Big 12 Spring News, Notes & Reviews

GoSooners · Mar 6, 2009

I thought I would get a Big 12 thread going this spring. It looks like it's going to be a very competetive conference in both divisions this year. So feel free to add your two cents or any new articles you might come across. First, I thought this was as interesting little tidbit on what Bob Davies said about the Bigt 12 in general. I can't say as I disagree with anything he says:
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Had lunch with Bob Davies and Priest Holmes today. A couple of things Coach Davies said in our brief discussion.

Just thought I would pass it on.

Texas is a recruiting machine. Does not like all the early commits, but if it works who is he to say its wrong
Oklahoma is great at evaluating talent
If he had won 1 of 4 NC games like Bob Stoops he would still be the Notre Dame coach
Texas A&M messed up firing Slocum
Don't like coach in waiting scnerio. Mack Brown could pull a Joe Paterno or Bobby Bowden and stay forever. Note: he does not think that would happen though. Maybe another 5 to 10 years.
Big 12 defense was not as bad as people think, but there is no 1st or 2nd rd nfl draft talent either.
ESPN has way more influence on things than they should. Understands why the BCS needs computers.
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Texas A&M hasn't been the same since the Slocum days. And the book is still out on Sherman. Although he strikes me as an intelligent coach. He doesn't seem like a rah rah Brian Kelly kind of "kick in the pants" coach that most college teams need. I also think Davies was right about the Big 12 defenses. They weren't quite as bad as people think. When I look at what OU gave up in conference, and just the the 24 points they gave up against Florida in the BCS title game, it was very evident to me that the Big 12 had by far the best offenses in the country. Florida was just a very special team with a great coach, who happened to be miles better than anybody in their own conference by the end of the year. A point that maybe can be argued forever by SEC fans. But that's just my personal opinion.

Right now this is my pre-spring opinion of the Big 12. I could have a change of mind on a couple of these teams by summer. But this is how I'm feeling it now:

Big 12 South

1.Texas-In my opinion the team to beat in the South. I might be a little off on my numbers, but I'm counting 9 players coming back on offense and 8 on defense. Plus a second year defensive coordinator who should have his system fully implemented in '09. Some questions lie on the DL. But keep in mind they had some questions last season too. They used a converted RB at one of the DE positions last year. And they have some very good talent coming back this year. I actually think the Horns bigger question on defense will be their secondary. They had problems at times trying to stop the pass against teams like OU, TT and Baylor. So they'll have to improve there this year without Orakpo putting on the pass rush. Still, this could be the best offense in the nation. And I'll make a little prediction. Because of what happend last season with Texas and the BCS/Big 12 computer snubbing, Mack Brown isn't going to be Mr. Niceguy. He's going to run up the score in every game, regardless of their opponent. You can bank on it. When Texas is this good it's usually bad news for OU. Plus the Horns have an easy Big 12 schedule and a pussy OOC schedule.

2.(Tie) Oklahoma-The Sooners big question lie in the OL, WR LB positions. It makes the Sooners a little bit of a mystery team. Some lines come together faster than others. So this is one thing that not even the best prognosticators can predict. It's also going to take Bradofrd a while to get on the same page with his new WR's. One thing is probably for sure, Bradford isn't going to have 8 seconds in the pocket this season to throw the ball to whoever he wants. My bet is he's going to be tested bigtime as a QB. And he may be wishing he had gone pro when he had a chance. This is one thing I feel about 80% sure of. When you lose two cogs of your offense (WR, OL) I don't care how good you are at reloading, when you have a schedule like OU has this year, it tells me that things won't come as easy on offense. The defnese could be one of the best in the country. But I still have the same concerns that we had last season. Special teams and the LB position. These are the two things that cost OU against the Horns last season. And with the injuries that OU has had at the LB position, it puts a little doubt in my head. Especially since their star player Ryan Reynolds is still hurting and will skip spring practice. Tough call on the Sooners. They could be no better than the second or third best team in the south. Or they could be another BCS title team.

2.(Tie) OSU-Yes, I think they could be this good. Their big question will once again be defense. And their third DC in the last 4 years come in with Bill Young taking over. But you may remember him from the Kansas team who made it all the way to a BCS game in 2007. He is definitely one of the very best DC's in the country. And this alone makes me think OSU can only be better on that side of the ball. The offense could be as close or as good as Texas. This team seems to get just a bit better every year. And they definitely have their stuff together in Stillwater. Gundy has a very good system working despite losing a few coaches over the last couple of years. And the reason why is because everytime he replaces a coach it's an upgrade from the last. This team will once again be a bigtiome threat. And if their defense comes together they'll even be a big threat on the road. They move up this year.

4.Texas Tech-Although they lose their key playmakers on offense, they still return a ton of players. And Leach has recruited very well the last couple of years. The defense will be improved. The offense will be a work in progress. But if I know Leach, he'll have things figured out by fall.

5.Baylor-This is still a team that lacks the playmakers that it takes to be competetive in the South. Griffin can't do it alone. But in Briles second year I expect them to make a few strides. The Bears need more skill players. But I like the general attitude of this team under Briles. They'll have to step up and win one or two games their not supposed to win to make it to a bowl.

6.Texas A&M-The same problem as Baylor. Not enough skill players. But they have to make some big improvements on both lines, who were physically outmuscled by the big boys last season. We'll find out just how good of a coach that Sherman is this season. They get Baylor at home. So that game could deterim the cellar dwellar in the South. Sherman has recruited better than i thought he would. And he may have to use some of these "diaper dandies" right out of the chute if he hopes to compete. My feeling is they are a year away from being a bowl team.

I'll be back later with my feelings about the Big 12 north.

GoSooners · Mar 6, 2009

Here's a good article by Olin Buchanan to give OU fans a little postive re-enforcement.

