Big 12 Rumor: Did Nebraska's Taylor Martinez Leave The Team?

Twitter is hopping with another wild rumor, this one regarding Big 12 quarterback, Taylor Martinez—Nebraska's talented redshirt freshman.

No idea how this, unconfirmed, rumor began, but there is heavy speculation that the public undressing head coach Bo Pelini gave Martinez on the sidelines, during last night's 9-6 loss to Texas A&M, could have something to do with a decision to jump ship:



Honestly, the validity of the story seems questionable.

Why would Martinez risk another year of eligibility and his high profile position at a major school— a school headed to the even bigger spotlight of the Big Ten—just because his feelings got hurt on the sidelines?

That said, some feel that Pelini's less than hospitable demeanor could be the biggest factor and one of the main reasons why if this rumor turns out to be true, Pelini's could possibly be shown the door as well. 

Whatever the case, no one in Lincoln is ready to see a blossoming star exit stage left on a promising college football career at Nebraska.

Heisman Oversight Committee: What College Football Players Aren't Getting Enough Love?

Cam Newton?...Yeah, we know all about him.


Denard Robinson?...Old news—next!

Kellen Moore?...Boring.


Mark Ingram?...Meh.


All of the above either have been, are, or will be placed in a discussion that suggests possible Heisman Trophy candidacy. However, there is not enough chatter about the following four guys, in particular, who have been lighting the scoreboard up for their respective teams as well.

For them, this site has appointed itself chair of the Heisman Oversight Committee. The number one goal of which is to bring these players to your attention since no one else seems willing or able to do so:


1. Robert Griffin III, QB—Baylor Bears 


It's amazing how much love you get when you play in the SEC or the Big Ten. Neither Cam Newton nor Denard Robinson have lacked in the attention department this season.

Robinson, despite having played bits and pieces of the last several games (losing them all) is still mentioned in the same breath as Newton based on what he did in the first five games of the year— when he seemed unstoppable.

Meanwhile, Robert Griffin has been doing a little playmaking of his own for the Baylor Bears.

He might not have the staggering rushing totals of either Newton or Robinson, but he's been an efficient passer, used his legs when he needed to, and has the Bears (7-2) bowl eligible for the first time in 15 years. Oh, and did we mention that his team is currently tied for first place in the Big 12 South?

Baylor is in position to win the Big 12 South. If that's not worthy of a little more love, then what is?


2010 season stats: 196/294 for 2,592 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions. 92 carries for 401 yards and 7 touchdowns. 



2. Bilal Powell, RB—Louisville Cardinals


LaMichael James is all you hear about these days. He's the man that the Heisman committee drools over as he gets closer to eclipsing the 1,600 yard mark on the season. That said, Bilal Powell has come on mighty strong the last four weeks, breaking the 200-yard rushing mark in consecutive weeks as well as making mince meat of a tough Connecticut run defense (rushing for 105).

He's only hit paydirt nine times this season, but that's more than Mark Ingram or Roy Helu Jr. Add to that, he's averaging nearly 20.0 yards per carry—for the year.


2010 season stats: 153 carries, 1,067 yards, and 9 touchdowns.  



3. Da'Quan Bowers, DE—Clemson Tigers

Ryan Kerrigan of Purdue and Nick Fairley are both monsters—no question. But, how about a little more props going the way of the equally beastly Da'Quan Bowers? On top of his 17.5 tackles for loss—through just eight games—he's managed to record 10 sacks and 42 tackles.

His most impressive game this season came against Maryland a couple weeks ago where he tallied four tackles for loss and three sacks. The kid is sick—don't sleep on him.


2010 season stats: 42 tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles, and 8 hurries



4. Dan Persa, QB—Northwestern


If it's impressive to see the efficiency ratings of both Kellen Moore (188.30) and Ricky Stanzi (180.28), then it's downright awe-inspiring to look at Dan Persa's numbers as well.

