College Confidential

Drama building with OU in danger of losing BCS berth to N. Illinois, which would create major shuffling of bowl matchups

The voters in the coaches poll have spoken. But what they have said by placing Northern Illinios at No. 16 in today’s poll that will be used in compiling the final BCS standings remains open for discussion.
And the final word will not become public until tonight’s release of the final BCS standings (7:30 p.m., ESPN).

The bottom line is that Oklahoma (10-2) would be bumped from an at-large BCS bowl berth if Northern Illinois (12-1), the MAC champ, finishes 16th or higher in the final BCS standings. If that happens, the Sooners _ who envisioned playing Florida (11-1) in the Sugar Bowl on Saturday night _ would wind up in the AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic in Arlington, with an anticipated matchup against LSU (10-2) or Texas A&M (10-2).

The situation is fluid and two BCS analysts, CBS’ Jerry Palm and ESPN’s Brad Edwards, have switched their bowl projections today. Both took Oklahoma out of the BCS mix in favor of Northern Illinois (12-1). But both cautioned that the margin will be razor thin. The Huskies will climb in the computer rankings based on their victory over Kent State (11-2) in the MAC title game. But the impact of voters in the coaches poll and the Harris poll figure to be crucial.

Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops did his part to help his team, voting the Sooners at No. 6 and Northern Illinois at No. 24 in today’s final coaches poll. The ballots of voters were released on the USA Today website. Northern Illinois coach Dave Doeren voted Oklahoma 11^th and his team at No. 14.

If Oklahoma does not wind up in the Sugar Bowl, the omission would cost the Big 12 a $6.2 million windfall and would create a reshuffling of the league’s bowl slots. It would sent Texas to the Alamo Bowl to meet a Pac-12 foe (likely Oregon State), with lots of guessing on bowl placements after that. The Big 12 also would need to find a spot for one of its bowl-eligible teams (likely Iowa State) in a game that is not contractually tied to the Big 12.

The SEC slots are being solidified, with Georgia expected to play Nebraska in the Capital One Bowl. That means A&M’s likely bowl destination will either be the Cotton Bowl against OU or the Chick-fil-A Bowl (in Atlanta) against Clemson.

Nothing, as this juncture, has been announced by the SEC in terms of bowl berths. But officials at the Capital One Bowl have announced Nebraska as the Big Ten representative in that contest.

Other Big 12 coaches joined Stoops in voting up the Sooners and voting down Northern Illinois. Baylor coach Art Briles placed Oklahoma at No. 6 and Northern Illinois at No. 19 on his ballot. West Virginia’s Dana Holgorsen had OU at No. 9, with Northern Illinois at No. 24. The ballot of Texas Tech coach Tommy Tuberville mirrored where both teams finished in today’s coaches’ poll: OU at No. 11 and Northern Illinois at No. 16.

Kent State coach Darrell Hazel, whose team lost to Northern Illinios in the MAC title game, voted Oklahoma at No. 11 and Northern Illinois at No. 17 on his ballot.

_ Jimmy Burch

 

Alabama takes over top spot in AP poll; Texas falls to 17th, TCU still at No. 20

Alabama used its dominant showing in Saturday’s season opener at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington to jump Southern California and become the No. 1 team in today’s updated Associated Press college football rankings.

The Crimson Tide (1-0) received 45 of 60 first-place votes in today’s AP poll after scoring a 41-14 victory over then-No. 8 Michigan in college football’s lone matchup of Top 10 teams on opening weekend. USC (1-0), the No. 1 team in the AP pre-season poll, dropped to No. 2 _ with 11 first-place votes _ after opening with a 49-10 victory over Hawaii.

Texas fell to No. 17 in today’s poll, down two spots from last week after defeating Wyoming, 37-17, in its opener. TCU remained at No. 20 heading into the Horned Frogs’ opener Saturday in Fort Worth against Grambling. Texas (1-0) and TCU (0-0) are the only schools from the Lone Star State ranked by AP voters.

Oklahoma (1-0) fell one spot, from fourth to fifth, in today’s updated poll after posting a 24-7 victory over UTEP to open its season.