March 3, 2009

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<EMBED SRC=http://vmedia.rivals.com/flash/contentheadlines.swf?h1=Return+to+title+game+a+real+possibility+for+Sooners+&h2=&lwidth=620&lheight=60&lshadow=1&sFontColor=000000&sLink= WIDTH=620 HEIGHT=60 SALIGN=lt QUALITY=best SCALE=noborder wmode=transparent ID=rvflash NAME=rvflash BGCOLOR=#FFFFFF allowscriptaccess=always TYPE=application/x-shockwave-flash PLUGINSPAGE=http://www.macromedia.com/shockwave/download/index.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash></EMBED></OBJECT><NOSCRIPT></NOSCRIPT></P>Olin Buchanan
Rivals.com College Football Senior Writer
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OKLAHOMA AT-A-GLANCE

Sam Bradford will have plenty of weapons around him.
THE BASICS

Coach: Bob Stoops
Last season: 12-2, 7-1 Big 12 South. Lost to Florida in the BCS national championship game.
Spring dates: March 3-April 11. RETURNING STARTERS
<!--

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-->Offense (5): QB Sam Bradford, WR Ryan Broyles, TE Jermaine Gresham, RB DeMarco Murray, T Trent Williams.
Defense (8): E Jeremy Beal, LB Keenan Clayton, E Auston English, CB Dominique Franks, CB Brian Jackson, LB Travis Lewis, T Gerald McCoy, NT Adrian Taylor.
Special teams (2): P Mike Knall, K Jimmy Stevens.


Positions of strength
Where do you start? The Sooners are loaded, as always, with talent. They return the Heisman winner at quarterback, two 1,000-yard rushers and a potential first-round pick at tight end from an offense that led the nation in scoring. Yet offense isn't necessarily the strongest part of the team. The defensive line will be one of the nation's best. Travis Lewis heads a group of solid linebackers, and cornerbacks Brian Jackson and Dominique Franks may be coach Bob Stoops' best pair since 2003.
Help is needed
The offensive line lost four starters, including Jon Cooper - a four-year starter at center. OU allowed only 13 sacks last season. Talented players are ready to step in, but a high standard of performance has been set. The Sooners also need to replace two starting wide receivers and develop some depth there.
Keep an eye on
SS Quinton Carter: Both starting safeties from '08 must be replaced and Carter, a junior, figures to take over for Nic Harris. He's a punishing hitter, in the mode of former Sooners standout Roy Williams.
OT Jarvis Jones: He played seven games as a backup tackle and guard on LSU's 2007 national championship team. Jones, a sophomore, was dismissed from the Tigers last July for violating undisclosed team rules and transferred to OU. At 6 feet 7 and 294 pounds, he has a great chance to move in at right tackle because coaches would like to move the incumbent there - Trent Williams - to the left side.
WR Dejuan Miller: Miller, a sophomore, had only two catches in '08, but he was impressive in practice and will make a strong bid to break into the starting lineup.
His time is now
There have been high hopes for wide receiver Adron Tennell since he arrived in Norman. But after three seasons, he has just 16 catches and one touchdown. If he doesn't distinguish himself this spring, those once-high hopes will look more and more like false hopes.
The buzz
OU always has national championship aspirations. Some seasons, they are more realistic than others. The 2009 hopes are realistic. Any team featuring four likely first-round picks has to be taken seriously, and OU has at least that many. Though Oklahoma lost to Florida in last year's national championship game, some may forget the Sooners failed to score twice inside the 5. They were that close to winning, and the majority of starters from that team return. If significant progress is made this spring in filling holes at receiver, safety and along the offensive line, the buzz about the national championship possibilities will grow louder.

Olin Buchanan is the senior college football writer for Rivals.com. He can be reached at olin@rivals.com.

GoSooners · Mar 6, 2009

You may have already seen this article, but this looks like it could be a big blow to Nebraska. I still don't understand why this kid left when he was even money to win the starting position. Very surprising to me...

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Sean Callahan
HuskersIllustrated.com Publisher
<SCRIPT language=javascript>document.write("<div id=contentcontainer style='font-size: " + currentsize + "pt;'>");</SCRIPT>Talk about it in Red Sea Scrolls

Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini confirmed reports from earlier on Sunday that sophomore-to-be Patrick Witt has left the NU football program.

Witt asked for his scholarship release over the weekend for unknown reasons. Witt's decision comes as a major surprise, because he was considered by many the front runner to replace Joe Ganz as NU's starting quarterback this season.

"Patrick has decided that it is in his best interest to continue his college career at another school," Pelini said. "Patrick is a great kid from a great family and I appreciate the contributions he has made to our football program. I wish him nothing but the best in the future and know he will be a success wherever he goes."

Witt's father Gene Witt declined comment when reached on Sunday night by HuskersIllustrated.com.

Witt was considered to be the front runner for the starting quarterback job this spring, but with this turn of events junior-to-be Zac Lee appears to be the front runner, along with redshirt freshman Kody Spano and true freshman Cody Green.
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GoSooners · Mar 6, 2009

The Big 12 North is a pretty muddled divsion this year. But i'll give you my best take on it right now the way I see it:

North Division

1.(Tie) Colorado-There a few big signs here that make me think Hawkins will have his first winning season. First, he has been building his team from the inside out. And CU does has some very good beef up front. The trouble is they've sustained so many injuries the last couple of years. Especially on the offensive line. Many may not know that the 2008 CU team was the most injuried team in Buffs history. In their last game of the season against Nebraska they literally played just about their entire second team. And it took a 57 yard field goal by Nebraska to win that game. This year CU has to replace three starters on the defensive line. But their back 7 stays basically intact. And they lose only 1 starter off of their OL. If you wonder why Cody Hawkins had a halfway decent first season in 2007 as a freshman, but struggled so badly last season, look no further then their offensive line. They were hurting from the get go. And it only got worse as the season progressed. I expect much more out of that unit this season. Plus I like the fact that they are ditching the spread no huddle offense in favor of the I-Formation set. And more sets directly involved with their strong set of tight ends. It should really help this team. And also take some pressure off of the QB position. And I also think WR Simms is a talented player. And could have a breakout year. The biggest advantage for CU this year is they get Nebraska, Kansas and Missouri at home. This alone gives them a slight nod over Nebraska and Missouri. And at least on an even plane with Kansas. But they need to learn to win on the road if they want a share of or outright North title.

