College Football Nation: Phil Loadholt
Sooners need second big game from Murray
Oklahoma lost both games.
As a freshman, Murray ran for 128 yards on 17 carries, picking up a big block of yardage on a 65-yard go-ahead touchdown in the third quarter.
Oklahoma won that game.
Jim Owens/Icon SMIDeMarco Murray already has seven rushing touchdowns this season.That looked more likely in the season opener against Utah State, when Murray handled a heavy load of 35 carries and turned them into 208 yards, both career highs.
"DeMarco, he honestly looks like he did as a freshman, now that he's fully healthy," said Oklahoma center Ben Habern.
But Murray's nearly six-yard average per carry in the season opener has dwindled to just 3.2 in his last three games, dipping to a season low of 2.4 on his 28 carries last week against Cincinnati. Texas entered last week as the nation's No. 1 rush defense, but when the Longhorns faced a team in UCLA that intended to run at the center of their defense, they gave up over 300 yards on the ground.
"That's irrelevant," Murray said. "I know they had a little hiccup last week, but I know they'll be fired up to play this game just like we will. They could be 0-5 and we could be 0-5 and we'd both be ready to play our best game of the year this week. It doesn't matter, last week."
Texas has shut down Murray the last two seasons with a handful of would-be NFL draft picks on its defensive line, such as Sergio Kindle, Lamarr Houston, Brian Orakpo, Roy Miller and Henry Melton, along with linebackers such as Roddrick Muckelroy.
"They've definitely had good players, but we've had pretty good guys, too, NFL guys like Trent [Williams], Phil [Loadholt] and Duke [Robinson]," Habern said.
Murray also suffered an ankle injury in last year's game that kept him out of the following week's game against Kansas.
"It hurt really bad, but I had to be a man and step up," Murray said. "That's one game you definitely don't want to miss."
He's not asking for excuses. All he wants is the ball, and Oklahoma feels its struggles running the ball the past few weeks are about to end.
"The last few weeks, we were only a few holes away from breaking DeMarco and Mossis [Madu] free for big runs," said quarterback Landry Jones.
On Saturday, the Sooners will work toward making sure those holes are there. Otherwise, Texas may leave the Cotton Bowl with a fifth Red River victory in six years.
Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin
Every team is green someplace. Here are the specific areas of the most inexperience for each Big 12 team.
Baylor offensive tackle: The Bears need to break in two new starters after losing Jason Smith and Dan Gay.
Colorado defensive line: Help is needed along the defensive front where the Buffaloes lose starting defensive end Maurice Lucas, starting defensive tackle George Hypolite and starting nose tackle Brandon Nicolas.
Iowa State defensive line: Coach Paul Rhoads desperately wants somebody to emerge on the defensive line where the Cyclones lose starting defensive tackle Michael Tate, starting defensive end Kurtis Taylor and top backup defensive back Travis Ferguson.
Kansas linebackers: Even as Mark Mangino is contemplating going to a two-linebacker base defense because of the Big 12's spread offenses, he still needs to find those two players. The Jayhawks lose starters James Holt, Mike Rivera and Joe Mortensen at the position from last season.
Kansas State quarterback: Josh Freeman departed for the NFL early, leaving Carson Coffman and junior college transfer Daniel Thomas to compete for the starting job. It's not a pleasant introduction back to football for returning KSU coach Bill Snyder.
Missouri skill-position players: The Tigers need a quick infusion of playmakers after losing quarterback Chase Daniel, wide receiver/kick returner Jeremy Maclin and tight end Chase Coffman. All of them arguably were the greatest players at their respective positions in Missouri history. Blake Gabbert will receive first look at quarterback and Andrew Jones will work at tight end. It could take several players to fill in for what Maclin did.
Nebraska quarterback: It will be tough for the Cornhuskers to replace all that Joe Ganz did for them, both as a playmaker and a leader at quarterback. Zac Lee will get the first shot, along with freshman Cody Green and redshirt freshman Kody Spano. Maybe the Cornhuskers really could use former Miami quarterback Robert Marve next season.
