Bradley Stephens plays in 2007 THSCA All-Star Game

Bradley Stephens played for the victorious South team in today's Texas High School Coaches Association All-Star Game. I haven't yet been able to find stats for Stephens online, but the last I saw, he had 7 carries for 16 yds, 1 rushing TD. He scored a TD on the South's first offensive drive of the game, enough points to win in a game that ended, 14-0.
Stephens showed some good speed, but wasn't able to do much inside with an offensive line that has only been playing together for four days.
I'm just glad he didn't get injured.


Bradley Stephens running for a TD in a HS game last season.

Fran actually explains some Xs and Os to fans

According to his Fridays with Fran report from July 27, Fran actually answered that question that seems to be asked by a lot of Aggie fans, "Why do we run option to the short side of the field so often?"
Fran's explanation:

"One of the more interesting aspects of that is the reaction to the plays where we demonstrate when and why we run the option to the short side of the field. One example is Mike Goodson’s touchdown run in Austin last November when he ran around right end, to the wide side, or what we call running to the field. Then, when Stephen McGee ran the game-winning touchdown on the same play, he ran to the short side, or what we call running to the boundary.

In Austin this Tuesday I told anyone in the audience to ‘fess up if they were one of the fans who asks the question of why we “always” run to the boundary on the option. A large number of people raised their hands. (You know, the Aggie Code of Honor is for real – Aggies never lie ?)

The answer, of course, is that we don’t “always,” and when we do, it usually – not every time, but normally – has nothing to do with it the ball placement on the hash mark instead of the middle of the field. It always has to do with what the defense chooses to do, and Stephen’s ability to recognize it and get us in the right play.

Most folks are surprised when they find out that in many cases, such as those in “The Drive,” we actually break the huddle with four plays called. That is, it could be a run either direction, or either of two passes. Stephen checks us into the right play when he sees, for example among several things, where the safeties are shaded. They might be favoring the field side, which is often the case because a defense will try to use the sideline as a defender and protect where the offense has more room to operate. Based on that and a couple of other things, Stephen would check us into the boundary call.

Either way, we have to execute the play properly. When we don’t and the play doesn’t work, it leaves the impression we’ve called the “wrong” play, and if that’s to the boundary then it feeds the perception about running to the short side. "

If Fran would talk more Xs and Os, I really think he would endear himself more to the rank and file fanbase. That, and avoid making idiotic statements like, "We may be a better team than we were last season, but have a worse record."

Aggie Roundtable II

This is my second time doing the Aggie Roundtable, the first time the questions are my own. Be sure to check out the responses of the other Round Table members: Aggie Sports Blog, 12thManchild, TAMABINPO, and Offtackle.

1. What play in our offense would you like to eliminate or see called less often? Give a valid replacement play or series that will attack the same area, i.e. if you hate the option to the short side of the field, how do you propose we attack the C & D gaps shortside to keep the defense honest?

I actually don't have many complaints with our playcalling, save a few 3rd and short situations last season here we didn't give J-Train the ball, or where he wasn't carrying the ball in the 4th quarter to run out the clock at the end of a game.
If anything, I would like to bring BACK a series we used back in 2004. We had a nice Power-T goal line series that we used effectively to punch it into the end zone, which I'd like to see more of. I'd also install a Belly Series from a shotgun-T backfield formation, and run Inside and Outside Belly, as well as a true quadruple option. First read is inside belly, attacking the A gap. Second read is outside belly, attacking the B gap. Third read is option, attacking C and D gaps.

2. What was your favorite season of Aggie offensive football? Give a year and explain why.
I'll have to go with the 2000 season. We had Robert Ferguson at WR, Ja'Mar Toombs at TB, and Mark Farris at QB. We had the Steve Kragthorpe-Pete Hoener-Larry Kirksey braintrust guiding our offense. We ran a beautiful Fly series, which was installed by Pete Hoener. We were a fun offense to watch, and we scored plenty of points. All three coaches (Kragthorpe, Hoener, Kirksey) were snagged by the NFL, and left after the season was over.

3. If you could steal any assistant coach from one of our conference opponents, either to improve our program or weaken their program, which coach would you take and why.

I would take Kevin Sumlin away from Oklahoma. Two reasons: First, he coached at A&M from 2001-02, leaving after Fran arrived, so he knows A&M and knows our traditions. Second, he was an outstanding recruiter, as well as an incredible offensive coordinator. He turned around our 2002 offense in one short week, eventually leading us to an upset win over then-#1 ranked Oklahoma at Kyle Field. I'd love to steal him back from OU.

4. Given that we have gone back to the old timing rules during games, do you expect our defense to experience a slight setback in total yardage given up per game? What about points per game?

