Double-T Nation News:
BIG HAT-TIP to Flags Over Raiderland for finding this cool story. Very cool (and yes, Harrell does have a faux-hawk).
If anyone is wanting to follow Danny Amendola or Zack Thomas this year, then I need to point you to Blogging The Boys and former high school classmate, Matt Mosley's NFC East blog.
Texas Tech Football:
Raise your hand if the bar bends when you work out.
via grfx.cstv.com
RedRaiderSports.com's Chris Level starts his Fall Camp Preview with the Quarterbacks with his biggest question being whether or not Taylor Potts improve after struggling this spring:
Mike Leach isn't worried about it so why should we? Having said that though, Graham Harrell's back-up didn't play particularly well this spring. It seemed like he never found that rhythm it takes to lead this offensive unit to score after score. Potts appeared erratic and he'll need to improve upon that in August. There isn't a better kid on Texas Tech's roster than the big sophomore from Abilene but that isn't what he'll ultimately be judged by and everyone understands that.
Level is also really high on Doege and thinks that if Potts doesn't improve, Doege could be a guy who takes the reins next year (he will apparently redshirt 2008, which is a good idea.
As far as Potts disappointing spring, I'm not concerned. I only got to see Potts during the spring game, like most of you, and that was a patch-work offensive line that was in front of him, and if you've got defenders after you from the beginning, it's hard to good reads.
Make sure and check out ESPN's Big 12 Blogger Tim Griffin write about recruiting in Texas in the Big 12. Tim's chart notes that 83.8% of Texas Tech's players are from Texas, however, the item that umped out at me is that OSU has 56.9% which is almost 20% higer than OU's percentage of 38.0%. I'm surprised that OSU has signed that many more Texas players, but perhaps its because OU signs most of the Oklahoma players and OSU has to look elsewhere to fill the talent gap. Good stuff.
Tech is an example of this. A good team for sure, perhaps the best under Mike Leach in Lubbock, but an incomplete one. I've heard the song and dance about Texas Tech having a better defense before and I'm hearing it again, but the Red Raiders just don't have defensive athletes on the level of an Oklahoma or a Texas.
First, I'm not sure that there is such thing as an absolute complete team. They are rare, but I think it's safe to say, most teams have holes they have to fill or improvements they have to make so to say that Texas Tech isn't a complete team isn't anything that you couldn't say about almost any other team playing college football.
Second, I will fully admit that Texas Tech doesn't have the defensive athletes that UT or OU have, however, the defensive athletes Texas Tech does have are significantly better (especially in the linebacker corp) than years in the past. I'm not sure I like Lucksinger's logic in that you have to have UT/OU type athletes to have defensive success. And keep in mind, by no means am I completely sold that the defense is heads-and-shoulders better than last year, but I certainly think there will be some decent improvement.