TEXAS TECH FOOTBALL
Red Raiders Football Notebook: Holding him back | Red Raiders
LAJ's David Just has a notebook with head coach Tommy Tuberville's thoughts on keeping the redshirt on freshman LT LeRaven Clark:
"We came this close to putting Le’Raven Clark in," Tuberville said Wednesday. "I think it’s just too early for him. Even if somebody did go down, we’d make a move and move a more experienced guy over in that spot. We’re practicing like he’s second team, but he’s not second team, if that makes sense."
Makes perfect sense! Also in the notebook, DE Aundrey Barr is getting the week off to rest his knee, which was injured last year:
"(Barr) is not going to be 50 plays a game. He’s going to be 15 to 20 plays," Tuberville said. "We want to use him in a situation where, he’s a better run (defense) guy than he is a pass-rush guy. I think he’ll really help once we get to conference play."
McDaniel learning new role quickly | Red Raiders
LAJ's Williams talks about transitioning to center. Terry McDaniel is one of my favorite players because I knew him as a kid and I know his Dad. McDaniel knows that he could have played better. Here's McDaniel talking about playing center:
"The center’s got to be the leader out there," he said. "You’ve got to call all the fronts. You’ve got to know what your other four offensive linemen are doing next to you. ... You’ve got to know if it’s man or zone and on which side. There’s a lot more to it. You’ve got to talk. And the more you talk, the quicker you get tired out there.
"You’ve got a 330-pound nose guard sitting right in front of your face ready to tee off on you. And the first thing you want to do is get rid of the ball real quick so you have time to block somebody."
There's so much more after the jump, including Texas Tech basketball news and conference realignment news.
Lubbock Online | Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
This is a link to the LAJ's 2011 football preview. If you need to waste some time, it's worth it.
The First Big 12 Power Poll of 2011 - Turfburner
Big 12 Power Poll! Here's Bech on Texas Tech:
The Big 12 needs to get familiar with two things: Seth Doege to Darrin Moore and a tougher Tech defense led by new DC Chad Glasgow. Although it was against an overmatched Texas State defense, Seth Doege looked like he is going to handle the Red Raiders QB position just fine. Darrin Moore is a big time playmaker who I have been calling to breakout all offseason. These 2 could very well put themselves up with some elite company in Lubbock if they continue this relationship. Eric Stephens had his usual solid game with over 100 yards and a couple scores. The Texas Tech defense is going to take a huge stride forward in Glasgow's first year and the switch to the 4-2-5. I'm looking forward to watching this team grow.
Next game: Sept 17 @ New Mexico
Big 12 Stock Watch: Week 2 - Dallas Colleges Blog - ESPN Dallas
The Ubbenator says that WR Darrin Moore is rising:
Rising: Darrin Moore
I'm not going to use the "M-C" word about the Texas Tech senior who was a junior college transfer, but was Saturday night the beginning of something huge? I wouldn't rule it out. How many players in the country can rack up 12 catches, 221 yards and a touchdown against anyone? Yeah, it was against Texas State, but Justin Blackmon had eight catches for 125 yards and three touchdowns against Washington State last year. At 6-foot-4, and 214 pounds, keep an eye on Moore.
TEXAS TECH BASKETBALL
DeShon Minnis Joins Texas Tech As Late Signee - Texas Tech Red Raiders Official Athletic Site
Coincidence? PG Mike Davis transfers yesterday and DeShon Minnis signs as part of the 2011 recruiting class the next day. Roster attrition is ugly. Here's head coach Billy Gillispie on Minnis, who does fill the need as a big point guard or shooting guard for this team (I think that Toddrick Gotcher was the only real shooting guard on the team, but he may play point guard):
"We are extremely happy to have DeShon here on campus," added Gillispie. "He is a strong and very versatile player, who is highly regarded. He has the ability to play more than one position and he is the type of guy that we like to coach. Moreover, he is a great young man, who we think will get along great with our other players and gives us a great chance for success."
