballhawking Tigers entered the week in the top 10 in turnover margin. Like Missouri's defensive coaches love to emphasize, "It's all about the ball!" And all of a sudden, that leaky secondary that ranked outside the national top 100 last year is stocked with experienced juniors and seniors tired of giving up big plays.
3. Quarterbacks who lose preseason competitions should keep the faith. First, we had Jordan Webb at Kansas, who took over for Kale Pick after a season-opening loss and got the Jayhawks a win over Georgia Tech. This week, two more quarterbacks got their chance. Collin Klein stepped in for Carson Coffman at Kansas State, and coach Bill Snyder says the job is back up for grabs. Colorado's Cody Hawkins stepped in for Tyler Hansen, but didn't manage to put any points on the board for the Buffs in a 26-0 loss to Missouri. Coach Dan Hawkins insisted after the game that Hansen was still his starter, but hey, you never know. A slow start next week for Buffs against Baylor may mean another appearance for the senior backup.
4. Texas A&M's season is in serious jeopardy. It has to be frustrating for Texas A&M, who isn't that far from being 5-0, but they have two one-possession losses to ranked teams, Oklahoma State and Arkansas. That's not to say the Aggies don't have major issues on offense--quarterback Jerrod Johnson only managed to complete 15-of-40 passes against Arkansas--but that much-needed defensive improvement has arrived. Now that it's here, turnovers and poor execution have landed the Aggies at 3-2, staring down the barrel at 3-3 with a ranked Missouri team carrying lots of momentum into College Station next week. As one Texas A&M scribe said in the press box after Saturday's loss, "Now if that 2009 offense could come play with the 2010 defense, this team might have something." But alas, despite the best efforts of Doc Brown, they can't. Texas A&M needs badly to beat the Tigers next week.
5. Texas Tech is back off the mat. No team had their proverbial backs against the wall more than Texas Tech this week, facing Baylor in the Cotton Bowl. But for the Red Raiders, 45-38 winners, it's amazing how much better 1-2 looks than 0-3, isn't it? Texas Tech now has to ready themselves for a gigantic showdown in Lubbock with a red-hot Oklahoma State offense coordinated by familiar face Dana Holgorsen, who spent eight years in Lubbock as a coordinator for Mike Leach. A win means a lot remains on the table, with a 2-2 record holding the tiebreaker against Oklahoma State. But if Texas Tech hadn't won on Saturday, a season without a bowl game would have been a possibility.
2. It's time to take Missouri's defense seriously. Talk all you want about strength of schedule, but so far, this defense looks like one of Gary Pinkel's best. The loss of linebacker Sean Weatherspoon hurts in the leadership department, but the other nine starters have forged together a defense that looks like one of the Big 12's best midway through the season. We'll find out more when the Tigers see the best offense they've faced all season in Texas A&M next weekend, but Missouri is giving up just more than 11 points a game -- good for a spot in the top five nationally. I don't care who you're playing, shutouts are hard to come by in conference play. And the ballhawking Tigers entered the week in the top 10 in turnover margin. Like Missouri's defensive coaches love to emphasize, "It's all about the ball!" And all of a sudden, that leaky secondary that ranked outside the national top 100 last year is stocked with experienced juniors and seniors tired of giving up big plays.
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Denny Medley/US PresswireCollin Klein's performance Saturday reopened the quarterback competition at Kansas State.
Denny Medley/US PresswireCollin Klein's performance Saturday reopened the quarterback competition at Kansas State.4. Texas A&M's season is in serious jeopardy. It has to be frustrating for Texas A&M, who isn't that far from being 5-0, but they have two one-possession losses to ranked teams, Oklahoma State and Arkansas. That's not to say the Aggies don't have major issues on offense--quarterback Jerrod Johnson only managed to complete 15-of-40 passes against Arkansas--but that much-needed defensive improvement has arrived. Now that it's here, turnovers and poor execution have landed the Aggies at 3-2, staring down the barrel at 3-3 with a ranked Missouri team carrying lots of momentum into College Station next week. As one Texas A&M scribe said in the press box after Saturday's loss, "Now if that 2009 offense could come play with the 2010 defense, this team might have something." But alas, despite the best efforts of Doc Brown, they can't. Texas A&M needs badly to beat the Tigers next week.
5. Texas Tech is back off the mat. No team had their proverbial backs against the wall more than Texas Tech this week, facing Baylor in the Cotton Bowl. But for the Red Raiders, 45-38 winners, it's amazing how much better 1-2 looks than 0-3, isn't it? Texas Tech now has to ready themselves for a gigantic showdown in Lubbock with a red-hot Oklahoma State offense coordinated by familiar face Dana Holgorsen, who spent eight years in Lubbock as a coordinator for Mike Leach. A win means a lot remains on the table, with a 2-2 record holding the tiebreaker against Oklahoma State. But if Texas Tech hadn't won on Saturday, a season without a bowl game would have been a possibility.
Top national storylines to watch: Week 2
September, 10, 2010
9/10/10
11:30
AM ET
By
Andrea Adelson | ESPN.com
You heard from all the conference bloggers, now let us take a look at the biggest stories to watch around the country in Week 2:
1. Can “Monster Saturday” live up to the hype? With Miami-Ohio State, Notre Dame-Michigan, Florida State-Oklahoma and Penn State-Alabama headlining one enormously huge day, this certainly has the potential to be one of the best college football weekends in recent memory. Here’s hoping each game is competitive and we don’t end up with a bunch of duds.
2. Will the good vibes go sour in Ann Arbor or South Bend? There was much anticipation last week over Brian Kelly’s debut at Notre Dame and Rich Rodriguez starting the season on the hot seat at Michigan. Both coaches won, and hopes shot up higher. Kelly doesn’t have as much on the line as Rodriguez because he is only in his second game at Notre Dame. But you can bet Irish fans want to see a more wide-open offensive attack, while Wolverines fans want all Denard Robinson, all the time. Whoever loses will most certainly face withering scrutiny from a fan base that wants to win now.
3. How does the Florida State defense stop DeMarco Murray? Anticipation is high for the Stoops brothers matchup, but the onus is on FSU defensive coordinator Mark to stop DeMarco Murray. Last week against Utah State, Murray ran for 208 yards and two touchdowns. Samford wasn’t much of an early test, so this game is going to be a huge measuring stick to see how far the defense has come in just a few months.
4. How much is revenge really going to be a factor in the Miami-Ohio State game? Revenge has been a big theme among former players, who have talked about nothing but that since the summer. But you can bet the bigger theme for the current team is another R-word: respect. Players see this as a statement game, a way to show the country the Hurricanes program is back.
5. Can the bad snaps be snapped? Several teams across the country struggled with their snaps in Week 1. Woes plagued North Carolina, Oregon State, Virginia Tech but most notably Florida, which had 13 bad exchanges between Mike Pouncey and John Brantley. We’ll see whether the bad snaps were a result of first-week kinks or if this continues to be an issue that plagues teams.