LSU (1-0) remained at No. 3 following a 41-14 victory over North Texas. The Tigers received four first-place votes. Oregon (1-0), which opened with a 57-34 victory over Arkansas State, climbed to fourth in the updated rankings.

Rounding out the Top 10, behind No. 5 Oklahoma, were Florida State, Georgia, Arkansas and two teams tied for the ninth spot: South Carolina and West Virginia.

Notre Dame (1-0) jumped into the poll at No. 22 following a 50-10 victory over Navy in Dublin, Ireland. Michigan (0-1) fell from eighth to 19^th after its loss to Alabama.

_ Jimmy Burch

10 conclusions to draw from college football's extended opening weekend, which ends with Albama at No. 1 in AP poll

By Jimmy Burch

jburch@star-telegram.com

College football’s extended opening weekend concluded with Monday night’s overtime victory by Virginia Tech over Georgia Tech, 20-17, in a battle of ACC contenders.

That triggered Tuesday’s updated polls, where Alabama took over the top spot from Southern California in The Associated Press rankings on the strength of Saturday’s 41-14 rout of then-No. 8 Michigan at Cowboys Stadium. The Crimson Tide received 45 of 60 first-place votes, with No. 2 USC receiving 11 and the other four going to No. 3 LSU.

So what conclusions can we draw from the opening weekend of the college football season? Here’s a 10-item checklist:

1. Any neutral observer who isn’t already intrigued by the possibility of an Alabama-USC matchup in the BCS National Championship Game needs to turn in his or her fan card. Both teams were dominant Saturday and the potential matchup of USC quarterback Matt Barkley vs. the Crimson Tide’s rugged defense in a winner-take-all setting is too delicious for words.
2. If the Heisman Trophy race was a sprint, rather than a marathon, West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith would be hoisting the hardware today. Smith completed 32 of 36 passes for 323 yards and four TDs while rushing for 65 yards and another score in a 69-34 victory over Marshall.
3. Florida State defensive end Bjoern Werner, who had four sacks and forced a fumble in the team’s 69-3 rout of Murray State, will need more eye-popping performances to compensate for the season-ending foot injury of Brandon Jenkins, the All-America defensive end on the other side of the Seminoles’ line. Either that, or DE Mario Edwards _ a freshman from Denton Ryan _ must become an impact newcomer in Jenkins’ absence.
4. Oklahoma quarterback Landry Jones must develop more comfort with his receivers than he showed in a 24-7 victory over UTEP for the Sooners to win the Big 12. Too much indecision led to too many sacks and near-sacks in that contest.
5. Texas A&M suffered the biggest setback of any team that did not play on opening weekend. Having the Aggies’ opener against Louisiana Tech postponed until Oct. 13 because of Hurricane Isaac means the Aggies will now play games in 12 consecutive weeks, with no bye, in their first SEC season. That’s a demanding physical task, made tougher with a freshman QB at the helm.
6. Private lessons work. Nebraska quarterback Taylor Martinez, who spent his own money to have a passing guru tutor him this summer, threw for a career-high 354 yards and five TDs in a 49-20 victory over Southern Mississippi. He’s never looked better.
7. Texas tailback Johnathan Gray, the former Aledo standout, will have plenty of company this season in discussions about the nation’s top freshman rusher. Alabama’s T.J. Yeldon (111 yards, TD) and Georgia’s Todd Gurley (100 yards, 2 TDs) hit triple digits in their debuts. Gray (5 carries, 9 yards) did not.
8. Mike Leach is not a miracle worker. The former Texas Tech coach took over a downtrodden program at Washington State and that showed in Leach’s debut, a 30-6 loss to Brigham Young in which Leach’s offense failed to score a touchdown.
9. If the Big Ten has a worthy Top 10 team, it is No. 11 Michigan State. Not No. 19 Michigan.
10. Lack of depth will be a season-long issue at roster-depleted Penn State, where the team was outscored 21-0 in the second half of a 24-14 home loss to Ohio, a MAC school.

