College Confidential

Transfer Seastrunk finally transfers his talent onto field for Baylor

Baylor running back Lache Seastrunk is finally getting a chance to show why it was such big news in Waco when he transferred from Oregon in August 2011. The Temple native had to sit out last season per NCAA transfer rules and hadn’t made much of an impact until last week against Kansas.  The sophomore rushed for 103 yards and caught five passes for 91 yards, including a 68-yard touchdown in the Bears’ 44-14 win over Kansas. Seastrunk’s 23 touches in the game nearly matched his 30 combined (29 rushing, 1 receiving) plays for the season. He only two starts have come in Baylor’s past three games.
“He’s fast,” Kansas coach Charlie Weis said. “He was a very dynamic player in that game. We knew about him, but you can’t get ready for every player.”
Baylor (4-4, 1-4) plays at No. 12 Oklahoma (6-2, 4-1) at 2:30 p.m. Saturday. “He’s a good football player,” Sooners’ coach Bob Stoops said. “Makes people miss him.”

How will Big 12 end up in 2012? My guess for final standings:

Here's how I see the Big 12 finishing after four league games played (for every team but Oklahoma State and Baylor). Please hold your jeers until I'm proven to be dumb and misguided Dec. 1.

Kansas State	7-0, 4-0	11-1, 8-1
Oklahoma	5-1, 3-1	11-1, 8-1
Texas Tech	6-1, 3-1	10-2, 7-2
TCU	5-2, 2-2	8-4, 5-4
Oklahoma State	4-2, 2-1	7-5, 5-4
West Virginia	5-2, 2-2	7-5, 4-5
Texas	5-2, 2-2	7-5, 4-5
Iowa State	4-3, 1-3	6-6, 3-6
Baylor	3-3, 0-3	4-8, 1-8
Kansas	1-6, 0-4	1-11, 0-9

Baylor's Art Briles impressed with TCU's freshman quarterback

TCU freshman quarterback Trevone Boykin impressed Baylor coach Art Briles. Boykin, making his second start, threw for 261 yards and four touchdowns on 22 of 30 passing without any interceptions in the Horned Frogs’ 49-21 win over the Bears.
Boykin also ran for a score. Briles said he was already impressed after watching Boykin’s first start against Iowa State, despite Boykin’s three interceptions.
“He was very good last week against Iowa State,” Briles said. “They just had a few miscues. He’s a good football player. He’s just a really good fit with what they’re doing with their offensive scheme.”

-- Stefan Stevenson
@FollowtheFrogs 

Here's a Fox Sports networks cheat sheet to find TCU-Baylor on television across the nation:

Download Big 12 - TCU at Baylor

Baylor, TCU meet as conference foes for first time since 1995

For the first time since the Southwest Conference, Baylor and TCU will meet in a conference game.

Tomorrow will be the 108th meeting of the two schools, with the series tied 50-50-7 going in to Saturday’s game.

“Our guys are kind of fired up and ready to go,” Baylor head coach Art Briles said.

According to Briles, the team is ready to get back on the field and reclaim respect after the tough loss they suffered to West Virginia.

TCU will be in Waco for its first Big 12 conference matchup. TCU joined the Big 12 after a conference realignment that added the Horned Frogs and West Virginia to the conference.

“It’s good having TCU in our conference,” senior receiver Lanear Sampson said. “They’re a really good team, and they’ve been a really good team over the years.”

However, TCU’s offensive capabilities may be questioned this weekend.

TCU, which lost its starting quarterback, Casey Pachall, after he was suspended for disciplinary issues, then chose to withdraw from school, will be starting its redshirt freshman quarterback on Saturday, Trevone Boykin.

Boykin threw three interceptions and one touchdown in TCU’s loss to Iowa State last week.

Baylor’s bye-week last week came at a good time, giving them time to revive injured players. Senior safety Mike Hicks and junior nickel back Ahmad Dixon will both be returning against the Horned Frogs. Cornerback Demetri Goodson, however, will be out for the rest of the season with a broken arm suffered against West Virginia.