6. Do Alabama fans bite their tongues? We already know about Joe Pa vs. Nick Saban, the history with Bear Bryant, and a freshman quarterback going into Tuscaloosa as the starting quarterback for the Nittany Lions. Will the fans heed Saban’s warning and hold back their boos when Penn State is introduced? Incidentally, Bryant would have turned 97 on Saturday.
7. How do Ole Miss and Kansas rebound from FCS losses? The Rebels have a far better chance of following up their embarrassing overtime loss to Jacksonville State with a win than Kansas does. Ole Miss goes to Tulane, one of the worst teams in the country last season. But Kansas has to play No. 15 Georgia Tech with a new quarterback and revamped offensive line. Coach Turner Gill announced Jordan Webb would start over Kale Pick on Saturday. Both played in the loss to North Dakota State last week.
8. How does Georgia freshman quarterback Aaron Murray handle a tough South Carolina defense? As SEC fans will tell you, the Gamecocks have had one of the best defenses in the league for the last few years. So will they be able to rattle the freshman quarterback making his first start on the road – especially with top target A.J. Green out? The games in this series have been pretty tight -- in the last nine years, seven have been decided by a touchdown or less.
9. Early conference play opens. This can either be good or bad depending on your point of view. Good if you think you can catch your opponent off guard since they don’t know much about you. Bad if you think your opponent can catch you off guard. The ACC, Conference USA, Pac-10 SEC, Mountain West, MAC, Sun Belt all have conference games in Week 2.
10. Can Tennessee slow down the Oregon offense? Putting 72 points up on New Mexico was certainly unexpected for the Ducks. But they also made a statement -- they are much more than just Jeremiah Masoli, who is no longer on the team. What does Oregon do for an encore?
1. Can “Monster Saturday” live up to the hype? With Miami-Ohio State, Notre Dame-Michigan, Florida State-Oklahoma and Penn State-Alabama headlining one enormously huge day, this certainly has the potential to be one of the best college football weekends in recent memory. Here’s hoping each game is competitive and we don’t end up with a bunch of duds.
2. Will the good vibes go sour in Ann Arbor or South Bend? There was much anticipation last week over Brian Kelly’s debut at Notre Dame and Rich Rodriguez starting the season on the hot seat at Michigan. Both coaches won, and hopes shot up higher. Kelly doesn’t have as much on the line as Rodriguez because he is only in his second game at Notre Dame. But you can bet Irish fans want to see a more wide-open offensive attack, while Wolverines fans want all Denard Robinson, all the time. Whoever loses will most certainly face withering scrutiny from a fan base that wants to win now.
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Matthew Emmons/US PresswireAfter the first week of the season, Oklahoma running back DeMarco Murray is fourth in the country with 208 rushing yards.
Matthew Emmons/US PresswireAfter the first week of the season, Oklahoma running back DeMarco Murray is fourth in the country with 208 rushing yards.4. How much is revenge really going to be a factor in the Miami-Ohio State game? Revenge has been a big theme among former players, who have talked about nothing but that since the summer. But you can bet the bigger theme for the current team is another R-word: respect. Players see this as a statement game, a way to show the country the Hurricanes program is back.
5. Can the bad snaps be snapped? Several teams across the country struggled with their snaps in Week 1. Woes plagued North Carolina, Oregon State, Virginia Tech but most notably Florida, which had 13 bad exchanges between Mike Pouncey and John Brantley. We’ll see whether the bad snaps were a result of first-week kinks or if this continues to be an issue that plagues teams.
6. Do Alabama fans bite their tongues? We already know about Joe Pa vs. Nick Saban, the history with Bear Bryant, and a freshman quarterback going into Tuscaloosa as the starting quarterback for the Nittany Lions. Will the fans heed Saban’s warning and hold back their boos when Penn State is introduced? Incidentally, Bryant would have turned 97 on Saturday.
7. How do Ole Miss and Kansas rebound from FCS losses? The Rebels have a far better chance of following up their embarrassing overtime loss to Jacksonville State with a win than Kansas does. Ole Miss goes to Tulane, one of the worst teams in the country last season. But Kansas has to play No. 15 Georgia Tech with a new quarterback and revamped offensive line. Coach Turner Gill announced Jordan Webb would start over Kale Pick on Saturday. Both played in the loss to North Dakota State last week.
8. How does Georgia freshman quarterback Aaron Murray handle a tough South Carolina defense? As SEC fans will tell you, the Gamecocks have had one of the best defenses in the league for the last few years. So will they be able to rattle the freshman quarterback making his first start on the road – especially with top target A.J. Green out? The games in this series have been pretty tight -- in the last nine years, seven have been decided by a touchdown or less.
9. Early conference play opens. This can either be good or bad depending on your point of view. Good if you think you can catch your opponent off guard since they don’t know much about you. Bad if you think your opponent can catch you off guard. The ACC, Conference USA, Pac-10 SEC, Mountain West, MAC, Sun Belt all have conference games in Week 2.
10. Can Tennessee slow down the Oregon offense? Putting 72 points up on New Mexico was certainly unexpected for the Ducks. But they also made a statement -- they are much more than just Jeremiah Masoli, who is no longer on the team. What does Oregon do for an encore?
Rising: Running backs
I'd be willing to bet the majority of college football fans across the country couldn't tell you who led the Big 12 in rushing last season. Maybe it's because he plays for Kansas State, which won just six games last year. But the better bet is because Daniel Thomas ranked No. 21 nationally with his 1,265 yards. After Week 1, the nation's top three rushers -- Kendall Hunter, Thomas and DeMarco Murray -- all hail from the heartland.
Falling: Secondaries
Oklahoma's secondary troubles have been the primary focus of critics after Week 1, and Texas coach Mack Brown was also displeased with his defensive backs after the Longhorns' win against Rice. Texas dropped two sure pick-sixes and gave up a Hail Mary touchdown to the Owls.
Rising: Taylor Potts
Of all five quarterbacks across the Big 12 who won preseason quarterback battles, Potts was the most impressive, racking up 359 yards and four touchdowns. For a senior who started 10 games a season ago, that shouldn't come as much of a surprise.
Falling: Kale Pick
Pick was the least impressive of the five, and as a result, his job is back up for grabs with redshirt freshman Jordan Webb after Saturday's 6-3 loss to North Dakota State.
Rising: Slot receivers
The two receivers with the most receptions in the Big 12 after one week: Texas A&M's Ryan Swope and Missouri's T.J. Moe, who both caught 13 passes and topped 100 yards to rank in the top 5 in receiving yardage.
Falling: Last-second kicker icings
Iowa State coach Paul Rhoads was bailed out early Thursday night when Northern Illinois' kicker missed a 33-yard kick three times -- the first two misses were for naught because Rhoads called a timeout just before the snap. Later that night, his coaching counterpart, Utah's Kyle Whittingham, was bailed out in overtime after he erased a missed kick with a timeout before the snap and let Pitt send the game into extra periods with a second kick. Here's hoping coaches ditch the drama-sucking strategy that's become en vogue.
