College Confidential

Texas, Texas Tech draw two Thursday FB telecasts, including T'givng night; TCU, Baylor get one #UT, #TCU, #Tech, #Baylor

Texas and Texas Tech will play in two of four Thursday night football games to be played by Big 12 teams during the 2013 season, including a Thanksgiving night matchup in Austin, league officials announced today.

The Thursday night telecasts, with times and networks to be announced later, include Texas at Iowa State (Oct. 3), TCU at Texas Tech (Sept. 12), Oklahoma at Baylor (Nov. 7) and Texas Tech at Texas on Thanksgiving night (Nov. 28).

_ Jimmy Burch

 

Oklahoma OL Woods one of seven finalists for national award #OU, #Sooners

Oklahoma offensive lineman Austin Woods, a junior from Rockwall who played last season while battling Hodgkin’s lymphoma, has been selected as one of seven finalists for the 2013 Uplifting Athletes Rare Disease Champion Award. The honor is presented annually to someone in college football who has realized his or her potential to make a positive and lasting impact on the rare disease community.

Woods, who played in 12 games for the Sooners (10-3), finished chemotherapy on Oct. 1 and was told on Nov. 1 that his disease was in remission. The winner is decided on a fan vote that runs through Jan. 31.

To vote, visit www.uplifttingathletes.org/vote. The website contains information about all seven finalists. Other finalists include Penn State’s Eric Shrive, Humboldt State’s Dillon Reagan, Florida’s Neiron Ball, Navy’s Chris Ferguson, USC’s Frankie Telfort and Fordham’s Andrew Milmore.

_ Jimmy Burch

 

Alabama tabbed as favorite to threepeat in next year's BCS title game; Texas A&M one of top 4 favorites #TAMU, #Bama

Alabama, college football’s two-time defending national champion, already is the early favorite to make it three in a row in next year’s BCS National Championship Game, based on odds released today by Bovada Sports Book (www.Bovada.lv).

The site has installed the Crimson Tide as a 5/1 favorite to claim next year’s title, followed by Oregon (8/1), Ohio State (17/2), Texas A&M (12/1) and LSU (12/1). A&M, which posted an 11-2 record and finished fifth in today’s final AP poll, is given the best odds for a 2013-14 national championship of any college team from Texas or within the region.

Opening odds assigned to other regional or Big 12 schools include: Oklahoma (25/1), Texas (30/1), Oklahoma State (40/1), TCU (66/1), Arkansas (100/1), Kansas State (100/1) and West Virginia (150/1).

Below is a look at the schools that received individual odds to win next years BCS National Championship Game:

 

Odds to win the 2013-2014 BCS National Championship         

Alabama                               5/1

Oregon                             8/1

Ohio State                     17/2

LSU                              12/1

Texas A&M                   12/1

Florida                          14/1

Florida State                  14/1

Clemson                       22/1

Louisville                               22/1

Notre Dame                   22/1

Miami                               25/1

Oklahoma                            25/1

South Carolina                    25/1

Georgia                            28/1

Nebraska                              28/1

Stanford                        30/1

Texas                               30/1

Michigan                               33/1

USC                             33/1

Oklahoma State             40/1

UCLA                            40/1

Mississippi State           50/1

Wisconsin                            50/1

TCU                              66/1

Virginia Tech                 66/1

Boise State                   75/1

Michigan State              75/1

North Carolina                     75/1

Oregon State                 75/1

Arkansas                              100/1

Arizona                            100/1

Kansas State                100/1

Rutgers                         100/1

Tennessee                           100/1

Washington                         100/1

Cincinnati                             125/1

BYU                             150/1

Pittsburgh                            150/1

West Virginia                      150/1

Auburn                          200/1

Georgia Tech                 200/1

Iowa                              200/1

Missouri                                250/1

Boston College                   300/1

California                              300/1

South Florida                      300/1

 _ Jimmy Burch

 