1.(Tie) Kansas-There are things I like, and things I dislike about Kansas. I like the fact that they get the bulk of their skill players back on offense including QB Reesing. And I like their large and in charge coach Mangino. But i don't like the fact that they lose over half of their defense and some of their OL.. And the Big 12 south part of their schedule is brutal. It means there is no room for error. They need to beat everybody in the North to win it outright in my opinion. And although Nebraska and Missouri don't have a QB as I type, they both will probably still have better defenses than Kansas. Especially Nebraska. So those games won't be gimmes. The big thing that bothers me about this team is I don't know if they have the horses up front to get it done this season. If Nebraska gets their running game going, they might be able to have their way with the Jayhawks. Same with Colorado. So their winning the North is still shaky at best.

3.Nebraska-I would like Nebraska a lot more if they had QB Ganz coming back. This team also loses a lot off of last years team. They had 11 seniors playing in their bowl game. But Pelini did redshirt a ton of players last year. So there is going to be some fierce competetion for positions. Especially at QB, WR, CB and LB. What I look for out of Nebraska this season is a stronger defense than they had last year in Pelini's second year. And possibly a better running game. RB Helu is pretty talented. And he could break out for a 1000 yard season.But QB is a huge problem for this team. There simply isn't any experience there. And with Witt leaving, it menas they have even less depth. So their road games at Boulder, Lawrence and Columbia are going to be tough to win. But Nebraska will probably have the best defense in the North. Which means they have a fighting chance. But my feeling right now is Pelini's still a year away from winning the North.

4.Missouri-Mizzou pretty much fits into the second tier this year. They lose a lot of skill players. And I believe Pinkel went as far as he's going to go with the teams he had the last couple of years. I think they could have a better defense next season. But I think they're going to struggle early on offense. I still expect them to be good enough to play the spoiler part at home. But their going to miss a 4 year starter at QB. Their good overall team depth could tell the tale next season. If some of these young players come together early and have a good spring, then I might possibly move them up a slot.

5.Kansas State-Bill Snyder coming in should by itself elevate this team some. But he loses QB Freeman, and a bunch of seniors because of Prince's bonehead recruiting practices with JC transfers. So they'll pretty much be starting over. Snyder should bring the tougher attitude back. But KSU simple don't have the personnel to compete.

6.Iowa State-Ditto for ISU. New coach and staff. I still can't get a whole lot of info on this team. They didn't have THAT bad of an offense last season. So they could possibly improve on that side of the ball and move up a slot in the rankings. But there are simply too many unknowns with this team at the moment. I should know more after spring.

GoSooners · Mar 7, 2009

Here is a Spring preview of the Big 12:

Saturday, March 7, 2009
Spring Football Capsules: Big 12

Associated Press

What to watch for during spring practice around the Big 12:

Baylor (4-8)
Practice started: March 2.
Spring game: April 2 (controlled scrimmage at new practice complex).
All eyes on: Who will protect QB Robert Griffin? As a freshman last season, Griffin had 2,934 total yards and 28 touchdowns (2,091 yards and 15 TDs passing, with 843 yards and 13 TDs rushing) but the key starters gone are OTs Jason Smith and Dan Gay, both of whom started at least 34 games. Smith is a projected top-five NFL pick. Baylor lost four games by a touchdown or less with Griffin, who just turned 19 last month, and leading receiver Kendall Wright, also a freshman.

Colorado (5-7)
Practice starts: March 31.
Spring game: April 25.
All eyes on: Cody Hawkins and Tyler Hansen alternated lining up at quarterback midway through last season, giving the Buffaloes a running and throwing threat. The problem was, opponents were tipped off to what the Buffaloes were scheming. Hawkins was the passer, throwing for 1,892 yards and 17 touchdowns. Hansen gave the Buffs a burst of speed, scampering for 261 yards. The Buffs may look to hone the platoon system in 2009, or could opt for a different plan. Coach Dan Hawkins recruited Josh Moten and Clark Evans to campus, with a chance at the quarterback job.

Iowa State (2-10)
Practice starts: March 24.
Spring game: April 18.
All eyes on: Iowa State enters spring practice with its third coach in four seasons. Paul Rhoads, hired to replace Gene Chizik in December, will use spring ball to establish his philosophy and expectations of the Cyclones, many of whom were reeling following Chizik's abrupt departure. New offensive coordinator Tom Herman will begin implementing a pass-oriented spread offense with quarterback Austen Arnaud.

Kansas (8-5)
Practice starts: March 9.
Spring game: April 11.
All eyes on: The offense is set: QB Todd Reesing is back and so are nearly all of his receivers. What the Jayhawks need is to find defensive help after ranking near the bottom of the Big 12 in pass defense. Coach Mark Mangino pulled together one of the best recruiting classes in school history, including 14 defensive players. Defensive backs Bradley McDougald — who'll also likely play some receiver — and Prinz Kande could have an impact right away.

