College Confidential

Bob Stoops sets itinerary for busy day at ESPN studios

Oklahoma football coach Bob Stoops will spend Thursday making the rounds at ESPN studios in Bristol, Conn., where he has accepted an invitation to do a series of interviews. Stoops is scheduled to do 14 different interviews in a four-hour stretch before returning to Norman, Okla.

 Here is Thursday's tentative schedule, provided by OU officials:

8:25 am – Mike & Mike Show (ESPN Radio)

8:45 am – Doug Gottlieb Show  (ESPN Radio)

8:55 am – SportsCenter.com

9:05 am – ESPN Rise

9:20 am – The Herd (tape) (Colin Cowherd on ESPN Radio)

9:45 am – SportsCenter

10:00 am – ESPN.com  chat

10:25 am - 1250 ESPN Radio Pittsburgh

10:50 am – First Take

11:15 am – ESPNews

11:30 am – ESPNU

11:45 am – Digital Media

12:00 pm – ESPN.com video interview with Ivan Maisel

 

12:30 pm – 1:00pm – College Football Live

_ Jimmy Burch

 

Acho, Miller crack watch list for 2010 Hendricks Award

Texas defensive end Sam Acho and Texas A&M’s Von Miller, last year’s NCAA sack leader (17), top the list of area players on the watch list for the Ted Hendricks Award, given to the nation’s top defensive end. Award organizers announced the watch list today.

Other players from Big 12 schools include Oklahoma’s Jeremy Beal, Nebraska’s Pierre Allen, Missouri’s Aldon Smith and Kansas’ Jake Laptad.

The 2009 Hendricks Award went to TCU’s Jerry Hughes, now a rookie with the Indianapolis Colts.
_ Jimmy Burch

OU's Broyles heads list of Big 12 players on Biletnikoff watch list

Oklahoma receiver Ryan Broyles joins Texas Tech’s Detron Lews, Texas A&M’s Uzoma Nwachukwu and Baylor’s Kendall Wright among the 51 players on the watch list for the 2010 Biletnikoff Award.

The award is given annually to the top receiver in college football. The watch list, released today, also includes Colorado’s Scotty McKnight, Nebraska’s Niles Paul and three players from Houston: Tyron Carrier, James Cleveland and Patrick Edwards.

_ Jimmy Burch

Texas OG Allen sidelined by recurrence of foot injury

Texas offensive guard Tray Allen, a senior from South Grand Prairie, has aggravated the left foot injury he sustained during spring drills and is expected to miss the remainder of fall camp, team trainers announced today.

Allen headed into fall drills as the projected starter at right guard. His availability for the team’s Sept. 4 season opener is unclear. Texas’ top reserves at offensive guard heading into fall drills were redshirt freshmen Thomas Ashcraft and Mason Walters.

_ Jimmy Burch

TCU, Texas make the Top 10 in pre-season coaches poll

Both TCU and Texas cracked the Top 10 in the pre-season USA Today coaches poll, released today.

The Horned Frogs, who finished 12-1 and made the school’s BCS bowl debut in last season’s Fiesta Bowl, opened at No. 7 in the initial poll. The Longhorns, who lost to Alabama in last year’s BCS National Championship Game, begin the season at No. 4.

Defending champion Alabama begins the season at No. 1. The Crimson Tide captured 55 of 59 first-place votes from coaches who participate in the poll. The other four first-place votes went to No. 2 Ohio State.

Among area and Big 12 schools, No. 8 Oklahoma and No. 9 Nebraska joined Texas and TCU in the pre-season Top 10. Utah, the team projected to be TCU’s primary rival in quest of a 2010 Mountain West championship, shared the No. 24 spot with West Virginia in today’s poll.

Associated Press voters will offer their pre-season version of the Top 25 later this month.
Below is a look at the pre-season coaches poll:

2010 Preseason USA Today Poll
(first-place votes in parentheses and total points received)

1. Alabama (55) - 1,469
2. Ohio State (4) - 1,392
3. Florida - 1,245
4. Texas - 1,240
5. Boise State - 1,215
6. Virginia Tech - 1,052
7. TCU - 1,051
8. Oklahoma - 1,035
9. Nebraska - 1,001
10. Iowa - 952
11. Oregon - 940
12. Wisconsin - 778
13. Miami (Fla.) - 728
14. Penn State - 508
15. Pittsburgh - 492
16. LSU - 476
17. Georgia Tech - 455
18. North Carolina - 445
19. Arkansas - 438
20. Florida State - 374
21. Georgia - 312
22. Oregon State - 263
23. Auburn - 260
24. Utah - 169
24. West Virginia - 169

_ Jimmy Burch

Texas backup QB Sherrod Harris will skip senior season to focus on studies

Texas backup quarterback Sherrod Harris, a senior from Arlington Bowie, will forego his final season of eligibility and concentrate on trying to graduate in December, Harris and school officials announced today.

The departure of Harris, who was scheduled to compete for the backup role with two freshmen during fall drills, means the only quarterback on the Longhorns’ 2010 roster who has taken snaps at the college level is starter Garrett Gilbert, a sophomore who threw 66 passes last season _ 40 of them in the BCS National Championship Game _ while serving as the backup to four-year starter Colt McCoy.

Gilbert, a five-star signee and the son of former NFL quarterback Gale Gilbert, will be backed up this season by either Connor Wood or Case McCoy, Colt’s younger brother. Wood and Case McCoy, members of the Longhorns’ 2010 signing class, enrolled in January and went through spring drills. Texas reports today for the start of fall drills.

Harris, a fifth-year senior, did not throw a pass in a regular-season game during his college career. But he played in five games and offered lots of experience in running the team’s offense, which now becomes a moot point after Harris said in a statement that he is ready to “prepare for life after football.”