I'd be willing to bet the majority of college football fans across the country couldn't tell you who led the Big 12 in rushing last season. Maybe it's because he plays for Kansas State, which won just six games last year. But the better bet is because Daniel Thomas ranked No. 21 nationally with his 1,265 yards. After Week 1, the nation's top three rushers -- Kendall Hunter, Thomas and DeMarco Murray -- all hail from the heartland.
Falling: Secondaries
Oklahoma's secondary troubles have been the primary focus of critics after Week 1, and Texas coach Mack Brown was also displeased with his defensive backs after the Longhorns' win against Rice. Texas dropped two sure pick-sixes and gave up a Hail Mary touchdown to the Owls.
Rising: Taylor Potts
Of all five quarterbacks across the Big 12 who won preseason quarterback battles, Potts was the most impressive, racking up 359 yards and four touchdowns. For a senior who started 10 games a season ago, that shouldn't come as much of a surprise.
Falling: Kale Pick
Pick was the least impressive of the five, and as a result, his job is back up for grabs with redshirt freshman Jordan Webb after Saturday's 6-3 loss to North Dakota State.
Rising: Slot receivers
The two receivers with the most receptions in the Big 12 after one week: Texas A&M's Ryan Swope and Missouri's T.J. Moe, who both caught 13 passes and topped 100 yards to rank in the top 5 in receiving yardage.
Falling: Last-second kicker icings
Iowa State coach Paul Rhoads was bailed out early Thursday night when Northern Illinois' kicker missed a 33-yard kick three times -- the first two misses were for naught because Rhoads called a timeout just before the snap. Later that night, his coaching counterpart, Utah's Kyle Whittingham, was bailed out in overtime after he erased a missed kick with a timeout before the snap and let Pitt send the game into extra periods with a second kick. Here's hoping coaches ditch the drama-sucking strategy that's become en vogue.
Embarrassing loss no reason to indict Gill
September, 6, 2010
9/06/10
9:46
AM ET
By
David Ubben | ESPN.com
The Big 12 lost only one game over the weekend, and it was what we in the business call (forgive the technical jargon) a doozy.
New Kansas coach Turner Gill endured a nightmarish debut, a 6-3 snoozer loss to North Dakota State, an FCS team. Gill's detractors like to cite his career record, now at 20-31, as a reason why Gill was unfit to be Mark Mangino's successor in Lawrence, ignoring the extreme difficulty of winning eight games and a MAC title at Buffalo, as Gill did in 2008.
Saturday's debacle, in which Kansas mustered less than 300 yards and turned the ball over three times, obviously gave those critics more ammo.
But the jury should hold its verdict on Gill's major conference coaching chops.
Take a gander at the preseason All-Big 12 team. Exactly one Kansas player made the list: left tackle Tanner Hawkinson. Kansas' next best player? Cornerback Chris Harris.
I believe it was Aristotle, or perhaps Plato, who said, "A left tackle and cornerback, a championship team do not make."
Only Iowa State and Oklahoma State had fewer players on the All-Big 12 team, but the Cyclones have a senior quarterback and a 1,000 yard rusher, and Oklahoma State returns a former All-American at running back.
Gill's not going to make excuses, but that doesn't mean he doesn't have plenty to fall back on. Kansas is the Big 12's least talented team, and little around the conference was more obvious than that after Saturday night.
Even the best coaches are only as good as the players they're coaching, and while it's obvious Gill didn't maximize what talent he does have against the Bison, it's still one game -- and his first. The same for his two quarterbacks. His starter, sophomore Kale Pick played sparingly and threw five passes last year. Pick's backup, redshirt freshman Jordan Webb, had never played.
If recent history tells us anything, it's that teams with good quarterbacks have success in the Big 12. Maybe Pick or Webb show they can be good one day. They were not good on Saturday.
Gill pulled Pick for his less experienced backup, Webb, in the fourth quarter. Webb gave the team life by leading what could have been the game-winning drive. He hit tight end Tim Biere for a long gain, only to have Biere commit the Jayhawks' third turnover and end their best chance for a comeback.
In the Big 12, success means scoring. And when Kansas needs points, it has no one to rely on for a pressure pitch or catch, or a tough five yards.
A coach is ultimately responsible for his players, yes, but a coach can't catch passes and hang on to the ball for his team. Harp on discipline and fundamentals all you want, but it's still too early to draw any real conclusions.
No coach has ever been judged fairly on nine months and one game. Gill deserves more time before you bash him mercilessly, frustrated Kansas fans. He might be Tom Osborne. He might be Bill Callahan. Right now, we have no idea. What we do know is Kansas needs more talent and depth almost everywhere.
The question of how close Gill comes to either mark won't be answered on the field this year. It will be decided on the recruiting trail over the next two years.
New Kansas coach Turner Gill endured a nightmarish debut, a 6-3 snoozer loss to North Dakota State, an FCS team. Gill's detractors like to cite his career record, now at 20-31, as a reason why Gill was unfit to be Mark Mangino's successor in Lawrence, ignoring the extreme difficulty of winning eight games and a MAC title at Buffalo, as Gill did in 2008.
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AP Photo/Charlie RiedelTurner Gill's debut at Kansas did not go as planned. Gill and the Jayhawks lost to North Dakota State 6-3.
AP Photo/Charlie RiedelTurner Gill's debut at Kansas did not go as planned. Gill and the Jayhawks lost to North Dakota State 6-3.But the jury should hold its verdict on Gill's major conference coaching chops.
Take a gander at the preseason All-Big 12 team. Exactly one Kansas player made the list: left tackle Tanner Hawkinson. Kansas' next best player? Cornerback Chris Harris.
I believe it was Aristotle, or perhaps Plato, who said, "A left tackle and cornerback, a championship team do not make."
Only Iowa State and Oklahoma State had fewer players on the All-Big 12 team, but the Cyclones have a senior quarterback and a 1,000 yard rusher, and Oklahoma State returns a former All-American at running back.
Gill's not going to make excuses, but that doesn't mean he doesn't have plenty to fall back on. Kansas is the Big 12's least talented team, and little around the conference was more obvious than that after Saturday night.
Even the best coaches are only as good as the players they're coaching, and while it's obvious Gill didn't maximize what talent he does have against the Bison, it's still one game -- and his first. The same for his two quarterbacks. His starter, sophomore Kale Pick played sparingly and threw five passes last year. Pick's backup, redshirt freshman Jordan Webb, had never played.
If recent history tells us anything, it's that teams with good quarterbacks have success in the Big 12. Maybe Pick or Webb show they can be good one day. They were not good on Saturday.
Gill pulled Pick for his less experienced backup, Webb, in the fourth quarter. Webb gave the team life by leading what could have been the game-winning drive. He hit tight end Tim Biere for a long gain, only to have Biere commit the Jayhawks' third turnover and end their best chance for a comeback.
In the Big 12, success means scoring. And when Kansas needs points, it has no one to rely on for a pressure pitch or catch, or a tough five yards.
A coach is ultimately responsible for his players, yes, but a coach can't catch passes and hang on to the ball for his team. Harp on discipline and fundamentals all you want, but it's still too early to draw any real conclusions.