Kansas State (5-7)
Practice starts: April 6.
Spring game: May 2.
All eyes on: After two years of watching Josh Freeman run the offense, junior QB Carson Coffman get his turn — maybe. While Coffman is the likely front-runner for the job, he'll get pushed hard by junior college transfer Daniel Thomas. Coach Bill Snyder, in his second go-round at Kansas State, has likened Daniels' running ability to former Wildcats' standout Michael Bishop.

Missouri (10-4)
Practice starts: March 10.
Spring game: April 18.
All eyes on: The Tigers must replace virtually all their offensive stars from consecutive 10-win teams. WR-KR Jeremy Maclin is a likely high first-round NFL draft pick, QB Chase Daniel was a Heisman finalist as a junior and TE Chase Coffman was the most prolific pass catcher at his position in NCAA history. Sophomore Blaine Gabbert has inside track at QB but could be pushed by newly signed freshman Blaine Dalton, who enrolled at mid-semester. Coach Gary Pinkel had to replace both coordinators after Dave Christensen (offense) left to be head coach at Wyoming and Matt Eberflus (defense) left to be assistant with Cleveland Browns.

Nebraska (9-4)
Practice starts: March 25.
Spring game: April 18.
All eyes on: The offseason departure of Patrick Witt has narrowed the competition to replace QB Joe Ganz. Zac Lee, son of ex-NFL QB Bob Lee, goes in as the favorite. Kody Spano will get a good look, as will incoming freshman Cody Green, who enrolled for the spring semester. Cornhuskers will be looking for WR Menelik Holt to prove he can be a consistent weapon.

Oklahoma (12-2)
Practice started: March 3.
Spring game: April 11.
All eyes on: The Sooners lost four of the five starting offensive linemen who kept Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford largely untouched during Oklahoma's run to the BCS championship game last season. LSU transfer Jarvis Jones and Stephen Good, a former Army All-American in high school, will be among those trying to break into the new front line. The Sooners are also seeking replacements for WRs Juaquin Iglesias and Manuel Johnson, who combined for 1,864 yards and 19 touchdowns last season.

Oklahoma State (9-4)
Practice starts: March 9.
Spring game: April 18.
All eyes on: With WR Dez Bryant out following knee surgery and three other receivers out of the mix for various reasons other than graduation, the Cowboys will be looking for new pass-catching options for QB Zac Robinson. Oklahoma State has no one other than Bryant who had 100 yards receiving last season after receiver Bo Bowling was suspended, Damian Davis was dismissed and Artrell Woods decided to transfer. The Cowboys also must replace departed TE Brandon Pettigrew, who was second on the team in receiving.

Texas (12-1)
Practice started: Feb. 27.
Spring game: April 5.
All eyes on: The Longhorns want OLB Sergio Kindle to develop into the dominant pass rusher that All-American DE Brian Orakpo was last season. He'll spend the spring at end, but the coaches say he'll play both positions in the fall. Texas is also still searching for a top-flight RB and lists five players on its spring depth chart. QB Colt McCoy was last season's leading rusher with 561 yards.

Texas A&M (4-8)
Practice starts: March 26.
Spring game: April 18.
All eyes on: QB Jerrod Johnson won't have to compete for the starting job this spring after guiding the offense most of last season. Ryan Tannehill was A&M's leading receiver last season, but may move to backup quarterback. Cyrus Gray will become the top running back after Mike Goodson's early exit. Gray rushed for 363 yards last season. The Aggies' defense was among the worst in the Big 12, but should improve now that they've had one full season to learn first-year coordinator Joe Kines' system.

Texas Tech (11-2)
Practice starts: March 25. Spring game: April 18. All eyes on: The Red Raiders will try to replace the prolific duo of QB Graham Harrell and WR Michael Crabtree. Junior QB Taylor Potts has been waiting in the wings to lead Mike Leach's pass-happy offense and there is a stable of able receivers to replace Crabtree, who left early for the NFL.

russ1945 · Mar 17, 2009

GS: I am struck by the fact that Nebraska is popping up on Phil Steel's Preseason online poll at number 13. I can't get over it. I can't for the life of me figure it out. To me at best they are a mystery team losing a QB, RB, FB, and their two WR's. I don't care how many players you red shirt, not many just walk out there and start producing much less replacing players like Ganz, Swift, and Peterson. I just don't get it. What do these people know about Nebraska that I don't know. Witt's departure leaves things hanging but maybe he knew something we don't know.
I can't say that I share your enthusiasm for Colorado but it is not a team I follow much less bet on often. Their offense has been puny by comparison to the rest of the conference. The Big 12 North is not very strong and how many teams you play out of the South may determine who wins it. That is pathetic. I think Kansas can out score anyone in the North. I agree that it would not take much for Colorado to improve but I don't know how quickly they can improve if they can. I personally am not high on Hawkins. He has no coaching advantage over the other coaches in the Big 12 as he did at his old conference.

Conan · Mar 17, 2009

russ1945 said:
GS: I am struck by the fact that Nebraska is popping up on Phil Steel's Preseason online poll at number 13. I can't get over it. I can't for the life of me figure it out. To me at best they are a mystery team losing a QB, RB, FB, and their two WR's. I don't care how many players you red shirt, not many just walk out there and start producing much less replacing players like Ganz, Swift, and Peterson. I just don't get it. What do these people know about Nebraska that I don't know. Witt's departure leaves things hanging but maybe he knew something we don't know.
I can't say that I share your enthusiasm for Colorado but it is not a team I follow much less bet on often. Their offense has been puny by comparison to the rest of the conference. The Big 12 North is not very strong and how many teams you play out of the South may determine who wins it. That is pathetic. I think Kansas can out score anyone in the North. I agree that it would not take much for Colorado to improve but I don't know how quickly they can improve if they can. I personally am not high on Hawkins. He has no coaching advantage over the other coaches in the Big 12 as he did at his old conference.

