The Heisman Pundit is already weighing in on the 2009 race. No. 1? Colt McCoy.

He was last year's Heisman runner up and was about 2 seconds away from winning it (before he was foiled by Crabtree and Tech), so I can see Heisman voters giving him prime consideration this season. It helps that guys like Jordan Shipley and Malcolm Williams are back to catch his passes and, no doubt, he'll still be getting some yards with his feet as well. Also, the Longhorn schedule is favorable and they could well go undefeated.

No. 10 on the list? Sam Bradford.

Football

The Wiz of Odds has the story on the almost Texas-Wisconsin game.

Depending on which side you believe, ESPN's attempt to broker a Texas-Wisconsin game this fall in Austin didn't happen because:

1. The teams couldn't arrange a return game in Madison until 2013.
2. Neither team was willing to give up a home game in 2009.

Thus is the state of college football in 2009. The nonconference schedules of Bowl Championship Series teams have become so god-awful that ESPN has to play matchmaker in an attempt to get decent programming.

CBSSports' Dennis Dodd and J. Darin Darst discuss who will be No. 2 next year. It seems that it might be decided in early October.

Dodd: This isn't exactly going to peel the paint off your '63 Dodge Valiant, ol' buddy but I have to go with Oklahoma. For the same reason Florida is No. 1, OU has to be No. 2. The Sooners are loaded.

Darst: It's early, but I have to go with Texas. The Longhorns should be loaded for 2009, returning most of the offense, including Heisman hopeful Colt McCoy.

Burnt Orange Beat looks at the similarities between the 2004 and the 2008 seasons.

No teams or seasons are fully alike, but it’s fun to speculate if the many commonalities between 2004 and 2008 increase the chances that 2009 will be a special season for the burnt orange.

Perhaps it’s no coincidence the venue for 2009’s national title will be the same spot as 2005’s—the Rose Bowl.

40acressports has a link to an updated 2009 roster by class.

The Ft. Worth Star-Telegram looks at the schools that are strong in academics and athletics.

Texas, which won the Fiesta Bowl and finished 12-1 last season, boasts top-20 business, education and law schools.

Richard Justice, Houston Chronicle, looks at a coach's freedom to hire their own people and bringing new ideas to a program.

...How does he know he's getting the right people for those jobs if he doesn't at least speak to some others?

I keep thinking of Mack Brown. He was the most loyal head coach on earth. He and his guys sometimes seemed insulated from everything else. They did things their way and that was that.

When Mack finally made changes to his defensive staff and began bringing in Greg Robinson, Gene Chizik and Will Muschamp, he came to love having men that had worked elsewhere and had new ideas. He liked having his way of thinking challenged.

Basketball

A.J. Abramsis is closing in on the Big 12 record for three-pointers.

Rush The Court has the Big 12 standings.

Football

Colorado assistant head coach Jeff Grimes has joined Gene Chizik’s staff at Auburn.

Miami defensive coordinator Bill Young has been offered the same position at Oklahoma State.

Oklahoma State's Dez Bryant had successful knee surgery.

Graham Harrell wants to distinguish himself as something other than a system quarterback in the Senior Bowl.

Some have suggested Harrell is more a product of Texas Tech's system than a player who makes plays on his own. Others have said having played in the Red Raiders' spread offense, he isn't suited for the pro-style offense he will be asked to direct in the NFL.

"I want to erase those stereotypes," Harrell said. "I want to show that I can take a snap from under center, that I don't have to be in the shotgun, and I want to show that I can be a drop-back passer, that I can throw from the drop."

Mike Leach is interviewed by Texas Lawyer about his career from lawyer to football coach.

The Big 12 is turning into an training ground for NFL coaches.

ESPN's Pat Forde takes another look at the opportunities for African-American coaches in college football.

Bottom line: Of the few head-coaching jobs blacks get in college football, most are bad ones.

Outside of Randy Shannon, who just completed his second season in charge at Miami, there are no black coaches among the other 64 schools in BCS conferences. Those are the schools that offer the most money, the most exposure, the most prestige and the best chances to win. They just don't offer many chances to blacks.

Bruce Feldman believes there are more shots at coaching jobs in the NFL than at the college level.

ESPN rates the 119 college football programs. The first installment rolls out No. 21- No. 119.