A boy named Suh
Nebraska nose tackle Ndamukong Suh may have been the first Big 12 football player ever to earn defensive player of the week award for a game in which he also scored an offensive touchdown. Suh had a career-high 12 stops in Saturday’s 45-35 win over Kansas, including 2.5 sacks. Suh also plays fullback in goal-line situations and caught a two-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter.
Facebook ‘mistake’
Many Big 12 compliance offices are monitoring athletes’ Facebook sites more closely now after Texas back-up center Buck Burnette was kicked off the team for what he called a “terrible mistake” in posting a text message that contained a racial slur about Barack Obama.
OSU ‘bands dinosaurs
Those orange and black “Big 12 Champs” wristbands Oklahoma State players have worn since the preseason can be discarded, or saved for next season. The Cowboys were eliminated from title contention in Saturday’s loss at Texas Tech.
‘Horns honor Olympian
After thumping Baylor, Texas players awarded a game ball to Sanya Richards, the UT alum who failed to win a gold medal in an individual event at the Beijing Olympics, but who later ran the anchor lap in the 1,600-meter U.S. relay team that earned gold.
KU Tempe-bound?
According to a Dallas Mornining News projection, eight Big 12 teams will earn postseason appearances. The Dallas newspaper predicted Kansas would meet Illinois in the Insight Bowl in Tempe, Ariz. If that projection holds – and that’s a big if – KU would be meeting Illinois for the first time in 40 years.
Pinkel has U-Dub ties
Washington, the only winless school in major college football and with a lame-duck coach in Tyrone Willingham, may have its eyes on Missouri’s Gary Pinkel who coached for 12 years at U-Dub, including the last seven as offensive coordinator. Pinkel has been at Mizzou since 2001.
Three heads better
Nebraska’s tailback troika of Marlon Lucky, Roy Helu and Quentin Castille have a combined 1,315 rushing, prompting NU offensive coordinator Shawn Watson to remark: “I don’t know who in the NFL or college football is playing with one guy anymore. Nobody is.” Kansas’ three-headed tailback tandem of Jake Sharp (737 yards), Angus Quigley (281) and Jocques Crawford (190) have combined for 1,208 yards.
Meier close to record
Despite catching just three passes in each of the last two games, Kerry Meier needs only one more to match Kansas’ single-season record for receptions. Meier, who has 69 grabs, may be hearing footsteps, however. Teammate Dezmon Briscoe has 60 grabs and is also on record pace.
Sooners stingy on TOs
Overshadowed by Oklahoma’s high-powered offense (51.4 points a game) is the the Sooners’ splendid turnover margin. OU leads the nation in that category with 24 takeaways and only eight giveaways. Texas Tech also has 24 takeaways, but the Red Raiders have 14 turnovers.
Chizik safe : for now
Second-year Iowa State coach Gene Chizik has lost eight straight games, but he says he isn’t worried despite Kansas State’s decision to dump coach Ron Prince after just 2 1/2 seasons. “I’m very blessed,” Chizik said. “But I don’t think patience is forever.”
Good Luck, Gene
Iowa State coach Gene Chizik is keeping his fingers crossed now that backup quarterback Phllip Bates has quit the team. The new No. 2 is true freshman Jerome Tiller, but Chizik doesn’t want to burn Tiller’s redshirt. He’ll have to, however, if starter Austen Arnaud goes down.
Big Game in Big D
Texas and North Carolina are talking about staging a college basketball game early in the 2009-2010 season in the Dallas Cowboys new $1.1 billion stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Daniel OK with Texas
Missouri quarterback Chase Daniel, who hails from suburban Dallas, asked if he had any lingering resentment over the fact Texas had offerend him an 11th-hour scholarship. “I’ve had such a great experience (at Missouri). I don’t really think about it too much anymore.”
Send ‘Em to the NFL
Colorado coach Dan Hawkins says the Big 12’s best teams “should be in the NFC West.” Hawkins has already played two of the elite in Texas and Kansas, and the Buffaloes have Missouri and Oklahoma State remaining.
Pray for Rain
Texas A&M defensive coordinator Joe Kines was asked how the Aggies could possibly stop freewheeling Texas Tech on Saturday. “Pray for maybe a torrential downpour. If it rained about 14 inches in the first quarter, that’d probably slow it down a little bit.”
Harrell Virtually Untouched
Texas Tech quarterback Graham Harrell has thrown only three interceptions in 262 attempts, and he’s been sacked just once while operating behind a veteran offensive line.