I expect to see ~12 more plays per game, which comes out to roughly 6 more plays per team on offense, or 24-30 more yds given up per game. I expect to see A&M's yards per game numbers go up by ~15 yds per game, but average points given up per game to go down to <20 per game. Hopefully, experience on defense will help us.

5. Playing athletic director for a day, if given the chance, what sport would you add to A&M's athletic department, assuming the funding is there for scholarships, facilities, support, etc.

Women's hockey. It would even out all the Title IX issues with football, and would put A&M at the forefront of the women's college hockey in the South, meaning we'd get all the good female players from this region. Besides, can you imagine the brawls that would erupt when we'd play t.u.? A game might break out!!!

6. Fran tells you he's going to let you coach a whole game as an assistant coach. You can coach any position you want, including both coordinator positions. Which coaching job would you take, and why?

Offensive Coordinator/QB coach. Basically, I'd take over playcalling duties from Fran, to make sure we didn't get stupid, and pass the ball on 3rd and goal from the 2 yd line.

7. Ignoring LSU, Arkansas, and the former SWC teams, what BCS team would you like to see A&M start a non-conference series with? Do you want to play home-and-home or at a neutral site?

No question about it, I want Notre Dame in Arlington at Jerryland. A non-conference game with Notre Dame would get us national attention, and give us a big leg up in the national championship race whenever we beat them. I think Notre Dame would go for that deal, b/c it would be a guaranteed game in Texas every year, opening the state to them for recruiting.

Big 12 is loaded with second year QBs

The Houston Chronicle has a nice piece on how Stephen McGee, Colt McCoy, Chase Daniel, and Graham Harrell will all try to produce an encore to the spectacular year they had in 2006.
Notably absent among those list is Bobby Reid of Oklahoma State, who might have the most returning skill position talent surrounding him of anyone not name Stephen McGee.
Ir will be interesting to see who will improve on next season (I believe Reid will), and who might suffer a sophomore jinx (Colt McCoy is my pick there).


McGee will try to lift the Aggies to new heights in 2007.

Parity here now in the Big 12

Robert Cessna of The Bryan Eagle quotes Mack Brown talking about parity in the Big 12. I think this is just Brown covering his butt, trying to assuage the anger of texas fans who were disappointed by late-season losses to A&M and Kansas State last year. Whenever a coach talks about 'parity', my bullsh*t sensors go off, b/c it always sounds like an excuse.
It's funny how I never hear Urban Meyer or Pete Carroll talk about parity; the great coaches of the great teams don't worry about the rest of the conference, they just concentrate on making their own program better.
The sad thing is, some fans will read this, and use it as an excuse for any losses this season, just like they do every other year.

A veritable treasure trove of Aggie football talk today

With A&M being on of the featured teams in today's Big 12 Media Day in San Antonio, there is a lot of media coverage of the Ags available.

To wit:

• The Topeka Capitol-Journal weighs on in new Strength & Conditioning coach Rod Cole.
  
• Kirk Bohls of the Austin American-Statesman rips Fran for thinking A&M can have a special season.
  
• More AAS notes, in which they try to say we're 'basking' in our 12-7 win over texas.
  
• The Dallas Morning News has a nice piece on all of the offseason work our guys have done, and how Stephen McGee and Red Bryant are leading the charge.
  
• The Kansas City Star says Fran isn't worried about his job security.
  

In summary: I'm cautiously optimistic about Rob Cole, I'll wait until I see how we perform on the field before I judge the job he has done. I think Bohls knows less about football than my dog, and at least my dog knows we went 9-4 last season. texas fans would love to believe we're 'basking' in our win over them, b/c then they can justify spending the whole offseason stewing about the fact that we kicked their ass up and down the field that day. I'm glad our boys have been busting their butts in the off-season, let's see the results on the field. And finally, Fran should be worried about his job security. If he doesn't win at least 10 games this season, they need to fire him.

This is just proof that the end of the Summer purgatory of no football is approaching. Most of these pieces are fluff and mere hype for the upcoming season, but in the absence of games to over-analyze, we'll take fluff every day of the week.

Fran's remarks from Big 12 Football Media Days

Some comments I liked from Fran:

"We've got some good people on this team. We've got some great leaders on this team. Probably the best leadership we've had since I've been at Texas A&M. Great students. 15 out of our 17 seniors will have their degree by December; 5 of them will have it in about two weeks. And Stephen McGee is with us here today. And I need to mention this. Stephen has two years of eligibility remaining and he'll have his degree in about two weeks also. So pretty unusual for somebody to be in that situation."

I'm thrilled to death that 15 of our seniors will be graduating by December, but just amazed that McGee has been able to earn his degree in only 3 years. He's taken classes every single session they were available without a break since he arrived at A&M, AND balanced that classload with football. That's quite an accomplishment.