He not only has a higher completion percentage (74.4) on more attempts (244) than the aforementioned quarterbacks, but he's also doing it with his legs as much as with his arms—strapping the Wildcats on his back and nearly willing them to victory.


Perhaps his performance gets lost in the, somewhat, weaker schedule they've played this year, but, that's never hurt Boise's Kellen Moore now—has it?

2010 season stats: 174/234 for 2,062 yards, 12 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions. 121 carries, 360 yards, and 6 touchdowns. 



What say you? Have a few nominees of your own to offer?

Will The Oklahoma Sooners Be Better Than The Texas Longhorns in 2010?

Don't look now, but the Boomer Sooner Bandwagon has reemerged!


Last season, the Sooner train took a long pit stop in the land of "what the heck just happened?!"  They not only lost their starting quarterback, Sam Bradford, to injury but they also lost their playmaking tight end as well—Jermaine Gresham.


2009 was looking like a bonafide disaster but, when you consider how bad it could have been, the Sooners actually did pretty well for themselves—considering. They ended the season 8-5 and gave Sooner fans hope that 2010 could be a whole lot better.

2010 is looking bright for Bob Stoops so far and at least one national expert feels they are already the No. 1 team in the nation—Phil Steele. Now, that may seem a lofty leap to make for a team that still has some holes to fill, but I am sure the Sooner fans will be happy just to see them back near the top of the heap in the country.


For a more in-depth preview, see the video below:




...Well, at least the locals have some perspective, right?

However, you can't blame Steele for thinking the way he does as the Sooners do have plenty of talent returning in a conference that is more than winnable for them this year.  The only teams that can feasibly challenge them for the Big 12 this season are Texas and Nebraska. Texas has question marks after the departure of both Jordan Shipley and Colt McCoy and Nebraska won't play Oklahoma this year.


The folks at ESPN seem to think Gilbert will be good for Texas but give the slight edge to Oklahoma in the QB department because of their receiving personnel and the experience Landry Jones acquired last season as the full-time starter:




One thing is for certain, the "Red River Rivalry", scheduled for October 2nd, should be a lot more interesting this season and, for the first time in a long while, I can't say for sure that the Longhorns are going to come out on top. 

Tuesday Morning Coffee: Some Links to Click While You Sip (6/22)

Jadeveon Clowney's father tells him to stick to football, 'don't do what I did'.  I'm pretty sure that if Jadeveon's college career becomes anything close to what is expected, his father will never have to worry about that happening.

Nick Saban gives a "revealing" interview to The Sporting News in which he talks about the public perception of him being a "liar"—especially given the way he ditched Miami like a two-dollar street John to flee to Alabama.

This writer thinks that Texas was cowardly for sticking with the Big XII instead of moving on to the more competitive Pac-10.

The Football Outsiders have released their preseason Top 25 and some very surprising teams show up in the bottom-half of their rankings. All I can say is, Ole Miss at 25?....Seriously?!?

I don't think that eliminating Arkansas for Georgia Tech or South Carolina for Florida State, would "perfect the SEC", but, to each their own.

The "have-nots" were smart to give up their money so that Texas and Oklahoma remained in the Big 12? Uh-huh....sounds like a load of bull to me. Bend over Baylor, Kansas, and Kansas State and make sure that you say "thank you sir, can I have another" with each beating you get from the chosen ones. 

It seems that Trojan fans aren't the only ones looking to strip Reggie Bush of something valuable.

What would football be like without the Big XII?....Hmmmm, I'd say it would be just fine considering that more than 60 percent of the teams in that conference are awful.

I fail to see the good in E$PN controlling all the BCS Bowls for the next four seasons. That network would sell it's anchors for a good billboard location. They are charging an absurd amount of money to have these bowls sponsored and one must wonder how good the crack is in Bristol because everyone there is clearly smoking it.

The UFL plans to start another franchise, this time in Virginia.

Rivals released it "All-Losers" Team today—those poor, defenseless, Vanderbilt players.