Oklahoma offensive line: The departure of starting center Jon Cooper, tackle Phil Loadholt and guards Duke Robinson and Brandon Walker means that Sam Bradford will have an inexperienced group protecting him next season. Trent Williams moves to left tackle and Bob Stoops likes his incoming talent, if not its early work habits.
Oklahoma State defensive tackles: The Cowboys ranked last in the conference in sacks last season and lost starting defensive tackles Tonga Tea and Jeray Chatham. It will mean that new defensive coordinator Bill Young will need somebody to step up in the trenches to help shore up that weakness.
Texas defensive line: The major question dogging the Longhorns' national title hopes will be rebuilding a defensive front that loses All-American defensive end Brian Orakpo, defensive tackle Roy Miller, defensive tackleAaron Lewis and defensive end Henry Melton from last season.
Texas Tech offensive line: New quarterback Taylor Potts will be relying on a retooled offensive line protecting his blind side after left tackle Rylan Reed, left guard Louis Vasquez and center Stephen Hamby all departed from last year.
Texas A&M running backs: The Aggies' offensive backfield will need to restock players: Michael Goodson left school early to declare for the NFL draft and fullbacks Jorvorskie Lane and Nick LaMantia are gone. Look for Cyrus Gray to get most of the work this spring with heralded freshman Bradley Stephens arriving in the summer.
Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin
One of the most interesting parts of spring practice will be watching potential replacements emerge in key situations across the Big 12.
Here are some of the key departures from around the conference and some of the players who will compete to try to fill those vacancies.
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| Getty Images | |
| Brian Orakpo's pass-rushing skills will be missed by Texas. |
- Texas Tech wide receiver Michael Crabtree -- The Red Raiders will miss the two-time Biletnikoff winner. Lyle Leong will get the first shot and should be challenged by Jacoby Franks and 6-foot-4 Rashad Hawk. Top returning receivers Detron Lewis and Tramain Swindall will remain inside as slot receivers, meaning that other players will have to emerge at Crabtree's old featured slot.
- Texas' pass-rushing specialist replacing Brian Orakpo -- Texas coaches are hoping that Sergio Kindle will ratchet up his play to Orakpo-like levels as he moves to a near permanent status as a pass-rushing specialist at defensive end. Sam Acho will get most of the work on the other side during the spring with Eddie Jones battling back from shoulder and ankle surgery, meaning the spotlight will be on Kindle this spring.
- Jeremy Maclin's talents at Missouri -- It likely will take several players to cover what the multi-purpose Maclin provided as a receiver, rusher and kick return threat. Among the players who will get a look at a variety of roles include Wes Kemp, Jerrell Jackson, Gahn McGaffie and Rolandis Woodland.
- Oklahoma fills a depleted offensive line -- Only tackle Trent Williams will be back as a starter for the Sooners' unit, which will lose key producers like guards Duke Robinson and Brandon Walker, center Jon Cooper and mammoth tackle Phil Loadholt. The four departing starters combined for 149 starts during their college careers. Replacements like tackle Cory Brandon, guards Alex Williams and Brian Simmons and center Jason Hannan are presumed to be talented, but are still very inexperienced. That's not a comforting thought for returning Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford -- at least until spring practice begins.
- Kansas State replaces Ron Prince -- Sure, the Wildcats made only one bowl trip in Prince's three-season tenure before he was fired. But it will still be a huge test for legendary Kansas State coach Bill Snyder to match the success he produced earlier in his career after his sabbatical during the Prince years. It will especially be challenging this season with the loss of quarterback Josh Freeman and offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig, who went packing late last week for a similar position at California after only six weeks at Kansas State. Junior-college transfer Daniel Thomas and Carson Coffman will compete to replace Freeman. And it's anybody's guess whom Snyder will find to replace Ludwig with the start of spring practice approaching on April 6.