“I’ve had a couple of tough semesters in school and I really need to get back on track academically … for what is possibly my last semester in school,” Harris said in a statement released by school officials. “I will definitely need to work as hard as I can to … hopefully graduate in December as I prepare for life after football. This was a very tough decision. I’ll be out there helping the young quarterbacks and supporting the team every chance I get.”

Texas coach Mack Brown said he is proud of Harris, a corporate communications major, for focusing on his post-football future and looked forward to having him at practice “whenever he can” to mentor Texas’ young quarterbacks.

At the close of spring workouts, Brown said there was no discernible separation between his two incoming freshmen quarterbacks, one of which soon will become the backup to Gilbert.

 _ Jimmy Burch

Texas finalizes four-year football series with Notre Dame

Texas and Notre Dame, two of college football’s three winningest programs, have agreed to a four-game series starting in 2015, administrators from both schools announced today.

Texas will play at Notre Dame in 2015 and 2020, with the Irish playing in Austin during the 2016 and 2019 seasons. Most of the non-conference games project as season openers. Dates and venues for the four meetings include: Sept. 5, 2015 (South Bend, Ind.); Sept. 3, 2016 (Austin); Aug. 31, 2019 (Austin) and Sept. 12, 2020 (South Bend, Ind.).

Among major-college football programs, Texas ranks second on the NCAA’s career victory list (845). Notre Dame is third (837). The teams last played a home-and-home series during the 1995-96 seasons.

Texas created an opening on its 2015 and 2016 schedules last week when it canceled a home-and-home series with Minnesota. Texas athletic director DeLoss Dodds said he was “excited” to be able to rekindle the series with Notre Dame, which has an 8-2 career record against Texas.

“We’ve had a number of talks over the years (but) football scheduling is always challenging,” Dodds said. “We’re happy that we found a place on both teams’ schedules to pull it off. When you match up two schools with so much pride, tradition and history, it’s an event that everyone enjoys being a part of.”

Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick called the series between the schools “an intersectional rivalry loaded with memorable moments” that he was “thrilled” to revive.

_ Jimmy Burch

Texas and Notre Dame officials considering possible football series

Officials at Texas and Notre Dame are in negotiations about playing a four-game series in football, possibly starting in 2015, according to published reports. The Chicago Tribune reported the schools are “very close” to finalizing an agreement but the Austin American-Statesman, citing a source close to the negotiations, said the situation is “not a done deal.”

One scenario suggested the teams would meet in 2015 and 2016, then resume the series in 2019 and 2020. Texas has vacancies on its 2015 and 2016 schedules after cancelling a series with Minnesota last week.
During last week’s Big 12 media days, Texas coach Mack Brown said school officials were “looking right now at getting more (high-profile) matchups” on future non-conference schedules.

Texas and Notre Dame, which rank a respective No. 2 and No. 3 on the NCAA’s all-time victory list among major-college football programs, last played in 1996. Notre Dame leads the series, 8-2.

_ Jimmy Burch

A&M single-game FB ticket sales begin Wednesday

Texas A&M officials will begin selling individual game tickets Wednesday (Aug. 4) for non-conference football games at Kyle Field during the 2010 season. Fans can purchase online at AggieAthletics.com or by calling 1-888-992-4443. Single-game tickets also are available today for the team’s Oct. 9 game against Arkansas at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington.

Tickets for A&M’s home games against Big 12 opponents go on sale Sept. 21. A&M officials reported Monday that season ticket sales have reached 32,458, eclipsing last year’s total of 32,083.

_ Jimmy Burch

TCU, Texas players selected to Thorpe watch list

TCU safety Tejay Johnson joins three members of the Texas Longhorns on the pre-season watch list for the 2010 Jim Thorpe Award, given to the top defensive back in college football.

Texas teammates Blake Gideon, Curtis Brown and Aaron Williams also cracked the 35-player watch list, released today. Other players from area, Big 12 or Mountain West schools include Nebraska’s Prince Amukamara, Utah’s Brandon Burton, Oklahoma’s Quinton Carter and Colorado’s Jimmy Smith.

The full list:

Prince Amukamara, CB, Nebraska
Mark Barron, S, Alabama
Brandon Boykin, CB, Georgia
Curtis Brown, CB, Texas
Kendric Burney, CB, North Carolina
Brandon Burton, CB, Utah
Rashad Carmichael, CB, Virginia Tech
Quinton Carter, S, Oklahoma
Chimdi Chekwa, CB, Ohio State
Don Decicco, S, Pittsburgh
Ras-I Dowling, CB, Virginia
Blake Gideon, S, Texas
Stephen Gilmore, CB, South Carolina
Brandon Harris, CB, Miami
Will Hill, S, Florida
Jermale Hines, S, Ohio State
Brandon Hogan, CB, West Virginia
Davon House, CB, New Mexico State
Duke Ihenacho, S, San Jose State
Jaiquwn Jarrett, S, Temple
Janoris Jenkins, CB, Florida
Jeron Johnson, S, Boise State
Tejay Johnson, S, TCU
Shiloh Keo, S, Idaho
Brian Lainhart, S, Kent State
DeAndre McDaniel, S, Clemson
Rahim Moore, S, UCLA
Johnny Patrick, CB, Louisville
Patrick Peterson, CB, LSU
Tyler Sash, S, Iowa
Robert Sands, S, West Virginia
Jimmy Smith, CB, Colorado
Trevin Wade, CB, Arizona
Deunta Williams, S, North Carolina
Aaron Williams, CB, Texas

_ Jimmy Burch