With Pac-10 Prestige, The Utes Finally Have The Chance To Prove Their BCS Worth

The Utah Utes are the beneficiaries of the ‘Texas Two-Step’.

At this time last week, the Longhorns, along with several other teams, were on the minds of every college football pundit, fan, and journalist in the nation as they were rumored to be leaving the Big 12 .

However, the dream of a Pac-16 was left flailing in the wind by a last-minute offer by Dan Beebe—saving the Big 12 (now the Big 10?) and leaving the Pac looking for a 12th man to fill the void.

Colorado was already on board, but the Pac-10 needed a team that would not only make sense from a location standpoint, but could possibly offer a natural rivalry for Colorado.

Enter the Utah Utes.

Utah has been on the football scene, nationally, since 2003 when Urban Meyer led them to a 10-3 record. Prior to that point, they were mostly known for their success in both basketball, under coach Rick Majerus, and gymnastics (they have won 10 national titles playing as an independent).

Now they will get the BCS respect they have been yearning for since finishing undefeated in 2004.

The move was a no-brainer for the Utes. The Pac-10 offers more exposure and a bigger paycheck than the non-BCS Mountain West (they stand to see a television revenue bump of about $7-8 million dollars per season). Even still, the question remains as to what will become of their rivalry with Brigham Young University (BYU)? The ‘Holy War’ between the two football teams has been played yearly since 1890 and has a ton of old tradition and passion behind it among both fanbases.

Will it continue or be scrapped or will the two programs continue to meet on the gridiron?

How will Utah fare in their new conference? Well, that’s anyone’s guess.  The Utes have had success in the Pac-10 over the last five-years but they haven’t played the powers of the conference—most of their wins, since 2005, have come against the bottom-tiered teams in the conference (Arizona, UCLA, and Oregon State). They have not played Cal, USC, or Stanford under current coach, Kyle Whittingham.

Even still, it’s a step in the right direction for a program that hasn’t been given a shot to show and prove and all eyes will be on them to see just how real they truly are.

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• Utah Accepts Invitation to Join Pac-10 (nytimes.com)

Was Texas Playing 'Chicken' With Dan Beebe All Along?

It was announced this morning that the Texas Longhorns, along with the coat tail riding contingent of Texas Tech, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State, have decided to accept the Big 12's proposal and stay in the Big 12.

Well, Yippee.

Here's the thing, who doesn't believe that the Longhorns were simply angling for more money and a better shot at getting their own network all along?

Think about it, not only did the money pot get bigger with the exodus of both Colorado and Nebraska, who will be forced to pay $17 million each for their transgressions, but the introduction of the league's intent to allow institutions to pursue their own separate television deal had to be the cherry on top for the Longhorns.

It's no secret that the Longhorns wanted to pursue their own network—a la the YES Network of the New York Yankees—but the Big 12 didn't seem open to that possibility. Dan Beebe skirted the issue time and again while, all the time, Texas was fuming and trying to figure out how to make it happen.

Enter the rumors of a Big Ten or Pac-10 raid of the Big 12 and VOILA!,  there's enough leverage to make the Big 12 and Dan Beebe rethink their stance on how revenue is distributed and how much liberality they will give each team in pursuing their own method of making money.

As an added bonus, both Nebraska and Colorado got scared silly enough to leave altogether. By doing so, the Big 12 North just got a lot less competitive and the money to be gained from any deals struck hence forward just got sweeter.

All of this led me to wonder, if Texas wasn’t just playing a very deceptive game of poker with Dan Beebe from the start?

In truth, most of what any of us heard about the expansion deals came from one of a few random sources, none of whom were in a position to make a decision on the fate of Texas or the Big 12.

Orangebloods.com set off this firestorm early on and by last Friday it was at a full blaze as the sports world essentially jumped on the story and ran.