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| AP Photo/Chris O'Meara | |
| Bob Stoops and the Oklahoma Sooners lost again in a BCS title game Thursday night and are drawing comparisons to the Buffalo Bills. |
Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Maybe it all came too quickly for Bob Stoops.
The national championship in his second season as a coach back in 2000 and all of those early victories against top-ranked teams made Stoops appear bulletproof.
That image took another hit Thursday night with another BCS title-game loss. That's five BCS losses and counting, including three BCS title-game disappointments.
When Stoops looks back at Thursday's 24-14 loss to Florida with some perspective, he'll see that the better team won. The Sooners couldn't afford all of the red-zone problems as they left too many points on the field in the first half.
The maligned Oklahoma defense actually played pretty well before wearing down from the pressure of trying to contain Tim Tebow and all of Florida's speedy skill-position threats.
Now, the Sooners' struggles in big games are making them kind of like the Buffalo Bills of college football. And those kind of struggles could detract from the Big 12's season after the bowls finished.
Oklahoma will be underdogs next season in the South Division. The rivalry against Texas has never been more heated. It will be interesting to see how the Sooners fare in that position as they attempt to go for an unprecedented fourth-straight Big 12 title.
But I bet Stoops burns for a chance at another BCS game.
Here are some other quick thoughts that came to me this morning as I was packing up after a week in Florida.
- There's no doubt that Sam Bradford is ready for the NFL draft, but I still think it would help his future prospects by returning for another season in college. Another year of maturity and a chance to excel against pressure defenses would make him an even more marketable product next season. But he's clearly a first-round talent now.
- Perhaps the most telling point of Oklahoma's loss in the BCS title game came when Chris Brown was stuffed on two-straight running plays in the second quarter from the Florida 1-yard line. What surprised me most was the quick snap play that offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson opted to try on fourth down. I would have figured that the Sooners could have gained a yard running behind their vaunted left side of the offensive line. But they failed on both plays in a momentum-turning play as heralded blockers Phil Loadholt, Duke Robinson and Jon Cooper were whipped at the point of attack.
- So much for those thoughts about Oklahoma's defense being "a joke." Brent Venables came up with a productive scheme that featured a couple of unexpected big plays against Tim Tebow before wearing down late in the game. The Sooners didn't lose Thursday night because of their defense.
- I couldn't be happier for anybody winning a national championship than for Florida defensive line coach Dan McCarney. The Gators got a huge lift from McCarney's defensive line Thursday night.
- What little boost in national perception the Big 12 received after a pedestrian 4-3 bowl season came from the North Division, which was was maligned all season after a 3-15 record against South teams and another championship game blowout loss.
- A funny thing happened in the bowls. Nebraska and Missouri showed a lot of pluck in comeback bowl victories and Kansas might have played better in its bowl game than any other Big 12 team. The South was a different story. Texas earned a dramatic victory over Ohio State, but had enough struggles against the Buckeyes to be lucky to have won the Fiesta Bowl. Texas Tech looked ill-prepared and played like it in its loss to Mississippi. Oklahoma State collapsed when Dez Bryant was injured and Oklahoma lost in the national title game. The conference's best teams are in the South, even if they didn't play like it in the bowls.
- I was a little surprised, but not shocked, that Nebraska didn't crack either the AP media top 25 or the USA Today coaches' poll. I don't think most of the country realizes the turnaround that Bo Pelini was able to accomplish late in the season with the Cornhuskers. At the end of the season and the bowls, they were playing as well as any team in the Big 12.
Here's my quick picks heading out of the season if all of the teams would return their expected players. I'll reserve my right to change these picks after the NFL draft declaration day passes next week.
But right now, here's how I have the Big 12 set for 2009:
North: 1. Nebraska; 2. Kansas; 3. Colorado; 4. Missouri; 5. Kansas State; 6. Iowa State
South: 1. Texas; 2. Oklahoma; 3. Oklahoma State; 4. Texas Tech; 5. Texas A&M; 6. Baylor.
