Morning Coffee Is Savage

by Peter Bean on Jul 30, 2007 9:22 AM CDT in Quick Hits

Tim Griffin's always excellent Big 12 Insider column is up, filled with all sorts of interesting opinions and tidbits. Among my favorites:

*A stab at ranking the Big 12's quarterbacks heading into '07. Griffin's top seven, in order: Colt McCoy, Chase Daniel, Graham Harrell, Bobby Reid, Stephen McGee, Bret Meyer, Josh Freeman.

*A note on Mike Leach and his 35-9 record in Lubbock since joining Texas Tech, including this gem of a Leach quote:

"It’s very savage to play in Lubbock," Leach said. "I would recommend that everybody try to avoid it. There have been scalpings and there have been some people that quite just haven’t returned.

There are some people, unfortunately, based on the way the conference goes, that are going to have to come to our place. Sadly, I can’t guarantee their safety or that things will necessarily go the way that they like."

Sunday Morning Quarterback concludes his Big 12 week with his picks for the South Division:

Texas

Oklahoma

Oklahoma State

Texas Tech

Texas A&M

Baylor

SMQ shares my belief that the make or break factor for Texas in '07 is Colt McCoy, noting: "For all the lingering questions in that lineup, the overall talent level makes Colt's development the real either/or between the BCS championship and the Holiday Bowl."

Elsewhere: The Columbia Tribune interviews McCoy.

This probably should have been its own story in the Statesman, but it's only a small blurb in the Football Notebook:

Texas freshman John Chiles, blessed with loads of athletic ability, is a bit of an unknown to coach Mack Brown. Chiles will compete with redshirt freshman Sherrod Harris for the backup quarterback position — that is, if Chiles remains at quarterback.

"John thinks he wants to play quarterback," Brown said. "But he also could play wide receiver. He also could be a kick returner. What we've got to do is sit down with John after two-a-days and say, 'Do you want to redshirt? Do you want to play this year?"

I wrote in The Eyes of Texas 2007 (shipping this week, for those who ordered) that I thought Chiles' shot at the backup QB job was a long one. For one thing, Harris is a year ahead of him in the system. For another, Greg Davis is probably licking his chops thinking of ways to use Chiles in a Percy Harvin-type role on the team. That may not be what Chiles is dreaming about right now, but with McCoy so firmly entrenched behind center for the forseeable future, it's something Chiles should seriously consider.

--PB--

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Comments

question

is the book available at the Coop yet?

by SelimSivad on Jul 30, 2007 10:19 AM CDT reply actions

I'll call the publisher and ask

It'll be there this week. I'll try to find out when.

--PB--

by Peter Bean on Jul 30, 2007 10:32 AM CDT up reply actions

thx

Cool! Let me know. I just thought it would be easier for me to walk down the street and pick it up.

by SelimSivad on Jul 30, 2007 12:13 PM CDT up reply actions

Wow @ A&M

being picked to finish 5th in the division. It's just very hard for me to envision a team with running backs like those along with 5 returning starters on the offensive line (not to mention the defensive starters returning) being that bad. At the same, will the Aggros be better than UT or OU? Doubtful. OSU and TT both should have outstanding offenses, so I suppose they also have the potential to finish ahead of A&M.

That's an eye-opener, at least for me, as to how tough the Big 12 South should be this upcoming season.

by Old Tex29 on Jul 30, 2007 10:52 AM CDT reply actions

Got to be the schedule

Haven't read SMQ's rationale for the progno above, but I'm thinking it has more to do with A&M's schedule (@Mizzou, @ Nebraska, @OU, @ Tech, and @Miami) than the actual strength of the team on paper.

Plus, you could already hear the urgency in Fran's comments at the Big XII Media Days, this team has put unbelievable pressure on itself. Probably because Fran realizes anything less than a Big XII title and he's done. Good for them for setting their sites high, but when you make every Saturday all or nothing, that's a tough way to live your life for four months. Think back to Mack's teams before UT won the title and unlike Fran, I don't think Mack was all that concerned about losing his job.

And maybe A&M does have the horses this year, but I think they're putting way too much stock in last year's Texas win and close losses to OU and Nebraska. Fran was quoted several times saying that his team was only a few plays and a few seconds from being undefeated. Horseshoes and Hand Grenades as far as I'm concerned as the Big XII was down last year and UT hobbled into the finish. If A&M was all they're cracking themselves up to be, they would have taken care of business last year. I find it really disingenous for Fran to say that he was seconds away from winning a Big XII Title when he couldn't even beat the North representative (Nebraska) at home. I could also say that A&M got damn lucky in Stillwater last year. Are they going to be that lucky week after week playing in Norman, Lubbock, Lincoln, and Columbia? Seriously doubt it.

Regardless, it'll be fun to watch it unravel if they do lose some early season contests. I figure one loss and the Aggie alumni will come unglued like Miss America at a soup kitchen after realizing one of fake nails fell off into the Goolosh.

Be nobody but yourself in a world that desperately wants you to be like everybody else.

by 54b on Jul 30, 2007 2:10 PM CDT up reply actions

A&M was also a play away from losing to Army too

by the other Andrew on Jul 30, 2007 3:31 PM CDT up reply actions

Bobby Ross = world's biggest choke artist

A running play on 4th and 20 some yards (if I remember right), for the game.

Fran looked like he had just been parolled from death row after that game.

Cats and dogs sleeping together.

by EYESofBEVO on Jul 30, 2007 4:37 PM CDT up reply actions

Amazon.com tells me

that the book will arrive at my home on August 2, and that's with 2 day shipping. For those of you not within walking distance of an Austin book store...

So take that.

by Kahuna on Jul 30, 2007 12:32 PM CDT reply actions