Double-T Nation News:
Same thing as yesterday, a ton of stuff to get to, I'm not sure I'll have time to link to everything, but I'll try. Help me, help you in FanPost.
Dr. Saturday's Matt Hinton and EDSBS's Spencer Hall have similar reactions to the news snippet from yesterday's FanShot from GoVolsXtra's Mike Griffith on why Captain Leach would not be a good fit at Tennessee:
Mike Leach still has his name thrown around, but I don't see it. No one is going to come into the SEC and win with Xs and Os - it takes talent, not gadgets.And, I just don't see Leach (47) being able to handle the level of scrutiny that comes with the UT head football coach job. It's a regal position - hardly a post for someone with erratic and eccentric personality traits.
Flags Over Raiderland's video game simluation of the Texas Tech vs. Oklahoma game
Texas Tech Football:
LAJ's Don Williams writes about Texas Tech is receiving unparalleled attention, with mentions of all of the media outlets wanting a piece of this Red Raiders football team. Meanwhile, Adam Zuvanich writes that OU can be dominating at home, while Stoops calls for a more rowdy crowd. Williams' Red Raiders Football Notebook mentions the school meeting the stadium funding requirement and the Texas Tech Alumni Association and the Red Raider Club are planning a pre-game party in Norman, so if you need a place to congregate, this might be a start. See the article for details.
ESPN Big 12 blogger Tim Griffin writes about the improved running game for Texas Tech. Here's a bit on Shannon Woods working back from the doghouse:
"You could see he was ready to come back," Littrell said. "He really came on with our scout team last year and probably could have played with us but we didn't want to take his redshirt off late in the season. There wasn't much doubt he would come back, but he came back stronger than we would have ever thought after what he went through."Woods battled his way in and out of Leach's doghouse last season after a strong sophomore season in 2006. He went from leading the Big 12 in all-purpose yards to being benched for the final four regular-season games last season. Additionally, Woods was sent home from the Gator Bowl because on an undisclosed violation of team rules late last season.
"It was hard, there ain't no lying about it," Woods told reporters earlier in the season. "It was tough to play and then not to be able to. That was hard. But I'm happy with myself. I stuck with it."
Also from Griffin, the Sooners are wanting to turn around their defense against Texas Tech, which includes this gem from Gerald McCoy:
When told that Texas Tech's 323-pound-per-man offensive line is the biggest in college football, Oklahoma defensive tackle Gerald McCoy didn't seem overly worried or concerned.The challenge of checking the mammoth Red Raider offensive front prompted a matter-of-fact response brimming with confidence from McCoy.
"They've got a big line, so what?" McCoy said. "We've got to go out and play. We're not worried about their size. They are good, but we're not intimidated by that."
Later, McCoy threw out some free-association terms of what he feels that would best describe the Oklahoma defense, including descriptions such as tough, brutal, hard and strong.
Another adjective could have been thrown out as well, although McCoy probably would never do it. How about "unSoonerlike?"
Who's ready for Saturday?
Very cool story from FWST's Dwain Price on Lonnie "Primo" McCurry, an offensive guard and nose guard for Texas Tech from 1938-1940. McCurry gave the team the pep talk before the Texas game and here's McCurry on the Oklahoma game:
"The Red Raiders are capable of beating anybody, but they’ve got to play at Oklahoma," McCurry said. "It might be a blowout one way or the other."I just know Tech scored touchdowns in seven straight possessions against Oklahoma State, so they’ve got to have something. I’ve never heard of that before."
When you visit Price's story there's a picture of McCurry in his uniform and the following picture was rendered by a reader from UniWatch a couple of years ago:
And just in case you're wondering, I think these might be the most awesome uniforms ever and if someone ever wanted to give me a Christmas gift . . .
FWST's Jimmy Burch writes about the Texas Tech secondary being confident they can play with Oklahoma. Pretty good stuff here:
How does Tech’s secondary match OU’s receivers?"Good, I hope," Leach said. "We’ll find out. They’re really good receivers, no question. But I feel good about our secondary guys, also."
So do rival Big 12 coaches. Kansas State coach Ron Prince cited McBath as the lynchpin of a unit that is "not only good, but flawless from an execution standpoint." Kansas coach Mark Mangino said Tech’s defensive backs are "very athletic," which allows them to be more aggressive than other secondaries.
"They’re quick in attacking the ball and good, open-field tacklers," Mangino said. They also have a point to prove against an OU passing game that McBath said is capable of going "80 yards on one play, just like the previous three or four teams we’ve played in the Big 12."
I'm not sure what FWST's Jennifer Floyd-Engel is doing writing about college sports, but she proclaims today as Ruffin McNeill Day because although Muschamp is receiving all of the press for his coach-in-waiting status, McNeill is the one that deserves the parade:
Yes, Muschamp has turned one of the most highly rated pools of defensive talent into a kick-butt defense. McNeill has achieved the same result with players whom nobody thought too highly of when this season began. I specifically remember a few of my brethren giggling in print at the idea of Tech suddenly playing high-qualify defense and dismissing any chance of Tech winning the South as a result.
"I remember he put 700, 800 yards on us, and how stressed Mike Stoops and I were trying to defend it," Venables said this week. "I just remember both of us were ... in a deep, deep state of depression in the locker room afterwards."Was it really that bad?
"Horrific," he said.
DMN's Brandon George and Chuck Carlton have a number of notebook items as well.
Texas Tech Basketball:
LAJ's Jeff Walker with news on honoring a couple of Lubbock greats, Gerald Myers and Craig Ehlo, as well as a little bit on the East Central Tigers. I'll have a preview and open game day thread go up later this afternoon, although the game will not be on television. DT's Alex Ybarra writes that Texas Tech guard Nick Okorie will receive more attention because of his stellar play thus far. Ybarra also notes that the Red Raiders are not looking past East Central:
"We respect every opponent," Tech forward Darko Cohadarevic said. "We have a scouting report on (East Central) the same as we gonna have against the University of Texas or Kansas. That's the great deal, you cannot underestimate anybody, like all the time every year you're gonna have some surprises in college basketball, and we don't want that thing to happen to us."