College Confidential

Missouri gov likes Big Ten idea

Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon just gave a little more momentum to the Missouri-to-the-Big-Ten rumors.

In an interview with the Associated Press, Nixon, a Missouri grad, endorsed the move and offered some interesting opinions of current Big 12 member institutions.

"I'm not going to say anything bad about the Big 12, but when you compare Oklahoma State to Northwestern, when you compare Texas Tech to Wisconsin, I mean, you begin looking at educational possibilities that are worth looking at," Nixon told the AP.

"If a significant conference with a long history of academic and athletic excellence talks about you joining them, you shouldn't just say, 'We're from the old Big 8 and I remember when ... If they want to talk, we should talk, and we should listen."

-- Chuck Carlton

Big Ten seeking No. 12

The Big Ten, which valued a brand name more than numerical accuracy, has decided that 11 isn't enough.

The conference announced today, in a three-paragraph statement that has all the readability of a Senate bill, that it will be seeking a 12th member. The bottom line is the bottom line, as Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports notes: a nice $5 million payday from a title game.

Already speculation has grown, with the Big 12, along with the Big East, potential candidates for a raid. And Notre Dame remains the Big Ten's Holy Grail, as enticing as it is unobtainable. Already Missouri has issued a statement indicating a willingness to listen.

Even more radical speculation has mentioned Nebraska and even Texas as possibilities to join Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State. Stay tuned. It will be an interesting next 12-18 months.

-- Chuck Carlton

Big 12 explains rule that allowed Texas' game-winning FG

Big 12 officials issued a further explanation today about the rule used to give Texas its opportunity to kick a game-winning field goal as time expired Saturday in the Longhorns’ 13-12 victory over Nebraska in the Big 12 Championship Game at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington.

The winning kick came one play after game officials used replay review to restore one second on the clock, which showed 0:00 after an incomplete pass by Texas triggered a premature victory celebration by Nebraska players. The rule that allowed the final play is Rule 12, Section 3, Article 6.

After outlining the limitations on reviewable plays, the rule says: “The replay official may correct egregious errors, including those involving the game clock, whether or not a play is reviewable.”

Bob Burda, Big 12 assistant commissioner/communications, said today that was the precedent used to return one second to the game clock before Texas kicker Hunter Lawrence connected on a 46-yard field goal that gave the Longhorns (13-0) their first Big 12 title since 2005 and a berth against Alabama (13-0) in the BCS National Championship Game, Jan. 7 in Pasadena, Calif.

Walt Anderson, the Big 12 coordinator of football officials, cited Rule 12:3 during a post-game explanation of league procedures. But he did not cite the article. In the Big 12 rules, Article 3 under Rule 12:3 says a replay-related clock adjustment can be made only “when a ruling on the field is reversed.”

However, Article 6 trumps Article 3 because it allows for correction of clock-related errors on any play. After the game, Anderson noted that the clock was re-set on more than one play during the contest and that replay officials had a clear view, provided by TV cameras, that showed the incomplete pass hitting the ground with one second remaining.

“Any type of an egregious clock error can be corrected,” Anderson said after the game. “This is exactly what we want the officials to do.”

_ Jimmy Burch

All-Big 12 football team includes first-team honorees from every school

For the first time in Big 12 history, every school was represented on the first-team, all-conference squad selected today by league coaches.

Among South Division schools, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State had the most first-team honorees, with four each. Texas placed three players on the first team, followed by Texas Tech (2), Texas A&M (1) and Baylor (1).

Below is a look at the full team, as selected by league coaches:

2009 ALL-BIG 12 FOOTBALL FIRST TEAM
Offense
Pos. Player School Class Hometown/Previous School(s)
QB Colt McCoy ** Texas Sr. Tuscola, Texas/Jim Ned
RB Daniel Thomas Kansas State Jr. Hilliard, Fla./NW Mississippi CC
RB Keith Toston Oklahoma State Sr. Angleton, Texas/Angleton
FB Bryant Ward Oklahoma State Jr. Stillwater, Okla./Stillwater
WR Jordan Shipley Texas Sr. Burnet, Texas/Burnet
WR Danario Alexander Missouri Sr. Marlin, Texas/Marlin
WR Dezmon Briscoe Kansas Jr. Dallas, Texas/Cedar Hill
TE Jeron Mastrud Kansas State Sr. Beaverton, Ore./Southridge
OL Russell Okung ^ Oklahoma State Sr. Houston, Texas/Bush
OL Trent Williams ^ Oklahoma Sr. Longview, Texas/Longview
OL Nick Stringer Kansas State Sr. Topeka, Kan./Hayden
OL Brandon Carter Texas Tech Sr. Longview, Texas/Spring Hill
OL Nate Solder Colorado Jr. Buena Vista, Colo./Buena Vista
PK Grant Ressel Missouri So. Jackson, Mo./Jackson
KR/PR Brandon Banks Kansas State Sr. Garner, N.C./Bakersfield College

