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Baylor Bears
Will Robert Griffin III be an NFL star?
In the week's biggest non-surprise, Robert Griffin III confirmed that he's entering the NFL draft. Do you feel like you know what awaits the Heisman winner?
What does RG3 leave behind?
There is that Heisman. And, as Big 12 blogger David Ubben notes, a new on-campus stadium may follow by 2014. But did Griffin do enough to keep Baylor relevant without him?
The best guy not named Luck?
There are some, including Tony Dungy, who put RG3 ahead of Andrew Luck. But if the consensus is that Luck still goes No. 1 in the draft, is another quarterback No. 2?
Robert Griffin III or Matt Barkley?
Griffin is going, and Matt Barkley is staying. When it comes to NFL potential, is USC's star quarterback a better bet?
The biggest cleats to fill?
RG3 isn't the only program-changing talent heading off to the NFL. Might another quarterback from a Texas school, Houston's Case Keenum, actually leave a bigger void?
Robert Griffin III's final college game?
We know Matt Barkley is staying. We know we'll be stunned if Andrew Luck doesn't go. But what about Heisman winner Robert Griffin III?
Have you made up your mind?
Griffin has a decision to make, but have you come to one about his prospects for NFL stardom after he threw 36 TD passes and rushed for 846 yards this season?
Is there a wrong choice for RG3?
Griffin has to choose either/or when it comes to his football future, but does that necessarily mean there is a right and a wrong choice?
Does the Alamo Bowl matter?
If Baylor beats Washington (Friday, ESPN, 9 p.m. ET), it will mark the school's first 10-win season since 1980. Would that be mission accomplished?
Could RG3 replace Peyton Manning?
Stay with us here. Let's say Griffin enters the draft, the Colts slip to the No. 2 pick and the Rams take Andrew Luck with the No. 1 pick.
What are you doing on the evening of Dec. 29? If you answered anything other than watching Baylor and Washington in the Alamo Bowl (ESPN/ESPN3, 9 p.m. ET, just in case you're making plans), then you're late to the party. Robert Griffin III is SportsNation's pick to win the Heisman, and the multi-threat quarterback is quickly becoming must-see television. But is the Baylor star making a case for himself as an NFL prospect along the lines of Cam Newton or Andrew Luck?
- "If you have any doubts about Robert Griffin's deserving the Heisman, watch the last two minutes of the OU game. While it displays his athletic abilities, it's an even more phenomenal display of his leadership and his ability to motivate his teammates to play at a higher level." -- SN commenter judurham88
- "50 years from now, your great grandchildren will be arguing about who should win the Griffin Trophy." -- SN commenter FWTX67
Who is the best non-Luck prospect?
It could be 2013 before we see either Matt Barkley or Robert Griffin III in the NFL, but is one of them the best non-Andrew Luck prospect?
Is Robert Griffin III a lock?
No, we don't mean a lock for the Heisman. Win or lose that award Saturday, is Griffin III a lock for superstardom on Sunday?
When will that NFL career begin?
Listen to the podcast of Griffin's visit with Scott Van Pelt and he sure sounds like a guy in no hurry to leave college.
The man, the myth, the legend?
Griffin III is gaining popularity like he gains yards on the field, but it's not like Baylor played a ton of high-profile TV games.
- Vote: GameDay Pick 'Em | Heisman Watch
Game 1: SportsNation's burning questions for No. 3 TCU at No. 5 Utah
- Is TCU's defense really that much better than Utah's defense?
- Will Boise State be better off in the MWC than Utah in the Pac-10?
- Vote on those and other questions about TCU at Utah!
Jake (Honolulu, HI)
Utah seems to be coming in under the radar.. do you give them any chance this weekend? Do they hop Boise with a W?
Pat Forde
Jake: I give Utah a chance, playing at home. But I haven't seen any weaknesses yet in TCU. Frogs have handled all comers with ease. I believe TCU will win -- but if Utah does win I still question whether it would be enough to jump Boise. I don't know. Not a computer expert. Full transcript
Game 2: SportsNation's burning questions for No. 6 Alabama at No. 10 LSU
- Is playing LSU on the road tougher than playing Auburn at home?
- Which team would win if they swapped coaches?
- Vote on those and other questions about Alabama at LSU!
Mike (Dallas, TX)
What do you expect in the matchup between Patrick Peterson and Julio Jones? If my memory serves, Julio didn't have any catches on Peterson last year. Will scouts be watching this one closely?
Mel Kiper
It was a different mindset of Alabama last year. They were a brutally tough defense to move the ball on. They didn't have to score a lot of points. Their defense last year was talent laden, with some studs who are playing in the NFL right now. Last year, they didn't give up over 24 points in any game last year. They held 10 opponents to 15 points or less last year. They've held six opponents this year to 13 points or less. Nick Saban is a defensive guru. He's probably one of the best defensive strategists at any level. He's tried to reload that defensive side. They have to attack a little more. Jones is coming off that career game. Peterson is a shut down corner as well as a great return man. Alabama will attack a lot more, because their defense isn't what it was from a personnel standpoint. Full transcript
Game 3: SportsNation's burning questions for No. 18 Arkansas at No. 19 South Carolina
- Which coach was a bigger flop in the NFL?
- Which quarterback would you rather have against Alabama?
- Vote on those and other questions about Arkansas at South Carolina!
Dave (Virginia)
Pat, love the column and your chats...People keep looking at the South Carolina-Florida clash on Nov 13 in the Swamp as the decider. My question to you is, doesn't Arkansas look like Carolina's worst nightmare right now with the way the Gamecocks have defended the pass lately?