Big 12 championship game: Texas over Nebraska.
Bowl teams: Texas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Kansas, Texas Tech, Colorado, Missouri.
Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - One of the underrated components of Oklahoma's offense has been their success at protecting quarterback Sam Bradford.
Opposing defenses have sacked the Heisman Trophy winner only 11 times this season as the Sooners lead the Big 12 and rank fourth nationally in fewest sacks allowed.
Only one team has been able to bring consistent pressure against Oklahoma this season. It came in the second half of the Sooners' Oct. 11 loss to Texas when defensive ends Brian Orakpo and Sergio Kindle turned the game around with their speed pressure from the edges of the Longhorns' defense.
That pressure resulted in two of the three sacks in the game against Bradford and consistent disruption that the Sooners couldn't adjust in a 45-35 loss.
"Every time somebody did that it didn't feel good for us," senior tackle Phil Loadholt said. "We want to make sure it doesn't happen again and that Sam stays clean and doesn't get sacked."
The Sooners will be facing an aggressive Florida pass rush Thursday night in the FedEx BCS National Championship Game that follows the prototype of successful Southeastern Conference defenses. They are a little smaller than most that Oklahoma has faced. The Sooners will have about a 25-pound-per-man weight advantage in the game.
The Gators' defensive line is coached by former Iowa State coach Dan McCarney. His arrival has helped the Gators more than double their total in sacks this season with 32, up from 15 last season.
Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Oklahoma came into the Big 12 title game needing to make a statement to prove their legitimacy as the South Division title-game participants.
After one half, the Sooners' resounding 38-7 lead shows that they not only belong in Kansas City, but likely in Miami for the BCS title game as well.
The Sooners have scored on all but one first-half possession as they have manhandled the Tigers from the start. They've already piled up 359 yards on 54 first-half plays, averaging 6.6 yards per snap.
It's that high-powered offense that has enabled them to score 678 points for the season, setting a modern-day NCAA record.
Oklahoma's defense has been fearsome, notching two sacks and forcing two turnovers. Cornerback Brian Jackson has notched a fumble recovery and an interception that set up scoring drives.
How dominant has it been? Leading Oklahoma rusher DeMarco Murray sprained his ankle on the opening kickoff and hasn't played. And he's hardly been missed as the Sooners have piled up 119 rushing yards.
The onslaught could best be seen late in the first half. After Chase Daniel was tackled with seven seconds left, the Tigers decided to meekly let the rest of the clock tick away despite having the ball on the Sooners side of the 50.
Oklahoma scored 28 points in the second quarter and blew the game open. The Tigers look beaten and like they want to go sit where it's warm instead of coming out for the second half.
Here are some items of interest I've noticed in watching the first half.
- The South Division has dominated the Big 12 in the last several years and it's continuing tonight with Oklahoma's fast start. Including the last four years and tonight's first half, the South Division teams have outscored the North, 202-37.
- The Sooners have taken advantage of their huge size edge on the left side, running behind clearing blocks by massive left tackle Phil Loadholt and Outland finalist Duke Robinson for success throughout the first half.
- The Sooners became the first team in Big 12 history with a pair of 1,000-yard backs. Murray came into the game with 1,002 yards. And Brown has joined him with 83 yards and two touchdowns in the first half, giving him 1,071 for the season.
- Missouri's secondary struggled throughout the season. And the loss of starting cornerback Castine Bridges appears to have worsened the condition. The Tigers have been susceptible to slants as they've been outclassed by Oklahoma's more physical and quicker collection of receivers. Ryan Broyles has six catches, Juaquin Iglesias has four and Quentin Chaney has two. And massive tight end Jermaine Gresham has run free through the secondary with six receptions for 59 yards.
- The game has been chippy in the early going. Oklahoma defensive end Frank Alexander and Missouri tackle Elvis Fisher both were flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct after tangling in the first quarter.