Defense
DL Ndamukong Suh ** Nebraska Sr. Portland, Ore./Grant
DL Gerald McCoy ^ Oklahoma Jr. Oklahoma City, Okla./Southeast
DL Von Miller Texas A&M Jr. DeSoto, Texas/DeSoto
DL Brandon Sharpe Texas Tech Sr. Lyons, Ga./Fresno City CC
DL Jared Crick Nebraska So. Cozad, Neb./Cozad
LB Sean Weatherspoon ^ Missouri Sr. Jasper, Texas/Jasper
LB Jesse Smith Iowa State Sr. Altoona, Iowa/Southeast Polk
LB Travis Lewis Oklahoma So. San Antonio, Texas/Robert E. Lee
DB Earl Thomas Texas So. Orange, Texas/West Orange Stark
DB Perrish Cox Oklahoma State Sr. Waco, Texas/University
DB Dominique Franks Oklahoma Jr. Tulsa, Okla./Union
DB Prince Amukamara Nebraska Jr. Glendale, Ariz./Apollo
DB Larry Asante Nebraska Sr. Alexandria, Va./Hayfield/Coffeyville CC
P Derek Epperson Baylor Jr. Southlake, Texas/Keller

** - Unanimous Selection
^ - Repeat first team selection from last season.

2009 ALL-BIG 12 FOOTBALL SECOND TEAM
Offense
Pos. Player School Class Hometown/Previous School(s)
QB Jerrod Johnson Texas A&M Jr. Humble, Texas/Humble
RB Roy Helu Jr. Nebraska Jr. Danville, Calif./San Ramon Valley
RB DeMarco Murray Oklahoma Jr. Las Vegas, Nev./Bishop Gorman
FB Jamie McCoy Texas A&M Sr. Midland, Texas/Lee
WR Ryan Broyles Oklahoma So. Norman, Okla./Norman
WR Kerry Meier Kansas Sr. Pittsburg, Kan./Pittsburg
WR Brandon Banks Kansas State Sr. Garner, N.C./Bakersfield College
TE Riar Geer Colorado Sr. Grand Junction, Colo./Fruita-Monument
OL J.D. Walton Baylor Sr. Allen, Texas/Allen/Arizona State
OL Chris Hall # Texas Sr. Irving, Texas/Irving
OL Kurtis Gregory # Missouri Sr. Blackburn, Mo./Santa Fe
OL Adam Ulatoski Texas Sr. Southlake, Texas/Carroll
OL Brody Eldridge Oklahoma Sr. La Cygne, Kan./Prairie View
OL Lee Grimes Texas A&M Sr. Brownwood, Texas/Brownwood
PK Alex Henery Nebraska Jr. Omaha, Neb./Burke
KR/PR Perrish Cox Oklahoma State Sr. Waco, Texas/University

Defense
DL Sergio Kindle Texas Sr. Dallas, Texas/Woodrow Wilson
DL Lamarr Houston Texas Sr. Colorado Springs, Colo./Doherty
DL Jeremy Beal # Oklahoma Jr. Carrollton, Texas/Creekview
DL Jaron Baston Missouri Sr. Blue Springs, Mo./Blue Springs
DL Daniel Howard Texas Tech Sr. Wichita, Kan./Butler County CC
LB Joe Pawelek Baylor Sr. San Antonio, Texas/Smithson Valley
LB Roddrick Muckelroy Texas Sr. Hallsville, Texas/Hallsville
LB Phillip Dillard Nebraska Sr. Tulsa, Okla./Jenks
DB Jamar Wall Texas Tech Sr. Plainview, Texas/Planview
DB Quinton Carter Oklahoma Jr. Las Vegas, Nev./Cheyenne
DB Brian Jackson Oklahoma  Sr. De Soto, Texas/De Soto
DB Jordan Lake Baylor Sr. Houston, Texas/Memorial
DB Cha’pelle Brown Colorado Sr. La Puente, Calif./Los Altos
DB Trent Hunter Texas A&M So. Katy, Texas/Katy
P Tress Way Oklahoma  Fr. Tulsa, Okla./Union

A tie in voting created an additional second-team offensive line and defensive back spot.
# - Repeat second team selection from last season.

