College Confidential

Texas A&M-OSU game moves to Thursday night in 2010 for TV

Next season’s football game between Texas A&M and Oklahoma State has been moved to Thursday night in Stillwater, Okla. as an ESPN national telecast, officials from both schools announced today.

The contest has been moved up by two days and will take place on Sept. 30. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. at Boone Pickens Stadium. The contest will be one of two Thursday night contests for the Aggies during the 2010 season. A&M’s game at Texas is slated for a 7 p.m. start on Thanksgiving night (Nov. 25, ESPN).

_ Jimmy Burch

Texas vs. Big 10 football history (just in case)

As mentioned in a previous post, I would not spend a lot of time fretting the possibility of Texas joining an expanded Big Ten conference. It makes very little sense logistically.

But if the Dallas Cowboys can play in the NFC East and the Texas Rangers -- who play their home games in Arlington, just like the Cowboys -- can play in the American League West, anything is possible in sports. 

So here is a historic look at how Texas has fared through the years in football matchups against Big 10 teams, according to the UT media guide:
 
Wisconsin, 1-0  (game played in 1939)
Purdue, 2-0  (games played in 1950-51)
Penn State, 2-3  (games played between 1972 and 1997)
Ohio State, 2-1  (games played between 2005 and 2009)
Northwestern, 0-1  (game played in 1942)
Minnesota, 0-1  (game played in 1936)
Michigan, 1-0  (2005 Rose Bowl)
Iowa, 1-1  (1984 Freedom Bowl, 2006 Alamo Bowl)
Indiana, 3-0  (games played between 1940 and 1966)
 
Texas has yet to play Michigan State or Illinois in football. That gives the Longhorns a 12-7 overall record against Big 10 football programs.

_ Jimmy Burch

 

Seven Longhorns headed to 2010 NFL Combine

Seven former Texas players have been invited to participate in the NFL Scouting Combine, Feb. 24-March 2 in Indianapolis. The list includes defensive tackle Lamarr Houston, defensive end Sergio Kindle, quarterback Colt McCoy, linebacker Roddrick Muckelroy, receiver Jordan Shipley, safety Earl Thomas and offensive tackle Adam Ulatoski, a Southlake Carroll graduate. Among that group, ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper, Jr. projects Kindle and Thomas as first-round picks.

_ Jimmy Burch

Don't expect Texas to become part of an expanded Big Ten

Texas officials declined to respond today to a published report in a Kansas newspaper that the school has engaged in “preliminary exchanges” with officials from the Big Ten in response to that league’s stated expansion plans.

“We’re not going to comment on speculation and rumors,” said Nick Voinis, the school’s senior associate athletic director for communications.

Nor should they. Especially when the report, published in the Lawrence (Kan.) Journal-World, is built around a quote from an unnamed person the newspaper identified as “a source with ties to the Big 10.”

And here’s the key paragraph, taken straight from the newspaper’s website: “There have been preliminary exchanges between the Big Ten and Texas,” the source told the Journal-World on Wednesday. “People will deny that, but it’s accurate.”

Despite leaning on an unnamed source whose “ties to the Big 10” may or may not be strong ones, the report may be accurate. But that does not mean Texas officials are eagerly perched, anxious to jump to another conference. Far from it, frankly, if you listen to the folks in Austin. Publicly or privately.

After news of the Big Ten’s expansion plans surfaced in December, Texas athletic director DeLoss Dodds made it clear that his school understands the logistical challenges (nightmares?) that would be involved with competing as a Big Ten member in all the non-revenue sports _ men’s and women’s _ fielded by the school.

“It (the Big 10) is a long ways away,” Dodds said at the time. “We’re a member of the Big 12. We helped put the Big 12 together.”

Notice that Dodds did not rule out the possibility. Neither did Voinis. Everyone likes to feel wanted. Every school likes to have leverage it can use, if needed, during the next round of closed-door meetings with league administrators.

But realize that, in a common-sense world, a Texas-to-the-Big-Ten move makes very little logistical sense. And maybe not much financial sense, either.

Granted, the school toyed with the idea of Pac-10 membership during the dying days of the Southwest Conference, which coincided with the formation of the Big 12. But at that time, Texas officials knew a jump to another league was inevitable and checked out the Pac-10 possibilities.

Another move is not necessary in today’s economic climate. And it only stands to reason that Big Ten administrators would sound out Texas’ interest as part of their due diligence in following up on announced plans to explore expansion options for the next 12 to 18 months.