Veteran Missouri wide receiver Tommy Saunders was flagged for taunting after the Tigers' touchdown, setting up good field position that the Sooners turned into a 53-yard touchdown drive. And Iglesias was flagged for taunting after his own touchdown later in the second quarter.
It prompted referee Randy Christal to call the teams together with about 12 minutes to go in the half, telling them to cool the extra energy.
- Sam Bradford's Heisman candidacy has never looked stronger. Despite playing with an injured left thumb immobilized by a splint, Bradford has completed 22 of 31 yards for 240 yards and two touchdowns in the first half.
Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin
STILLWATER, Okla. - It took awhile for Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford to get into a groove in the first half.
But once he did, he proved why he's one of the best quarterbacks in the country.
Bradford directed a pair of 14-play scoring drives to finish the half, directing the Sooners to a 21-13 halftime advantage over Oklahoma State.
The sophomore quarterback completed 8 of 11 for 82 yards on the final drive, capping it with a 4-yard dart to athletic tight end Jermaine Gresham with 13 seconds left in the half. Gresham made four catches on the drive, including two acrobatic ones where he tipped the ball to himself.
It capped a 171-yard first-half effort that upped Bradford's season passing total to 3,881, a new Oklahoma single-season record. The previous best was Josh Heupel's 3,850 in 1999.
Earlier, Bradford had struggled through his worst beginning of the season, misfiring on his first four passes and five of his first nine attempts in the first quarter. The Cowboys were mixing pass coverages as the Sooners dropped or had a hand on Bradford's first three incompletions.
And the Sooners showed their versatility on an earlier scoring drive with a 14-play, 79-yard drive that included seven runs and seven passes. The Sooners overcome second-and-10, second-and-12 and second-and-18 plays in that scoring drive as it converted four third-down plays in a punishing performance that seemed to wear out the Oklahoma State defense.
It's enough to boost the Sooners within 30 minutes of forcing a historic three-way tie for the South Division championship. Texas Tech and Texas have already earned a share of the title with victories earlier this weekend.
Here are some other items of interest I've noticed.
- So much for any worries about Oklahoma State tailback Kendall Hunter's injured quadricep muscle. Hunter snagged a 23-yard TD reception to account for the Cowboys' only touchdown and also added a game-high 59 rushing yards. He's running hard and has needed only one break.
- The only injury of note in the first half was Oklahoma nose guard Adrian Taylor who was dinged after he was hit by Oklahoma middle linebacker Austin Box late in the first quarter.
- Oklahoma has been plagued with some drops in the first half, with at least four incompletions where receivers had a hand on the ball. But Gresham's athleticism with two grabs on balls he tipped to himself made up for those struggles.
- The crowd doesn't appear to be nearly as sparse as expected as only a few seats in the upper corners are empty. And these Oklahoma State became a factor early. It helped cause a false start on Oklahoma's first play for scrimmage that led to a three-and-out on Oklahoma's first possession. It was only the second time that the Sooners had failed to score on their opening possession this season.
- Oklahoma is taking advantage of a massive size advantage by running heavily towards its left side that includes 350-pound left tackle Phil Loadholt and 330-pound Duke Robinson.
- The Cowboys are showing a lot of new wrinkles, using Robinson more as a rushing threat than in most of the season. His serpentine 11-yard scramble showed his athleticism as he eluded tacklers for eight seconds of game action. When he's running like that, Robinson might be the conference's most athletic quarterback.
- Oklahoma State kicker Dan Bailey has drilled a pair of field goals, extending his streak to nine-straight kicks. Bailey's 44-yard field goal that pulled the Cowboys within 14-13 was the longest kick of his career. He previously had missed all four attempts in his career of longer than 40 yards.
- Oklahoma's defensive front did a better job after Oklahoma State had taken the lead on the touchdown pass to Hunter. After that play, Robinson did not complete another pass in the first half.
