So many questions...
Can Colt McCoy outdo Vince Young by winning a Heisman and a national title in the same season?
Can "Big Game" Bob Stoops win back his nickname?
Can Mack Brown cover a 41-point spread against Louisiana-Monroe?
If Oklahoma State doesn't make a move on OU and Texas this year, of all years, will Boone Pickens buy a new school?Does Texas Tech's Mike Leach finally have a quarterback that the NFL might like? And will Taylor Potts still be the fifth-best quarterback in the Big 12 South this season?
Will the Big 12 ever get the better of the SEC?
And the last question for now, anyway, will the Big 12 North finally rise up and beat the South, proving that, as in all things, nature runs in cycles and it was only a matter of time before it turned in favor of Nebraska or Missouri or Kansas?
Uh, no.
ESPN's Tim Griffin has some factoids for kickoff weekend.
The numbers seem to favor Texas winning its season opener Saturday night in Austin against Louisiana-Monroe.
The Longhorns have won nine straight openers, dating back to a 1999 loss to North Carolina State. And Louisiana-Monroe has lost eight of its last nine openers. The War Hawks' only win in those openers was a 2006 triumph over Alcorn State.
Colt McCoy doesn't care about breaking any records this season. He just wants to win.
Texas quarterback Colt McCoy is so uncomfortable talking about his personal achievements that you'd best not ask him to even recall his favorite record.
He'll roll his eyes and change the subject.
"It's not about me," McCoy will plead. "I want to be the best I can be because I know this team has the chance to be really special."
We have caused Mack Btown's hair to turn gray.
Mack's father turned totally gray at age 33. He outlasted Melvin Brown Sr. by quite a spell, but the 58-year-old Longhorns coach lost the battle to age and the stress of coaching at one of college football's biggest glass houses.
"My hair was good when I got here. Then, vrrrroom," he said, depicting a steep descent.
Our beloved hometown paper has some match ups for you.
Yes, that would help. The New Mexico Lobos plan to be in the game, not at it. The Aggies will be relieved.
For once, The Batt seems to be supporting their team. Tune in next week, though. Things could change.
Is Stillwater having a nervous breakdown?
• Sugar daddy T. Boone Pickens pick his ‘Boys by 363 points;
• Nutjob coach Mike Gundy put players off-limits to the media for 12 days;
• Starting tight end Jamal Mosley quit the squad after a woman filed a "protective order" — since dropped by a judge — against him;
• Gundy fret about a pregame riot touched off by, of all things, a handshake, though in my view there’s a better chance of a brawl breaking out at Gundy’s postgame press conference;
• Rumors of apparent grievous injury, promptly debunked, rise around quarterback Zac Robinson.
All that’s needed is for Eddie Sutton or somebody to say Georgia isn’t "man enough" for OSU and we’d have us a perfect dust storm.
Boone Pickens is still looking for that ROI. This is it, Gundy. Put up or shut up.
The Wall Street Journal interviews everyone's favorite pirate.
In another life, Mike Leach says he would have patterned his life after famed trial lawyer Gerry Spence and gone after abusive corporations. Law fits Mr. Leach's personality as someone who enjoys diving into the minutiae of obscure topics. But after attending Pepperdine School of Law, he decided courtroom drama wasn't for him.
Besides switching from law to football, Mr. Leach stands out in other ways. Unlike most coaches, he never played college ball. He adheres to a pass-happy offensive strategy that produces video game-like stats for his players. He also isn't afraid of sharing quirky ideas like his plan for a March Madness-style playoff for college football.
Football coincides with dove hunting season. So how does Taylor Potts balance all these life choices?
For Taylor Potts, it’s hard to imagine there could be a better time of year than September. Football season starts, and he’s a football player. Dove hunting season begins, and he’s a hunter.
Too bad Potts is quarterback of a major-college team. The football must leave no time for hunting, huh?
"No, I’ll be out there,’’ the Texas Tech junior said. "On Mondays, we have the day off, so that’s really my dove-hunting days. I go on Mondays in the fall, and then on Thursday we get out (of practice) a little earlier. So Thursdays and maybe Friday mornings.’’
Will Bo Pelini hand out blackshirts any time soon?
About when Blackshirts might be handed out, he said there's no timetable. "It's kind of a gut thing, but it'll be coming soon. Then he laughed and said: "Maybe."
Bob is challenged in so many ways. Those pleated pants might be the first big hill to climb.
Once again, Sooner offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson wants everyone to know his line is doing just fine.
"Let’s see, right now we’ve got two fifth-year guys and two fourth-year guys starting. That’s not bad for this rookie line we got."
Iowa State is on a roll.
It sounds like the long-suffering Iowa State fans have found a reason to believe with the arrival of Iowa native Paul Rhoads as the Cyclones' new head coach.
Thursday's opening game against North Dakota State has attracted a crowd of 48,831 to Jack Trice Stadium.
It's the largest opening-game crowd for the Cyclones since 1987.
It must be tough coming into your second coaching career and playing in a stadium named after you. You really don't want to screw up.
After a short search, Kansas State turned back to Snyder, the coach who took a team that was 0-21-1 its previous two seasons into a national-title contender. He has a stadium and a highway named after him. He may be the most revered person in Manhattan. Ever.
The Little Apple is hopping with excitement, hoping Snyder can do it again.
"We feel good to have a coach that has the history," receiver Brandon Banks said. "I just feel honored to play for a guy like him and hopefully make history with him this year."
That might be the difficult part.
They thought the day the Jayhawks would be good in football was when pigs would fly.
People said that the day when Kansas Football would be good or even ranked in the top 25, would be the day when pigs fly.
Well, swine flu.
Colorado is preparing for the worst. For once, this has nothing to do with their football team.
Coming to a stadium near you.
Nebraska football fans who spot bad behavior in the stands can report their concerns to university police via text messaging.
Anyone with a cell phone and texting capabilities can initiate a text message to 41513, keyword, "UNLPD." Then type in the complaint and location. UNL is one of the first universities to have a text-based mobile police reporting system and one of several large sports venues to be using stadium-security texting.
The Bears feel really good about this season. I thought I would share this with you, just in case you have missed the 3005th story on this same subject.
And a little advice for Wake Forest...