“For the most part, everybody’s recovered from their injuries,” Dixon said. “Everybody’s ready to roll, ready to play.”

Dixon said he has gotten over his headaches that resulted from a concussion, but hasn’t done much contact work. However, he is feeling good in every other area and is ready to play this weekend.

Expectations are higher for the Bears tomorrow as they look to begin their recovery from the 63-70 loss to West Virginia. With the help of a bye-week, and key players returning to the team, Baylor will likely not disappoint. -- Savannah Pullin

Kansas selected as runaway Big 12 men's BKB favorite; Baylor 2nd in poll, TCU last

Kansas has been selected as the prohibitive favorite in the Big 12 men’s basketball preseason poll, receiving nine of 10 possible first-place votes in balloting by league coaches.

Big 12 officials announced the results today. The lone remaining first-place vote went to Baylor, which finished second. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own teams.

TCU, a first-year Big 12 member, finished last in balloting behind Texas Tech, last year’s league cellar-dweller. The projected order of finish: Kansas, Baylor, Oklahoma State, Texas, Kansas State, West Virginia, Oklahoma, Iowa State, Texas Tech, TCU.

Kansas lost to Kentucky in last year’s NCAA championship game. Baylor fell to Kentucky in the Elite Eight.

Below is a loot at the balloting:

2012-13 BIG 12 PRESEASON POLL
Team (First-place votes) Points
1. Kansas (9)* 81
2. Baylor (1) 63
3. Oklahoma State 60
4. Texas 58
5. Kansas State 54
6. West Virginia 45
7. Oklahoma 34
8. Iowa State 28
9. Texas Tech 18
10. TCU 9

* - Unanimous Selection
Nine points were awarded for first place, eight for second, etc.
Coaches are not permitted to vote for their own team.

_ Jimmy Burch

Best college FB team in Texas? Sagarin Ratings say Aggies, then Horns; both ranked in Top 10 nationally

After Saturday’s losses by Texas and TCU, there are no more undefeated major-college football teams in the Lone Star State. But several have only one loss. So, which team is best?

While voters in both the Associated Press and coaches polls sided this week with Texas (4-1), the No. 15 team in both polls, the Sagarin College Football Ratings selected Texas A&M (4-1). And the computer-generated rankings have the Aggies ranked sixth in the nation, two spots ahead of Texas, in A&M’s first season as an SEC member. TCU (4-1) is 19th.

The Sagarin Ratings, used in BCS calculations, also have five SEC schools ranked among the top seven teams in the country: No. 1 Alabama, No. 2 South Carolina, No. 5 Florida, No. 6 A&M and No. 7 LSU.

A pair of Big 12 teams ranked in the Top 10 of both voter polls, Kansas State and West Virginia, come in at No. 12 (K-State) and No. 15 (West Virginia) with Sagarin. K-State is behind No. 11 Oklahoma, a team the Wildcats (5-0) defeated in Norman, Okla. West Virginia (5-0) is behind No. 8 Texas, a team the Mountaineers defeated in Austin.

Below is a look at where college football teams from Texas, as well as Big 12 schools, fell in this week’s Sagarin College Football Ratings:

6. Texas A&M (4-1)
8. Texas (4-1)
11. Oklahoma (3-1)
12. Kansas State (5-0)
15. West Virginia (5-0)
19. TCU (4-1)
22. Oklahoma State (2-2)
26. Texas Tech (4-1)
30. Baylor (3-1)
32. Iowa State (4-1)
68. SMU (2-3)
92. Houston (2-3)
107. Kansas (1-4)
123. UTEP (1-5)
127. North Texas (2-4)
129. Rice (1-5)
136. UTSA (5-0)

_ Jimmy Burch

Baylor guard Jackson selected Big 12 BKB Preseason Player of Year

Baylor point guard Pierre Jackson has been selected as the Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year in balloting by the league’s men’s basketball coaches. Other individual honorees, selected by coaches and announced Thursday, include Oklahoma forward Amath M’Baye (Preseason Newcomer of the Year) _ a transfer from Wyoming _ and Oklahoma State guard Marcus Smart (Preseason Freshman of the Year).