Russ, all these touts, Steele included get some kind of notion about some team that they've been ignoring for some reason so they give them some attention. It's either an attack of their conscience about some school that no one gives a prayer about, and they feel like they've been overlooked too long and get picked for that reason, or they practice some sort of hocus pocus by pulling something out of their ass via rumor or coin flip, trying to look like they've got a crystal ball that nobody else has. Every once in a while they hit. Sort of like putting on a blindfold and picking a longshot off a racing form. Then they look for ways to justify it because, well, because they are pros and they should look like they are pros.

I refuse to waste my money on Steele's books but I'll browse his internet site if I'm looking for some trash to pass the time.

Here's a winner, perhaps the only one or maybe just one of a few that are honestly written by honest beat reporters who follow a system the same way for every team. Every one of their writers fill in the blanks the same way so you end up with real comprehensive reports about every team. And every one is treated equally. There's as much info in one edition of the Blue Ribbon Yearbook as there is in Athlon, Lindy and Steele all combined. There are a few on this board that buy this book every year and read it religiously -- including me. Blue Ribbon's analyses are as insightful and as legit as they come.

Click here... then click "purchase" (at the top) to see the football yearbooks... 2009 will become available I think sometime in July.

People that have an ESPN "insider" subscription will get the online edition of Blue Ribbon for free. I still like the print version because it's easier to browse a book than a website.

russ1945 · Mar 17, 2009

Conan: The poll I was referring to is picked by his readers and viewers not by Steele. So it is not necessarily his choice. I refer to his site probably more than I should only because he has some info out earlier than a lot of the others. Things like returning starters and coaching changes. He does have a lot of info and stats that are easily accesible. I know I mention his name occassionally but he does not unduly influence me but I do appreciate his online site as having good info readily available.
Kind of a giving credit where credit is due kind of thing on my part.
I have found that some of the Universities are beginning to update their
football sights. That will make me less dependent on Steele and others.
I still can not find a source that lists turnover ratios and numbers for comparison purposes.
In my opinion preseason rankings, whenever they are put out, reflect opinions based on how easy of a schedule the teams have and how that projects in terms of wins and losses. Who would not project Florida or Texas to be in the top ten based on their schedules. How else can Steele miss out on 10 of LY's preseason top 25.
I agree that you need reliable sources in order to accumulate unbiased data upon which to form your own opinions. Bias is a hard thing to weed out for all of us. I don't agree with everything I hear or read but I do give it all my consideration. I will check into the reference you suggested and I can't wait till July when you can get a better pulse on how different people see the same things. Hopefully by then we will be way ahead of the curve.
As always, I would like to stress that I couldn't care less about rankings. Money is made on matchups, who wins a game on a given day.

GoSooners · Mar 22, 2009

russ1945 said:
GS: I am struck by the fact that Nebraska is popping up on Phil Steel's Preseason online poll at number 13. I can't get over it. I can't for the life of me figure it out. To me at best they are a mystery team losing a QB, RB, FB, and their two WR's. I don't care how many players you red shirt, not many just walk out there and start producing much less replacing players like Ganz, Swift, and Peterson. I just don't get it. What do these people know about Nebraska that I don't know. Witt's departure leaves things hanging but maybe he knew something we don't know.
I can't say that I share your enthusiasm for Colorado but it is not a team I follow much less bet on often. Their offense has been puny by comparison to the rest of the conference. The Big 12 North is not very strong and how many teams you play out of the South may determine who wins it. That is pathetic. I think Kansas can out score anyone in the North. I agree that it would not take much for Colorado to improve but I don't know how quickly they can improve if they can. I personally am not high on Hawkins. He has no coaching advantage over the other coaches in the Big 12 as he did at his old conference.

Russ...There is no way that Nebraska is number 13. So I agree with you there. Right now, the Huskers are in a world of hurt at the QB position with just two QB's practicing in the Spring. Regularly your going to see 4 QB's practicing behind 4 different units with the coaches keeping a close eye on their progress. But with 2 QB's, there really isn't enough comptetion there for the coaches to make a good assesment of their QB's.. Especially now that Witt has left the team. And they definitely can't afford to get anybody hurt in the spring. So I'm sure they're walking around with the no-hit vests on.

I've had access to the Huskers message board The Red Sea Scrolls because this is bar none the best college football team message board in the country. So I pretty much keep up with what is going on with this team and other info throughout the year. When I get past the Husker homerism on this board, I tend to learn alot about their strengths and their shortcomings. Right now their strengths appear to be in both of their lines. Which is always a good place to start. They'll also be okay in the defensive backfield and RB positions. The positions that have the most question marks is the QB, WR and LB positions. And with the lack of QB's on campus at the moment, it's going to be hard to get an accurate assensment of their WR's when your playing "protect the QB" in practice. Here's one thing I do know, one QB is pretty inexpereinced, but has a big arm. And the other QB is Zac Lee. A JC transfer who led his JC team to the championship. He had some bigtime stats while he was there in throwing for 3,471 yards, 31 TD's and just 5 int's. And he also has a cannon for an arm. And can throw the ball 70 yards. So more than likely he's probably going to end up being the starter.

As for the rest of the teams in the North, I really haven't had a chance or the time to dive into these teams. Plus we really won't get a true read on the North until after spring practice is over for all teams. But right now you just can't automatically say Kansas is the team to beat. Especially with their schedule. The other day I was looking at the odds of winning the national championship for each of the teams in the North. What really surprised me was Nebraska, Colorado and Missouri were all 100-1. But Kansas was 200-1. Go figure....But if I had to guess why the perceived best team got the highest odds, it was because they had to play the three toughest teams from the South Division. This would automatically make your odds go up. Especially since they would not only have to beat these teams, they would also have to win the Big 12 Championship Game, and then the NC game. Nebraksa on the other hand gets to avoid Texas and OSU out of the South. And they get OU at home. So this is a big issue with oddsmakers. Not only in winning the BCS, but winning the North.