No coach has ever been judged fairly on nine months and one game. Gill deserves more time before you bash him mercilessly, frustrated Kansas fans. He might be Tom Osborne. He might be Bill Callahan. Right now, we have no idea. What we do know is Kansas needs more talent and depth almost everywhere.
The question of how close Gill comes to either mark won't be answered on the field this year. It will be decided on the recruiting trail over the next two years.
Jayhawks drop opener against FCS Bison
September, 4, 2010
9/04/10
10:28
PM ET
By
David Ubben | ESPN.com
Even though Kansas outgained North Dakota State by 126 yards and held the Bison to six points, the Jayhawks still dropped their season opener 6-3.
You can blame the three turnovers, among other things, in Kansas coach Turner Gill's disappointing debut as a BCS conference coach.
No turnover was more costly than the fumble by tight end Tim Biere after a 20-plus yard reception with under four minutes to play. The reception would have brought the Jayhawks near midfield, with plenty of time to set up either a game-tying field goal or a go-ahead touchdown.
Offensive struggles forced the Jayhawks to replace starter Kale Pick with redshirt freshman Jordan Webb. But Webb did not significantly outplay Pick, which should provide an interesting week of discussion in Lawrence. You'd expect fans to call for Webb, but we'll see what Gill has to say after the loss.
Pick finished with 138 yards and an interception on 13-of-22 passing. Webb completed 6-of-11 passes for 59 yards.
You can blame the three turnovers, among other things, in Kansas coach Turner Gill's disappointing debut as a BCS conference coach.
No turnover was more costly than the fumble by tight end Tim Biere after a 20-plus yard reception with under four minutes to play. The reception would have brought the Jayhawks near midfield, with plenty of time to set up either a game-tying field goal or a go-ahead touchdown.
Offensive struggles forced the Jayhawks to replace starter Kale Pick with redshirt freshman Jordan Webb. But Webb did not significantly outplay Pick, which should provide an interesting week of discussion in Lawrence. You'd expect fans to call for Webb, but we'll see what Gill has to say after the loss.
Pick finished with 138 yards and an interception on 13-of-22 passing. Webb completed 6-of-11 passes for 59 yards.
Big 12: What we know with two weeks to go
August, 23, 2010
8/23/10
5:49
PM ET
By
David Ubben | ESPN.com
Preseason camps are about half gone. Opening weekend is less than two weeks away, and it's just over a week away for teams like Iowa State.
But plenty has been resolved in camps so far. Here's the best of what we know:
1. Three quarterback battles have been won. Two (Kansas State and Nebraska) have yet to be decided, but Tyler Hansen won the job over Cody Hawkins at Colorado. Kale Pick beat out Jordan Webb at Kansas. Taylor Potts beat out Steven Sheffield in an epic duel at Texas Tech between two seniors who could start for about anyone in the conference.
2. Nebraska and Kansas have been hit hardest by injury. Nebraska lost linebacker Sean Fisher and utility lineman Mike Smith for the season, each with a broken leg. Backup cornerback Anthony Blue will also miss the season with a torn ACL. Tight end Dreu Young also required back surgery and may miss up to the entire season. None figured to be game-changers, but without them, the Huskers depth suffers, leaving them more reliant on less experienced players. That's not the case in Lawrence, where Turner Gill will coach his first season without Huldon Tharp, one of the conference's best linebackers and one of his most exciting young talents. Backup running back Rell Lewis will miss the season with a knee injury, as will offensive lineman Jeff Spikes, who had a chance to start.
3. Gill: What have you done for me lately? Turner Gill cares not about your recruiting stars, Jayhawks. Toben Opurum was the Jayhawks leading rusher as a freshman, with 554 yards. As one of the nation's best fullbacks, he came to Kansas because Mark Mangino planned to let the 6-foot-1, 240-pounder play running back. He was injured in the spring, but returned to full strength by preseason camp. Unable to crack the depth chart at running back, he's been moved to linebacker to help solve the Jayhawks' depth problems at the position. Meanwhile, two-year starter at center Jeremiah Hatch was sent to the bench in favor of senior captain Sal Capra, who played both guard positions last year.
4. Iowa State is even more huggable. The team rallied behind rookie head coach Paul Rhoads in 2009 and raced to a seven-win season after just five wins in the previous two seasons combined. This fall, one of the teams practices was canceled so the players could sandbag the athletic facility to prevent damage from a major flood in Central Iowa. To do the team's laundry, team managers had to travel nearly 20 miles to the nearest source of fresh water.
5. Robert Griffin's arm isn't rusty. The Bears sophomore quarterback has strung together two masterful scrimmages through the air, completing 33 of his 44 passes for three touchdowns and one interception. He has yet to prove he can run with the same explosiveness he showed as a freshman, but coach Art Briles isn't going to be getting Griffin hit many more times than is necessary.
6. Texas is talking up its defense. Coach Mack Brown isn't keeping quiet about his expectations for his defense in 2010. ""I do think this could be our best defense," Brown told the Dallas Morning News last week, noting health and depth as variables. "We should be really, really good on defense." The Longhorns already ranked No. 3 nationally in total defense last year, but bring back one of the nation's best secondaries and perhaps the best and deepest group of defensive ends anywhere.
But plenty has been resolved in camps so far. Here's the best of what we know:
1. Three quarterback battles have been won. Two (Kansas State and Nebraska) have yet to be decided, but Tyler Hansen won the job over Cody Hawkins at Colorado. Kale Pick beat out Jordan Webb at Kansas. Taylor Potts beat out Steven Sheffield in an epic duel at Texas Tech between two seniors who could start for about anyone in the conference.
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Karl Anderson/Icon SMITaylor Potts beat out Steven Sheffiled to be Texas Tech's starting quarterback.
Karl Anderson/Icon SMITaylor Potts beat out Steven Sheffiled to be Texas Tech's starting quarterback.3. Gill: What have you done for me lately? Turner Gill cares not about your recruiting stars, Jayhawks. Toben Opurum was the Jayhawks leading rusher as a freshman, with 554 yards. As one of the nation's best fullbacks, he came to Kansas because Mark Mangino planned to let the 6-foot-1, 240-pounder play running back. He was injured in the spring, but returned to full strength by preseason camp. Unable to crack the depth chart at running back, he's been moved to linebacker to help solve the Jayhawks' depth problems at the position. Meanwhile, two-year starter at center Jeremiah Hatch was sent to the bench in favor of senior captain Sal Capra, who played both guard positions last year.
4. Iowa State is even more huggable. The team rallied behind rookie head coach Paul Rhoads in 2009 and raced to a seven-win season after just five wins in the previous two seasons combined. This fall, one of the teams practices was canceled so the players could sandbag the athletic facility to prevent damage from a major flood in Central Iowa. To do the team's laundry, team managers had to travel nearly 20 miles to the nearest source of fresh water.
5. Robert Griffin's arm isn't rusty. The Bears sophomore quarterback has strung together two masterful scrimmages through the air, completing 33 of his 44 passes for three touchdowns and one interception. He has yet to prove he can run with the same explosiveness he showed as a freshman, but coach Art Briles isn't going to be getting Griffin hit many more times than is necessary.