2009 ALL-BIG 12 HONORABLE MENTION
Baylor Justin Akers, TE; David Gettis, WR; Jason Lamb, DL; J.D. Walton, Off. Lmn of Yr.; Kendall Wright, WR
Colorado Jake Behrens, FB; Jalil Brown, DB; Benjamin Burney, DB; Marquez Herrod, DL; Scotty McKnight, WR; Ryan Miller, OL; Jeff Smart, LB; Jimmy Smith, DB; Rodney Stewart, RB
Iowa State Michael Brandtner, P; Kelechi Osemele, OL; Paul Rhoads, Coach of Yr.; Alexander Robinson, RB; Reggie Stephens, OL
Kansas Tanner Hawkinson, OL; Jake Laptad, DL; Todd Reesing, QB; Alonso Rojas, P; Darrell Stuckey, DB
Kansas State Jeffrey Fitzgerald, DL; Tysyn Hartman, DB; Joshua Moore, DB; Bill Snyder, Coach of Yr
Missouri Danario Alexander, Off. Ply. of Yr.; Carl Gettis, DB; Jake Harry, P; Dan Hoch, OL; Jared Perry, WR; Kevin Rutland, DB; Jasper Simmons, DB & Def Nwcmr. of Yr.; Aldon Smith, DL; Derrick Washington, RB
Nebraska Dejon Gomes, DB & Def Nwcmr. of Yr.; Eric Hagg, DB; Alex Henery, P; Jacob Hickman, OL; Mike McNeill, TE; Matt O’Hanlon, DB; Niles Paul, WR; Barry Turner, DL
Oklahoma Jeremy Beal, Def Ply of Yr.; Chris Brown, RB; Ryan Broyles, PR/KR; Keenan Clayton, LB; Auston English, DL; Landry Jones, Off. Fr. of Yr.; Jonathan Nelson, DB; Gerald McCoy Def. Lmn. of Yr. & Def Ply of Yr.; Ryan Reynolds, LB; Adrian Taylor, DL; Trent Williams, Off. Lmn of Yr
Oklahoma State Hubert Anyiam, WR; Ugo Chinasa, DL; Patrick Lavine, LB; Swanson Miller, DL; Zac Robinson, QB; Andre Sexton, LB; Quinn Sharp, P
Texas Emmanuel Acho, LB; Sam Acho, DL; Curtis Brown, DB; Blake Gideon, DB; Kyle Hix, OL; Michael Huey, OL; Sergio Kindle, Def. Lmn. of Yr.; Hunter Lawrence, PK; Alex Okafor, Def. Fr. of Yr.; Keenan Robinson, LB; Jordan Shipley, PR/KR; Charlie Tanner, OL
Texas A&M Ryan Epperson, P; Jeff Fuller, WR; Cyrus Gray, RB & PR/KR; Michael Hodges Def Nwcmr. of Yr.; Jerrod Johnson, Off. Ply. of Yr.; Patrick Lewis, OL; Kevin Matthews, OL; Jamie McCoy, TE; Von Miller Def. Lmn. of Yr. & Def Ply of Yr.; Uzoma Nwachukwu, WR & Off. Fr. of Yr.; Jordan Pugh, DB; Ryan Tannehill, WR; Garrick Williams, LB
Texas Tech Baron Batch, RB; Bront Bird, LB; Cody Davis, Def. Fr. of Yr.; Alex Torres, Off. Fr. of Yr.; Colby Whitlock, DL; Marlon Winn, OL

_ Jimmy Burch

About that new Big 12 bowl lineup

Mike DeArmond of the Kansas City Star has a really, really big problem with the upcoming Big 12 bowl lineup, finalized just this week.

He dislikes the emphasis on bowls in Texas and further parts west, as well as the lack of any Florida bowl tie-in. And he sees a whole lot of catering to the South Division schools. Writes DeArmond:

Yes, I know conferences have to negotiate bowl agreements. You just don't pick the ones you want.

So negotiate, Big 12.

If you have to give a little on bowl payouts, give a little. The exposure is worth more to the schools than the money in some cases.