No further penalty for Oklahoma lineman's "push" on TCU's Maponga

Oklahoma offensive lineman Tyrus Thompson will not be suspended for what TCU fans considered a punch to the head of TCU defensive lineman Stansly Maponga in last week’s game.
The Big 12 Conference supervisor of officials Walt Anderson reviewed Thompson “pushing” Maponga’s “head to the ground.” His review of the play supports the foul penalty assessed by game officials, an email from the league said. The Big 12 will take no further action.
Thompson was assessed a 15-yard personal foul on the play in the second quarter of OU’s 24-17 win. Replays appeared to show him on top of Maponga and striking him a couple times with his right arm.

-- Stefan Stevenson
@FollowtheFrogs 

Where is TCU going bowling? My guess is back to San Diego or Houston but final week could alter destination for many

So where is TCU headed bowling? Wish I could tell you. Too much is still riding on the outcome of the final week of games, especially the Horned Frogs’ regular-season finale against No. 11 Oklahoma at 11 a.m. Saturday at Amon G. Carter Stadium.
The outcome could affect where the Horned Frogs (7-4, 4-4 in the Big 12) are headed in the postseason. If TCU upsets the Sooners, and incidentally, wins its first Big 12 game at home, Oklahoma's hopes of earning a BCS bowl berth would be dashed. The Sooners (9-2, 7-1) could still win the Big 12 title and earn a Fiesta Bowl appearance with a win and a No. 6 Kansas State loss to No. 18 Texas. If Oklahoma loses, then they’ll likely play in the Cotton Bowl.
If the Frogs lose to Oklahoma, they appear headed to the Holiday Bowl in San Diego. That's if San Diego isn't sick of TCU. The Frogs have played in three Poinsettia Bowls, also in San Diego, since 2006, including last year. The Meineke Car Care Bowl in Houston would likely be attracted to TCU, expecting more Frogs fans to travel to Reliant Stadium for the Dec. 28 game against a Big 10 team. The Frogs have played three bowls in Houston since 2001, the last coming in 2007.
Of course, more than conference finish comes into play when bowl representatives are looking to fill the matchups. If TCU wins Saturday, then the Frogs would finish ahead of Texas Tech (7-5, 4-5) and would seem to be in line for the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl in Tempe, Arizona. And if Baylor wins its third consecutive game by beating Oklahoma State Saturday then the Bears would potentially finish in a four-way tie with TCU, Tech, and West Virginia at 4-5. If that happens, then all bets are off on bowl positioning, at least for the middle-tier bowls.
The bowl matchups will be announced Dec. 2.

Here’s how I project the Big 12 standings finishing, with the favored team (Kansas State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and West Virginia) winning Saturday, with bowl destinations and bowl payout (per team) for each bowl:

	Projected standings	Projected bowl	Payout per team (in millions)
Kansas State	11-1, 8-1	BCS Fiesta (Glendale, Ariz.)	$17
Oklahoma	10-2, 8-1	BCS Sugar (New Orleans)	$17
Oklahoma St.	8-4, 6-3	Cotton (Arlington, Tex.)	$3.625
Texas	8-4, 5-4	Alamo (San Antonio, Tex.)	$3.175
Texas Tech	7-5, 4-5	Buffalo Wild Wings (Tempe, Ariz.)	$3.350
TCU	7-5, 4-5	Holiday (San Diego, Calif.)	$2.075
West Virginia	7-5, 4-5	Pinstripe (New York City)	$1.8
Iowa State	6-6, 3-6	Heart of Dallas (Cotton Bowl)	$1.1
Baylor	6-6, 3-6	Meineke Car Care (Houston)	$1.7
Kansas	1-11, 0-9

-- Stefan Stevenson
@FollowtheFrogs 

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

"Disappointed and surprised." Mack Brown's reaction to Texas' loss to Oklahoma echoes Longhorn fanbase