6. Texas is talking up its defense. Coach Mack Brown isn't keeping quiet about his expectations for his defense in 2010. ""I do think this could be our best defense," Brown told the Dallas Morning News last week, noting health and depth as variables. "We should be really, really good on defense." The Longhorns already ranked No. 3 nationally in total defense last year, but bring back one of the nation's best secondaries and perhaps the best and deepest group of defensive ends anywhere.
Ranking the quarterbacks across the Big 12
August, 13, 2010
8/13/10
11:03
AM ET
By
David Ubben | ESPN.com
If you haven't noticed just yet, Friday's college football content at ESPN.com is all about the quarterbacks. We've ranked the conference's top 5 individual quarterbacks, but now it's time to take a broader look at who's in good shape behind center and who's in trouble across the conference.
The discrepancy between the South's QBs and the North's is somewhat jarring, especially when you see it on paper (bandwidth?) like this. Only one North team made the top six, and the bottom five teams are all from the North.
Five schools (four in the North) still have their starters up in the air, and that makes this a little tricky, but here's how I'd rank them:
1. Texas A&M: The Aggies boast the preseason player of the year at quarterback and the man at the top of our Big 12 player list from earlier this summer, Jerrod Johnson. I also got a few e-mail requests from some Aggies fans to stress -- once again -- that it's juh-RAHD, not Jared from Subway. Word has apparently not reached every corner of Big 12 country just yet. It might if the Aggies can win more than six games like they did in 2009. But Johnson broke out in a big way last season, throwing for 3,579 yards, 30 touchdowns and just six interceptions while also running for 506 yards and eight touchdowns.
2. Baylor: Trust in Robert Griffin's knee lands the Bears here, significantly higher than they're used to considering the strong quarterback tradition across the Big 12 for the past decade. But Griffin will still have to regain his status as the conference's most electrifying player on a reconstructed knee after missing the final nine games of the previous season with a torn ACL. Baylor also has a nice situation at backup quarterback because of the injury with sophomore Nick Florence, who threw for 427 yards in Baylor's lone conference win -- at Missouri -- last season.
3. Missouri: Blaine Gabbert has a claim as the conference's best quarterback, and he'll try to snatch it as a junior after playing much of his sophomore season with a bum ankle, courtesy of a soggy Ndamukong Suh sack. Despite being hobbled for most of conference play, he still racked up 3,593 passing yards and 24 touchdowns. If he stays healthy, he might get a chance to showcase his underrated wheels, too. Freshman James Franklin is impressing in camp and hanging on to his job as Gabbert's backup over Jimmy Costello, Ashton Glaser and little brother Tyler Gabbert.
4. Oklahoma: Landry Jones should benefit from his first full spring and preseason camp taking the first-team reps, but he'll need a second reliable target opposite Ryan Broyles to emerge if he wants to improve on his 26 touchdowns and 3,198 yards as a redshirt freshman. Jones also needs to limit his turnovers after throwing a league-high 14 interceptions in 2009, but it's worth noting that seven of those came away from Owen Field against top-tier defenses in Texas and Nebraska. He didn't play a good defense in Norman, but he threw 18 touchdowns to just four interceptions and helped the Sooners stretch their home streak to 30 games. Backup Drew Allen is untested and inexperienced, but has potential and wouldn't inspire panic if Jones finds injury in 2010.
5. Texas Tech: No team has two quarterbacks with as much skill and experience as Texas Tech, but unlike receivers or running backs, the Red Raiders can't play both of them. Regardless of who wins the competition in Lubbock, Texas Tech will be in great shape with Taylor Potts or Steven Sheffield. You heard a few hundred words on the details of this race earlier this morning.
6. Texas: This may look silly in November, but it's tough to put Garrett Gilbert on top of anyone else on this list who has already proven themselves. Clearly, the potential is there, and he's inspired a lot of confidence from his coach and team, but making good on that potential will mean finding a solid target to replace the only player he's ever thrown a real touchdown to: Jordan Shipley. If Gilbert goes down, Texas would have to rely on a pair of true freshmen: Connor Wood or Case McCoy, Colt's little brother.
7. Oklahoma State: This won't be the last time you hear about the Cowboys 26-year-old former minor leaguer, Brandon Weeden. Just make good decisions, make easy throws to open receivers who make plays with the ball and he should put up big numbers in new offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen's version of the Air Raid. Oklahoma State got to see Houston's offense in person last season and wanted it for themselves. Now they've got the man who coordinated the best offense in college football a year ago and an unquestioned, mature starter to run it. If he's injured, the Cowboys would have to rely on one of two freshmen, Clint Chelf or most likely Johnny Deaton, to run the offense.
8. Iowa State: Coach Paul Rhoads says no player on his team has improved from Year 1 to Year 2 more than Austen Arnaud, but he'll need to prove it on the field to move up this list. He's probably likely to improve on his 2,015 yards passing to go with 15 touchdowns, but he's right behind Jones in the interception column, with 13. That number has to shrink for the Cyclones to get back to a bowl game. Talented sophomore Jerome "JT" Tiller led the Cyclones to their marquee win over Nebraska and should take the reins next year. The future looks bright in Ames.
9. Colorado: Tyler Hansen not emerging from preseason camp as the starter would be shocking, and he'll get a lot more help this year with a beefed-up receiving corps that's among the conference's most underrated. Newcomers Paul Richardson, Travon Patterson and preseason Big 12 Newcomer of the Year Toney Clemons will join the reliable Scotty McKnight. If Hansen goes down, at least they'll have an experienced vet behind him in Cody Hawkins. Freshman Nick Hirschman looked good in the spring and provides some hope for the position in the future.
10. Nebraska: A two-quarterback system is never ideal, but it might work for the Huskers. Zac Lee is the best passer of the group competing for the starting job, but using the athletic Taylor Martinez or Cody Green in spot duty, similar to last year, could very well happen. But Bo Pelini would much prefer if one player -- most likely Lee, in my opinion -- would emerge and improve on his play from 2009, when he threw for 2,143 yards, 14 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
11. Kansas: Kale Pick is untested, and so are Jordan Webb and junior college transfer Quinn Mecham. Pick, however, seems like the favorite to win the job. The Jayhawks need a spark on offense, and Pick could provide it. He'll have some nice receivers to throw to in sophomore Bradley McDougald, senior Johnathan Wilson and tight end Tim Biere. Former cornerback Daymond Patterson looks ready for a good year in the slot.
12. Kansas State: Carson Coffman needs to improve from his play last year that cost him his job early last season. Beating out Collin Klein and Sammuel Lamur won't be easy -- and the competition between the three is still pretty tight -- but Coffman's experience gives him a slight edge. Whoever wins the race will lean on the league's leading rusher, Daniel Thomas, and a revamped receiving corps with transfers Brodrick Smith from Minnesota and Chris Harper from Oregon. The Wildcats hope the duo will add the spark that was missing from the team's offense in 2009.
The discrepancy between the South's QBs and the North's is somewhat jarring, especially when you see it on paper (bandwidth?) like this. Only one North team made the top six, and the bottom five teams are all from the North.