Fran addressed McGee's issues throwing the ball last season:

"But with regard to his throwing, we don't spend time talking about injuries at our place. And one of the things that happened to Stephen in two-a-days, in the second day of practice he tore a muscle in the back of his throwing arm. He did not throw again until the week of the first game. So he essentially missed all the throwing during August camp, and as much as anything missed the pocket presence, the feel for the rush, how to move in the pocket, and as a result I think as coaches we were probably trying to make sure that he didn't sit in the pocket and take a beating and take too many sacks, and we encouraged him to run with the football, which may have been a little part of him not finding a second or third receiver sometimes.
"I think that burden needs to go on us more than him and more the circumstances of not being able to throw all through the month of August, which is -- as you all know, fall camp is such a pivotal time, especially for your first-time starter, essentially had he been a senior, wouldn't have maybe been as quite a big issue, but being as young as he was going into the season, it does have to have an impact on him. We all know Stephen McGee can throw the football. He's proven that time and time again.
"So protecting him and letting him now he worked very hard on finding second and third progressions and everything in spring practice. And I think we'll see him better in all those areas."

The bold emphasis is mine. I knew about McGee's injury, and while I can believe what Fran said about telling him to run, I think they also told him to run with the football to avoid making a turnover. Part of McGee's issues passing weren't just not finding a second or third option, it involved not having a second or third option (because of formation/scheme issues), and throwing the ball out of bounds when under pressure to avoid a sack. I think the coaching staff drummed it into McGee that it is better to have an incompletion out of bounds and move on to the next play, than it is to take a sack and risk losing the ball on a turnover.

J-Train getting some love from the NY Times

The New York Times has an excellent article on Jorvorskie Lane, covering his weight issues from a year ago (played at 282 lbs at one point), to his daughter's love of Chuck E. Cheese, to his dreams of begin the next Michael Jordan when he was in junior high school.


Jordanesque on the football field.

One stat I hope Fran notices: Lane had 82 receptions for 1,060 yds in high school. We started to use Lane as a receiver a little bit last season, and I hope we increase that this year.

Big 12 media days have started

Big 12 Football Media Days started today in San Antonio. This is a chance for all the sportswriters in Big 12 states to go to San Antonio and drink and eat their fill of Tex-Mex while they act like the coaches and players hyping their teams are providing profound information they've never heard before.
The beginning of Texas A&M's press conference will be televised nationally tomorrow, from 8:45 am - 9:45 am. Fran, Chris Harrington, Red Bryant, and Stephen McGee will be available to answer reporters' questions.

Sorry for the absence

I'm back blogging after taking some time off this weekend to celebrate my father's 60th birthday, and to visit with all of the relatives who came to Texas from Florida and New York to celebrate with him.

Back to it....

Nobel Prize winner and Texas A&M professor Dr. Norman Borlaug , who is credited with saving India and Pakistan from starvation, recently received the Congressional Gold Medal. Dr. Borlaug now lives in Dallas, and teaches Agriculture at A&M part-time.

Chris Harrington, Mike Goodson, and Cody Wallace have all been named to the pre-season Big 12 All-Conference team. I'm disappointed Jorvorskie Lane, Martellus Bennett, and Stephen McGee didn't merit any mention. It just goes to show you that the people who decide on these honors don't always know everything about the teams and players they are voting on.

Fran and Bill Byrne seem to be insinuating that they expect a special year this season. I'd like to see Fran actually give some concrete predictions, actually say there isn't any reason we shouldn't win and win big this year, but I don't think you'll ever see a coach do that.

Aggie Roundtable

This weeks question are from Brad at The12thManChild.



1. Which game on the schedule scares you the most?

Missouri Tigers @ Columbia, MO. We had a tough game with them at Kyle last year, and they'll be a better team on offense this season, imo. Chase Daniels is a difference maker, and he'd love nothing more than to beat a team from his home state.


2. Coach Fran: Is he really on the hot seat this season?

I don't think the question is if he's one the hot seat or not, I think you could argue that he's been on the hot seat since the '03 season ended, and he lost the team. He received a reprieve in '04, but many were ready to fire him after the '05 season. The win over texas in '06 was arguably the only thing that kept him from the unemployment line after last season. I believe after this season, even the staunchest Fran Apologists won't be able to defend Fran, because it will be his players, and his precious redshirts will be 5th year seniors. He is out of excuses.

The only question, does Byrne have the balls to fire him if he only wins 7 or 8 games, and finishes over .500? I don't think Byrne has the guts to do that, personally.