At last count, the Big Ten _ which actually has 11 members _ has reportedly tried to gauge the expansion-related interest of Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Missouri, Texas, Nebraska, Syracuse and Iowa State. Others surely will follow.

Among that group, Texas makes the least geographic sense. Texas also plays in a league where it has helped shape the current revenue-sharing policy, which allows a larger slice of the overall TV pie to schools that make the most TV appearances. That benefits schools like Texas.

Even with the Big Ten’s TV network, it’s hard to imagine Texas would be in a significantly better financial situation by moving to the Big Ten when you factor in the increased travel costs for non-revenue sports. Longer road trips for conference games also would mean more missed class days for athletes, which would not appease UT faculty members.

So I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting for the Longhorns’ first double-header at Purdue to open the Big Ten baseball season any time soon.

_ Jimmy Burch

Texas A&M loses offensive coordinator Cromwell to NFL post

Nolan Cromwell, Texas A&M’s offensive coordinator the past two seasons, has resigned to become the wide receivers coach for the St. Louis Rams, school officials announced today.

Cromwell, a former Rams’ player (1977-87), oversaw an A&M offense that ranked fifth nationally in yards (465.8 per game) and 19th nationally in scoring (32.9 points per game) last season. A&M coach Mike Sherman did not set a timetable for naming Cromwell’s replacement.

Cromwell, who has coached at the NFL level for 17 of the last 19 seasons, issued a statement saying he is “excited” to return to the Rams’ organization and predicted that Sherman “will get things fixed on defense and in all phases of the game” during his tenure at A&M.

A&M finished 6-7 last season, giving Sherman a combined mark of 10-15 during his two seasons in College Station.

_ Jimmy Burch

Early on, Pat Knight felt bad for John Roberson

When Texas Tech point guard John Roberson arrived from Plano to play for the Red Raiders two years ago, Pat Knight thought they had a malcontent on their hands.

At the time, Knight was an assistant coach on the staff headed by his dad, Bob Knight. And Pat Knight didn't like what he was seeing from Roberson.

"He kind of had bad body language when he first got here, kind of a pouter-type if things weren't going his way in a game or if you got on him from a coaching aspect,'' Pat Knight said.

What a difference two years and some talented teammates make. Roberson is now one of the toasts of a Raider team that is 15-7 overall and 3-5 in Big 12 Conference play.

"He's really matured at the point now where I really don't have to get on him or motivate him,'' said Pat Knight, who is his second full season as the Raiders' head coach. "He talks up in the huddle, he's an extension of the coaches now, and that's what we're hoping for.

"We knew his first two years it takes time for a kid to learn that, especially playing at this level. But I can't be more happier having a kid like that, and knowing what I got. Not just for the rest of this year, I've got him for next year.''

A 5-11, 165-pound junior from Plano Senior Hgh School, Roberson is averaging 14.8 points and 5.6 assists this season, and is shooting .430 percent from the field and .410 percent from three-point range. He also has gotten some compassion points from Knight.

"Starting out I felt bad for him,'' Knight said during Monday morning's Big 12 teleconference. "We didn't have very good teams, and so he had to do a lot more scoring, and then distribute the ball. So we kind of took him out of the point guard role and he was kind of a scoring guard, a two-guard, for his first two years. But I think that helped him being thrown in the fire like that, really having to do everything.''

Still, it was rough going for Roberson during his first two seasons. At times, it was as if he was the only capable ballhandler _ or person who could defend a ballhandler -- on the Raiders' roster.

"He had to guard the ballhandler,'' Knight said. "We really kind of wore him out the first two years, I think, and he got a lot of minutes.

"We didn't have anybody we could substitute for him, and now that we've got more good players on our team, he can distribute the ball more, he doesn't have to score every night. But he can -- like it's obvious the last four games -- he can score when he has to.''

While directing Tech's offense, Roberson is averaging 21.3 points and 6.7 assists over the last three games. That includes racking up 28 points and three assists during last Saturday's 81-74 win over Oklahoma State.

Knight, meanwhile, kept thinking about how far Roberson's game has blossomed since his early years with the Raiders.

"He (doesn't) have to guard the ballhandler all the time,'' Knight said. "We've got other guys. We can take him off and put him off somebody that cuts and moves, instead of on the ball.

"I really think if we had a team like we have this year the first year, he could have broken the assist record last year, just because he's got better players around him that can score if he gets the ball to them. And then his progression, I think he's matured every year.''