Five schools (four in the North) still have their starters up in the air, and that makes this a little tricky, but here's how I'd rank them:
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Brett Davis/US PresswireJerrod Johnson is not only the best quarterback in the conference, he's also the best player.
Brett Davis/US PresswireJerrod Johnson is not only the best quarterback in the conference, he's also the best player.2. Baylor: Trust in Robert Griffin's knee lands the Bears here, significantly higher than they're used to considering the strong quarterback tradition across the Big 12 for the past decade. But Griffin will still have to regain his status as the conference's most electrifying player on a reconstructed knee after missing the final nine games of the previous season with a torn ACL. Baylor also has a nice situation at backup quarterback because of the injury with sophomore Nick Florence, who threw for 427 yards in Baylor's lone conference win -- at Missouri -- last season.
3. Missouri: Blaine Gabbert has a claim as the conference's best quarterback, and he'll try to snatch it as a junior after playing much of his sophomore season with a bum ankle, courtesy of a soggy Ndamukong Suh sack. Despite being hobbled for most of conference play, he still racked up 3,593 passing yards and 24 touchdowns. If he stays healthy, he might get a chance to showcase his underrated wheels, too. Freshman James Franklin is impressing in camp and hanging on to his job as Gabbert's backup over Jimmy Costello, Ashton Glaser and little brother Tyler Gabbert.
4. Oklahoma: Landry Jones should benefit from his first full spring and preseason camp taking the first-team reps, but he'll need a second reliable target opposite Ryan Broyles to emerge if he wants to improve on his 26 touchdowns and 3,198 yards as a redshirt freshman. Jones also needs to limit his turnovers after throwing a league-high 14 interceptions in 2009, but it's worth noting that seven of those came away from Owen Field against top-tier defenses in Texas and Nebraska. He didn't play a good defense in Norman, but he threw 18 touchdowns to just four interceptions and helped the Sooners stretch their home streak to 30 games. Backup Drew Allen is untested and inexperienced, but has potential and wouldn't inspire panic if Jones finds injury in 2010.
5. Texas Tech: No team has two quarterbacks with as much skill and experience as Texas Tech, but unlike receivers or running backs, the Red Raiders can't play both of them. Regardless of who wins the competition in Lubbock, Texas Tech will be in great shape with Taylor Potts or Steven Sheffield. You heard a few hundred words on the details of this race earlier this morning.
6. Texas: This may look silly in November, but it's tough to put Garrett Gilbert on top of anyone else on this list who has already proven themselves. Clearly, the potential is there, and he's inspired a lot of confidence from his coach and team, but making good on that potential will mean finding a solid target to replace the only player he's ever thrown a real touchdown to: Jordan Shipley. If Gilbert goes down, Texas would have to rely on a pair of true freshmen: Connor Wood or Case McCoy, Colt's little brother.
7. Oklahoma State: This won't be the last time you hear about the Cowboys 26-year-old former minor leaguer, Brandon Weeden. Just make good decisions, make easy throws to open receivers who make plays with the ball and he should put up big numbers in new offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen's version of the Air Raid. Oklahoma State got to see Houston's offense in person last season and wanted it for themselves. Now they've got the man who coordinated the best offense in college football a year ago and an unquestioned, mature starter to run it. If he's injured, the Cowboys would have to rely on one of two freshmen, Clint Chelf or most likely Johnny Deaton, to run the offense.
8. Iowa State: Coach Paul Rhoads says no player on his team has improved from Year 1 to Year 2 more than Austen Arnaud, but he'll need to prove it on the field to move up this list. He's probably likely to improve on his 2,015 yards passing to go with 15 touchdowns, but he's right behind Jones in the interception column, with 13. That number has to shrink for the Cyclones to get back to a bowl game. Talented sophomore Jerome "JT" Tiller led the Cyclones to their marquee win over Nebraska and should take the reins next year. The future looks bright in Ames.
9. Colorado: Tyler Hansen not emerging from preseason camp as the starter would be shocking, and he'll get a lot more help this year with a beefed-up receiving corps that's among the conference's most underrated. Newcomers Paul Richardson, Travon Patterson and preseason Big 12 Newcomer of the Year Toney Clemons will join the reliable Scotty McKnight. If Hansen goes down, at least they'll have an experienced vet behind him in Cody Hawkins. Freshman Nick Hirschman looked good in the spring and provides some hope for the position in the future.
10. Nebraska: A two-quarterback system is never ideal, but it might work for the Huskers. Zac Lee is the best passer of the group competing for the starting job, but using the athletic Taylor Martinez or Cody Green in spot duty, similar to last year, could very well happen. But Bo Pelini would much prefer if one player -- most likely Lee, in my opinion -- would emerge and improve on his play from 2009, when he threw for 2,143 yards, 14 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
11. Kansas: Kale Pick is untested, and so are Jordan Webb and junior college transfer Quinn Mecham. Pick, however, seems like the favorite to win the job. The Jayhawks need a spark on offense, and Pick could provide it. He'll have some nice receivers to throw to in sophomore Bradley McDougald, senior Johnathan Wilson and tight end Tim Biere. Former cornerback Daymond Patterson looks ready for a good year in the slot.
12. Kansas State: Carson Coffman needs to improve from his play last year that cost him his job early last season. Beating out Collin Klein and Sammuel Lamur won't be easy -- and the competition between the three is still pretty tight -- but Coffman's experience gives him a slight edge. Whoever wins the race will lean on the league's leading rusher, Daniel Thomas, and a revamped receiving corps with transfers Brodrick Smith from Minnesota and Chris Harper from Oregon. The Wildcats hope the duo will add the spark that was missing from the team's offense in 2009.
1. Texas: Texas' big-time freshmen receiving recruits Darius White and Mike Davis are on campus to compete with the remainder of the Longhorns receivers after the departures of Jordan Shipley and Dan Buckner. Whoever develops solid chemistry with quarterback Garrett Gilbert first should have a nice advantage heading into the season. Very few questions surround the Longhorns on defense, who also have exciting freshman Jordan Hicks competing for playing time at linebacker.
2. Oklahoma: Honestly, my gut tells me to slide the Sooners above the Longhorns based on coach Bob Stoops comments at media days, but I'll give the champs their due entering the preseason. Oklahoma loses its top three blockers from a season ago, and any growth from Oklahoma's eight-win team last season will have to start on the offensive line. Stoops believes it will. If it does, look for the Sooners and Longhorns to switch positions if Oklahoma earns wins against Florida State and Cincinnati while Texas beats up on Rice and Wyoming. A convincing win at Texas Tech might keep the Longhorns on top.
3. Nebraska: The Huskers quarterback issues can't end soon enough. The Big 12 blog's pick: Zac Lee. With its offensive line and quality running backs, Nebraska will be able to run the ball. If Lee can establish himself as the best passer of the group, his skills will better serve the offense than the more athletic Cody Green and Taylor Martinez. We won't know very much about how good the defense will be again this year until the Huskers' date with Jake Locker and the Washington Huskies on Sept. 18 in Seattle.