CONFERENCE REALIGNMENT LINKS
Bailey cites Big 12 'traffic jam' | Red Raiders
I posted this last night. There's no direct quotes from President Guy Bailey, but it's kinda heresay (I think, I'm not a trial attorney) from Texas Tech spokesperson, Chris Cook. This is why this quote is confusing:
"You’re looking at, right now, the threat of a lawsuit holding up the process," Tech spokesman Chris Cook said shortly after he’d spoken with Bailey. "Dr. Bailey said things are going to be in a holding pattern."
Snip.
Bailey said via Cook that Tech officials are "closely monitoring the situation and will actively pursue a course in the best interests of Texas Tech University.
"We’re not sitting idly by. We’re active in this process."
Baylor taking steps to preserve Big 12 football and integrity in college athletics " Baylor Proud
Baylor takes a stand, although this stand feels like blackmail. From what I can tell from yesterday, none of the Big 12 schools have signed their waiver to allow Texas A&M to go to the SEC and Texas Tech has said that they don't intend to sue as Baylor is threatening to sue.
Pac-12 expansion: The case for the Oklahoma schools | College Hotline
Wilner is a must-read, there's too much information there for me to blockquote everything, but here's a bit:
I think there’s a decent chance the Big 12 could stay together in some fashion and I think there’s a decent chance Texas could be in the Pac-16 by the end of next week …
Or the Big 12 could shatter in days with the Longhorns declaring football independence.
I don’t how it will end, but of this I am close to certain:
If the Oklahoma schools officially apply for membership to the Pac-12 … and there are many steps between here and there, let’s not forget … then they’ll be admitted into the conference regardless of what Texas does.
In other words: The Pac-12 is willing to become the Pac-14 without knowing when it would become the Pac-16 — or knowing the ID of the 15th and 16th teams.
Statement From Dan Beebe On Texas A&M - Big 12 Conference - Official Athletic Site
Beebe's statement is probably accurate in that I would guess that some universities probably did rely on the contract that Texas A&M signed last year. This isn't to say that I'm completely blaming Texas A&M, I do still think that the Longhorn Network to really be the root of the problem. Here's part of Beebe's statement regarding the waiver that leaked yesterday that said that the Big 12 would not impede the Texas A&M from going to the Big 12, but that waiver could not bind the members of the Big 12:
However, the waiver did not and could not bind the individual member institutions' governing boards to waive institutional rights. If the departure of Texas A&M results in significant changes in the Big 12 membership, several institutions may be severely affected after counting on revenue streams from contracts that were approved unanimously by our members, including Texas A&M. In some cases, members reasonably relied on such approval to embark on obligations that will cost millions of dollars.
Texas A&M ‘being held hostage’ by the Big 12, and its fate may rest in Oklahoma’s hands - Dr. Saturday - NCAAF Blog - Yahoo! Sports
The Aggies are claiming that they are being held hostage. I used the word blackmail. Whatever. According to the Waco Tribune article from yesterday afternoon, Baylor would sign the legal waiver if Oklahoma commits to the Big 12. This isn't an original thought, but I'm sure that OU wants to be part of a conference where their fellow members threaten a lawsuit if you leave. The irony of the situation is that Baylor left SMU, TCU, Rice and Houston back in 1995 when Baylor left the Southwest Conference.
Keeping Big 12 alive after defections not so crazy | Big 12 | Sports News and Videos on the D... | Smaller Big 12 to keep automatic BCS spot | Bohl Games
FWST's Art Garcia writes that keeping the Big 12 alive with smaller schools, much like NM99's post from last night, which is to think that maybe a stable conference of members of the Mountain West or Conference USA would be better than what we're doing now, which is a yearly ass-whip.
Texas A&M’s Move to SEC Hits a Snag - NYTimes.com
NYT's Pete Thamel spoke to a Big 12 official and wrote this:
One Big 12 official described the threat of a suit as a ploy to slow the process and allow the Big 12 to recalibrate without Texas A&M. It is well known that the Pac-12 will not admit Oklahoma — and potentially Oklahoma State, Texas and Texas Tech — until Texas A&M goes to the SEC and clears any legal hurdles. After comments on Friday by the Oklahoma president, David Boren, about exploring other conferences crushed the Big 12, the league is buying time.
"The goal is to stabilize," said a Big 12 official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. "Until people know they’re not going to end up in the Mountain West or Conference USA, I don’t think any of the schools with any risk at all are going to release the claims."