Collier11
6/25/2008, 09:51 AM
Big 12 South preview:
I don't mind telling you this is my favorite day of the year. I know it's a day you've been anxiously awaiting, and that makes it even more special. I can't get two steps inside my favorite Whataburger without someone saying: ''Richard, when is your Big 12 South preview coming out?'' I don't know about you, but I love making people smile. It's really my life's work.
People love my Big 12 South preview. They know I'll give it to 'em straight, honestly and with a touch of humor. That's just the way I am. I get these traits from Mama. She's been this way for just about all of her 89 years. I have no idea why she always liked Sister better than me, but that's another story.
I also know more about this stuff than almost anyone. I hate to brag, but another thing Mama tells me is that it ain't bragging if you can do it. She's referring to Sister when she says this, but still.
I'm releasing my preview a few weeks early this year in the hope that people will stop asking when it's coming out and if I'm going to say anything nice about their teams. Anyway, when we talk about predicting the Big 12 South, we're really talking about second place. First place again appears decided before the first kickoff.
Until Bob Stoops leaves, it's going to be that way. His Sooners are going to win for the seventh time in the last nine years and almost certainly will win their sixth conference championship and play in another BCS game. Some Texas fans get their kicks out of watching OU lose a BCS game. It's true they've lost a few lately. It's also true they play in a lot of them if you know what I mean and I think you do.
It would be easy to pick Texas Tech. The Red Raiders are loaded. But it could come down to the fact that the Tech-OU game will be in Norman on Nov. 22. Tech clearly is the only team capable of stopping OU. The Sooners don't play Missouri and have Kansas in Norman.
OK, time for the picks. As far as comments, there may not be many. Anytime you write about UT sports without kissing everyone's shoes, you're going to get about a thousand profanity-laced comments. I just don't have the time to filter out the dirty words.
1. OU. Bob Stoops became the first coach in Big 12 history to win back-to-back conference championships, and he'll probably make it three in a row. The Sooners are loaded again. They've got maybe the country's top O-line, and QB Sam Bradford is going to throw up some scary numbers. OU's defense lost some key people, but the line is strong and the replacements plenty good enough.
2. Tech. Another year of Graham Harrell-to-Michael Crabtree and an offense that returns every starter except WR Danny Amendola. Texas Tech is BCS material. Here's a stat that might surprise you: Tech ranked third in the Big 12 in total defense last season. And that's where the improvement should come in 2008. Tech finished strongly under DC Ruffin McNeill, and Mike Leach appears confident it will carry through into 2008.
3. Texas. Any UT preview must come with an important qualifier regarding Longhorn players and certain law-enforcement issues. It appears to have been a quiet off-season, so perhaps the program has turned a corner. The Longhorns are also good enough to play in a BCS game. Mack Brown's hiring of Auburn defensive coordinator Will Muschamp is a huge step toward getting the Longhorns back into a meaningful bowl game. He plays an aggressive, gambling style that even prissy UT fans will like. Offensively, Jamaal Charles won't be missed as much as some UT fans think. That's because Brown stacks quality recruiting class upon quality recruiting class. So long, Jamaal. Hello, Vondrell McGee, Chris Ogbonnaya and Foswhitt Whitaker. I doubt I'll be covering many UT games this season because it's going to be too hard to spell the names of the RBs. I can spell Mike Goodson. Easy.
4. A&M. Mike Sherman is a winner. You can look it up. He's also a smart, decent man that will recruit well and eventually get A&M football to the place some of us thought Coach Fran would take it. He has installed a pro style offense that will be attractive to recruits. If the Aggies lose some games this year, it won't be because the talent wasn't utilized properly. A&M's backfield is as deep as any in the nation with Jovorski Lane, Mike Goodson and Bradley Stephens. No more wondering why they weren't used. It'll be a challenging year for QB Stephen McGee. He was a terrific passer in high school and will need to rediscover that part of his game. Now about that O-line. OK, don't ask. Pass defense? Don't ask about that, either.
5. Oklahoma State. I'm a huge Mike Gundy fan because, frankly, I've wanted to yell at a few sportswriters through the years myself. That Gundy signed a bunch of juco guys tells you Boone must be getting tired of financing an also-ran program. If things go south again, he should call Tuscaloosa and try to convince Nick Saban to leave. It's not like he hasn't quit a few jobs in the past.
6. Baylor. Fasten your seatbelt, Baylor fans. Your wild ride is about to begin. There'll be big plays, sloppiness, more big plays, too many penalties and still more big plays. Briles no longer has Dave Maggard to push him to tighten discipline and strength training, so it'll be interesting to see if there are issues in that area.Blake Szymanski and Kirby Freeman will compete for the QB job. Neither is close to being Kevin Kolb, but it's a start. Baylor's O-line is solid. Defensively, there's work to do, and in a very tough division, improvement will be slow. But Briles got a seven-year contract, and if he does for Baylor what he did for UH, Bears fans probably will be happy.
• • •
Across most of the nation, Americans are wincing at soaring gasoline prices, struggling with rising food costs, worrying over collapsing real estate values and staring into the abyss of a looming recession. Here in Houston, Maserati sales are up 86 percent so far this year. Chicago Tribune
A photo taken during the early stages of the Belmont Stakes has revealed Big Brown was running with a loose shoe as the Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner attempted to become the first Triple Crown winner since 1979. ESPN.com
The Mets got beat up by their own network--with management's blessing. New York Daily News
The Nationals named their new press box for the great Shirley Povich. George Solomon
I don't mind telling you this is my favorite day of the year. I know it's a day you've been anxiously awaiting, and that makes it even more special. I can't get two steps inside my favorite Whataburger without someone saying: ''Richard, when is your Big 12 South preview coming out?'' I don't know about you, but I love making people smile. It's really my life's work.
