I'm too mentally and physically exhausted to write tonight, and I won't be able to chatter at BON until tomorrow afternoon, so Friday's Morning Coffee is supplanted on the front page by dimecoverage's essential BDR. I literally depend on these to start my day. I have no clue how she covers it all, day in and out. Thanks, DC... --PB--

Football

Here is your daily dose of Stoops.

KTUL, a news station in Oklahoma, praises Gil LeBreton's column.

Lebreton used his column to take Texas head coach Mack Brown to task over his phone-in during the Bedlam game to make his case for the Longhorns.

"In the end, what could Brown have done for me," Lebreton asks. "He could have just shut up and allowed his team's memorable 11-1 season do the talking for all of Longhorns, Inc. Instead, Brown began to show up on TV more than that Geico lizard."

Lebreton says Bob Stoops was asked to do a phone-in during Texas' Thanksgiving victory over Texas A&M, but refused, saying he didn't think it was right.

That's right, Bob. You keep up that class act at OU. I'm sure the time your team blocked the Washington team from entering the field this season was just an isolated incident.

The Oklahoman's Barry Tramel implies that Mack Brown was dissed.

OU’s Bob Stoops and Tech’s Mike Leach were voted co-coaches of the year. Huh? How could the coaches possibly not include Texas’ Mack Brown in that group, if not elevate him to solo status as coach of the year? UT in the preseason was picked second in the South, but the ‘Horns were considered a lot closer to the pack than they were to the favored Sooners.

The Big 12 coaches sent a clear message about Mack Brown. I’m not sure what that message is, but it’s disappointing. Mack Brown and staff have done a better coaching job than Stoops and staff in 2008. The evidence is clear.

The Big 12 coaches may have overlooked UT players, but the Associated Press did not. Colt McCoy and Brian Orakpo took AP's Big 12 offensive and defensive players of the year.

We know ESPN's Pat Forde likes Colt McCoy.

Texas Tech supporters decided to fight back. But now there's more. Dr. Saturday has the scoop.

The latest – er, trend, apparently, is to contract out an airplane to fly over your rival pulling windblown trash talk. University of Texas fans did it before Oklahoma's game at Oklahoma State last week, and on Thursday someone returned the favor, hiring a plane to fly over the UT campus in Austin.

This week's sign read, "HEY MACK. QUIT WHINING U KNEW THE RULES".

Want to vote your displeasure with the BCS? Here's how.

Basketball

The Horns beat UCLA 68-64. That's all we really need to know today.

If you are planning to attend the UT-A&M game in College Station on February 16, Aggie AD Bill Byrne wants you to know it is safe to eat the food at Reed Arena.

Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City. 'Wish we were there.

Football

Wow. You leave the state and in one day all heck breaks loose in Lubbock. Texas Tech defensive back De'Shon Sanders has been charged with felony possession with intent to distribute in excess of 50 grams of cocaine.

Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville resigned and the Auburn powers-that-be have set sail for Mike Leach. While all the coaching carousel chaos goes on, Tech said they are negotiating a contract extension with Leach. Leach's agent said that isn't so.

No one is sure if Mike Leach is leaving, but it sounds like Michael Crabtree is setting sail for the NFL, acording to his father. It would seem Michael and his dad don't talk much.

The Baylor Bears have declared themselves competitive.

Playing inspired football all season, Baylor finished its first year under coach Art Briles at 4-8. But with close losses to Connecticut (31-28), Nebraska (32-20), Missouri (31-28) and Texas Tech (35-28), the Bears know their record could have been 7-5 or 8-4.

"As you look through the season we certainly feel like we did the things that gave us an opportunity to win games, and that’s play with passion, effort and a lot of energy," Art Briles said. "Those are the things that you have to do if you have a chance to win any football games."

You go, Bears.

Baylor has built a brand-spankin' new 34 million dollar athletic facility that should help with their assent to the top of the Big 12. Apparently they ran out of money to hire movers because the players had to tote in all the weight room equipment.

Bob isn't happy. The OU coach was not pleased with the turf in Arrowhead Stadium in the Kansas-Misouri game.

"It looked horrible," Stoops said. "But you’re only allowed to have a certain length of cleat."

No one from Kansas or Missouri mentioned having a slippage problem.

Missouri's Chase Daniel wants to play mistake-free football on Saturday.

"There's not much more important in our guys' lives right now than this game," said Daniel, who spoke with an edge that suggested it was more personal, later adding, "Not necessarily a chip (on his shoulder). I just think that we want respect, and it's not going to be given to us. And we've just got to go out there and get it."

No. 2 Oklahoma and No. 20 Missouri took very different paths to Saturday night's Big 12 championship game in Kansas City's Arrowhead Stadium. Both teams started out with high expectations, but each had a setback or two. Missouri is 9-3 and wondering what happened to their national title hopes.

Sam Bradford said the Sooners have plenty of motivation, too. A national championship is on the line, and the Sooners want to prove that they -- and not Texas -- belonged in the Big 12 championship game. "I think it's probably a little bit of motivation," Bradford said. "I still think that we have to go out there and prove something to everyone, and prove to them that we do deserve to be at this game. I feel like that will give us some extra motivation this week."

OU middle linebacker Mike Balogun's journey to playing football was somewhat rocky. From forward on his high school basketball team to a construction crew to playing at a community college in Scranton, Pa.

Texas A&M coach Mike Sherman had a Q&A with reporters for a season wrap-up.

Q: What is your message to fans and returning players about the future of the program?

MS: I think the future of the program isn't predicated upon a season. We came here to build a program, not just a football team. Certainly this year has been a tough one for us.

Oklahoma State's defensive coordinator Tim Beckman is the new head coach at the University of Toledo.

Basketball

No.6 OU beats USC 73-72. The Trojans came back from an 11-point deficit to get within one point three times, but Oklahoma still ended up the winner.

Kansas forward Markieff Morris was ejected from the Kent State game. Morris was elbowed by a player and retaliated.

“It had been a tough game the whole game,” said the 6-foot-9 Morris. “We were just playing basketball. When he did it, it surprised me. I let my mind take over and retaliated.”

'Round The Blogs

Crimson and Cream Machine believes the Harris Poll is wacky. I guess OU just wants to rely on the computer every year. (See story in Open Range how the BCS has been very, very good to Oklahoma.) Oh, and the Sooners are also proud of little Sammy. He learned how to turn over last week.

OU gets creative. Sooners know how to use Microsoft Paint. And we thought only the liberal, hippie types in Austin were artistic.

Corn Nation is all excited. They get to go to a bowl. They are also making out their Christmas list, in case you want to send a present.

Oklahoma president David Boren doesn't think any big changes are in order for the BCS. Well, no. Everything is peachy up your way. Actually Mr. Boren, the BCS has been very, very good to Oklahoma.

The BCS and the Big 12. In eight of 12 Big 12 championship games, the higher ranked team had a chance to advance to the national title game. This year isn't different.

Dr. Saturday has a Head Huntin' chart, in case this whole coaching carousel is making you dizzy. And he wants to make sure you vote your route to BCS destruction.

Following the gravy train of college sports... money.

Bob Stoops may earn $585,000.00 if the Sooners win out. Who said crime doesn't pay?

The Sports Economist looks at the Indiana University / Kevin Sampson case.

I drove through Louisiana on Thursday and realized that there is a silver lining to all our BCS mess. We may not be in Miami in January, but at least we aren't playing in the Independence Bowl in beautiful Shreveport.