TV Tilt Plethora
During the next two weekends, the lone Big 12 football game that won’t be televised is Baylor at Oklahoma State this Saturday. All five of the other league games will be on the tube, as will all six contests the following Saturday.
Thanks, We Need That
Kansas State should be delighted to face punchless Texas A&M on Saturday. After giving up a total of just 16 points in its first two games (North Texas and Montana State), the Wildcats’ defense has been riddled for 133 points in the last three. K-State ranks No. 94 nationally in scoring defense.
Kickoff Return Woes
How bad has Kansas been on kickoff returns? The worst. The Jayhawks rank 119th out of the 119 NCAA teams in returning kickoffs with a paltry average of only 13.23 yards per attempt.
Five Still Unbeaten
Five of the nation’s remaining 15 unbeaten teams are from the Big 12 with four in the South Division. The perfect marks will shrink this weekend with a pair of conference games featuring unbeatens on tap Saturday – Oklahoma-Texas and Missouri-Oklahoma State.
More NU Trouble Ahead?
Nebraska, coming off its worst home loss in 53 years (52-17 to Missouri) now has to go to Texas Tech where four years ago the Red Raiders inflicted a 70-10 thrashing that ranks as the worst defeat in school history. “We’d better rebound fast,” NU quarterback Joe Ganz said, “or we’re going to get killed again next week.”
Great Expectorations
Missouri quarterback Chase Daniel alleged a Nebraska football player he declined to identify had spit on him before the game. That’s reminiscent of an incident after the Kansas-Nebraska game in 2003 when NU lineman Richie Incognito launched a wad at Kansas linebacker Nick Reid. Incognito apologized, but claimed Reid had spit on him first.
Meaningless Stat?
On paper, Missouri looks bad in ranking dead last in the Big 12 in pass defense by surrendering 282.2 yards a game, but that’s a deceptive statistic for two reasons – 1) the Tigers score so quickly their defense is on the field too much (MU is last in the league in time of possession) and 2) Mizzou’s big leads force other teams to throw the ball.
Heisman Men
Texas Tech’s Graham Harrell, Kansas’ Todd Reesing and Missouri’s Chase Daniel rank 2-3-4 in the nation in total offense which, in effect, makes them all early Heisman Trophy candidates. Then there are Oklahoma’s Sam Bradford and Texas’ Colt McCoy.
Third-Down Dandies
When Kansas is facing a third-down situation, the Jayhawks have opponents right where they want them. KU leads the league in third-down conversions by making 56.4 percent (44 of 78).
Flagless Wonders
Hard to believe, but Missouri has been flagged for just 15 penalties, or an average of three a game. Kansas is closest to the Tigers with 23 penalties.
Snyder, Self close
Missouri coach Quin Snyder has a great relationship with Kansas University coach Bill Self.
“Yes, oh yes,” he said, asked if the two were friends. “I met Bill about the same time I met Doug (Compton, Lawrence businessman) and R.C. Buford (former Larry Brown assistant, now San Antonio general manager). I came and worked camp with those guys, hung out with Turg and Pipe,” Snyder said of ex-Jayhawks Mark Turgeon and Chris Piper.
Knight on stage
Texas Tech coach Bob Knight likes the NCAA rule allowing teams to hold official practices for a total of two hours a week in the offseason.
“I think that’s probably a rule somebody else made other than the NCAA because I have never seen a rule they have made that made as much sense as that one does,” said Knight, who is a big critic of the organization.
“I think somehow that must have come from the United Auto Workers or Teamsters or somebody because the NCAA is not capable of having come up with something that’s actually that beneficial to the game of basketball.”
Tech, by the way, has a whopping eight newcomers this season. Who is the captain following the graduation of Ronald Ross?
“Me,” Knight said, drawing laughter.
Curry best in league?
Self said Oklahoma State sophomore JamesOn Curry very well could win postseason Big 12 player-of-the-year honors.
OSU head-coach designate Sean Sutton, who subbed for head coach Eddie, who has a bad back and didn’t make the trip, seems to agree:
“He’s been a privilege to coach and have in our program,” Sutton said. “He was probably the difference in our winning 26 games, especially down the stretch, winning the Big 12 tournament and getting back to the Sweet 16. He’s maybe as gifted an offensive player as we’ve ever had at Oklahoma State. He’s going to be a leader this year, and our staff believes in him.”
Curry wants to lead. “I am not going to say it’s easy but it is a task at hand. This is my role and I have to show the ropes because I’ve been there before.”