4. Missouri: A solid contender in the North, Missouri's key to hopping over the Huskers lies in the secondary. That group returns all four starters and has another experienced player in junior Kenji Jackson entering camp as a new starter at safety. If it solidifies, Missouri will be a force that spends most of the season in the top 25. Jerrell Jackson and Wes Kemp should share the spotlight catching balls from Blaine Gabbert along with slot man T.J. Moe and tight end Michael Egnew.
5. Texas A&M: The Aggies have the conference's best player, but its worst defense. Both will need to improve for the Aggies to earn a South title. On defense, new defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter will have to build around tackle Lucas Patterson, linebacker Von Miller and safety Trent Hunter. Three freed-up offensive line spots -- which might all be filled by freshman -- will have to be solid and consistent for the offense to remain one of the Big 12's best, despite the Aggies' talent at the skill positions.
6. Kansas State: Running back Daniel Thomas led the Big 12 in rushing with almost no help from the quarterback spot last season, so the competition between Carson Coffman, Collin Klein and Sammuel Lamurisn't immensely important to Kansas State's success. No doubt, they'll be a lot better with great play from one of those three, but they won't be a bad team without it. Two of the Wildcats' top four tacklers will be junior defensive backs in 2010, Emmanuel Lamur and Tysyn Hartman.
And yes, I am very proud that I'm still batting 1.000 in not mixing up Sammuel and Emmanuel Lamur. Stay tuned, though.
7. Texas Tech: The Red Raiders have a great chance to move up this poll after hosting Texas on Sept. 18. Whoever wins the quarterback competition between Taylor Potts and Steven Sheffieldshould excel, which not every team in the Big 12 with a quarterback battle can say. Tech's aggressive new defense will have to limit big plays to see success in the first year under coach Tommy Tuberville and defensive coordinator James Willis. A convincing opening-week win against SMU will look better in December than some Tech fans might think after the team's Sunday, Sept. 5 debut.
8. Oklahoma State: One of the conference's wildcards, the Cowboys bring back just eight starters from last season, and will showcase a radical new offense in Dana Holgorsen's version of the Air Raid. Oklahoma State's receiving corps, led by Hubert Anyiam and Tracy Moore, is extremely underrated and could surprise plenty of folks in 2010. Their first real test comes Sept. 30, when they'll get a chance to knock off media darling Texas A&M in Stillwater.
9. Iowa State: The Cyclones nonconference schedule has made plenty of headlines this offseason, and Iowa State isn't shying away from its dates with Northern Illinois, Iowa and Utah. The legal issues surrounding defensive star David Sims appear to be resolved with an opening-game suspension, and running back Alexander Robinson looks ready for another big season after rushing for over 1,000 yards in his 2009 breakout season. Iowa State will need to steal a few games like last season to qualify for a second consecutive bowl game.
10. Baylor: Freshman safety Ahmad Dixon is impressing early in camp with a few big hits, and is making good on his status as one of the best recruits in Baylor history. Another -- Robert Griffin -- is already dealing with the pressures of delivering a bowl game to Waco. Coach Art Briles will need more players like Dixon and Griffin to move the Bears goals past just making a bowl game.
11. Colorado: The only team to move up from its position in the post-spring power rankings, Colorado simply brings back more talent than Kansas, and added two new receivers in UCLA non-qualifier Paul Richardson and Travon Patterson, whose transfer from USC was finalized on Monday. The offensive line has a lot of talent in Nate Solder and Ryan Miller, but the other three members will have to improve if the Buffs are going to rush for more than 1,055 yards like in 2009 (11th in the Big 12) and give up fewer than 43 sacks, 11 more than any other team in the Big 12.
12. Kansas: Losing your three best players from a team that finished last in the Big 12 North a season ago -- plus implementing a new coaching philosophy -- is a recipe for a rebuilding year. That's where the Jayhawks sit to begin 2010. They've got good young talent in linebacker Huldon Tharp and receiver Johnathan Wilson, who are both sophomores, but they face major questions at quarterback with inexperienced candidates Jordan Webb and Kale Pick battling for the No. 1 spot. Last season's leading rusher, Toben Opurum, is also nowhere to be found on the depth chart after battling injuries throughout the spring. The Jayhawks were the only team in the conference to return all five starters on the offensive line, but a season-ending injury to tackle Jeff Spikeseliminated that status. Brad Thorson, who played both guard and tackle last season, is also recovering from a broken foot. A win against Southern Miss and a competitive loss to Georgia Tech would earn the Jayhawks some more respect.
2. Oklahoma: Honestly, my gut tells me to slide the Sooners above the Longhorns based on coach Bob Stoops comments at media days, but I'll give the champs their due entering the preseason. Oklahoma loses its top three blockers from a season ago, and any growth from Oklahoma's eight-win team last season will have to start on the offensive line. Stoops believes it will. If it does, look for the Sooners and Longhorns to switch positions if Oklahoma earns wins against Florida State and Cincinnati while Texas beats up on Rice and Wyoming. A convincing win at Texas Tech might keep the Longhorns on top.
3. Nebraska: The Huskers quarterback issues can't end soon enough. The Big 12 blog's pick: Zac Lee. With its offensive line and quality running backs, Nebraska will be able to run the ball. If Lee can establish himself as the best passer of the group, his skills will better serve the offense than the more athletic Cody Green and Taylor Martinez. We won't know very much about how good the defense will be again this year until the Huskers' date with Jake Locker and the Washington Huskies on Sept. 18 in Seattle.
4. Missouri: A solid contender in the North, Missouri's key to hopping over the Huskers lies in the secondary. That group returns all four starters and has another experienced player in junior Kenji Jackson entering camp as a new starter at safety. If it solidifies, Missouri will be a force that spends most of the season in the top 25. Jerrell Jackson and Wes Kemp should share the spotlight catching balls from Blaine Gabbert along with slot man T.J. Moe and tight end Michael Egnew.
5. Texas A&M: The Aggies have the conference's best player, but its worst defense. Both will need to improve for the Aggies to earn a South title. On defense, new defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter will have to build around tackle Lucas Patterson, linebacker Von Miller and safety Trent Hunter. Three freed-up offensive line spots -- which might all be filled by freshman -- will have to be solid and consistent for the offense to remain one of the Big 12's best, despite the Aggies' talent at the skill positions.
6. Kansas State: Running back Daniel Thomas led the Big 12 in rushing with almost no help from the quarterback spot last season, so the competition between Carson Coffman, Collin Klein and Sammuel Lamurisn't immensely important to Kansas State's success. No doubt, they'll be a lot better with great play from one of those three, but they won't be a bad team without it. Two of the Wildcats' top four tacklers will be junior defensive backs in 2010, Emmanuel Lamur and Tysyn Hartman.
And yes, I am very proud that I'm still batting 1.000 in not mixing up Sammuel and Emmanuel Lamur. Stay tuned, though.
7. Texas Tech: The Red Raiders have a great chance to move up this poll after hosting Texas on Sept. 18. Whoever wins the quarterback competition between Taylor Potts and Steven Sheffieldshould excel, which not every team in the Big 12 with a quarterback battle can say. Tech's aggressive new defense will have to limit big plays to see success in the first year under coach Tommy Tuberville and defensive coordinator James Willis. A convincing opening-week win against SMU will look better in December than some Tech fans might think after the team's Sunday, Sept. 5 debut.