- The explosive Oklahoma offensive play was held in check with only two plays of 20 yards or more - a 21-yard pass from Bradford to Quentin Chaney and DeMarco Murray's 20-yard TD run to cap Oklahoma's second drive.
Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin
When an out-of-state reporter told Brian Orakpo earlier this week he was going to vote for the Texas defensive end for the Heisman Trophy, Orakpo let out a long, hearty laugh.
"At least I'll get one," he said, chuckling.
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| Wesley Hitt/Getty Images | |
| Brian Orakpo has 7.5 sacks so far this seasom, tied for third-most nationally. |
But the idea might not be as far-fetched as the humble Texas senior defensive end might think.
Orakpo has been one of the major reasons why the Texas defense has far surpassed expectations after the first half of the season. Heading into Saturday's key game against Missouri, the Longhorns are allowing 15.3 points per game, leading the nation in sacks (22) and are third in rush defense (51.2 yards per game.)
Defensive coordinator Will Muschamp has rightfully been given much credit for the unit's turnaround from last season. But as accomplished a technician as Muschamp is, he knows that the old credo about "the Jimmys and Joes more than the X's and O's" that's helped explain his unit's turnaround as much as any new-fangled blitz package or a changed attitude.
The Longhorns have solid defensive talent, but they were expected to be a little inexperienced coming into the season. And the return of Orakpo, who was hurt much of last season with a knee injury, helped provide an extra element that has been a key factor in the Longhorns' 6-0 start.
"Osackpo," as his teammates call him, has produced 7.5 sacks to tie for third nationally. In the process, he's become the most dominant defensive player in the Big 12 and the key defensive element in the Longhorns' surprising charge to No. 1.
"He was getting to be like that last year before he got hurt," Texas coach Mack Brown said. "Nobody could block him. But then he got hurt and probably tried to come back and play and he wasn't the same for most of the year. But he worked so hard and came back with that same attitude and has really developed. He's been as good as anybody we've had there."
But Texas' defenses isn't a one-man show. The defensive turnaround could be best seen in the second half of the Longhorns' 45-35 comeback victory over Oklahoma last week, when the Longhorns confounded and bamboozled Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford.
Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin
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| AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez | |
| Texas coach Mack Brown celebrates with Texas defensive tackle Roy Miller (99) and others after beating No. 1 Oklahoma, 45-35, Saturday. |
DALLAS - Will Muschamp might not save the statistical sheet of Texas' victory over Oklahoma for posterity.
Even after being gashed for 435 total yards and five touchdown passes in a 45-35 victory over the Sooners, the Texas defensive coordinator couldn't really complain.
"It's a win," Muschamp said with a big smile as he celebrated his team's strong second-half performance. "I've never had a bad one. Not once in my life. Obviously, we're going to look at things and see if they were technically correct. And then, we'll build on the positives."
When Muschamp looks at the films, he'll see a lot of things to celebrate in the Longhorns' strong performance down the stretch. After struggling to pressure Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford for most of the game, the Texas pass rush rose up during the fourth quarter.
The increased heat came mainly because strong play from Texas' defensive line. Texas coach Mack Brown also credited the play of his secondary, consisting of redshirt freshman safety Earl Thomas, freshman Blake Gideon and sophomore Chykie Brown.
"Our defense has done a great job this year of changing things and they covered well today," Brown said. "I did think our guys kept fighting. Will did a good job of showing pressure and backing out and making Sam hold the ball some."
Bradford directed a fourth-quarter comeback last season, leading the Sooners to a victory as a freshman/ He appeared to have the Sooners in place for another as he trailed 30-28 heading into the fourth quarter.
But he couldn't duplicate his magic on Saturday -- mainly because he was scrambling for his life.
Texas defensive end Brian Orkapo seemed to be taking up residence in the Sooner backfield as he repeatedly beat offensive tackle Phil Loadholt.
