All the Big 12-2 Conference news that is and isn't fit to read...
And some other stuff.
David Ash expected he would be the starter. [Dallas Morning News]
David Ash never doubted he would be the starting quarterback at No. 15 Texas.
"I expected it," Ash said. "I worked really hard. The coaches have given me a shot. That’s all you can really ask for."
Mack Brown is conducting an experiment. [AAS]
Fast-forward to present day, and Brown's grand experiment is taking shape. Some local Aggies posted a funny billboard in Pflugerville a few weeks ago proclaiming Central Texas as SEC country, but Brown is hellbent on bringing a real brand of SEC football to Austin.
No, wait...Mack Brown is using an SEC blueprint. [Houston Chronicle]
He wants UT to be balanced offensively, faster defensively, and more physical in general. He wants the Longhorns to turn the ball over less frequently and take it away more often. He wants them to look more like the teams that played Jan. 9.
So in a year in which UT's rival made all the headlines for leaving the Big 12 for the Southeastern Conference, the key to the Longhorns' chances of winning their league could be how effective they are in bringing the SEC to the Big 12.
And here is another. [Mr. SEC]
The swagger is back. [ESPN]
Alex Okafor said it without thinking.
"Me, I have 13 games guaranteed."
Thirteen? Hang on a sec. The Longhorns were 13-12 through the past two years. They lost by an average of 24.3 points per game to the three ranked teams they played in 2011. This is the same program two years removed from not winning a home conference game in 2010, the same program that exhaled audibly after a sixth win last season.
Okafor was around for all that. Yet, without a stammer or sly smile, the senior defensive end just went ahead and let it be known that Texas' season would not end after 12 games.
More on that Texas running game. [Ft. Worth Star-Telegram]
"We want to be in the BCS, in the end," Texas coach Mack Brown said. "The ones who are playing in that, by and large, are running it and stopping the run ... We want to make sure we are pounding people and beating them at the line of scrimmage."
If that isn't a ringing vote of confidence, I don't know what is. [ESPN Big 12 Blog]
David Ash will start 13 games for Texas. Ash was stuck in a rotation with Case McCoy last year, but this is the year the Longhorns quarterback takes control of the position and shows some seeds of improvement. He's still no world-beater, but he's much, much better than in 2011 and the team's offense has its leader.
What are the biggest games to watch this year? [SB Nation]
22. Oct. 6, West Virginia at Texas: The Mountaineers' first Big 12 road show will either be a rude awakening for the newcomers or a loud proclamation that there's going to be a new sheriff in town.
The good news? Big 12 teams will completely dominate their non-conference opponents. The bad news? [ESPN Big 12 Blog]
The weakness of that opposition means those wins won't mean much when it comes to measuring conference strength.
Kenny Stills is who he is. [NewsOK]
Sooner RB Dominique Whaley is back. [NewsOK]
"I really think so," Stoops said. "In my mind he looks to be back to what Dom always was, that's explosive, strong, fast. Whether he's 100 percent or not, maybe only he and the good Lord really know. But he sure looks it to me. I'm hopeful that will be the case."
Poke Joe Randle is a multiple treat. [NewsOK]
The survey says...OSU players took a poll and picked their toughest game his season. [NewsOK]
Just so we are clear...Baylor QB Nick Florence is not RGIII. [San Antonio Express-News]
When your defense ranked 120th last season in total defense—dead last—you can't go anywhere but up. [Kansas City Star]
Where will the Jayhawks see the most improvement?
"I think as far as personnel goes," Weis said Monday on the Big 12 coaches teleconference, "I think there will be a drastic improvement in the defensive line."
Mountaineers eat, sleep and breathe WVU sports. [San Antonio Express-News]
Can we do this? The Frogs can order their food and drinks at the game with an app and now this. [Go Frogs]
Aggie and former Alabama coach Gene Stallings thinks the business of college sports has gotten out of hand. [AL.com]
"I know when I was coaching at Texas A&M - this was a long time ago - I had a knothole section. If a kid wanted to see Texas A&M play, his mother and daddy may not get in the game but he could get in the game for 50 cents. You can't do that now because everybody's building a new stadium, a new dressing room, a new training room, more practice fields, indoor facilities - because in recruiting, they tell me everybody compares (those things)。"
Everything changed when the NCAA allowed freshmen to play. [NewsOK]
h/t to Wescott...Checking in on my favorite DB ever. [Seattle Seahawks]
And finally...
This is how you brainwash indoctrinate your children. [Huffington Post]
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