 

Twitter: @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

USC gets favorite's nod in #BCS title race; #OU, #Texas, #TCU rank among #Big12 favorites

The return of highly touted USC quarterback Matt Barkley has helped the Trojans earn the pre-season favorite’s role in this year’s BCS national title race, based on odds released today by Bovada sports book.

USC opened today as a 3-1 favorite to win the 2013 BCS National Championship Game, ahead of defending champ Alabama (11-2), LSU (11-2), Oklahoma (10-1), Florida State (12-1) and Oregon (12-1).

National title odds for other teams with in-state or Big 12 connections include Texas (28-1), West Virginia (30-1), TCU (50-1), Kansas State (75-1), Oklahoma State (80-1) and Texas A&M (100-1).

The breakdown of odds for favorites in the 2012 Big 12 title race include: Oklahoma (1-1), Texas (4-1), TCU (11-2), West Virginia (11-2), Kansas State (12-1), Oklahoma State (22-1), Texas Tech (30-1) Baylor (40-1), Iowa State (65-1) and Kansas (100-1).

A list of pre-season odds for multiple conferences, as well as the national race, is below:

Odds to win the 2012-2013 BCS National Championship        
USC                             3/1
Alabama                               11/2
LSU                              11/2
Oklahoma                     10/1
Florida State                  12/1
Oregon                          12/1
Georgia                         14/1
Arkansas                      20/1
Michigan                       20/1
Notre Dame                   28/1
Texas                           28/1
Virginia Tech                 30/1
West Virginia                 30/1
South Carolina               30/1
Clemson                       33/1
Nebraska                      40/1
Wisconsin                     40/1
Florida                          50/1
TCU                              50/1
Auburn                          60/1
Michigan State              60/1
Boise State                   65/1
Kansas State                75/1
Miami (Florida)               75/1
Oklahoma State             80/1
Mississippi State           100/1
Missouri                        100/1
Texas A&M                   100/1
Tennessee                    125/1
Cincinnati                      150/1
Iowa                              150/1
Louisville                               150/1
Penn State                    150/1
Arizona                         200/1
Boston College              200/1
BYU                             200/1
California                       200/1
Georgia Tech                 200/1
Pittsburgh                     200/1
Stanford                        200/1
UCLA                            200/1
Washington                   200/1
NC State                       250/1
South Florida                 250/1
UCLA                            250/1
Oregon State                 300/1
 
Conference Odds
ACC - Odds to Win     
Florida State                  1/1
Virginia Tech                 3/1
Clemson                       5/1
Miami (Florida)               9/1
Georgia Tech                 15/1
North Carolina                     15/1
Virginia                              18/1
NC State                       20/1
Wake Forest                       35/1
Boston College                   50/1
Duke                             100/1
Maryland                              100/1
 
ACC Atlantic Division - Odds to Win   
Florida State                  1/2
Clemson                       11/4
NC State                       9/1
Wake Forest                       16/1
Boston College                   22/1
Maryland                              30/1
 
ACC Coastal Division - Odds to Win   
Virginia Tech                 10/11
Miami (Florida)               9/2
North Carolina                     11/2
Georgia Tech                 6/1
Virginia                              13/2
Duke                             30/1
 
BIG 12 - Odds to Win  
Oklahoma                            1/1
Texas                                4/1
TCU                              11/2
West Virginia                  11/2
Kansas State                12/1
Oklahoma State             22/1
Texas Tech                   30/1
Baylor                           40/1
Iowa State                     65/1
Kansas                             100/1
 
Big East - Odds to Win
Louisville                               9/4
South Florida                      7/2
Cincinnati                             5/2
Pittsburgh                            13/2
Rutgers                         13/2
Syracuse                      20/1
Temple                              20/1
Connecticut                         25/1
 
Big Ten - Odds to Win
Michigan                               2/1
Wisconsin                            5/2
Nebraska                              7/2
Michigan State              15/2
Penn State                    12/1
Illinois                                20/1
Iowa                                   20/1
Northwestern                 35/1
Purdue                          50/1
Indiana                              65/1
Minnesota                            100/1
 
Big Ten - Leaders Division Winner (Without Ohio State)       
Wisconsin                            1/2
Penn State                    3/1
Illinois                                15/2
Purdue                          10/1
Indiana                              15/1
 