Seriously, think long and hard about it, what did any of us read about Texas, the Big 12, or the Pac-10's invitation to the Longhorns that did not originate from Orangeblood's, Chip Brown? He was the primary source in just about every breaking news story regarding this situation and he is, of course, the source of the most recent news that Texas will stay in the Big 12 today.

Despite a conflicting report offered by ESPN's Joe Schad, that Texas will bolt for the Pac-10 for the academic prestige over the money, it makes sense that the Big 12 stay configured as a ten team league than go to a 16 team Pac-10 where their financial options would be somewhat restrained.

The Pac-10 is looking to expand their market share in hopes of securing more revenue from television. However, there is no deal in place yet, and any team joining the Pac-10 is doing so on good faith—nothing more.

Further, the Pac-10 is not going to allow Texas to pursue a Longhorn Network if they come over which—in my opinion—is what they truly want to do.

So, why join and split the money 16 ways, deny your program the option of netting an additional$3-5 million in television revenue through developing your own network, and risk disrupting your fanbase, just to join with the Pac-10 for academic reasons?

It just doesn’t make sense.

Now, I admit, all of this conjecture could be proved wrong a day or so from now, but for the moment, it makes more sense for the Big 12 to stay together than break apart.

Should Texas A&M Just Say: "So Long To The Orange And The White"?

The Aggie War Hymn, once considered to be the No. 1 college fight song in America, has meaning again on a national level. Here is an excerpt from the famous fight song:

Good bye to texas university
So long to the orange and the white
Good luck to dear old Texas Aggies
They are the boys who show the real old fight
"the eyes of Texas are upon you"
That is the song they sing so well
Sounds Like Hell
So good bye to texas university
We're gonna beat you all to…

The sentiment is fitting, considering the Aggies are seriously considering an offer to move to the SEC. 
Nothing has been set in stone yet but, as of this posting, the possibility was one with legs.

Here is the gist: there is an offer on the table for Texas to move to the Pac-10—assuming the last minute efforts of Dan Beebe to save the conference aren't thought to be "too little too late"–and they will, supposedly take Texas Tech, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State along for the ride.

The last slot, because the Pac-10 is trying to become the Pac-16—was presumed to be A&M's for the taking, if they wanted it. However, A&M is thinking of their own situation, financially, and may break from their rival school altogether. If they do, it would end a 100-year old rivalry game that, in the minds of many, has defined the Aggie program.

In response to that possibility, many alumnus, legislators, and fans of the program are hoping the Aggies will eschew the SEC's offer and stay on the coat tails of Texas.

The obvious solution would be for the Aggies and Longhorns to continue their rivalry as non-conference foes, right? The only problem there is Texas has already made it clear that, if the Aggies don't follow them then, they won't be playing any more reindeer games from now til' forever—if they can help it.

My first and only response to that is this: "To heck with Texas!"

More and more, as the days  go by and the rumors swirl, you get the feeling that the Longhorns have a bit of a god complex.  It looks unattractive, annoying, and extremely distasteful on them and I am puzzled at how long they have been able to railroad other teams—legally—without said teams exploding into a million little pieces.

Why on earth any team should feel the need to kiss the Longhorn's backside, is beyond me. Yet, at every turn of the expansion talk, you hear about the Longhorns intentions and what they want in a deal.

Even more, the Aggie fans that state their team is nothing without Texas, give even more credence to the idea—insane.

Note to all those teams: tell the Longhorns to get bent and then you (Oklahoma, A&M, Baylor, etc.) need to, sorry, grow a pair. 

I mean, seriously, despite the power, money, and prestige the Texas program brings to the college football negotiating table, shouldn't an institution want to stand on it's own two feet?

Don't get me wrong, as an SEC fan, I know the importance of rivalries and tradition—both are a staple in the SEC. However, I do not condone one team holding another hostage just because it can. Face it, folks, Texas is a bully and all they seem to do is make life difficult for every team around them—it's any wonder the Cornhuskers left for the Big 10.