3. It's game day in Aggieland and you're on campus tailgating. Where are you? What's in your right hand, and what's in your left hand?

I'm outside the Heep Building, across the railroad tracks near Wellborn Rd, where my tailgate party is always located. In my right hand, I'm holding my barbecue tongs, as I tend to my smoker. In my left hand, I'm holding a cold beverage of my choice; it's usually either a Michelob Ultra or a Coke Zero.

Texas A&M University to receive 11.6% increase in funding

According to The Battalion, A&M will be receiving an 11.6% increase in funding from the State Legislature. The increase will take place starting in 2008. While I'm happy to see the legislature is giving A&M more money, I don't see it causing a decrease in tuition or fees, so it doesn't really help students, who have been overburdened financially in this era of tuition deregulation. The University will most likely look at it as a financial bonus, and budget it that way.

Blue Bell Ice Cream turns 100

Blue Bell Ice Cream is partying in Brenham today, celebrating their 100th birthday at the Washington County Fairgrounds. Happy Birthday to this Texas institution.


Blue Bell turns 100 years old today.

Acie Law excelling in Atlanta already

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has an excellent piece on how Acie Law is already impressing his coaches and his team while playing in the NBA Summer League. Acie has already assumed a leadership role on the team, and appears well on his way to being their point guard of the future.

Already taking charge in Atlanta.

Dat Nguyen, Football Coach

The Corpus Christi Caller-Times has an excellent piece on former Texas A&M All-American and former Dallas Cowboy Pro Bowl LB Dat Nguyen, as he moves into coaching.
Dat's place on the Cowboys' staff won't make me root for Dallas over my beloved 'Skins, but it will make me root for the Cowboy linebacking unit to perform well this season.



Will be kicking ass and taking names from the sidelines from now on.

Sunday notes

Texas A&M has one of the best offensive lines in the Big 12, and the conference's best offensive backfield, according to Dave Matter of the Columbia Tribune.

In basketball news, the Aggies' Josh Carter made the 2007 USA Pan American Games Team.

The New York Times did a little piece on the role of Internet 'whistleblowers' in keeping NCAA programs on the up-and-up. Texags.com is prominently featured in the article.

Lastly, Keith Randall, Texas A&M's director of marketing, pens an amusing piece for the Bryan Eagle on Aggies and their personalized license plates. Definitely worth checking out.

Best wishes to Oklahoma State's Atrell Woods

Oklahoma State WR Artrell Woods, who was expected to be a starter and an impact player this coming season, was seriously injured this past Friday during a voluntary workout. He had emergency surgery on his back, and is expected to make a full recovery.
Woods was a RB/WR at Bryan High School before going to play for Oklahoma State. Beyond the fact that you hate to see anyone seriously injured in the off-season, I was looking forward to watching him play this year for Oklahoma State.



Get well soon, Artrell.

Saturday news

DeAndre Jordan scored 8 points and grabbed 4 rebounds as Team USA beat China, 103-77 Friday night at the U19 World Championships.

Elsewhere, Josh Carter is trying out for the Team USA Pan American Games basketball team, to be coached by Villanova's Jay Wright. Team cuts are supposed to take place tonight.


May represent A&M at the Pan Am Games.

50 days until Montana State

Mark Dodge is ready. Are you?

DeAndre Jordan doing well in international play

Top recruit and incoming freshman DeAndre Jordan scored 20 points against Mali in the opening round of the 2007 USA Basketball U19 World Championship, as the U19 Team USA won, 118-56.
Jordan is expected to be an immediate impact player for the Ags this coming season.


Coming soon to B/CS

ESPN/Blue Ribbon College Football Yearbook preview Texas A&M

ESPN Insider has teamed with Blue Ribbon College Football Yearbook to preview all the 119 Division I-A college football programs. Today, they took a look at Texas A&M.
I read through their preview, and didn't have a problem until I saw this little tidbit:

"That part of the bargain he has certainly held up. After struggling -- expectedly -- in his first season and finishing 4-8, the next season the A&M offense began reaching levels it had not yet seen before Coach Fran's arrival. "

Sorry, maybe Blue Ribbon thinks they have some inside information unknown to Aggie fans at large, but while I don't think many Aggies expected A&M to be world-beaters in 2003, we sure as hell didn't expect to go 4-8. We didn't expect to lose a game 77-0. We didn't expect to end up starting walk-ons at LB because the head coach refused to pull redshirts off freshmen, even when the injuries were mounting, and we didn't have anything close to competitive talent on the field. We didn't expect our head coach to come in and completely give up on the season, just trash the first season of his tenure and say it didn't matter, and lose his team in the process. The idea that Aggies would pony up and buy season tickets despite a 41% increase in price, and then expect to lose, and lose in gruesome fashion, is just asinine.