Big Ten - Legends Division Winner   
Michigan                               11/10
Nebraska                              9/4
Michigan State              4/1
Iowa                                   8/1
Northwestern                 12/1
Minnesota                            40/1
 
PAC 12 - Odds to Win 
USC                             5/8
Oregon                              2/1
Washington                         12/1
California                              18/1
Stanford                        25/1
Arizona                         35/1
Utah                             35/1
UCLA                            40/1
Arizona State                50/1
Washington State          50/1
Oregon State                 60/1
Colorado                               100/1
 
PAC 12 - North Division Winner         
Oregon                              2/5
Washington                         5/1
California                              17/2
Stanford                        10/1
Washington State          15/1
Oregon State                 22/1
 
PAC 12 - South Division Winner         
USC                             1/6
Arizona                             10/1
Utah                             10/1
UCLA                            15/1
Arizona State                18/1
Colorado                               30/1
 
SEC - Odds to Win     
Alabama                               11/5
LSU                              11/5
Georgia                             11/2
Arkansas                              7/1
South Carolina                    10/1
Florida                               12/1
Auburn                          22/1
Mississippi State           30/1
Missouri                                35/1
Tennessee                    35/1
Texas A&M                   40/1
Vanderbilt                      60/1
Kentucky                              100/1
Mississippi                          100/1
 
SEC - East Division Winner    
Georgia                             17/10
South Carolina                    5/2
Florida                               3/1
Missouri                                11/1
Tennessee                    11/1
Vanderbilt                      16/1
Kentucky                              25/1
 
SEC - West Division Winner   
Alabama                               8/5
LSU                              8/5
Arkansas                      4/1
Auburn                          12/1
Mississippi State           15/1
Texas A&M                   20/1
Mississippi                          50/1

_ Jimmy Burch

 

TCU announces Guerinoni and Scott hired to Trent Johnson's staff

TCU men’s basketball coach Trent Johnson hired Donny Guerinoni and Brent Scott as assistant coaches, the school announced Wednesday. Guerinoni and Scott were assistants for Johnson at LSU for four years and they both played for Johnson, Guerinoni at Nevada and Scott at Rice.
“Continuity and a sense of family will be important characteristics of our program here at TCU,” Johnson said in a release. Johnson mentioned both when he was announced as TCU's coach in early April.
Guerinoni was the first recruit Johnson signed at Nevada in 1999. He served as Johnson’s director of operations at Stanford from 2004-06 before being named an assistant coach at Stanford.
Johnson joined the staff at Rice for Scott’s senior season in 1992-93. Scott played professionally for 16 teams in eight leagues in five countries for 14 years before joining Johnson’s staff at LSU.
Johnson will name a third and final assistant at a later date.

-- Stefan Stevenson
@FollowtheFrogs 

Update: LSU's Trent Johnson to be named TCU's men's basketball coach

Trent Johnson will be named TCU's 20th basketball coach Monday, a high-ranking TCU official said.
With the hiring of Johnson, who just finished his fourth year at LSU, TCU will most likely have to dramatically increase what it pays its head basketball coach. Johnson makes around $1.2 million at LSU. Former TCU coach Jim Christian was making around $590,000.
Johnson’s Tigers went 18-14 this season, finished eighth in the Southeastern Conference, and earned an NIT berth. After going 27-8 and advancing to the second round of the NCAA tournament in 2008-09, Johnson’s LSU teams went 11-20 in consecutive years.
Johnson fits the profile of what one high-ranking TCU source said the Frogs were looking for – a current head coach who has won before who wanted a change of scenery. Johnson's contract runs through 2015, according to reports.
TCU athletic director Chris Del Conte has asked LSU’s permission to officially interview Johnson, according to a source.
Johnson coached four years at Stanford (2004-08) before going to LSU. The Cardinal finished 28-8 in his last year and advanced to the NCAA tournament Sweet 16. Johnson’s Stanford teams earned NCAA tournament bids three times and an NIT berth once.
Before coaching at Stanford Johnson led Nevada for five years, and advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 in his final year there in 2003-04.
Johnson was an assistant coach at Washington in 1989-92 and then an assistant at Rice (1992-96). Del Conte was AD at Rice from 2006-09 and an earned his master's at Washington State.

