Double-T Nation News:
Lots of things to get to this morning. Also, I've got a new poll up in the left sidebar on the outcome of Friday's Cotton Bowl.
DTN Appointments: The ever-controversial special teams preview is scheduled for a noon posting time.
Texas Tech Football:
LAJ's Don Williams focuses on the fearsome defensive front of the Ole Miss Rebels and DE Kentrell Lockett says that it's going to be a battle:
"It’s going to be a battle, period," said Lockett, a 6-foot-5, 240-pound sophomore who has 101/2 tackles for loss. "Only giving up 11 sacks shows how good (Tech’s) offensive line is. I don’t know what we’re ranked with sacks and TFLs and all that, but it shows what type of defensive line we have. We’re just going to go up against them and see what happens."
And there's also the expectation that Ole Miss will rotate players along the defensive line, but center Stephen Hamby doesn't seem too concerned:
"It does get to be a factor when they have fresh legs," Tech center Stephen Hamby said, "but the thing we’ve noticed with certain teams, they’re going to keep certain players in. If they keep rotating, we’re a well-conditioned team, and I don’t think we’re going to tire. It doesn’t really bother us that much."
Williams also filed the Red Raiders Football Notebook with notes on receiver Michael Crabtree feeling like he can score in man coverage, his mentor is Deion Sanders (ughhh), a united Texas Tech locker room, DE Brandon Sesay and CB L.A. Reed are still out, and the Red Raiders have left disappointment in Lubbock.
Per FWST's Dwain Price, Captain Mike Leach thinks Michael Crabtree should stay at Texas Tech:
"Obviously it’ll be best for him to stay,"’ Leach said after Sunday’s practice at Texas Stadium. "I think the NFL would say it that way, too, just because if you’re good enough to play they’ll eventually get you."If you’re more polished when you get there, your chances are higher."
Keep trying.
DMN's Brandon George features DE McKinner Dixon. A solid read for sure. Also, George has a notebook, with notes on the Texas Tech schedule, Crabtree and Harrell are healthy, and Crabtree is being quiet on his NFL decision
Texas Tech Basketball:
Per LAJ's Jeff Walker, "Knight takes blame after Stanford stomps Tech". I actually DVR'ed this game (I went to bed early) and now I'm not so sure I'll watch it. The Red Raiders lost to Stanford, 111-66 (boxscore). Here's Junior Knight on last night's game:
"I thought we really laid down. We didn’t compete at all. … We didn’t push the ball up, we didn’t guard anybody. We just didn’t show up," Knight said. "That’s my fault. Kids don’t play bad on purpose. It’s my job, I have to figure out why. The game was over in the first five minutes. Stanford’s too good of a team … when you get a start like that from a team in one of these power conferences, you can’t come back like that."It’s my fault. I have to figure out why we get off to starts like that, why we have problems on the road, why we just don’t want to guard anybody. I don’t blame the kids, per se, because it’s not like they came out here and said, ‘We’re just going to play bad.’ It’s up to me to figure things out."
Only D'Walyn Roberts and Mike Singletary scored in double-figures and the team was out-rebounded by 17 boards. John Roberson had 9 assists and 7 turnovers. Too many turnovers from your point guard.