8. Oklahoma State: One of the conference's wildcards, the Cowboys bring back just eight starters from last season, and will showcase a radical new offense in Dana Holgorsen's version of the Air Raid. Oklahoma State's receiving corps, led by Hubert Anyiam and Tracy Moore, is extremely underrated and could surprise plenty of folks in 2010. Their first real test comes Sept. 30, when they'll get a chance to knock off media darling Texas A&M in Stillwater.
9. Iowa State: The Cyclones nonconference schedule has made plenty of headlines this offseason, and Iowa State isn't shying away from its dates with Northern Illinois, Iowa and Utah. The legal issues surrounding defensive star David Sims appear to be resolved with an opening-game suspension, and running back Alexander Robinson looks ready for another big season after rushing for over 1,000 yards in his 2009 breakout season. Iowa State will need to steal a few games like last season to qualify for a second consecutive bowl game.
10. Baylor: Freshman safety Ahmad Dixon is impressing early in camp with a few big hits, and is making good on his status as one of the best recruits in Baylor history. Another -- Robert Griffin -- is already dealing with the pressures of delivering a bowl game to Waco. Coach Art Briles will need more players like Dixon and Griffin to move the Bears goals past just making a bowl game.
11. Colorado: The only team to move up from its position in the post-spring power rankings, Colorado simply brings back more talent than Kansas, and added two new receivers in UCLA non-qualifier Paul Richardson and Travon Patterson, whose transfer from USC was finalized on Monday. The offensive line has a lot of talent in Nate Solder and Ryan Miller, but the other three members will have to improve if the Buffs are going to rush for more than 1,055 yards like in 2009 (11th in the Big 12) and give up fewer than 43 sacks, 11 more than any other team in the Big 12.
12. Kansas: Losing your three best players from a team that finished last in the Big 12 North a season ago -- plus implementing a new coaching philosophy -- is a recipe for a rebuilding year. That's where the Jayhawks sit to begin 2010. They've got good young talent in linebacker Huldon Tharp and receiver Johnathan Wilson, who are both sophomores, but they face major questions at quarterback with inexperienced candidates Jordan Webb and Kale Pick battling for the No. 1 spot. Last season's leading rusher, Toben Opurum, is also nowhere to be found on the depth chart after battling injuries throughout the spring. The Jayhawks were the only team in the conference to return all five starters on the offensive line, but a season-ending injury to tackle Jeff Spikeseliminated that status. Brad Thorson, who played both guard and tackle last season, is also recovering from a broken foot. A win against Southern Miss and a competitive loss to Georgia Tech would earn the Jayhawks some more respect.
LAWRENCE, Kan. -- Kansas' offense returns eight starters from its 2009 team, and two who left, receivers Dezmon Briscoe and Kerry Meier, were drafted over the weekend.
They took with them a combined 444 receptions, 5,549 yards and 49 touchdowns.
So, no pressure, guys.
Senior Johnathan Wilson and sophomore Bradley McDougald racked up over 30 catches each last season, and look to be the most obvious candidates to take over as the primary targets for Kale Pick, currently leading the race to replace quarterback Todd Reesing.
"Early in my years, I just kind of sat back and let the older guys do more of the talking. I took a bigger role now," Wilson said. "I’m a veteran."
Said McDougald: "I can be a go-to player. I want to show coaches that I’m working just like everyone else is. That even though I’m a young guy, I can be counted on in clutch situations."
For him, the spring has meant a move outside, away from the slot where he learned from Meier during his freshman season. He caught 33 passes a year ago for 318 yards but is still waiting for his first score.
"I’m not working against safeties. I’m not working against linebackers," McDougald said. "I’m working on faster corners that are up pressing, so working a lot of new techniques, getting off the line, getting off the jam."
McDougald went without a catch in Saturday's spring game, but the move outside should be simpler than playing both safety and receiver like he did as a freshman.
"I think Bradley can be a really good deep threat for us," Pick said.
He can't do that if he's stuck on the line. It's something new for him, and receivers coach Darrell Wyatt has shown each of the receivers plenty of tape on some of the NFL's best such as Larry Fitzgerald, Santonio Holmes and Andre Johnson, as well as a handful of receivers he'd coached previously.
"Donald Driver helped me the most, because of how he works," McDougald said.
McDougald and Wilson won't have to do it alone. Chris Omigie caught four passes for 97 yards and a score. Christian Matthews, who began the spring as one of six quarterbacks, caught the game-winning score for his only reception of the day in Saturday's game. But he impressed Pick in the process.
"He only played receiver for a week and beats one of our corners for a touchdown," Pick said.
Kansas won't throw as much as they did under Reesing, at least this season, but without Briscoe and Meier, there should be plenty of catches to go around.
They took with them a combined 444 receptions, 5,549 yards and 49 touchdowns.
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Ronald Martinez/Getty ImagesThe Jayhawks are counting on Johnathan Wilson to help replace Kerry Meier and Dezmon Briscoe.
Ronald Martinez/Getty ImagesThe Jayhawks are counting on Johnathan Wilson to help replace Kerry Meier and Dezmon Briscoe.Senior Johnathan Wilson and sophomore Bradley McDougald racked up over 30 catches each last season, and look to be the most obvious candidates to take over as the primary targets for Kale Pick, currently leading the race to replace quarterback Todd Reesing.
"Early in my years, I just kind of sat back and let the older guys do more of the talking. I took a bigger role now," Wilson said. "I’m a veteran."
Said McDougald: "I can be a go-to player. I want to show coaches that I’m working just like everyone else is. That even though I’m a young guy, I can be counted on in clutch situations."
For him, the spring has meant a move outside, away from the slot where he learned from Meier during his freshman season. He caught 33 passes a year ago for 318 yards but is still waiting for his first score.
"I’m not working against safeties. I’m not working against linebackers," McDougald said. "I’m working on faster corners that are up pressing, so working a lot of new techniques, getting off the line, getting off the jam."
McDougald went without a catch in Saturday's spring game, but the move outside should be simpler than playing both safety and receiver like he did as a freshman.
"I think Bradley can be a really good deep threat for us," Pick said.
He can't do that if he's stuck on the line. It's something new for him, and receivers coach Darrell Wyatt has shown each of the receivers plenty of tape on some of the NFL's best such as Larry Fitzgerald, Santonio Holmes and Andre Johnson, as well as a handful of receivers he'd coached previously.
"Donald Driver helped me the most, because of how he works," McDougald said.
McDougald and Wilson won't have to do it alone. Chris Omigie caught four passes for 97 yards and a score. Christian Matthews, who began the spring as one of six quarterbacks, caught the game-winning score for his only reception of the day in Saturday's game. But he impressed Pick in the process.
"He only played receiver for a week and beats one of our corners for a touchdown," Pick said.
Kansas won't throw as much as they did under Reesing, at least this season, but without Briscoe and Meier, there should be plenty of catches to go around.
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