-- Stefan Stevenson
@FollowtheFrogs 

 

LSU pegged as next year's BCS champion by oddsmaker

LSU lost in Monday's BCS National Championship Game and finished second in today's final college football polls. But the Tigers, after a 13-1 season, already have been installed as a slight favorite to unseat reigning champ Alabama (12-1) in next year's BCS title showdown.

At least, that is the take from Bovada Sportsbook (www.Bovada.lv), which offered a variety of opening odds today in regard to the 2012 college football season and the upcoming NFL Draft. Among them: the site likes USC QB Matt Barkley to win the 2012 Heisman Trophy and considers Oklahoma (12/1) and Texas (25/1) the most viable national title contenders from the Big 12 next season.

The top three spots belong to LSU (4/1), Alabama (5/1) and USC (9/1).  Kansas State (35/1) and TCU (50/1) also are in the mix among Big 12 candidates.

Below is a look at some of the site's early odds on the 2012 college football season:

 
NCAA FOOTBALL
Odds to win the 2012-2013 BCS National Championship        
LSU                              4/1
Alabama                       5/1
USC                             9/1
Florida State                  12/1
Georgia                         12/1
Oklahoma                     12/1
Oregon                          12/1
Notre Dame                   18/1
Arkansas                      18/1
Michigan                       20/1
Texas                           25/1
Clemson                       25/1
Virginia Tech                 25/1
Florida                          30/1
West Virginia                 30/1
South Carolina               30/1
Wisconsin                     35/1
Nebraska                      35/1
Kansas State                35/1
Auburn                          50/1
Boise State                   50/1
TCU                              50/1
Washington                   65/1
Cincinnati                      65/1
Mississippi State           65/1
Oklahoma State             75/1
Stanford                        75/1
Iowa                              75/1
Michigan State              75/1    
Arizona                         75/1
Missouri                        85/1
Penn State                    100/1
Pittsburgh                     100/1
Tennessee                    100/1
Texas A&M                   100/1
BYU                             125/1
California                       125/1
Miami (Florida)               125/1
North Carolina                125/1
UCLA                            150/1
Boston College              150/1
Georgia Tech                 150/1
South Florida                 150/1
Oregon State                 200/1
*Others on request
 
Odds to win the 2012 Heisman Trophy
Matt Barkley (QB USC)                          7/2
Montee Ball (RB Wisconsin)                   5/1
Denard Robinson (QB Michigan)              5/1
Landry Jones (QB Oklahoma)                 13/2
Geno Smith (QB West Virginia)               7/1
Marcus Lattimore (RB South Carolina)     10/1
A.J. McCarron (QB Alabama)                  15/1
Tajh Boyd (QB Clemson)                        20/1
Taylor Martinez (QB Nebraska)               20/1
De'Anthony Thomas (RB Oregon)            25/1
Rex Burkhead (RB Nebraska)                 25/1
Robert Woods (WR USC)                       35/1
Tyler Wilson (QB Arkansas)                    35/1
Aaron Murray (QB Georgia)                     35/1
Sammy Watkins (WR Clemson)              40/1
Keith Price (QB Washington)                  50/1
Tyrann Mathieu (CB LSU)                       50/1
Giovani Bernard (RB North Carolina)        55/1
Isaiah Crowell (RB Georgia)                    60/1
James Franklin (QB Missouri)                 75/1
Kenny Stills (WR Oklahoma)                  75/1
Malcolm Brown (RB Texas)                     75/1
Henry Josey (RB Missouri)                     80/1
 
Will Matt Kalil (OT USC) be the #2 overall pick in the draft?
Yes                  7/2
No                    1/6
 
Will Justin Blackmon (WR Oklahoma State) be the #2 overall pick in the draft?       
Yes                  5/2
No                    1/4
 
Who will draft Robert Griffin III (QB Baylor)?
Cleveland Browns                       1/1
Washington Redskins                3/1
Miami Dolphins                          7/2
Buffalo Bills                               5/1
Seattle Seahawks                      8/1

 _ Jimmy Burch

Texas DE Okafor, A&M K Bullock join three OSU players on AFCA All-America team

Texas defensive end Alex Okafor joined Texas A&M kicker Randy Bullock and three players from Oklahoma State as members of the FBS Coaches’ All-America Team, selected today by the American Football Coaches Association.