Blue Ribbon goes on:

"Once a school whose quarterbacks did more damage running the option than throwing the ball downfield, the Aggies have now seen three of the four best seasons of individual total offense under Franchione. In 2004, then quarterback Reggie McNeal set the school mark by accounting for 3,509 yards. McNeal followed that with 2,627 yards in 2005 (fourth best in school history), and last year, junior Stephen McGee had the second-best season at A&M by producing 2,961 yards. "

Now this sounds like Blue Ribbon interviewed resident Fran apologist/PR man Mike McKenzie. 3 of the 4 best individual total offense seasons have come under Fran, huh? What does this stat really means? It means A&M has had complete studs at QB, athletically gifted stars who Fran has failed to translate into wildly successful offenses. Saying "we've had record setting years for individual total offense" is another way of saying "our numbers for team overall offense haven't been that terrific". If one player is racking up all the yards, that means there are 4-5 other players on the field who aren't being used to their full potential. This kind of dubious double-speak is McKenzie forte, though.


All is well, nothing unexpected happened. Here, have some koolaid.

Ignoring the libations of McKenzie's koolaid, it's not a bad overall preview, especially for a non-fan site. They overrate Cody Wallace, imo, and spend too much time listening to Les Koenning's thoughts on the offense, but other than that, they do a good job covering every unit and the vast majority of our key players. For a national publication, I give them an A.

Dennis Franchione makes list of worst coaches in college football

A&M head coach Dennis Franchione made CNN Sport's Illustrated's list of the top 5 worst head coaches in college football. I occasionally read Stewart Mandel's Mailbag column when I have time, not really taking most of what he says seriously, but he hit this one right on the head. More importantly, it is out there for high school recruits everywhere to see.

Top 10 Aggie Football Players

I'm just making a list of the top 10 football players on our roster, in what I view as their order of importance:

1. Stephen McGee, QB: The unquestioned leader of our team, for offense, defense, special teams, the whole squad. Everyone, including the crowd, feeds off of his toughness and intensity. We'll go as far as his arms and legs will carry us in 2007.
   
   
   
2. Yemi Babaloa, LT: Protects the blindside of the unquestioned leader of our team, keeping him healthy and safe in the pocket. Yemi gained my attention with his constant habit of always going downfield to look for more people to destory, er, block out of the way.
   
   
3. Kirk Elder, LG: Guards are the players who trap and pull on lead plays. A good guard is worth his weight in gold. Elder helps lead our rushing attack.
   
   
4. Michael Shumard, RG: He's only a redshirt sophomore, but I'm looking for Shumard to replace Grant Dickey, and excel. Dickey was the one weakness on our offensive line last season, and Shumard could help us move from the level of a stellar line to a dominant line.
   
   
5. Jorvorskie Lane, TB: Our 270+ lb battering ram tied an A&M record with 19 TDs last season. Unstoppable in short yardage (except when Grant Dickey whiffs on a block), the 'J-Train' is the most dominant big back in college football.
   
   
   
6. Mike Goodson, TB: A&M's returning rusher from last season averaged 6.7 yds per carry, gaining 847 yds on only 8 starts. Goodson is the most electric player on our team, and could have a breakout season in '07, where he announces his presence on a national level.
   
   
   
7. Martellus Bennett, TE: Our leading returning receiver from last season (38 receptions, 497 yds, 3 TDs) , Bennett is a physical specimen who is also the best blocker on the team, and the best blocking TE in the Big 12.
   
   
   
8. Joey Thomas, TE: The other half of our dynamic TE duo, dubbed "The Legion of Doom" by Bennett, Thomas is an excellent blocker and solid receiver. He would be starting on any other team in the Big 12; his opportunities are limited only b/c he is on the same team as Bennett.
   
   
   
9. Corey Clark, RT: Most teams run to the right side, b/c that is the strong side of the formation due to the fact that most QBs are right-handed. Your RT doesn't have to be as athletic as the LT, but he does have to be a bulldozer, capable of road-grading the burly DTs opposing defenses stick in 4 or 5 techs to stop the running game. Clark is a steamroller.
   
   
10. Red Bryant, NT: A good NT controls the A-gaps, and stops the opposition's inside running game. A great NT demands a double-team on every play, and still makes plays. Bryant is a great NT.
    
    
    

Now, some may notice that I listed 9 offensive players in my Top 10; this is by necessity more than design. We don't have the Wrecking Crew defenses we used to have, and we've had only one shutout that I can recall under Fran (Wyoming, 2004), so we have to win games with our offense. Hence, I give you an offense-heavy Top Ten.