Colorado is the most interesting and mysterious team in the North this year. This is really do or die time for Hawkins, who is on the hotseat to get his team going. Injuries have really hurt this team the past couple of years. But if they get their QB situation straightened out, they could potenially explode this year with all of those highly touted injured players (mainly OL) coming back in the lineup. I'm hoping that Hawkins doesn't try the 2 QB approach this next season, and just stick to one. It's not like he really has a problem. He's got a young talented and athletic QB and he's got an experienced QB in his son Cody. If their defensive line comes together they could be a very dangerous team. At any rate, their schedule is the easiest in the North. Which puts them at a distinct advantage over Nebraska and Missouri. My bet is their game against Kansas in Boulder could be the one to decide it.

russ1945 · Mar 23, 2009

GS: I show Colorado having to win at W. Vir, at Texas, at OSU, and Kansas at home to really have a big year. Kansas has to play OU and Texas and get by Colo away, T Tech away and Neb at home. I don't know how Vegas does the odds on winning national championships but it might as well be a million to one on either one of those teams for Christ's sake.
Looks like Missouri lost Daniel, Maclin, and Coffman as some asst coaches as well. Gabbert was the nations No.l pro-style QB in the class of 2008 maybe he can step up but they lost a lot.
Colorado still can't make up their mind on the QB but at least they have two decent ones. They have to score more to be competitive in the Big 12.
It makes you wonder when a QB like Witt up and leaves. Maybe Nebraska will start an all redshirt team this year.
The North in general is pretty weak. I think Kansas has the edge on offense and that seems to get it done in the Big 12.

GoSooners · Mar 24, 2009

russ1945 said:
GS: I show Colorado having to win at W. Vir, at Texas, at OSU, and Kansas at home to really have a big year. Kansas has to play OU and Texas and get by Colo away, T Tech away and Neb at home. I don't know how Vegas does the odds on winning national championships but it might as well be a million to one on either one of those teams for Christ's sake.
Looks like Missouri lost Daniel, Maclin, and Coffman as some asst coaches as well. Gabbert was the nations No.l pro-style QB in the class of 2008 maybe he can step up but they lost a lot.
Colorado still can't make up their mind on the QB but at least they have two decent ones. They have to score more to be competitive in the Big 12.
It makes you wonder when a QB like Witt up and leaves. Maybe Nebraska will start an all redshirt team this year.
The North in general is pretty weak. I think Kansas has the edge on offense and that seems to get it done in the Big 12.

Missouri did in fact lose both their offensive and defensive coordinators. What makes this significant is this is the first time in Pinkel's 8 years at Mizzou that the coaching staff has been shaken up. So it will be interesting to see if there are any basic changes that are going to be made. My guess is they are going to run the same offense. The defense I don't know. The reason why I think there won't be too many changes if any is because Pinkel has simply promoted his other assistant coaches up to those jobs. So everything is staying in-house. The problem I see is that Pinkel will probably have to rule over this team a little more than he has in the past, while these other coaches get their feet wet in their new jobs. From what I've heard in the past, this team does better when Pinkel stays out out of the way. The Tigers got by on their veterans the last two years. So Pinkel really didn't have to do much coaching. But it is a much different story this year. I've looked over what this team has returning compared to what Nebraska has coming back, and in my opinion Nebraska has a small advantage at most of the positions. The only disadvantage for the Huskers is they have to play in Columbia this year. But in my opinion that game is very winnable for the Huskers considering that Mizzou will also be breaking in a new QB. Albeit with less starting experience than Zac Lee.

Colorado is really a mystery to me. My bet is they will get to 6 or 7 wins this year. True they have games at Texas and OSU. So we can probably chalk up a couple losses there. But I believe that the game at West Virginia (minus Pat White) is winnable. As well as their home games with Nebraska and Mizzou. Kansas will probably be favored over the Buffs. But we'll just have to see what kind of shape these two teams are in by the time they play each other. The altitude of Boulder makes it a very hard place to play for most teams. And if the games are close there, the win usually ends up going to the Buffs. As far as the team and their personnel go, they're going to be the last team in the Big 12 that we're going to get some solid info on since they are the last to start their spring practices. But rumor is they are going to a little bit of a different offense this season. I believe they are going to something like more of a power I-Formation to better utilize their RB and TE talents. But I'm not 100% positive of this. By the way, I just heard today that Nebraska is going to try out the no-huddle offense when their spring practices start Wednesday. This will probably be a good thing for them since it should better utilize the talents of Zac Lee. And it looks like that unless he completely falls on his face that he's going to be their starting QB in the fall. But if he ever gets hurt, the Huskers will be up shit creek. The main job for Pelini with this team is to quickly give them an identity. He doesn't want to end up like Callahan, and have an oversize playbook, and couldn't decide if they wanted to be a pass or a run team. This is the key to college football coaching. You've got to get these kids to buy into your system, and then form an identity. If they don't then their lost. My guess is that Pelini has been around enough bigtime coaches (Stoops, Miles) to know this. i think they'll be alright. I'm just not sure about this season. They'll have to improve upon their 89th ranked pass defense if they want to move up. The smart thing that Pelini did last season was redshirting so many players and still having a decent season. That isn't easy to do. I admire anybody who does that much redshirting. To me it's the single best tool in college football when it's done right. Players like Sam Bradford come in much more seasoned when they are redshirted. That extra year of teaching before they hit the field means alot. Redshirting is a very underrated tool in my opinion. Those 3 star recruits can end up like 4 or 5 star recruits by the time they hit the field, if they have the right coaches teaching them. I think Pelini knows what he is doing to assure a solid future for his team.