No. 3 Oklahoma State (11-1), the Big 12 champ, placed receiver Justin Blackmon, offensive tackle Levy Adcock and safety Markelle Martin on the AFCA squad, which includes only first-teamers at each position.

Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck earned the nod over Baylor counterpart Robert Griffin III, although both players are finalists for the Heisman Trophy and the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award.

No. 2 Alabama (11-1) had the most AFCA honorees, with five players _ four more than No. 1 LSU (13-0), which landed only defensive back Morris Claiborne on the squad. OSU and No. 10 Wisconsin (11-2) each had three honorees, as selected by AFCA voters.

 

The 2011 AFCA FBS Coaches’ All-America Team

Offense
Pos Name Ht. Wt. Cl. School Coach Hometown (High School)
WR Justin Blackmon* 6-1 215 Jr. Oklahoma St. Mike Gundy Ardmore, Okla. (Plainview)
WR  Jordan White 6-0 215 Sr. Western Michigan Bill Cubit Cleveland, Ohio (North Ridgeville)
TE Orson Charles 6-3 241 Jr. Georgia Mark Richt Tampa, Fla. (Plant)
OL  Kevin Zeitler 6-4 315 Sr. Wisconsin Bret Bielema Waukesha, Wis. (Lutheran)
OL  Barrett Jones 6-5 311 Jr. Alabama Nick Saban Memphis, Tenn. (Evangelical Christian)
C  Peter Konz 6-5 315 Jr. Wisconsin Bret Bielema Neenah, Wis. (Neenah)
OL  David DeCastro 6-5 310 Sr. Stanford David Shaw Bellevue, Wash. (Bellevue)
OL  Levy Adcock 6-6 322 Sr. Oklahoma St. Mike Gundy Claremore, Okla. (Sequoyah)
QB  Andrew Luck 6-4 235 Sr. Stanford David Shaw Houston, Texas (Stratford)
RB  Trent Richardson 5-11 224 Jr. Alabama Nick Saban Pensacola, Fla. (Escambia)
RB  Montee Ball 5-11 210 Jr. Wisconsin Bret Bielema Wentzville, Mo. (Timberland)

Defense
Pos Name Ht. Wt. Cl. School Coach Hometown (High School)
DL  Jerel Worthy 6-3 310 Jr.  Michigan St. Mark Dantonio Huber Heights, Ohio (Wayne)
DL  Alex Okafor 6-4 260 Jr. Texas Mack Brown Pflugerville, Texas (Pflugerville)
DL Whitney Mercilus 6-4 265 Jr. Illinois Ron Zook Akron, Ohio (Garfield)
DL Melvin Ingram 6-2 276 Sr. South Carolina Steve Spurrier Hamlet, N.C. (Richmond County)
LB  Dont’a Hightower 6-4 260 Jr. Alabama Nick Saban Lewisburg, Tenn. (Marshall County)
LB  Jarvis Jones 6-3 241 So. Georgia Mark Richt Columbus, Ga. (Carver)
LB Lavonte David 6-1 225 Sr. Nebraska Bo Pelini Miami, Fla. (Northwestern)
DB Mark Barron 6-2 218 Sr. Alabama Nick Saban Mobile, Ala. (St. Paul’s)
DB Morris Claiborne 6-0 185 Jr. LSU Les Miles Shreveport, La. (Fair Park)
DB  Markelle Martin 6-1 198 Sr.  Oklahoma St. Mike Gundy Wichita Falls, Texas (Rider)
DB  DeQuan Menzie 6-0 198 Sr. Alabama Nick Saban Columbus, Ga. (Carver)

