All the Big 12-2 Conference news that is and isn't fit to read...
And some other stuff.
Will the real Malcolm Malcom Brown please stand up?.[AAS]
His middle name really is Magic. [AAS]
Mike Davis tried to check into his dormitory this summer under the name Magic, an approach that was rejected at the desk.
The Longhorns wide receiver says his name — the one on his birth certificate — really is Mike Magic Davis. He hopes to validate his middle name in places more important than a dorm. Like the football field.
Rumors, rumors, rumors. [Rant Sports]
Those that follow Texas Longhorns football closely will tell you that one name has come up over and over again this summer as standing out among the many talented players on the 40 Acres.
That name is Daje Johnson (pronounced d’JAY), the Longhorns true freshman running back/wide receiver.
The speedy athlete, who clocks a 4.34 forty, is proving that he is simply too valuable to keep on the bench.
Though the Longhorns won’t release an official depth chart until the week prior to the season-opener, reports out of Austin are surfacing, including out of Orangebloods.com, that Johnson has been so impressive this month that we very well could see him in the starting line-up as a slot receiver when the Longhorns kick off the season against the Wyoming Cowboys on September 1st.
This bodes well for the future. [AAS]
Vaccaro is a senior leader on the 2012 Longhorns' football team. That puts him in the minority since seniors — period — are a rare species on coach Mack Brown's 15th Texas edition.
Vaccaro and defense end Alex Okafor, a fellow All-American candidate, are senior leaders of the defense. That's it, There's not even another senior starter to be found.
How will Oklahoma handle the kickoff change this season? [Tulsa World]
"I don't see it changing how we kick it. I think the real dilemma is going to be the amount of time it's been in the air. If you catch it a couple yards deep, do you really want to bring it out?" OU coach Bob Stoops said. "They're five yards closer. Are you going to get it past the 25? So I think the biggest thing will just be determining how long it's been in the air, whether you really want to risk bringing it out or not."
The Sooners have found their left tackle. [Tulsa World]
Who is Bob's #2? [Tulsa World]
Sooners being Sooners. [ESPN]
This so-called indefinite suspension? I'll bet anyone lunch defensive tackle Stacy McGee will back by the conference play or even sooner. [NewsOK]
How nice. We get to see creative fantasy writer Jamarkus McFarland more this season. [ESPN Big 12 Blog]
McGee was starting at the three-technique alongside Casey Walker and Jamarkus McFarland, who were manning the nose-guard spot. Redshirt freshman Jordan Phillips was backing up McGee at the three-technique.
Walker continually stressed the need for him to stay healthy this season. With the news of McGee’s suspension, Walker becomes even more important for OU. Walker and Jamarkus McFarland are the Sooners' top two defensive tackles with limited game experience behind that senior duo.
Through everything in the off-season, Bob Stoops remains positive. [NewsOK]
He wants a reputable degree in case that NFL career doesn't pan out. Oklahoma WR Justin Brown wants his degree from Penn State. [Fox Sports]
The Frogs will depend on freshmen this season. [Ft. Worth Star-Telegram]
Oklahoma State's 2011 defense was good at something. [NewsOK]
No. 1, the defense's ranking in takeaways. And they're back at it again, with many suggesting the Cowboys can't possibly keep it up.
In Stillwater, however, the Pokes are more determined than ever to force turnovers, not only in halting opponents but to ease some of the pressure on an offense breaking in a freshman quarterback in Wes Lunt.
Poke receiver moves fast for a big guy. [NewsOK]
Texas Tech may be the college football sleeper this season. [Dallas Morning News]
The Red Raider defensive line is making progress. [Lubbock Avalanche-Journal]
"We’re stopping the run real good," Simmons said. "The past couple of days, they couldn’t run the ball on us, and they’ve had a little scrap against us, getting frustrated and everything. I feel like we’re coming along good."
True to Simmons’ assessment, the Tech defensive line limited big runs for the most part on Saturday, with DeAndre Washington’s 25-yard dash to the end zone one of the few exceptions.
Charlie Weis wants to break the losing habit. [Kansas City Star]
Hope floats on the Brazos. [ESPN]
The Sooners and Mountaineers have history. [The Register-Herald]
What Big 12 team has the best shot to beat God's conference? [Dallas Morning News]
What coaching trees have been the most productive? [ESPN Big 12 Blog]
Weltschmerz
Any guy with multiple IDs and a shirtless mug shot definitely does not have a problem with confidence. [Shirts with Random Triangles, Aggie Sports]
Aggie running back Christine Michael may be a dark horse Heisman candidate. [Dallas Morning News]
But will those recruits want to live in College Station and play for a mediocre SEC program? [Macon Telegraph]
But A&M switching conference addresses changes things.
"You can look at it two ways," said Jeremy Crabtree, senior recruiting coordinator for ESPN. "Texas A&M can sell to Texas recruits that it plays in the nation's toughest conference.
Two former Aggie coaches duped in a ponzi scheme. [The Eagle]
The Pac 12 Network is here.
Can everyone please calm down? [CBS Sports]
The Prediction Machine predicts the two teams playing for the national championship will be USC and Alabama. [CBS Sports]
Sanctions may have helped get USC back on top. [CBS Sports]
Probation has been a good look for USC.
You have to admit that now. The Trojans' anointment as the AP's preseason No. 1 clinched it. Short of winning a national championship the last two years, we wouldn't have written or talked about them this much if they weren't on probation.
Don't mess with Pittsburgh's terrible towel. [Sports Business Digest]
Is competitive cheerleading a sport? [Business of College Sports]
A woman is suing the Dallas Cowboys and owner Jerry Jones, saying her rear was severely burned when she sat on a bench outside the stadium. [West Central Tribune]
And finally...
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