People love my Big 12 South preview. They know I'll give it to 'em straight, honestly and with a touch of humor. That's just the way I am. I get these traits from Mama. She's been this way for just about all of her 89 years. I have no idea why she always liked Sister better than me, but that's another story.
I also know more about this stuff than almost anyone. I hate to brag, but another thing Mama tells me is that it ain't bragging if you can do it. She's referring to Sister when she says this, but still.
I'm releasing my preview a few weeks early this year in the hope that people will stop asking when it's coming out and if I'm going to say anything nice about their teams. Anyway, when we talk about predicting the Big 12 South, we're really talking about second place. First place again appears decided before the first kickoff.
Until Bob Stoops leaves, it's going to be that way. His Sooners are going to win for the seventh time in the last nine years and almost certainly will win their sixth conference championship and play in another BCS game. Some Texas fans get their kicks out of watching OU lose a BCS game. It's true they've lost a few lately. It's also true they play in a lot of them if you know what I mean and I think you do.
It would be easy to pick Texas Tech. The Red Raiders are loaded. But it could come down to the fact that the Tech-OU game will be in Norman on Nov. 22. Tech clearly is the only team capable of stopping OU. The Sooners don't play Missouri and have Kansas in Norman.
OK, time for the picks. As far as comments, there may not be many. Anytime you write about UT sports without kissing everyone's shoes, you're going to get about a thousand profanity-laced comments. I just don't have the time to filter out the dirty words.
1. OU. Bob Stoops became the first coach in Big 12 history to win back-to-back conference championships, and he'll probably make it three in a row. The Sooners are loaded again. They've got maybe the country's top O-line, and QB Sam Bradford is going to throw up some scary numbers. OU's defense lost some key people, but the line is strong and the replacements plenty good enough.
2. Tech. Another year of Graham Harrell-to-Michael Crabtree and an offense that returns every starter except WR Danny Amendola. Texas Tech is BCS material. Here's a stat that might surprise you: Tech ranked third in the Big 12 in total defense last season. And that's where the improvement should come in 2008. Tech finished strongly under DC Ruffin McNeill, and Mike Leach appears confident it will carry through into 2008.
3. Texas. Any UT preview must come with an important qualifier regarding Longhorn players and certain law-enforcement issues. It appears to have been a quiet off-season, so perhaps the program has turned a corner. The Longhorns are also good enough to play in a BCS game. Mack Brown's hiring of Auburn defensive coordinator Will Muschamp is a huge step toward getting the Longhorns back into a meaningful bowl game. He plays an aggressive, gambling style that even prissy UT fans will like. Offensively, Jamaal Charles won't be missed as much as some UT fans think. That's because Brown stacks quality recruiting class upon quality recruiting class. So long, Jamaal. Hello, Vondrell McGee, Chris Ogbonnaya and Foswhitt Whitaker. I doubt I'll be covering many UT games this season because it's going to be too hard to spell the names of the RBs. I can spell Mike Goodson. Easy.
4. A&M. Mike Sherman is a winner. You can look it up. He's also a smart, decent man that will recruit well and eventually get A&M football to the place some of us thought Coach Fran would take it. He has installed a pro style offense that will be attractive to recruits. If the Aggies lose some games this year, it won't be because the talent wasn't utilized properly. A&M's backfield is as deep as any in the nation with Jovorski Lane, Mike Goodson and Bradley Stephens. No more wondering why they weren't used. It'll be a challenging year for QB Stephen McGee. He was a terrific passer in high school and will need to rediscover that part of his game. Now about that O-line. OK, don't ask. Pass defense? Don't ask about that, either.
5. Oklahoma State. I'm a huge Mike Gundy fan because, frankly, I've wanted to yell at a few sportswriters through the years myself. That Gundy signed a bunch of juco guys tells you Boone must be getting tired of financing an also-ran program. If things go south again, he should call Tuscaloosa and try to convince Nick Saban to leave. It's not like he hasn't quit a few jobs in the past.
6. Baylor. Fasten your seatbelt, Baylor fans. Your wild ride is about to begin. There'll be big plays, sloppiness, more big plays, too many penalties and still more big plays. Briles no longer has Dave Maggard to push him to tighten discipline and strength training, so it'll be interesting to see if there are issues in that area.Blake Szymanski and Kirby Freeman will compete for the QB job. Neither is close to being Kevin Kolb, but it's a start. Baylor's O-line is solid. Defensively, there's work to do, and in a very tough division, improvement will be slow. But Briles got a seven-year contract, and if he does for Baylor what he did for UH, Bears fans probably will be happy.
• • •
Across most of the nation, Americans are wincing at soaring gasoline prices, struggling with rising food costs, worrying over collapsing real estate values and staring into the abyss of a looming recession. Here in Houston, Maserati sales are up 86 percent so far this year. Chicago Tribune
A photo taken during the early stages of the Belmont Stakes has revealed Big Brown was running with a loose shoe as the Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner attempted to become the first Triple Crown winner since 1979. ESPN.com
The Mets got beat up by their own network--with management's blessing. New York Daily News
The Nationals named their new press box for the great Shirley Povich. George Solomon