Specialists
Pos Name Ht. Wt. Cl. School Coach Hometown (High School)
P  Shawn Powell 6-4 235 Sr. Florida St. Jimbo Fisher Rome, Ga. (Darlington Prep)
PK Randy Bullock 5-9 212 Sr. Texas A&M Mike Sherman Klein, Texas (Klein)
AP  LaMichael James* 5-9 195 Jr. Oregon Chip Kelly Texarkana, Texas (Liberty-Eylau)
*-2010 All-American

_ Jimmy Burch
 

Texas A&M opens at No. 8 in AP poll; Texas unranked; Sooners at No. 1; TCU at No. 14

Texas A&M will begin its first season since 1999 as a Top 10 team in both major college football polls. The Aggies opened at No. 8 today in The Associated Press’ rankings, with Oklahoma claiming the top spot and Texas unranked to start the season for the first time since 1998.

TCU, coming of a 13-0 season and Rose Bowl victory, will open at No. 14.

Oklahoma, a 12-2 team last season, received 36 of 60 first-place votes. The Sooners also claimed the top spot in the pre-season coaches poll, released earlier this month.

For A&M, a 9-4 finisher last season, the Aggies’ No. 8 ranking is one spot higher than the school received in the coaches poll. The last time A&M began a football season ranked in the Top 10 in both major polls was 1999, when the Aggies opened at No. 7 in the AP poll and No. 8 in the coaches poll.

Texas, coming off a 5-7 season, will begin the season unranked in the AP poll for the first time since coach Mack Brown’s inaugural season in Austin in 1998. The Longhorns, who were 24th in the coaches poll, received 114 points in balloting from pollsters _ not enough to catch No. 25 Southern California, which earned 160 points.

USC is not eligible to be ranked in the coaches poll because the Trojans are on NCAA probation.

The Big 12 landed three teams in the Top 10, including Oklahoma State at No. 9, and placed four teams in the poll. Missouri will start at No. 21.

Boise State, projected as TCU’s primary challenger for a Mountain West championship, opened at No. 5 and received two first-place votes.

Five teams divided the 60 first-place ballots and will open the season in this order: No. 1 Oklahoma (36), No. 2 Alabama (17) No. 3 Oregon (4), No. 4 LSU (1) and No. 5 Boise State (2). Rounding out the Top 10 are No. 6 Florida State, No. 7 Stanford, No. 8 A&M, No. 9 Oklahoma State and No. 10 Nebraska.

Below is a look at the pre-season AP poll:

The Top 25 teams in The Associated Press college football preseason poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, 2010 records, total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote, and 2010 final ranking:

 Record Pts Pv
1. Oklahoma (36) 12-2 1,464 6
2. Alabama (17) 10-3 1,439 10
3. Oregon (4) 12-1 1,330 3
4. LSU (1) 11-2 1,286 8
5. Boise St. (2) 12-1 1,200 9
6. Florida St. 10-4 1,168 17
7. Stanford 12-1 1,091 4
8. Texas A&M 9-4 965 19
9. Oklahoma St. 11-2 955 13
10. Nebraska 10-4 910 20
11. Wisconsin 11-2 900 7
12. South Carolina 9-5 848 22
13. Virginia Tech 11-3 821 16
14. TCU 13-0 690 2
15. Arkansas 10-3 686 12
16. Notre Dame 8-5 530 NR
17. Michigan St. 11-2 519 14
18. Ohio St. 12-1 443 5
19. Georgia 6-7 369 NR
20. Mississippi St. 9-4 361 15
21. Missouri 10-3 258 18
22. Florida 8-5 228 NR
23. Auburn 14-0 219 1
24. West Virginia 9-4 207 NR
25. Southern Cal 8-5 160 NR
Others receiving votes: Texas 114, Penn St. 75, Arizona St. 67, Miami 32, Utah 25, Southern Miss. 20, Iowa 19, BYU 15, NC State 15, Air Force 14, Houston 13, Pittsburgh 9, Michigan 7, Tennessee 5, UCF 5, Hawaii 4, N. Illinois 4, Tulsa 3, Arizona 2, Maryland 2, Nevada 1, Northwestern 1, Washington 1.

_ Jimmy Burch