russ1945 · Mar 24, 2009

GS: I agree with everything you said. The North is pretty weak overall and it wouldn't even surprise me to see Iowa State beat someone they probably shouldn't. Spring practice is probably more critical to these teams than most. Pinkel lost a lot, players and coaches, so his plate is full. I still consider him to be a capable coach so maybe he is up to the task as I hear the cupboard is not completely bare. I am on hold with Colorado but they got my attention when they popped OU a couple of years ago. They fall in that watch category right now as do a lot of teams this time of year. Personally, they have always been a hard team for me to zero in on. I lean toward Kansas because they have the offense in tact and ready to go. This will probably be the first team that Pellini can lay a real claim to. I still say the teams in the Big 12 that can improve on the defensive side will reap the benefits. That is Pellini's forte so we will see. Nice info.

russ1945 · Mar 25, 2009

GS: just a note. I had forgotten that Keith Nichol (former OU QB) had transferred to Michigan State. I see he is in a battle with Kirk Cousins for that position. I guess Nichols ran the scout team last year.

russ1945 · Mar 26, 2009

I found this interesting. Florida has a new QB coach, Scot Loeffler. Evidentally the Gaytors want to take a look at the hurry up this spring after seeing how the Sooners used it to help them reach the title game LY. (that is not a comment by me that was worded that way in an article I read). I guess you could take that as a compliment. Personally I think it is more about the loss of Harvin and Murphy and how they will have to resort to new things to compensate. I guess Tebow's speech is now on an engraved plaque at the outside of the front entrance to the new football facility. I have heard it is going to be stitched into all of the jock straps and on the interior side of all of the toilet doors. I guess Meyers needs to continue the motivational residuals although I am not sure that they haven't played that hand into the ground. That was then this is now. I think OU should post that speech somewhere and use it for inspiration themselves.

baldswine · Mar 26, 2009

helpful analysis.

GoSooners · Mar 26, 2009

russ1945 said:
I found this interesting. Florida has a new QB coach, Scot Loeffler. Evidentally the Gaytors want to take a look at the hurry up this spring after seeing how the Sooners used it to help them reach the title game LY. (that is not a comment by me that was worded that way in an article I read). I guess you could take that as a compliment. Personally I think it is more about the loss of Harvin and Murphy and how they will have to resort to new things to compensate. I guess Tebow's speech is now on an engraved plaque at the outside of the front entrance to the new football facility. I have heard it is going to be stitched into all of the jock straps and on the interior side of all of the toilet doors. I guess Meyers needs to continue the motivational residuals although I am not sure that they haven't played that hand into the ground. That was then this is now. I think OU should post that speech somewhere and use it for inspiration themselves.

What will be interesting as far as OU goes is how their new players (OL, WR's) are going to handle the no huddle hurry up offense. Bradford handled it beautifully last season. But that was with a group of true veteran WR's and OL that were all in their 3rd, 4th or 5th year of college football. Now with just one OL of any true expereince in the lineup, and some new WR's for Bradford to deal with, something tells me the frustration factor is going to be pretty high for Sammy until these players get some seasoning. The hurry-up isn't an easy offense to run. The QB has to know the OL limitations as far as pace of the game goes. Bradford will be starting over with this new group. I don't have a good feeling about it when they start going up against some talented defensive competetion....We'll see how they progress. But I can almost guarantee you they won't look anything like last year's well oiled unit. These kinds of offenses usually improve the most in their second year. But in OU's case i don't think it will happen that way. The improvement usually depends on what OL and WR's you have coming back. And OU will be operating with a clean slate.. As for Florida, I'm not sure it's really wise for Meyer to be messing with a good thing. If your having success doing what your doing, why change? My bet is if he goes to the no-huddle, it won't be on a full time basis.

russ1945 · Mar 26, 2009

GS: I see OU relying more on throwing to the TE and RB's to take the pressure off of the OL as often as possible. I think they will be able to run better against the better defenses (can't be worse than LY's overrated bunch when it came to big games). As far as Florida, I think they have some voids to fill and they will use the hurry up as a change of pace or maybe in the red zone once in a while. They won't change their philosophy but they they did lose their OC and things will not be the same simply due to that. They also lost Harvin and Murphy and that will hurt them just as bad as OU losing their WR's, maybe more. They could use it on third downs also. I don't think Florida will be running it up this year like they did last year. But time will tell. They will do anything to win Tebow the Heisman this year so anything is possible.

GoSooners · Mar 26, 2009

Pelini redshirted 18 players in his first year at Nebraska. And I think it could possibly pay off for him this season. They may not be able to shock the world, but on the other hand I wouldn't be surprised if they won the Big 12 North. The one thing that sets Nebraska apart from every other school in the country is their walk-on program. When you have just 85 scholarships to work with, if you have 15 or 20 quality walk-ons that you can redshirt and develop every year, it gives you a distinct advantage over other schools. This is why Nebraska has been so successful in the past. Up until Tom Osborne left, this is the way the Huskers operated. That's why they never had any down years while he was there. And with Osborn back as AD, it looks like Pelini is taking a page out of Dr. Tom's book with the redshirt/walk-on program. If they get their QB developed early, this could be an interesting year. Here's an article on what Pelini thinks of the upcoming season:

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<TABLE id=topTools cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><FORM name=hiddenValForm></FORM><TBODY><TR><TD>Pelini optimistic that Nebraska will make more strides in 2009</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE height=25 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=datestamp>Updated<SCRIPT type=text/javascript>document.write(niceDate('3/24/2009 3:53 PM'));</SCRIPT> 2d 6h ago | Comments 49 | Recommend 3 </TD><TD align=right>E-mail | Save | Print |<SCRIPT type=text/javascript> </SCRIPT>  </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

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<SCRIPT src="http://d.yimg.com/ds/badge.js" ____yb="1"></SCRIPT>LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska was 9-4 with a bowl win in Bo Pelini's first season but, true to his nature, he sounded more like a coach whose team went 4-9.
"We're going into year two here. I expect us to make a big jump," he said Tuesday. "Until we're at the top, we're not satisfied. We're not there yet."
Pelini injected new energy into the program in 2008, tying for first in the Big 12 North and beating Clemson 26-21 in the Gator Bowl on New Year's Day.
MORE ON HUSKERS: Nebraska team notes

The fans were happy. His boss, athletic director Tom Osborne, was happy.