Disappointed and surprised.
That was the reaction of most Texas fans after Oklahoma dominated the Longhorns Saturday in Dallas for the second consecutive season.
It was also what was going through Texas coach Mack Brown’s head after losing 63-21.
“I told them we got out coached and outplayed in every form and fashion you could have,” Brown said. “It’s two years in a row. It’s unacceptable. That’s such a traditional game in Dallas and we haven’t held up our end for the last couple of years and that’s the disappointing thing for our coaches, our fans, our administration and our players.”
The blow out was particularly disheartening for Texas, which figured to be better after last season’s 55-17 loss to the Sooners. Texas trailed 36-2 at the half and never challenged No. 9 Oklahoma (4-1, 2-1).
“We’re exactly where we were this time last year, we’re sitting here 4-2,” Brown said. “It was a setback. I feel like we made a lot of progress. I feel like we’re a better team than we were this time last year in a lot of ways. It didn’t look like it Saturday at all. You’ve got to take the negative and turn it into a positive and play harder, play better and play tougher.”
No. 25 Texas (4-2, 1-2 in the Big 12) host Baylor (3-2, 0-2) at 7 p.m. Saturday.
“We have a chance to win the rest of our game and still win 10 games so we’re sure not quitting, we’re not getting our head down, we’re not giving up,” Brown said. “We’re going back to work.”

-- Stefan Stevenson
@FollowtheFrogs 

Texas scratches RB Brown, LB Hicks for today's game against OU; expect more carries for Aledo grad Johnathan Gray

Texas officials have announced that running back Malcolm Brown (ankle) and linebacker Jordan Hicks (hip) will not play today against Oklahoma. Both players were listed as doubtful Friday. After being evaluated by team trainers this morning, both will watch today’s game in street clothes.

Brown’s absence means more carries for Texas tailback Johnathan Gray, a freshman from Aledo who set career highs for carries (14) and rushing yards (87) in last week’s 48-45 loss to West Virginia. Gray will share the load today with Joe Bergeron, who leads the team in rushing yards (300) and touchdowns (9).

Hicks will miss his third consecutive game. No. 15 Texas (4-1, 1-1 in Big 12) has struggled against to defend the run in the two games he has missed. Expect No. 13 Oklahoma (3-1, 1-1) to try and exploit that void in today’s matchup. Kickoff set for 11 a.m. in the Cotton Bowl.

_ 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

TCU's Patterson more concerned with early foes than tough final month

TCU coach Gary Patterson keeps hearing about how tough the final month of his first Big 12 schedule is going to be this fall.
But he’s too concerned with the Horned Frogs’ first few opponents to worry about that. After TCU opens the season and its newly renovated Amon G. Carter Stadium Sept. 8 against Grambling State, the Frogs have their Big 12 opener at Kansas at 11 a.m. Sept. 15. 
“Starting with Kansas, and I think all the way through, each one of those games poses a problem and we should approach it like that,” Patterson said. “We've always been a very workman-like group when it comes to ball games like that. Last year was a great example of kind of the mental toughness that our group had.  All the games we had to win, all the Bowl teams in our conference were all on the road.”
TCU is back for a nonconference game against Virginia Sept. 22 and at SMU Sept. 29 before moving exclusively to Big 12 competition against Iowa State at home Oct. 6. The Frogs are at Baylor Oct. 13 and home against Texas Tech Oct. 20 before the schedule is turned up a notch with two road games at Oklahoma State and West Virginia. Kansas State is at TCU Nov. 10 before the Frogs finish at Texas on Thanksgiving weekend and home against Oklahoma Dec. 1.

TCU quarterback Casey Pachall talks preseason rankings, the move to the Big 12, and the aftermath of February's drug sting:

 

TCU offensive lineman Blaize Foltz talks about the media onslaught and the question about Gary Patterson he chose not to answer:

 

TCU defensive end Stansly Maponga talks Big 12 Media Days and anticipation of the Horned Frogs' first season in the league:

 

-- Stefan Stevenson
@FollowtheFrogs