Joining Jackson on the first-team squad was Texas guard Myck Kabongo, Kansas center Jeff Withey, Kansas State forward Rodney McGruder and Oklahoma State guard/forward Le’Bryan Nash. Jackson, a senior, averaged 13.8 points and dished out 223 assists last season while leading Baylor to a 30-8 record and a berth in the Elite Eight.
 
Below is a breakdown of each honoree, as provided by league officials, as well as information about the first-team all-conference members selected by Big 12 coaches:

      Jackson leads BU after dishing out 223 assists last season, the second-best total in school history.  He is third among returning Big 12 scorers (13.8 ppg) and had 27 double-figure scoring efforts in 2011-12, including an average of 17.6 points in the final eight contests.  He was named to the All-Big 12 Second Team and earned honorable mention All-America recognition from the Associated Press.
 
      M’Baye sat out last season after transferring from the University of Wyoming.  He is expected to make an immediate impact for the Sooners after starting all 31 games as a sophomore in 2010-11, averaging 12.0 points and 5.7 rebounds with 29 blocks.  M’Baye is just the second foreign native in Big 12 history to earn one of the three major preseason awards. Victor Avila of Oklahoma (native of Mexico) was picked as the Preseason Newcomer of the Year in 1998-99.
 
      Smart was a two-time Gatorade Player of the Year in Texas and led his high school to back-to-back state championships.  He averaged 15.1 points, 9.2 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 2.8 steals while shooting 66.9 percent.  This summer, he started all five games as Team USA won the FIBA Americas U18 Championships.  Smart is the second straight OSU player to be named top freshman in the preseason (Le’Bryan Nash) and third in league history (Desmond Mason, 1996-97).
 
      The Preseason All-Big 12 team was also announced.  In addition to Jackson, Jeff Withey (Kansas), Rodney McGruder (K-State), Le'Bryan Nash (Oklahoma State) and Myck Kabongo (Texas) were recognized.
 
Preseason Player of the Year
    Pierre Jackson, Baylor, G, 5-10, 180, Sr., Las Vegas, Nev./Desert Pines/College of Southern Idaho
 
Preseason Newcomer of the Year
    Amath M’Baye, Oklahoma, F, 6-9, 215, Jr., Bordeaux, France/University of Wyoming
 
Preseason Freshman of the Year
    Marcus Smart, Oklahoma State, G, 6-4, 225, Fr., Flower Mound, Texas/Marcus
 
2012-13 Preseason All-Big 12 Team
 
    Name, School                         Pos.     Ht.       Wt.        Cl.        Hometown/Previous School(s)
    Pierre Jackson, Baylor                G      5-10      180       Sr.        Las Vegas, Nev./Desert Pines/College of Southern Idaho
    Jeff Withey, Kansas**                 C       7-0       235       Sr.        San Diego, Calif./Horizon
    Rodney McGruder, Kansas State**        G         6-4       205        Sr. Washington, D.C./Arlington Country Day [Fla.]
    Le’Bryan Nash, Oklahoma State** G/F    6-7       230       So.        Dallas, Texas/Lincoln
    Myck Kabongo, Texas                G       6-1       180       So.        Toronto, Ontario, Canada/St. Benedict’s Prep [N.J.]
 
Honorable Mention (listed alphabetically by school):
Isaiah Austin, Baylor; Elijah Johnson, Kansas; Romero Osby & Steven Pledger, Oklahoma; Marcus Smart, Oklahoma State; Sheldon McClellan, Texas
 
** - Unanimous Selection

_ Jimmy Burch

 

A breakdown of the Big 12's big TV deal and what it means to fans

The Big 12’s mega-TV deal, officially announced today, is a 13-year agreement with Fox Sports Media Group and ESPN/ABC that will keep league teams collecting an average of $20 million per school through 2025. Reports of the verbal agreement on terms surfaced in March, pegging the financial numbers _ not announced today _ at $2.6 billion, or $200 million annually for the 10-member league.