"We got some pressure going and we did a tremendous job on defense," said Orakpo. "We got some hits on him and made Bradford throw the ball out of bounds. It was a like a street fight out there."
Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin
Oklahoma offensive linemen remember their struggles two weeks ago against TCU with a mixture of embarrassment and disgust.
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| J.P Wilson/Icon SMI | |
| Oklahoma's offensive line will have its hands full with Texas on Saturday. |
The Sooners' talented and experienced offensive line was counted as one of the team's biggest strengths and perhaps the best collective group in the country. But it still didn't explain a clunker that saw it produce only 25 rushing yards and allow four sacks against the Horned Frogs.
"They had a good scheme and just outworked us," Oklahoma guard Brandon Walker said. "There's not much more than you can say about it than that. We didn't feel good about it and I can assure you we heard about it the whole next week."
Fortunately for the Sooners, Sam Bradford's passing skills enabled them to blister the Horned Frogs with a 35-10 victory that day that boosted them to the No. 1 position in the national polls.
But it still doesn't give them much solace as they prepare for Saturday's game against Texas, which is judged to be one of the nation's top defensive lines. Saturday's game at the Cotton Bowl should be the most significant challenge in the trenches this season for the Sooners.
The Longhorns lead the nation in sacks and lead the Big 12 and are third nationally in rush defense. Senior defensive end Brian Orakpo has played like an All-American during his first five games, ranking third nationally in average sacks per game (1.1 spg).
Orakpo is capably supported by mammoth 295-pound senior nose tackle Roy Miller, converted running back Henry Melton at defensive end and Lamarr Houston andAaron Lewis who share time at the other defensive tackle slot.
"They are a really talented front with a great combination of speed and power," Walker said. "But we see a fast defense play every day. This will be like going through our practices. It's a great challenge and one that both teams have been looking forward to for a long time."
Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin
The Big 12 season will unfold with many things I can't wait to watch. Here are 25 of the most special to me.
1. Missouri WR Jeremy Maclin streaking into the secondary moments after returning a punt.
2. Oklahoma RB DeMarco Murray getting loose on a sweep.
3. Listening to one of Texas Tech coach Mike Leach's postgame news conferences.
4. Watching the young Texas secondary grow up before my eyes, starting Saturday night against Florida Atlantic.
5. Experiencing the crunch of Kansas' linebackers swarming style from the sidelines.
6. Watching Colorado TB Darrell Scott likely earn a starting position over the course of the first few weeks of the season.
7. Rooting for a good kid like Oklahoma State WR Artrell Woods to make a complete return from an injury last year that nearly ended his career.
8. Watching Nebraska and Bo Pelini make their first steps onto the field at Memorial Stadium during the Cornhuskers' "Tunnel Walk."
9. Judging how much better suited Texas A&M QB Stephen McGee is to run Mike Sherman's offense than Dennis Franchione's. I bet McGee is, too.
10. Maybe having a chance to see Kansas State QB Josh Freeman uncork a ball 70 or 80 yards -- on the fly.
11. Waiting to see Iowa State coach Gene Chizik's decision on who is better -- Austen Arnaud or Phillip Bates.
12. Waiting for a chance to see Baylor QB Robert Griffin and Texas QB John Chiles play a position other than quarterback.
13. Seeing the Sooner Schooner march up and down the field. Something tells me a good night would be Saturday against Chattanooga.
14. Waiting to see the records that Graham Harrell to Michael Crabtree can set this season.
15. Chase Daniel chewing out an offensive lineman who might have missed a block -- or maybe a coach he doesn't agree with.
16. Catching a few replays of Texas' mammoth Godzillatron scoreboard and wishing I had one just like it in my living room.
17. Seeing the "Waving of the Wheat" after a Kansas victory. This never gets old.
18. Ralphie the Buffalo leading Colorado on the field. Simply the best mascot in all of college sports.
19. The Texas A&M Marching Band in one of their stirring, patented halftime shows.
20. Watching how much playing time Marlon Lucky will receive with Nebraska this year. Bet he still is among the conference's rushing leaders.
