Double-T Nation News:
DTN's Top Six:
- Catch Crimson and Cream Machine's Big 12 Roundtable Roundup.
- Nice commentary from ESPN's Big 12 blogger Tim Griffin on the effect of the new SEC TV deal and the effect on the Big 12. Notice to everyone not named Texas and OU: you better get together and figure something out .
- The Red Zone Report previews the Big 12.
- Fanblogs on the definition of a redshirt.
- Kelly Dwyer on why Larry Brown failed as the men's Olympic basketball coach in 2004.
- DMN's Chuck Carlton on the upcoming college football season.
Texas Tech Football:
Texas Tech released a bunch of information, game notes for each school and radio coverage, including satellite radio. This is a good one-stop link for information on Saturday's game, including the festivities starting tomorrow.
The LAJ has a feature on Captain Leach's use of acupuncture to quit the use of coffee and snuff:
It was about two years ago that Leach decided to kick the snuff habit. He said he quit cold-turkey after acupuncture and fell off the wagon only once, during a hectic two-month period last winter.Leach said he didn’t need the needles to give up coffee. That might sound surprising given that a coffee cup has been practically an extension of his hand in weekly and post-game news conferences. He even carried it on the field during pre-game warmups.
LAJ's Red Raiders Football Notebook mentions the ticket availability for remaining games, but more importantly there's still no decision on who starts at cornerback, running back or kicker. Running backs coach Seth Littrell had this to say:
"I think it’s going to come down to what we feel like doing early in the game and how we want to go about business," Littrell said. "All three of those guys are able to start. It really doesn’t matter who steps on the field first, because all three of them are going to play and all three of them are going to make good plays."
DMN's Brandon George takes a look at Texas Tech, and this statement is in complete contradiction to what I'm going to post later today:
Thin at:Defensive back: Tech has had the top pass defense in the Big 12 the last two seasons but has to replace a pair of starters this year. Athletic senior L.A. Reed (6-2, 201), who moved from receiver to safety last season, will be given the chance to start at cornerback. A starting safety spot is still open, but it could be filled by versatile senior Daniel Charbonnet (5-11, 188), who is having a good preseason camp.
Hmm . . . it's been my thought for quite some time that Texas Tech is deeper at defensive back than any position, other than running back. There are more guys out there than plays available. Personally, I think this is just an inaccurate statement, although Reed's move to corner may have been a signal that the other corners aren't up to par, but I tend to believe that it was more about getting a special athlete on the field. My own two cents . . . I think here's a ton of depth here.
Nice feature by the Daily Toreador where the staff has a video interview of linebacker Bront Bird and Alex Ybarra talks with cornerback Jamar Wall and says that he and Mr. Crabtree have had a good relationship in trying to learn from the other as they face-off during practices:
"He helps me," Wall said. "If I need some help on something, he asks me 'How would that break look, how did that break look?' He does his best to disguise too, because he knows he's gonna be double teamed and everything else this year too."
ESPN Big 12 blogger Tim Griffin came out with his Big 12 all-conference picks and Red Raiders who make the list are as follows: Mr. Crabtree, Louis Vasquez and Jamar Wall. Make sure and read the comments as Longhorn fans are upset that none of their players made the list. I need a Nelson (from the Simpsons) laugh here.