Oklahoma receives sanctions from the NCAA

The University of Oklahoma finally heard back from the NCAA today, learning it would have to erase the 2005 season record from all record books, including Bob Stoops' personal coaching record, lose 2 scholarships each year in the 2008-'09 and 2009-'10 school years, and extending OU's self-imposed probation until May 23, 2010.
OU was found guilty of a "failure to monitor", rather than the more serious charge of lack of institutional control. While I predicted OU would only lose scholarships over this ordeal, the fact that OU is only being charged with a 'failure to monitor' while A&M was hit with 'lack of institutional control' in 1994, for a similar scandal, is laughable.
IMO, this is just more window-dressing by the NCAA, who really, really REALLY doesn't want to punish anyone, if they can help it.
I know OU suspended Rhett Bomar and J.D. Quinn, the two players involved in receiving money for work they didn't perform at Big Red Sports and Imports in 2005. Walk-on receiver Jermaine Hardison left the school on his own. That doesn't excuse the school's lack of oversight into the work program at the dealership for the athletes.


Brought the NCAA hammer down on OU. The velvet hammer, that is.

Acie Law signs contract with Hawks

Former Texas A&M point guard Acie Law signed a contract with the Atlanta Hawks yesterday. Law is guaranteed $1.605 million this year, and $1.726 million next year. As an Aggie fan, I am thrilled that Acie is finally realizing his dream of playing in the NBA. Hopefully, this will help our basketball recruiting in Dallas.


Is guaranteed many dollars. Millions of them.

Now, I just need to hope they start selling Law IV jerseys in Dallas.

Bethel Johnson signs deal with the Houston Texans

Former Texas A&M WR Bethel Johnson signs a one-year deal with the Houston Texans for $650,000 today. Johnson was originally drafted by the New England Patriots in the second round of the 2003 draft, and won 2 Super Bowls with the Pats in the following two seasons.
The Houston Chronicle is exaggerating his stats, I believe. While Bethel was one of my all-time favorite wide receivers in his time at A&M, I do not think he had 717 receptions in four years, or an average of 179.25 receptions per season. I could believe 217 receptions, though, over four seasons of work.



So fast, they saw him catch 500 more passes.

12 points to remember in the 12th season of the Big 12

Dave Matter of the Columbia Tribune pens an excellent piece on 12 intriguing stories in the Big 12 in the upcoming 12th season of play.

Matter's points (which my comments following in parenthesis):

• 12. Remember the Alamo(dome): San Antonio’s Alamodome plays host to its third Big 12 championship game and its first since 1999. (With a weak Big 12 North, Nebraska might once again represent their division, as they did in the previous two trips to San Antonio, in 1997 & 1999.)
  
• 11. Is it finally the Year of the Tiger?: Missouri fans have waited since 1969 for a conference championship. These days, they’d be happy with a division title. But with quarterback Chase Daniel throwing to a variety pack of receivers as good as any in the nation - plus a favorable schedule - this might be Missouri’s best chance to capture the North Division. (I'd love to see Missouri win the North, but I'm not yet sold on their defense.)
  
• 10. Golden receivers: No other conference has a wide receiver trio better than Texas’ Limas Sweed, Oklahoma’s Malcolm Kelly and Oklahoma State’s Adarius Bowman. Add Missouri’s Will Franklin into the mix - plus his tight end teammates disguised as wideouts, Martin Rucker and Chase Coffman - and the Big 12 might be home to the best pass-catchers in the country. (I don't think Sweed is the best WR on his own team, and think Rucker & Coffman are actually inside receivers disguised as TEs - I never see them block anyone.)
  
• 9. Sam I Am: Nebraska’s Sam Keller, the country’s most celebrated and scrutinized Division I transfer, has one season to salvage his career. Keller and his NFL arm left a messy situation at Arizona State last year. In Lincoln, he replaces Big 12 player of the year Zac Taylor with the weight of Husker Nation riding on every pass he throws this fall. (Let's be honest: Zac Taylor might have been the most mediocre Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year in the 11 year history of the conference, as well as probably the most undeserving. He had a weak arm, and was just as likely to throw an interception as he was a pass to his own teammates. It won't take much for Keller to make fans forget Taylor; one game without a turnover ought to be enough.)
  
• 8. Ron Prince, Act II: Kansas State probably overachieved a bit last season, winning seven games despite starting freshman quarterback Josh Freeman in eight games during Ron Prince’s first season as a head coach. (By beating texas and going to a bowl, I'd say they most definitely overachieved in Prince's first season at K-State. Their upset win over texas gave Prince a signature win in his rookie year as a head coach. If they win 7-8 games this season, and go to another bowl, Prince will have them headed in the right direction.)
  