Pelini?
All he'll allow is that the Huskers are headed in the right direction as they prepare for the start of spring practice Wednesday.
Pelini goes into the spring with better knowledge of his personnel, and his players go in with better knowledge of the coaching staff's philosophy. The feeling-out period is over, he said.
"Last year was a crash course," linebacker Blake Lawrence said. "This year, it's more about taking what we learned, taking where we ended the season ... and turning it into a final product going into the season rather than a work-in-progress, which it was at the beginning of last year."
There is a stockpile of talent waiting to be unveiled. Running back Collins Okafor, linebacker Will Compton, defensive linemen Josh Williams and Cameron Meredith and defensive back Courtney Osborne are among the redshirts who will begin pushing for playing time. Antonio Bell, who joined the program in January, and Khiry Cooper, who's playing baseball this spring, will bolster the receiving corps.
With Gator Bowl MVP Joe Ganz gone, the quarterbacks will be a focal point this spring.
Zac Lee is the heir apparent, but Pelini said nothing is set.
Freshman Cody Green will miss the first few days with a hip injury he aggravated while lifting weights. Green, highly recruited out of Dayton, Texas, enrolled at Nebraska in January after graduating from high school in December.
"He's really a high school senior. He really shouldn't be here anyway," Pelini said. "The way I look at it is that it's a bonus that he's here at all."
Latravis Washington will move from linebacker to quarterback this spring. The 6-foot-3, 225-pounder appeared in 10 games last season, primarily on special teams.
Pelini said Washington's move was a mutual decision between the coaches and player, partially necessitated by Patrick Witt's decision to leave the program in the offseason. Redshirt freshman Kody Spano also will take snaps this spring.
Washington was starting quarterback for Bayshore High School in Bradenton, Fla., as a senior, and he attended Nebraska's Elite Quarterback camp in 2005 and '06.
"He's got a big arm. We needed another arm, and we'll see what it looks like," Pelini said.
Pelini said Lee probably would get the majority of the reps, but only because he's the most experienced returning quarterback. The extent of his experience was two mop-up appearances. He's thrown two passes, completing one for 5 yards.
"He's got a lot of talent, and I just want him to get better and compete for a job," Pelini said.
Pelini, who has made his mark in college football as a defensive coordinator, is looking for sharper performances from the Blackshirts.
Playing in the offense-oriented Big 12, Nebraska put up decent defensive numbers. The Huskers allowed 350 yards a game to rank second to Texas in total defense. They were sixth in points allowed, at 28.5 a game. But Nebraska gave up 87 plays of 20 yards or longer, was last in the league in turnover margin, and there was a run of personal fouls.
The Huskers' best outing came in the bowl, where they held Clemson to 4 yards rushing and 210 in all.
"Coming off a good win over Clemson got us into an area where the morale is good," nose tackle Ndamukong Suh said. "The attitude is tremendously different this spring. It's not like everybody is down and wondering what's going to happen."
Pelini said the defense certainly was better than coordinator Kevin Cosgrove's unit in 2007.
"But we're nowhere near where I want us to play defensively, and I expect to get there this year," Pelini said.
"When I look back at last season, we were our own worst enemy a lot of the time. If we fixed that — and we have a pretty good idea how to get that done — we have a chance to be a lot better."
Pelini said he can be a better coach, too.
"Hopefully I've grown up a little bit into the position," he said. "I learned a lot my first year. Just like anybody, you make mistakes along the way. You do some things you like. There are a lot of things you don't like. When you re-evaluate it, you hope you make corrections and become better.
"I felt at ease last year going into the job. You don't have all the answers. You learn every step of the way."
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russ1945 · Mar 27, 2009

I agree that LY's edition fared better than I thought they might. I guess they have to fill the QB gap. In this day and age you have to have a QB who can get it done. Alabama could have used a Ganz LY., etc. I have no doubt that with Osbornes support Pelllini can keep things moving in the right direction. It really shouldn't be that hard to win the Big 12 North and it is not out of the question they can get it done. Like I said they were picked #13 on that one consensus poll which I think is a little premature to call. Maybe the North will be a dog fight afterall and it would not surprise me if Missouri or Kansas or even Kansas St. knocked somebody out of contention just when they least expect it. Nice stuff G.S. It would be nice to see Nebraska return to their former status. They should be further along than K-St, Snyder or not. Osborne's presence alone is a big asset.

jblonghorn · Mar 28, 2009

2 things:

1) I still cannot for the life of me figure out why Sam Bradford returned to campus this season. I guess he's planning on staying for the next TWO years, not just next year.

2) Dabo Swinney and the entire coaching staff were in Austin for a week (two weeks ago), to learn the nuances of the University of Texas football program. According to Swinney, there isn't a more consistent program in the country than what Mack Brown has cultivated down here in Austin. It'll be interesting to see how Clemson comes out next year. Might be some early season value in their lines.

Big 12 Spring News, Notes & Reviews

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