What does the deal mean to fans? Here are some highlights:
-- An increase in the number of guaranteed full national football telecasts to a minimum of 25 per season on a combination of FOX, FX, ABC and ESPN.
-- Allows FOX over-the-air access to Big 12 football with a minimum of six games annually on broadcast television.
-- Provides FOX with enhanced selections through 2015. ESPN and FOX share rotating game selections beginning in 2016.
-- All media, “TV everywhere” rights to FOX and ESPN.
-- Big 12 events to be carried on various FOX and ESPN platforms including ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN3, FOX, FX, FSN, Fox College Sports (FCS), and FOX Sports Digital Platforms.
-- Institutions have option to retain rights to one home football game and a minimum of four men's basketball games per season for distribution via permitted member institution outlets and third-party licenses including the FSN Regional Networks and FOX College Sports.
-- No exclusive telecast windows, except for ESPN men's basketball “Big Monday” and “Saturday College GameDay” telecasts featuring Big 12 teams.
-- FOX Sports Media Group platforms to carry a minimum of 40 non-football events annually.
-- Minimum of 31 women's basketball games per season on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU or FSMG platforms.
-- ESPN networks retain option for up to 25 additional women's basketball and/or other sports contests per season.
-- Championship events, except men’s basketball, on Fox Sports platforms.

Below is a breakdown of annual football telecasts, with rights to all Big 12-controlled contests falling to either Fox or ESPN:
-- FOX: Approximately 38 games with minimum of six contests annually on FOX broadcast and six games on a national cable outlet.
-- ABC/ESPN: 19 games per year through 2015, increasing to 23 games annually in 2016 (minimum 13-15 full national exposures via ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU or in combination with reverse mirror); maximum four-five games on ESPNU.
-- Member Retained Game: One member-retained game, which must be carried on a FOX platform if returned.
-- Television partners have a maximum four six-day picks between them per season.
-- Minimum four Thursday games each season (including Labor Day weekend and Thanksgiving Day); and one Labor Day Sunday appearance.
-- Maximum of four games scheduled for 8:15 p.m. local time starts per season with the following restrictions: no program required to play more than twice; host more than once; play consecutive weekends; and six-day pick only with conference consent.

_ Jimmy Burch

 

TCU, Texas are only entries from Lone Star State in AP Top 25; USC tops poll

By Jimmy Burch
jburch@star-telegram.com
 
TCU and Texas were the only teams from Texas to earn spots in today’s pre-season college football rankings released by The Associated Press.

AP voters placed the Horned Frogs at No. 20 to start the season. Texas checked in at No. 15.

The top spot went to Southern California, which received 25 of 60 first-place ballots from members of the voting panel. The Trojans edged No. 2 Alabama, the defending national champion, and No. 3 LSU, which played Alabama in last year’s BCS title game, in the opening poll. Alabama received 17 first-place votes. LSU received 16.

Rounding out the Top 10 were Oklahoma, the top-rated Big 12 school, followed by Oregon, Georgia, Florida State, Michigan, South Carolina and Arkansas. OU and Michigan each received one first-place vote.

TCU, Texas and Oklahoma were among six Big 12 schools in the pre-season poll. The others were No. 11 West Virginia, No. 19 Oklahoma State and No. 22 Kansas State. The Big 12, with six, joined the Southeastern Conference by placing the most schools of any league in the initial poll.

The Southeastern Conference, home of college football’s last six national champions, landed five of its six teams in the Top 10: No. 2 Alabama, No. 3 LSU, No. 6 Georgia, No. 9 South Carolina and No. 10 Arkansas.

Three other teams from Texas _ Baylor, Texas A&M and Houston _ received votes but not enough to crack the Top 25.

Twitter: @Jimmy_Burch