• 7. Dan Hawkins, Act II: Early on, more eyes will be on Dan Hawkins’ second season at Colorado, but only because CU’s brutal nonconference schedule includes nationally televised games against Colorado State, Arizona State and Florida State. (Buff fans aren't going to want to hear this, but even a 5-win season will be a dramatic improvement for Colorado this season. The good news is the Big 12 North is still fairly weak as a division; the bad news is that Colorado is part of that weakness.)
  
• 6. After Adrian: Just how does Oklahoma replace superstar running back Adrian Peterson, the seventh pick in the NFL draft? That’s easy. The Sooners have done it already. Backup Allen Patrick carried the load just fine when Peterson suffered a broken collarbone last fall, leading OU to victories in all five of his starts. (This has already been covered; the Sooners have their replacement for Peterson in Allen Patrick. The question for OU isn't who will carry the ball; their questions are at QB.)
  
• 5. A September to remember: In recent years, Big 12 athletic directors came together to beef up their nonconference schedules, collectively adding series against some of the premier teams in the country. Gone are the cupcake slates of years past. This year, Kansas State plays at Auburn, Oklahoma State goes to Georgia and both Oklahoma and Texas A&M face Miami. Nebraska takes on the mother of all nonconference foes, playing host to national champion favorite USC. (Actually, since nonconference games are scheduled years in advance, Matter is giving Big 12 ADs credit for work that was done years ago. Reporters read too much into nonconference schedules, because you don't know four years prior, when you schedule the game, if that team will be a powerhouse when you play them, or an also-ran rebuilding under a new coaching staff. They give too much credit for playing teams on the upswing of the success cycle, and too much blame for playing teams who have fallen on hard times.)
  
• 4. Gene therapy: The only new head coach in the league is no stranger to the Big 12. Iowa State brought in Texas co-defensive coordinator Gene Chizik to inject some energy into a program that couldn’t sustain the mild success generated by Dan McCarney. (The only head coaching hire in the Big 12 this off-season was also the worst head coaching hire this off-season. Chizik showed an ability to succeed when talent was already there at Auburn and texas, but struggled defending the pass last season. I think Chizik was overrated as a defensive coordinator; his weaknesses were exposed repeatedly by Franchione.)
  
• 3. Young guns: Question: Which conference has more talent at quarterback than the Big 12?
  Answer: The AFC.
  A year ago, the conference was full of question marks under center. Now, it’s flooded with superstars. Texas sophomore Colt McCoy is the favorite to earn preseason league honors, but he’ll have competition for the postseason award from Missouri’s Daniel, Texas A&M’s Stephen McGee and Texas Tech’s Graham Harrell. Don’t forget Oklahoma State’s electric junior Bobby Reid, K-State’s budding Freeman and Iowa State’s Meyer, the most experienced quarterback in the league. (People are giving Colt McCoy a lot of hype for a QB who didn't even average 200 yards passing per game last season. The argument for best QB in the Big 12 starts with Chase Daniel and Stephen McGee, and then goes from there.)
  
• 2. Heat is on: In four years at Texas A&M, Dennis Franchione has gone just 25-23. That’s not good enough considering his hefty salary and the enormous expectations in College Station. Will another seven-win season be enough to keep Fran around? The leash won’t be any longer for Baylor’s Guy Morriss, a likable guy who’s led a dismal program to just 15 wins in four seasons. And what about Kansas’ Mark Mangino? He’s had a few big wins, but he’s still 10 games under .500 after five years in Lawrence. Will Lew Perkins settle for another bowl-less December? (After 4 seasons and $7.7 million paid out in salary, Fran needs to deliver at least a 10 win season and a conference championship, or find another job. Guy Morriss should get Baylor to a bowl game, or be sent packing. Mangino may be the most secure of the three; if they can cut down on turnovers, they'll win enough games to make a bowl game, and he should be around another season.)
  
• 1. Changes all around: The most significant news in the Big 12 probably won’t happen on the field this year. The times, they are a-changing, and the future of the conference could be at stake. Who will succeed outgoing Commissioner Kevin Weiberg, and how will his or her vision of the conference affect the Big 12 dynamics? (I always viewed Weiberg as largely ineffective, and a poor leader. I hope our next conference commissioner has a vision for the Big 12 that extends beyond television coverage on the Versus network.)
  

Jerrod Johnson to Wide Receiver in the Red Zone?

In yesterday's Friday with Fran column, Fran broaches the subject of a special role in the offense for back-up QB Jerrod Johnson. In answer to a question from Robert '89 from Katy, Fran mentions splitting Johnson out wide on one side, with Martellus Bennett on the other, giving McGee the option of throwing a fade to a 6'6 receiver on the left or a 6'7 receiver on the right.