-- Dwain Price

Texas players Brewster, Walters to miss spring football drills

Texas safety Nolan Brewster and offensive guard Mason Walters will miss spring football drills while they recuperate from off-season surgeries, trainer Kenny Boyd announced today. Brewster had surgery on his right shoulder. Walters had surgery on his left foot.

In addition, linebacker Emmanuel Acho (sports hernia surgery) will see limited duty when the Longhorns open spring drills on Feb. 26, with the Orange-White spring game slated for Sunday, April 4.

Texas’ spring schedule will include two open practices that fans may attend, March 2 and March 8. Both open practices are slated to start at 4 p.m. In addition, members of Texas’ 2009 team that finished 13-1 and second in both final polls will be honored at halftime of Monday’s men’s basketball game against Kansas in Austin.

_ Jimmy Burch

Ruffin McNeill was never seriously in the running at Tech

DALLAS _ Ruffin McNeill may have been the first person Texas Tech athletic director Gerald Myers interviewed last month to replace Mike Leach as the Red Raiders' head football coach. But McNeill really was never seriously considered for the job.

All along, Myers said he wanted to hire someone who had the title of "head coach'' somewhere on their resume. Tommy Tuberville did. McNeill didn't.

So Tuberville got the Tech job.

"It came down to a guy like Ruffin that we really liked _ a really popular guy with the fans, the coaches,'' Myers said Thursday. "But in the end the difference was the experience.''

It's almost like McNeill got an interview because of his popularity with the Tech playerrs, fans and assistant coaches. If head coaching experience was the major criteria to succeed Leach, McNeill never really had a legitimate chance to become that successor.

Myers said: "The fact that Tommy had been a head coach, that he'd been highly successful in a very strong football conference, I think that was the difference.''

McNeill had been as assistant coach with Tech for 10 years, including the past two years as the team's defensive coordinator. He now is the head coach at East Carolina.

"I like Ruffin and I'm really pleased that he got that job at East Carolina, and I wish him the best,'' Myers said. "I think he'll do a great job over there.''

-- Dwain Price

Texas coaches expect QB compeition in spring from their new freshmen

Among the 25 signees in Texas’ 2010 recruiting class, three already are enrolled for the spring semester: QB Connor Wood, QB Case McCoy and DB A.J. White. All three will take part in spring drills, where Texas coach Mack Brown said “all jobs are open.”

Technically, that includes quarterback, where sophomore-to-be Garrett Gilbert will have the inside track to the starting job after filling in for injured starter Colt McCoy -- Case’s older brother -- in the BCS National Championship Game against Alabama.

Realistically, the quarterback battle this spring will be to see if one of the incoming freshmen can unseat Sherrod Harris, a senior-to-be from Arlington Bowie, for the backup job. Brown made it clear that both of the incoming freshmen want to play next season. Asked if either had expressed a desire to redshirt, Brown said: “No. In fact, I think that when one decided to come early, they both decided to come early. I really think both want to compete with Garrett and Sherrod. If you sat down and asked them, I think they'd both say, ' … I'm coming in here to play.’ That's the attitude you want, so I don't think they'll blink at all.”

Of the two, Wood (6-4, 209) is taller and arrives with four-star credentials. McCoy (6-2, 175), like his brother, is a three-star prospect.

Brown said there are inevitable comparisons to be drawn between Case, who led Graham to a berth in this year’s Class 3A state championship game, and Colt, who reached the Class 2A state title game in his junior season at Tuscola Jim Ned (and back to the semifinals as a senior).

“As you are watching him (on film), he is very, very similar to his brother,” Brown said. “There cannot help but be comparisons while he is here. Case … is very accurate, has the ability to run, can throw from the pocket and move around. The fact that Colt was here and very successful as his brother really has nothing to do with signing Case. People will fight that because it is natural, but we would have signed him if his brother was not here (a past Texas QB). We think that Case is really good. There is some chance that he is a better, more polished player than Colt at the same age. He has had the comfort and positive experience of having Colt … to help him learn to read defenses better.”

About Wood, who played private-school football at Houston Second Baptist, Brown said: “Like Case, (Connor) has the ability to run. He is big and is very accurate. We were not concerned about a private school background or the level of football. Greg (Davis) and Major (Applewhite) really liked what they saw. “

One other note about the 2010 class: Brown said DeMarco Cobbs, who was recruited as an athlete, wants to begin his college career on offense and will be assigned a position in fall drills. Brown said Cobbs could be in the tailback mix next season.

