Double-T Nation News:
Through the coming weeks, we'll be looking at position-by-position matchups between Ole Miss and Texas Tech for the Cotton Bowl. Right now, I'm posting these positional previews every Tuesday and Thursday at noon leading up to the game. If that changes, I'll let you know. At noon today, you can look forward to a look at the quarterbacks, Graham Harrell and Jevan Snead.
I should also mention that I haven't watched a lick of Ole Miss football this year, so all of my thoughts are based on statistics, opponents, etc.
Texas Tech is a 6 point favorite against Ole Miss.
Build your own minature pirate ship.
Mike Leach Watch:
Nothing new since last night. Leach is off doing awards shows (sunny Orlando, I think) so I'm guessing that the "Mike Leach Watch" is going to take a hiatus until a contract is signed or we all move forward.
Cotton Bowl:
LAJ's Don Williams writes that that Texas Tech had better start focusing on the Ole Miss Rebels, comparing this Texas Tech team to the 2004 California team that felt like they deserved a BCS spot. Running back Baron Batch is on the case:
"The fact that we don’t want to lose another game, that’s a lot of motivation right there," running back Baron Batch said. "You don’t want to go out and lose your last game, especially for the seniors. It’s going to be fun. They’re going to take care of us up there, we’re going to have a good time, and we’re going to get ready to play Ole Miss."I mean, we’re definitely not going to sit around and complain about what could have been, because what’s happening now is pretty good."
Daniel Charbonnet can relate to Mississippi:
"We’ve been in that same situation where we’ve been 8-4 and we know how good we are," Charbonnet said. "It’s the same thing. Like last season, we were 8-4 and we felt like we could beat anybody in the country."They feel like that, too, because they’ve played against top teams every week, and they’ve beaten them. They know what they can do, so we’ve got to focus on doing our job and working really hard so we can win the game."
Griffin ranks the Big 12 bowls with the Cotton Bowl checking in at #4:
No. 7 Texas Tech vs. No. 25 Mississippi, Jan. 2, 2 p.m., FOX: It should be quite a show with Mike Leach and Michael Crabtree helping usher out the Cotton Bowl's era at the old stadium in Fair Park. The two teams had shootouts in 2002 and 2003 in an earlier series and I'm expecting a similar game in this one.
"We were playing in a hostile environment," Nutt said. "We had to make some plays at the end of the game (to win 23-21). In the locker room, after that game, we knew we had something special."
Texas Tech Football:
Congrats to Graham Harrell who was named the winner of the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award:
To be eligible for this Award, all candidates MUST be completing their college eligibility this season to be eligible for The Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award. Candidates are judged upon character, citizenship, scholastic achievement, leadership qualities, and athletic accomplishments. They MUST also preserve a positive public image above reproach by avoiding legal issues or other types of scandal.
Here's Harrell on winning the award:
"I want to thank the Johnny Unitas Foundation for this incredible honor," said Harrell. "To be mentioned in the same breath with this true legend of football is very special for me, my family and my teammates. This award wouldn't be possible without the support of my family and everyone at Texas Tech. Hopefully this honor will shine some light on the great things our football program has achieved and how special it is to be a Red Raider."
Heisman Trophy: Lots of good stuff about Graham Harrell at NewsOK, including why he should win, a profile, tale-of-the-tape, and what others are saying about Harrell:
"I don’t think that’s fair. Look at Wes Welker. If anybody could have been labeled a product of this system, it would have been Wes. He doesn’t have any size at all. He’s not blazing fast. But if he was only a product of our system, why is he putting up great numbers in the NFL?"--Harrell, to The Denver Post in 2007
DMN's Kate Hairopoulos talks with Chris Huston of HeismanPundit.com about the 4 candidates, Graham Harrell, Colt McCoy, Sam Bradford and Tim Tebow. Here's the link to HeismanPundit for all your Heisman Trophy needs.
ESPN Big 12 blogger Tim Griffin ranks the Big 12 teams and Texas Tech checks in at #3.
More on the coaches' ballots here, here, and here.
Dr. Saturday's Matt Hinton chastizes OU for continuing to compete against Missouri.
Texas Tech Basketball:
Rush the Court with their weekly look at the Big 12. Which reminds me, that because Texas Tech only played 1 game last week, a win over Wichita State, there won't be a weekly basketball report for this week.
Texas Tech's next game is this Saturday at Lamar and the television situation is TBA.