Texas Tech Football:
ESPN is ranking top football programs for all Division I teams and Texas Tech is number 32, ahead of programs such as Alabama and Cal, while Texas A&M is ranked 3 spots ahead of Texas Tech at 29. Believe it or not, I can live with the 32nd ranking and it speaks volumes as to how Coach Leach has transformed this program into a legitimate football school. Leach has proven that he's a winner and he's won at Texas Tech with less talent that most other schools. Here's ESPN's blurb on Texas Tech:
That's a fair assessment.
ESPN's Mark Schlabach, who I think is a talented writer, writes a complimentary article to the list of teams 26 through 51 and believes that Texas Tech is a team on the rise rather than a team in decline:
Hat-tip to Block U, the Utah Utes blog, on this Scout.com article on this year's top collegiate fantasy quarterbacks. You want to guess where Harrell check in? How about 7th. I don't play fantasy college football, but if I did I'm pretty sure who I know I'd take as my quarterback.
Big 12 Football:
DMN's Chip Brown has an interesting take on a rule change I've yet to see discussed, which will require teams to now kick off from their 30 yard line rather than their 35 yard line. Leach mentioned during his press day how disgusted he was with the state of Texas Tech's kick return results, 118th of 119 Division I schools for an average of 15.86 yards per kick return. Leach has gone so far as to put Ruffin McNeil in charge of kick returns. Last year I advocated getting some bigger backs to return kicks rather than Eric Morris. I also couldn't figure out why Woods was returning kicks, just seemed odd to have your starting running back returning kicks. It will be interesting to see if any of the previous return men are back fielding kick offs this year.
The Chron's Terrance Harris has an article on the Big 12's second year quarterbacks. There's no doubt that it's an impressive bunch, possibly the best group of quarterbacks in the nation as a conference. Go check it out.