Personally, as a fan of the single wing, I'd rather see Johnson, McGee, and Lane aligned in shotgun, split-backs in the backfield, with the possibility of a direct snap to any one of the three players and a power sweep with two lead blockers, but I don't call the plays for this team. Those three in the backfield would also make a nice shotgun inside or outside veer threat, as well as a deadly load option combo.

I was thinking about this earlier today: Is 2000-2010 the Decade of the Underdog in college football? Looking at the BCS national title game, it is starting to appear that way.

• In 2000, underdog Oklahoma beat favored Florida State.
  
• In 2001, heavily favored Miami blew out Nebraska.
  
• In 2002, underdog Ohio State beat favored Miami.
  
• In 2003, underdog LSU beat the favorite, Oklahoma, and split the national title with USC.
  
• In 2004, favored USC blew out Oklahoma.
  
• In 2005, underdog texas beat favored USC.
  
• In 2006, underdog Florida blew out favored Ohio State.
  

That means so far this decade, underdogs are 5-2 over the favorite in the BCS national title game. It begs the question of whether or not the BCS is really working; the BCS is supposed to match up the #1 and #2 teams in the nation to play for the national championship. Given that underdogs have overwhelmingly won the BCS national title game so far, you have to wonder if they are calculating who the correct favorite for these match ups is.

Worst.magazine.cover.EVAH.

Colt's looking for his collector's edition 'special' bus.

It was bad enough when Colt McCoy had to be taken off the field during the 2006 A&M - texas football game on a cart after a hit by Aggie DE Michael Bennett left him woozy, and knocked him out of the game. This caused many Aggies to label him 'Cart' McCoy after the Aggies won the game. A biting nickname is one thing; going on the cover of a national college football preview wearing a helmet without a face mask is quite another. McCoy looks like one of those kids who needs a padded helmet because he's a threat to himself, and can't be trusted when left to his own devices. Either that, or he's modeling his new 'concussion-proof' helmet this off-season.
What photographer thought this concept up? If they wanted to see McCoy's face, you have him take the helmet off and take the picture. Too many Sooners and Aggies are going to have fun with this picture at McCoy's expense, and you can't say he didn't bring it on himself.

A&M has 25th toughest schedule in the nation

According to CNN Sports Illustrated, Texas A&M has the 25th toughest football schedule for the upcoming season, facing 7 bowl teams, and 2 AP top 25 squads. I don't quite agree with their methodology, because they give you credit for your in-conference opponents, which you don't have a choice in, but it's the pre-season, so it gives us something to talk about.
Nebraska is the only other team listed in their Top 25, with their schedule ranked #12.

The Sporting News gives their list of the Top 40 players in the Big 12 Conference

This list by Tom Dienhart does a fantastic job of showing why I constantly say most sports reporters know nothing about football. Any list that ranks a) Reggie Smith as the top player in the conference, b) Tony Hills above Martellus Bennett, Mike Goodson, and Stephen McGee, and c) Colt McCoy ahead of Chase Daniel, is suspect.

Happy Independence Day

Jackie Sherrill and R.C. Slocum possibly getting back into coaching

This article offers details about a new professional football league, set to begin operations next Spring. The All-American Football League will feature former college stars and former pros, playing in states that are college football hotbeds (Florida, Georgia, Michigan, and Texas are mentioned). The league will apparently only use college graduates, and will play a season running from April through the summer, ending just before the college football season begins.

Of note:

What else is going on during the tryouts?

Prospective AAFL coaches will be scoping out the players, including ex-Mississippi State head coach Jackie Sherrill and ex-Texas A&M head coach R.C. Slocum Throughout the night the league will raffle off various prizes and show a laser light show. And of course there'll be fireworks as the AAFL kicks off the fourth of July a couple hours early.

Great to hear R.C. and Jackie may be on the sidelines once again.

Les Miles questions the strength of the Big 12

Current LSU head coach (and former Oklahoma State head coach) Les Miles questioned the overall strength of the Big 12 Conference, while touting the strength of the SEC.

From the article:

“The Big 12 is a conference that might have two really pretty good teams, maybe
four,” said Miles, who coached in the Big 12 while at Oklahoma State.

Miles was at Oklahoma State from 2001-2004. In that time, he was 0-4 against texas, 2-2 against A&M, 1-3 against Texas Tech, and 2-2 against OU. That's big talk for someone who was 5-11 against the top 4 programs in the South during that period.

New Adidas uniforms for the football team in '07

(HT to AndyMac67 on Texags.com)

Home jersey


Road jersey


Road pants

Home pants


Alternative home pants

At least they didn't put the beveled-T logo on the helmets.

Black cleats. Not sure if that is supposed to make us look faster or slower, I forget.