Pull your head out of the state of Texas and you might even reduce the us versus them attitude prevalent in the North Division.

-- Chuck Carlton

Big 12 adds bowl deals, starting in 2010

Big 12 officials announced bowl agreements today with the Dallas Football Classic and the Eagle Bank Bowl, effective in 2010.

The Big 12 will send a team to the Dallas Football Classic, a start-up game to be played in the Cotton Bowl, for the 2010 and 2012 seasons. The Big 12 also will send a team to the Eagle Bank Bowl in 2013. The agreements are in addition to the league’s existing deals with the Fiesta, Cotton, Alamo, Insight, Holiday, Texas and Yankee bowls.

_ Jimmy Burch

Thoughts from Saturday

A few thoughts about Saturday's games while waiting for the (drum roll please) first announcement of the BCS standings about 3:40 p.m. today on Fox.

1. Texas will probably be third in the first BCS rankings behind Florida and Alabama, especially with Virginia Tech's loss. Anything lower will be a shock. It will be interesting to see how the computers view the Longhorns. Texas proved it could win a defensive game against Oklahoma even though it registered few style points. The next two games, at Missouri and at Oklahoma State, will define the Texas regular season.

2. We don't know if we've seen Sam Bradford's last game in an Oklahoma uniform. That's his call. Hopefully, we did. He came to Oklahoma when he could have been a Top 10 (and maybe higher) NFL pick. He bounced from a serious shoulder sprain to return, showing grit. Now he's hurt again. He has nothing left to prove at OU and nothing he can prove to the NFL. Shut it down, heal, get surgery if necessary and get ready for the draft.

3. A couple of weeks ago, the pirate ship at Texas Tech looked to be taking on water. Now, the Red Raiders can make a legitimate claim, along with Oklahoma State, to being the second best team in the Big 12. (Hey, both lost to Houston). Backup QB Steven "Sticks" Sheffield was unfazed by a road start in Lincoln. And the defense - yes, the Tech defense - absolutely dominated with five sacks. Ndamukong who?

4. Speaking of a ship that may be sinking ... yeah, that's a transition to Texas A&M. At worst, I figured the Aggies could get two or three wins against the worst of the North and get to a bowl. After Saturday's 62-14 loss at Kansas State, the Aggies could be descending beyond the 2008 depths. "We got our butt kicked every which way," A&M coach Mike Sherman said. Unless Michael Bishop just gained some more eligibility, this isn't exactly a vintage Bill Snyder team. The Wildcats were coming off a 66-14 butt kicking of their own at Texas Tech.

5. SMU is 3-3 but could easily be 5-1 and a win away from bowl-eligibility. The Mustangs held second-half leads against Washington State and Navy and then lost in overtime in both games. SMU could still cobble together six victories, if it can post home wins against Rice, UTEP and Tulane. 

6. TCU has done pretty much everything it has needed to do as a potential BCS Buster. The Horned Frogs' biggest test comes Saturday at BYU, which has regrouped since that loss to Florida State. Since joining the Mountain West, TCU has split at Provo, winning 51-50 in 2005 and losing 27-22 in 2007. A win over Max Hall and Co. would be a major boost as TCU tries to climb past Boise State.

-- Chuck Carlton

Attorney for OU's Mike Balogun is confident despite slow process

The attorney for Oklahoma linebacker Mike Balogun said Wednesday morning that although he is aggravated by the process, he still believes the NCAA will re-certify his client to play football this season.

“I’m frustrated that it’s taken this long and continue to press toward a deadline that we believed would concur with my agreement to suspend the [civil court] hearing on a permanent injunction,” Woody Glass said after two full days with an NCAA investigator in the Maryland area. “That has yet to occur. But I still feel confident based on everything that has happened that Mike will be certified -- sooner hopefully than later.”

Balogun’s certification was pulled Aug.14 by the NCAA, which believed that he played in an amateur football league after his 21st birthday despite subsequent mounting evidence to the contrary. Balogun is not scheduled to travel with the Sooners for Saturday's season-opening game against BYU in Arlington. A temporary injunction has allowed him to continue to practice, but Oklahoma apparently has made a decision not to play Balogun unless he is re-certified. 

The 25-year-old Balogun’s contention is that he did not play in the North American Football League after Sept. 28, 2004.

