4 and out: First day of Big 12 Media Days
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Curt McKeever takes a look at the storylines from the first day of Big 12 Media Days - including Nebraska, Texas Tech, Missouri and Texas A&M.
Nebraska
(5-7 in 2007; preseason No. 3 pick in the North for 2008)
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* News bulletin: Four members of Nebraska’s 2008 recruiting class apparently have some academic issues because they’ve been omitted from the official 2008 Husker media guide. Those left out missing are: cornerback David Whitmore, safety Justin Rogers, wideout Antonio Bell and offensive lineman David Grant. The 6-2 defensive back Whitmore and 6-6 offensive lineman Grant are among the nine Texans who comprise NU’s largest one-class collection of Lone Star State talent.
* Senior defensive end Barry Turner’s sizes up 2008: “Once we lose a game, the shops close, people are sad. Divorces go up. … We’ve got a chip on our shoulder. There’s a lot media that doubt us, that say we’re going to go 7-5, or whatever. We’re the underdogs now, so we want to be in the national championship.”
* Huskers through the eyes of Dennis Dodd, CBSSports.com senior college football writer: “I’m excited, but I think it’s a work in progress. It’s going to be one of the best defenses in the country, but given the fact that Bo’s a first-year head coach trying to turn around a 5-7 team in this division, which is suddenly pretty tough, it’s going to be tough in ‘08. For now, it’s a square peg, round hole.”
Texas Tech
(9-4 in 2007; preseason No. 3 pick in the South for 2008)
*News bulletin: The Red Raiders always have one of the nation’s most lethal passing games, and Graham Harrell (the nation’s top passer in 2007) and Michael Crabtree (who set NCAA records in receptions, yards and TDs) are both back. Even so, Tech averaged just 59.3 rushing yards last year, and Red Raider fans can’t be sure change is coming. Kobey Lewis, who had some key gains in the Gator Bowl win against Virginia, is suspended for the year, leaving sophomores Aaron Crawford and Baron Batch, and senior Shannon Woods in a three-way battle for playing time. Woods was the Big 12’s all-purpose yardage leader in 2006, but fell into coach Mike Leach’s doghouse midway through last season. “I’m kind of curious about that myself,” Leach said Monday when asked about the running back situation. “Spring, going in, what I expected to happen was we’d rep them all, then one would start to separate himself. What happened instead was that it was very competitive. ... If it remains as competitive as it is right now, I would have no problem playing either of the three or all three of them.”
* Junior cornerback Jamar Wall sizes up 2008: “We know this is our year. Every morning when we’re working out you can just look around and see the want in our teammates’ eyes. From last year to this year, it’s a dramatic change. You can just sense we want it that bad. If we want it enough and work hard enough for it, there’s no reason why we shouldn’t (the goal).
* Red Raiders through the eyes of Don Williams, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: “I think the most intriguing thing is to see how they handle the expectations, which are fairly new to Tech. They’ve become so accustomed to being the good team that’s the dark horse, and realistically this is the first time in 30 years that Tech has been this highly regarded. … (To meet those expectations, it’ll take) a combination of the defense taking its game up to a little higher level and the offense living up to their reputation when they get to the big games.”
Missouri
(12-2 in 2007; preseason No. 1 pick in North for 2008)
* News bulletin: Apparently, William Moore hasn’t gotten a big head from leading the nation in interceptions last season. When asked to name someone who’d surprised him this summer, sophomore receiver Jeremy Maclin cited the senior free safety. “William Moore raised it to a whole new level. Eight interceptions last year, 100 tackles, people might ask how that’s possible, Maclin said. “You could definitely see it. He’s 235, runs like he’s 200 pounds. You couldn’t ask for a better free safety than that.” … Maclin, the most versatile offensive player in the country last season (he was the only one to score via reception, rush, punt return and kickoff return), should draw a lot more attention with Danario Alexander out until at least October. Alexander, who caught 37 passes in 2007 despite missing nearly four games, re-injured in June the ACL he tore against Oklahoma in the Big 12 championship game.
* Maclin sizes up 2008: “People might say it’s harder to repeat what you did, but if you have the guys that we have and the talent that we have, anything’s possible. We’ll be disappointed if we do anything less than we did last year.”
* Tigers through the eyes of Dave Matter, Columbia Tribune: “I think they’re more talented than every team on the schedule, except maybe Texas. It’s hard to really think they could lose a game on talent. When they played Oklahoma last year that was the case. They lost those games because Oklahoma was better, on both lines, especially. They got pushed around a little bit in both of those games, and that was a big difference. But this group, I think it’s got pretty good leadership with (Chase) Daniel. It doesn’t get much better than with him.”
Texas A&M
(7-6 in 2007; preseason No. 5 pick in the South for 2008)
* News bulletin: Senior Jorvorskie Lane, who moved from tailback to fullback in the spring, is actually being asked to reduce his weight. First-year coach Mike Sherman said Lane, who is one touchdown shy of owning A&M’s career record by himself, has “a ways to go” to get down to the 260-some pound mark the two agreed would be best for him to play at. The Aggies’ media guided lists Lane at 6-foot, 285 pounds.
* Senior offensive tackle Travis Schneider sizes up 2008: “I think that we can surprise a lot of people, not only in conference but across the country. … Coach Sherman’s different. He’s changed positions for guys and we haven’t had any kind of controversy with that. Guys have bought in to what he’s telling them, and for them to do that is a great thing. When guys are willing and open to change like that, it speaks well for this team, because they’re not worried about themselves.”
* Aggies through the eyes of Tim Griffin, ESPN.com college football writer: “They’re a good year or two away. It’s almost like they’ve got mismatched parts, because their running backs are obviously the strength of the team and the offensive line obviously is the weakness, and that just doesn’t mesh. I think they’ll take a step back. I think they’re the fifth-best team in the South and will struggle to make a bowl game. Sherman’s good for them (in the long run). There’s something about him that recruits have gravitated to, which has kind of surprised me. I’ve also been surprised by how he really seems to be invigorated by being around college football again. You would have thought as much time as he spent in the NFL (10 years) that that’s what his mindset would be, but it seems like he’s gotten excited about being around colleges again.”
-- Curt McKeever