_ Jimmy Burch

Texas football signing day tidbits

Texas landed a 25-player signing class today that is ranked third nationally by several college football recruiting analysts, as well as the Star-Telegram. The Longhorns signed 22 players from the S-T’s State Top 100 list to secure the top-ranked class in the Big 12. Only Florida and Southern California ranked higher nationally.

That much, you’ve probably heard already. But here are some tidbits about the Longhorns’ 2010 signing class, as well as an early look at spring football drills, which begin later this month:

-- Texas coaches offered scholarships to 30 players and 25 of them accepted. All 25 players who took official visits wound up signing with the Longhorns, marking the first 100 percent conversion rate that coach Mack Brown could remember in his tenure as a college coach.

-- Defensive end Jackson Jeffcoat, a five-star signee from Plano West, is toying with the idea of playing basketball as well. Jeffcoat (6-5, 235 pounds), son of former Dallas Cowboys’ standout Jim Jeffcoat, spoke with Texas men’s basketball coach Rick Barnes during the recruiting process about being a two-sport athlete.
In terms of Barnes’ input in the process, Brown said: “Rick talked to him in recruiting. The (basketball) staff talked to him in recruiting. They were very involved in helping.”

-- Jeffcoat is the only 2010 signee who has made overtures about being a two-sport athlete in college. The lone two-sport athlete on Texas’ roster, wide receiver Marquise Goodwin, is enrolled on a track scholarship but made a significant impact in football last season as a freshman. Goodwin will not take part in spring football drills because he is competing on the track team.

-- Linebacker Jordan Hicks, the other five-star signee in the 2010 class, is only the second high school player from Ohio to sign with Texas. The other was RB A.J. “Jam” Jones, who played from 1978-81. Hicks was recruited by defensive coordinator Will Muschamp. But his primary hook with the school originated with Texas strength coach Jeff Madden. Hicks’ mother, Kelly Justice, worked with Madden at Colorado during Madden’s tenure as the Buffs’ strength and conditioning coach (1989-92).

-- Brown called the team’s Jan. 7 loss to Alabama in the BCS National Championship Game, when QB Colt McCoy was knocked out of the game on the fifth play, one of the most disheartening of his career.
“I don’t think I’ll ever recover from it,” Brown said. “I don’t think I’ve ever been that hurt with a football game … I thought we were in great shape (before McCoy’s injury). I thought we had a chance to win. They were prepared.”

-- Brown said a major focus of spring drills will be improving the ground game by making “some strong tweaks … to take more pressure off our quarterback.” Chris Whaley, a 2009 signee who redshirted last season, will get a long look at TB. Traylon Shead, a 2010 signee, is expected to join teammates for voluntary workouts in June and will get a long look in fall drills, along with the returnees. Brown said he is not concerned by Shead’s background as a Class 1A player from Cayuga. Instead, he focuses on the fact that Shead (6-2, 210) rushed for 2,695 yards and 39 TDs last season in leading Cayuga to a state title.

Asked if he had concerns about the small-town backgrounds of Shead and Whaley (Madisonville), Brown said: “No. We go on production. If he produces in high school, we go for it.”
Below are additional throughts from Brown on his two freshman tailbacks who will be in the mix to play next fall:
“People ask a lot about Chris Whaley. He wasn’t ready to jump in and play when he got here. He’ll be interesting to watch this spring … He’s in great shape and he had an outstanding bowl practice. He’s one that we will watch this spring.”
As for Shead, Brown said: “The most difficult thing for young running backs is pass protection. So you bring them in, you hit them and you put them in scrimmage situations (to see if they can protect the passer).”

-- Texas’ 2010 class included two signees from Tarrant County: Dunbar WR Darius White and Haltom DE Reggie Wilson. Below are some of Brown’s comments about both players:

Darius White: “Darius (who wore No. 4 at Dunbar) looks like some of the No. 4’s that we have had around here (notably NFL receivers Roy Williams and Limas Sweed). He is tall, can run, and can make a difference for you. Darius is a great basketball player. He is left handed. I think that he and (fellow WR signee) Mike Davis could both play college basketball. They are not going to, but they could. Darius has the ability to go up high and get the ball over corners.”

Reggie Wilson: “Reggie is an outstanding pass rusher. [On film] you can see, Reggie is all over the place. He can really run. He is athletic. Reggie is from the Ivory Coast ... He has a great story. He has a wonderful smile. He is really good and will be a lot of fun to watch.

_ Jimmy Burch