21. Seeing how Texas Tech's young defense reacts to excitable coach Ruffin McNeill.
22. Standing next to Kansas State TB Keithen Valentine and judging if I'm really taller than he is.
23. Watching the pads pop when Oklahoma running backs run behind the mammoth left side of their offensive line keyed by T Phil Loadholt and G Duke Robinson.
24. Standing close -- but not too close -- to the Baylor bear mascot and Bevo the Longhorn along the sidelines.
25. Waiting for another big return by Kansas State so I can see Ron Prince happily stomp down the field in jubilation.
Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin
The Big 12 featured its top collection of talent last season with eight conference players selected to consensus All-America teams. It might be even more pronounced this season with another strong cast back.
Here's my list for all-conference players before the season:
OFFENSE
QB: Chase Daniel, Missouri
RB: Marlon Lucky, Nebraska
RB: DeMarco Murray, Oklahoma
WR: Michael Crabtree, Texas Tech
WR: Jeremy Maclin, Missouri
TE: Chase Coffman, Missouri
T: Phil Loadholt, Oklahoma
T: Ryan Miller, Colorado
G: Duke Robinson, Oklahoma
G: Louis Vasquez, Texas Tech
C: Jon Cooper, Oklahoma
K: Jeff Wolfert, Missouri
KR: DeMarco Murray, Oklahoma
DEFENSE
DE: Auston English, Oklahoma
DT: George Hypolite, Colorado
DT: Gerald McCoy, Oklahoma
DE: Ian Campbell, Kansas State
LB: Mike Rivera, Kansas
LB: Joe Mortensen, Kansas
LB: Sean Weatherspoon, Missouri
CB: Chris Harris, Kansas
CB: Jamar Wall, Texas Tech
S: William Moore, Missouri
S: Nic Harris, Oklahoma
P: Justin Brantly, Texas A&M
PR: Jeremy Maclin, Missouri
Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin
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| Ronald Martinez/Getty Images | |
| Oklahoma's Duke Robinson is the Big 12's best offensive lineman. |
They were famously called "the big uglies" by veteran ABC-TV play-by-play announcer Keith Jackson over the years. But there's nothing unbecoming about the group of Big 12 offensive linemen who dominate in the trenches.
Here's my group of the conference's 10 best offensive linemen heading into the upcoming season.
1. Oklahoma G Duke Robinson: Could have made a lot of money by turning pro last season after grading out at 85 percent in 2007. But is poised to be a No. 1 NFL draft pick with a big senior season.
2. Oklahoma T Phil Loadholt: Dogged at times by inconsistency, but still the biggest, baddest offensive tackle in the league.
3. Texas Tech G Louis Vasquez: Started 24 games in his career. Has emerged as anchor of the Red Raiders' line that allowed only 18 sacks last season.
4. Colorado T Ryan Miller: Had bang-up season as a freshman last year and should be poised for even more after earning most-improved honors from his coaches over the spring.
5. Texas Tech T Rylan Reed: Might be ranked a tad low, although he's coming off major ankle surgery after his injury in the Gator Bowl. Former pitcher in the Chicago White Sox organization who has beaten cancer and broken the school's bench-press record.
6. Missouri T Colin Brown: Former walk-on who emerged as Tigers' most consistent blocker last season on a line with two four-year starters.
7. Texas G Derrick Dockery: Struggled at times since 2006 season, but could be poised for a monster senior season.
8. Oklahoma C Jon Cooper: Started 29 games in his career, leading Sooners with 798 plays and 136 knockdowns last season.
9. Nebraska G Matt Slauson: Most experienced Cornhusker offensive lineman started at right guard and both tackle spots last season.
10. Texas G-T-G Chris Hall: The conference's most versatile offensive lineman after starting at least one game at every interior line spot last season, including four at left guard. He's likely slated for center this season, but in a pinch could fill in almost anywhere.
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