Glass said he was notified Friday that he would be included in the latest interview process and flew to Maryland on Sunday night. He said he was returning to Oklahoma on Wednesday and was frustrated because only one interview was conducted.

“Because of some confidentiality that I have agreed to with the NCAA, I cannot discuss at this time what the content of the [interview] was,” Glass said. “But I think that people can read into that, that I still feel confident that Mike will be certified.”

-- Mike Jones

Big 12 football TV games (thus far) in 2009

Big 12 officials announced the telecast times for 2009 football games that have been selected to be aired on ABC, ESPN, FSN and Versus.
The list, released Monday, includes 14 telecasts on ABC or ESPN. Nine of the games are part of the Big 12’s conference package and five will be aired as non-conference road games. Of the 19 games selected, eight will be played on days other than Saturday.
Colorado emerged as the early leader for guaranteed air time, with five telecasts. Texas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Missouri were selected three times. Texas Tech and Nebraska have two guaranteed telecasts. Texas A&M, Kansas and Iowa State have one appearance each.
Other games will be added to the mix once the season begins, with either a six-day or 12-day advance notice.
Among the notable selections:
-- Oklahoma’s season opener against Brigham Young, on Sept. 5 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, will be a 6 p.m. telecast on ESPN.
-- The Texas-Oklahoma game, Oct. 17 at the Cotton Bowl, will be an 11 a.m. national telecast on ABC.
-- Texas Tech’s game at Texas on Sept. 19 will be a 7 p.m. national telecast on ABC.
-- The Texas-Texas A&M game, set for Nov. 26 in College Station (Thanksgiving night), will be a 7 p.m. telecast on ESPN.
-- Oklahoma State’s opener, Sept. 5 against Georgia in Stillwater, Okla., will be a 2:30 p.m. telecast on ABC.
-- The Big 12 Championship Game, set for Dec. 5 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, will be a 7 p.m. national telecast on ABC.
_ Jimmy Burch

Big 12 football telecasts
A list of 2009 Big 12 football telecasts announced Monday:
Saturday, Sept. 5
Georgia at Oklahoma State, ABC, 2:30 p.m.
Missouri vs. Illinois (St. Louis), ESPN, 2:40 p.m.
Brigham Young vs. Oklahoma (Arlington), ESPN, 6 p.m.

Sunday, Sept. 6
Colorado State at Colorado, FSN, 6 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 11
Colorado at Toledo, ESPN, 8 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 12
Iowa at Iowa State, FSN, 11 a.m.
Houston at Oklahoma State, FSN, 2:30 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 19
Duke at Kansas, Versus, 11 a.m.
Tulsa at Oklahoma, FSN, 2:30 p.m.
Texas Tech at Texas, ABC, 7 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 25
Missouri at Nevada, ESPN, 8 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 26
Texas Tech at Houston, ESPN2, 8:15 p.m.

Thursday, Oct. 1
Colorado at West Virginia, ESPN, 6:30 p.m.

Thursday, Oct. 8
Nebraska at Missouri, ESPN, 8 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 17
Oklahoma vs. Texas (Dallas), ABC, 11 a.m.

Thursday, Nov. 19
Colorado at Oklahoma State, ESPN, 6:30 p.m.

Thursday, Nov. 26
Texas at Texas A&M, ESPN, 7 p.m.

Friday, Nov. 27
Nebraska at Colorado, ABC, 2:30 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 5
Big 12 Championship Game (Arlington), ABC, 7 p.m.

Don't expect a change in the Big 12 football tiebreaker

For all practical purposes, the possibility of altering the Big 12's tiebreaking procedures in football is dead. Any impetus for change, driven by the Texas contingent, disappeared when coaches voted to reject a proposal to change the existing tiebreaker steps during a Wednesday meeting in Phoenix. 

Although the issue could resurface at the league’s spring meetings (May 19-21) and be voted on by Big 12 athletic directors at that time, such a move has to be considered a longshot in the wake of the coaches' vote. 

Coaches expressed a preference to continue with the current system, which saw Oklahoma represent the South Division in the conference championship game after the 2008 South race ended in a three-way tie between OU, Texas and Texas Tech. The Sooners advanced under the Big 12’s fifth tiebreaker because they finished .013 ahead of Texas in the BCS standings at the conclusion of the regular season.

Athletic directors could vote to change the policy at the Big 12 spring meetings in Colorado Springs, Colo. But the coaches’ vote probably diminishes the likelihood of that happening.

_ Jimmy Burch