Pat Forde
Dave: Thank you. By my read of the situation, South Carolina can lose to Arkansas and still control its own destiny. At 4-3, if the Gamecocks beat Florida they win the East. Full transcript
Game 4: SportsNation's burning questions for No. 21 Baylor at No. 17 Oklahoma State
- How many points will it take to win this game?
- Is Robert Griffin III more exciting than Justin Blackmon?
- Vote on those and other questions about Baylor at Oklahoma State!
James (Stillwater)
Do you see Robert Griffin III having a big day passing like Taylor Martinez did against the OSU secondary?
Big 12 blogger David Ubben
I do, but Oklahoma State's going to put big points up, too. I didn't really get why everyone thought K-State and Oklahoma State were going to play a high-scoring game. I think I picked it like 34-17 OSU. This week could get out of hand, though. Make sure that scoreboard has room for triple digits. Full transcript
- Vote: Is Utah the new wild card in conference realignment?
- Rank 'Em: Does the Big 12 have better teams than the Pac-10?
- Chat: Pat Forde sizes up the new conference landscape, 2 ET.
- More from ESPN.com: Big 12 blogger David Ubben on how the league was saved.
The Big East has teams in Milwaukee and Louisville. The Big Ten not only has a name that's out of date but a logo (with the embedded "11" in it) that's doubly wrong after adding Nebraska to the mix. The Pac-10 and Big 12? Not for math majors. At this rate, Conference USA needs to add the University of Western Ontario just to keep up with the big boys. But now that Texas has apparently saved the 10-team Big 12 by graciously accepting the opportunity to make more money than anyone else, what should we do about the name?
SportsNation blogger MightierToaster thinks the answer isn't coming up with a new name to match the math (and as a Big Ten fan, he has some experience with this). Instead, he thinks the answer is finding new non-Texas schools to match the old name.
- "Tulsa - Have a history of success and in Oklahoma, natural rivals.
Memphis - Terrible football, has ability, but brings great BBall.
Add the Florida market with either FAU or UCF.
MTSU - Great up and coming program under Stockstill, adds Tennessee market."
-- Read MightierToaster's full post.
Craig (Oklahoma)
I have an idea for the Big 12: add TCU and Tulsa to the conf. and put TCU in the south and Tulsa in the north, plus move OSU to the north. Just an idea, what do you think?
Bruce Feldman
I don't think its crazy. TCU is a big time program with great history. IT's not like you said shove two Sun Belts teams in there. Full transcript
- Vote: GameDay Pick 'Em | Heisman Watch | SportsNation Top 25
- Vote on big topics: Charlie Weis' future | Auburn at Georgia
- Blogger chat wraps: ACC | Big 12 | Big East | Big Ten | Pac-10 | SEC | Others
- More wraps: Mark Schlabach | Pat Forde | Mel Kiper | Ivan Maisel | Bruce Feldman
- Special guests: Brad Edwards | Boise State cornerback Kyle Wilson
It won't be an easy weekend for BCS Cinderellas, even though they're all playing at home. Cincinnati faces No. 25 West Virginia, TCU gets the pressure of GameDay and No. 16 Utah, and Boise State deals with a surprising 7-3 Idaho (and a visiting AD who doesn't like to fly on planes with Broncos markings).
ESPN.com's college football writers and bloggers will be going conference by conference in the coming weeks to preview the season ahead, and we're looking for your rankings along the way. Things get started with the Big 12, where blogger Tim Griffin has some Cowboys and Cornhuskers as the most likely spoilers in the Oklahoma-Texas race.
1. Texas
2. Oklahoma
3. Oklahoma State
4. Nebraska
5. Kansas
6. Texas Tech
Check out Griffin's complete Big 12 rankings.
When it comes to Big 12 opening acts, SportsNation wouldn't mind being in Austin to watch Texas seek revenge against Texas Tech. Voters also like Texas A&M more than Baylor or Colorado when it comes to a revival among the conference's downtrodden members.
But come on, this is the Big 12, and that means only one thing to many: Oct. 17 in Dallas.
So with two months to kill before Oklahoma and Texas meet on the field, we decided to waste some time and stoke the fires from Norman to Austin with a pair of endlessly arguable questions for the two teams. Not surprisingly, we found a Nation divided.
- SN's take: 57 percent say Bob Stoops' spread tougher than Barry Switzer's wishbone.
- SN's take: 52 percent say Vince Young a better Texas quarterback than Colt McCoy.
Meanwhile, as Big 12 blogger Tim Griffin recounted recently, Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops thinks the Red River Rivalry between his Sooners and Texas still has room to grow. Earlier this summer, SportsNation rated it as the best rivalry in college football, but considering that there are still several schools SportsNation hates way more than Oklahoma and Texas, Stoops may have a point. One can only aspire to be despised as much as Ohio State (whose fans now don't know whether to feel offended or complimented).
- SN's take: 60 percent say Nebraska won't regain elite status before 2020.
- SN's take: 52 percent think Bill Snyder is the best coach in Kansas.
- SN's take: 53 percent contend Georgia at OSU isn't best Big 12 nonconference game.
- Vote: What's your take on some of these Big 12 preseason questions?
- Groups: HOOK EM !! | BIG 12 TWELVE COUNTRY | The Red River Rivalry
“I think the OU Texas game is going to be the best this year! One down but good O-line and one down D-line but good . The best backfield vs one of the best secondaries. Gonna be fun!
” -- jtstavern
“I love this [OU-Texas] rivalry, of all my teams this is my favorite. It was rough those years OU owned us, but I can appreciate how Texas hung in there with Mack and now the rivalry is widely regarded as one of the biggest again. I was sooo tired of the Michigan/OSU hype
” -- bigtravatx
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