Odds and Ends
Quiet Before the Storm
It's actually a little bit quiet before the media storm that is Big 12 Media Days, although the Big 12 did release the media preseason predictions for the Big 12 (more on that later) and today the media is to vote on the all-conference players.
There were a couple of interesting things, the first being the broo-ha-ha over a Tennessee commitment suddenly changing his mind about being a Volunteer (an adidas school) and now looking at Kentucky, a Nike school, and friend of the John Calipari, Williams Wesley (if you don't know who he is, then read here). I'm not sure what the answer is on this, or if there is an answer, I'm merely an outsider looking in, but there's just a lot of stuff going on and if the NCAA were to really dig, I think there's a better than zero chance that they'd find something.
This brings me to Barking Carnival's Scipio Tex excellent essay on street agents. I won't try to summarize, but I think it's well worth your time.
Texas Tech Football
Big 12 Media Preseason Football Poll for the Big 12 Conference
There's really no surprise that the media is leaning towards the rest of the nation in that the Big 12 South is stacked with the Oklahoma Sooners and Texas Longhorns are tied for first in the South, Nebraska is picked to win the North and Texas Tech is picked to finish fourth:
2009 Big 12 Football Media Preseason Poll
first-place votes in parentheses
North Division 1. Nebraska (17) 172 2. Kansas (12) 164 3. Missouri (3) 124 4. Colorado 100 5. Kansas State 81 6. Iowa State 33 South Division 1. Texas (17) 174 1. Oklahoma (15) 174 3. Oklahoma State 130 4. Texas Tech 89 5. Baylor 75 6. Texas A&M 33
This is all part of the Captain's master plan.
Ryan Hyatt has his thoughts on the media's picks, and I agree whole-heartedly with this:
As for the media picking Texas Tech 4th in the South, we’ll see. I think there is a big possible swing of games for both Tech, Oklahoma State and Baylor this year. Both OSU and Tech could each be capable of winning nine games this year or winning as few as seven. The margin is razor thin. As for Baylor, I’m trying to see a big upside there in Waco beyond the hope of what their QB can do, but I’m not ready to punch their ticket to a bowl game just yet.
Players Big 12 Teams Cannot Afford to Lose
ESPN's Tim Griffin names the players that each Big 12 team cannot afford to lose and I'll give you three guesses, the first two are wrong, as to your pick, and Griffin's, is:
Texas Tech: QB Taylor Potts. Tech's new quarterback has never started a game before, but he's earned the starting job before camp ever began - a rarity in the Mike Leach era. With Stefan Loucks, Seth Doege, Steven Sheffield and Garrett Riley behind him, there would be a huge drop if Potts misses significant action.
I think there's a significant drop-off in talent between Potts and Sheffield. And just to clarify, yes, Stefan Loucks has transferred, so he's no longer in the picture.
Football Odds and Ends
Her Loyal Sons on the new rule change that punters that attempt the rugby-style of punt, will no longer be protected. I'm actually looking forward to the first punter to being laid out for trying that mess.
Chris Brown of Smart Football has a guest post with Dr. Saturday on deconstructing the Virginia Tech defense. Absolutely awesome read.