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1. No News | As expected, there's still no news. I mentioned this in the comments that the media blackout for most of this week didn't necessarily have to be about head coach Kliff Kingsbury being upset that players may have talked too much, but it may haven been about Kingsbury wanting the team to really focus and not worry about any other distractions. Kingsbury isn't taking away anything, just not allowing the players talking to the media and if I had to guess, I think that he's told the team that the SMU game is right around the corner and he needs their focus for this week. And if I'm totally wrong and he's doing it to spite the media, then I'm fine with that too.
And this is probably as good a place as any to discuss, but yesterday it was mentioned that RRS's Chris Level said that Davis Webb won the quarterback competition. I can't listen at work, so I have no idea as to the veracity of that statement. Level is pretty guarded about revealing too much information, and I'm okay with that, so that statement that he declared that Webb "won" the quarterback competition doesn't seem like something Level would say especially after listening to the "Ask Level" segment. He was incredibly hesitant not to reveal anything regarding the quarterback situation. As stated above, I'm totally fine with that, and I'm fine with however this situation works out. In any event, I've been given some information, from someone I trust and I don't want to reveal too much, but I will say that I don't think this is a situation where someone is winning the competition, but someone will be named the starter. I hope that is completely vague and totally frustrating.
2. Pace | The LAJ looks at the specific things that the offense is doing to change the pace of the offense and here's OG Beau Carpenter:
"He (Kingsbury) says that’s one of the most intimidating things," Carpenter said, "is catching a pass, immediately throwing it back to the official and getting lined right back up."
And Co-OC Sonny Cumbie had this to say about how the plays are sent down to the sideline (I am sure it is easier without a head coach filtering anything):
"The communication of the plays from the sideline to the quarterback’s different," Cumbie said, "and I think that really helps speed up the pace of play. And all the skill guys are looking to the same spot for the plays, so I think that helps you push the tempo a little faster."
And the personnel packages will play a bit more until they are replaced:
"You just try to let your guys roll a little more," Cumbie said. "We just try to let those guys stay in and the good guys play as much as they can, as long as they’re not hurting us, so that’s the big thing. You don’t sub as much."
This all sounds encouraging. Speaking of pace, we have the SI college football preview magazine talks about pace and TCU HC Gary Patterson says that the one that varies the tempo is the one that bothers his defense the best.
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3. If You're Going to Coach Them Hard, You Have to Love Them Hard | Real hard. The official site has a preview of the offensive line with a companion video.
I'm really digging what OC coach Lee Hays is doing. Also, LeRaven Clark looks like he's still 16 years old, that guy has a young face.
4. TTU's True Freshman QB | RRS has a bit on Texas Tech's true freshman quarterback from the 1978 season, Ron Reeves:
"It's so important that your teammates believe in you, that you're capable of performing at a level that will help the team be successful," he said. "You go out there and you work hard and you learn your stuff, you know what you're supposed to do, you're not making dumb mental mistakes, you're encouraging your teammates, and just playing hard."
5. Top 25's | SI released their top 25 and the biggest surprise for me was that Oklahoma St. didn't make it and we can all blame Andy Staples. Also in SI is an interview with SB Nation's Bill Connelly where he discusses his new book and advanced stats in college football. EDSBS has a more entertaining top 25 most interesting teams and includes Texas Tech:
Kliff Kingsbury and the wide-open spaces of the Big 12 and ... pretty decent personnel, actually, at least on the offensive side of the ball. Did you know Texas Tech, due to the distortion rendered by all that empty space in Lubbock, actually plays on a field that is 60 yards long but 200 yards wide? Football's not different in Lubbock; reality is, and no one's better equipped for that than a man who slapped Kevin Sumlin on the ass and lived to talk about it. (Plus: ladies? Ladieeeeees.)
I pretty much love that line, "Football's not different in Lubbock; reality is . . . "
6. If You Like to Party | If you like to party and you live in Dallas then there's going to be a Football Kickoff Party tonight. See the flyer for details. The guy throwing it is a guy that previously filmed the Red Raider Roadshow, Mitchell Patton, and he's a good Red Raider (we've had lunch together in Tyler!). Click here for the full size and details.