In my opinion, the SEC is fine as is and expansion is not necessary. Leave well enough alone and let the Joneses' keep trying to keep pace with you. Don't react and start trying to pull rabbits out of hats. There is nothing wrong with the SEC and, to echo a common southern refrain. "if it ain't broke..."

Who knows what will happen over the next hour or two? Who knows how all of this will eventually shake out? These days, the information is nearly useless almost as soon as you have read it.

Either way, changes are happening and it's time that the programs who want to play with the big boys start playing with their own equipment because the Longhorns are clearly not playing fair.

Sunday Clickables: A Few Links To Make You Think

Congressman Barton says that the recent expansion madness is all about the money. Oh yeah? Well, in other news, water is wet and the sand in Saudi is hot. Barton has long since been a proponent of a playoff and thinks that the Big XII's demise is due to the lack of one. Actually, Congressman, the Big XII's demise has a lot to do with the conference dropping the ball on sharing the wealth.

This article points out the exact reasons the Big XII has fallen like a house of cards.

I read this section and had to pick myself off the floor: "Another party that this is inherently unfair to is the current coaching staff at USC.  Yes, the current head coach Lane Kiffin was on the coaching staff during those Reggie Bush teams, but to say he had a hand in any of this would be a huge stretch. "--is that supposed to be a joke. Kiffin was involved with the offense almost as intimately as Carroll. You think that slimeball didn't know something?...Please. 


In keeping with a post I read early last week from T Kyle King of DawgSports.com the Texas A&M Aggies are looking into a move to the SEC. 

Boise State will be an official member of the Mountain West Conference (MWC) this time next year. That's great for the MWC exposure but not so much for its members as Boise has routinely beat up on them too—go figure. 


USC running back, Dillon Baxter, has stated that both Alabama and Florida contacted him about transferring to their school in light of the sanctions. Baxter reached out to an ESPN reporter to send the following message: leave me alone. I guess, despite the presence of both Mack Brown and Jeff Demps, the Gators are still in need of a good tailback—shrugs. 


No offense to the Auburn team of 2004, but, do you really want a trophy that everyone will still consider USC's at the end of the day? Just sayin'.


The Baylor Athletic Director thinks the Big XII is still viable with 10 schools. It could be, if four of those schools weren't Kansas, Kansas State, Iowa State, and Baylor.

The Pac-10 Expansion Might Make Dollars, But Does It Really Make Sense?

There has been a lot of talk about expansion lately. It's difficult to Google "college football" or "NCAA" right now and not find yet another article explaining what it is and why it's happening.

Dan Wetzel, of Yahoo sports, writes an extensive article on why the Big 12 is suddenly the goat in this situation. It's a long read, and it's obvious what side of the fence Mr. Wetzel stands on, but it also brought something to mind for me—an SEC fan—who is admittedly a tad confused by the expansion hoopla; why is this good for college football?

The Pac-10 will, allegedly, look to add six teams to their league (Texas, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, and either Baylor or Colorado). In doing so, they will hold the largest market share as far as television revenue goes—making them a very attractive conference to sell to the highest bidder for broadcast rights.

My question is, why would any true fan of college football want a 16-team league? With that many teams, you start to phase out natural rivalries and, in part, you begin to water down the true heart of why many people watch the games—the passion and the pageantry.

With that said, it's obvious that the move, if made, will be totally about money. This isn’t about anything else.

It has nothing to do with enhancing the landscape of college football or bringing about a powerful conference that rivals that of the SEC or the Big Ten—although that's precisely the angle being preached to the common fan—no, it's about dollars and sense.

Whatever conglomeration of conference team members brings in the most dollars, makes the most sense—period.

Which brings about another question, one that I haven't seen answered in any of the blogs, media rhetoric, television interviews, or Twitter talk I’ve imbibed; what if this model fails?

It's an honest question to ask, right? After all, the Pac-10 could be making a huge statement by extending an offer to Texas, but what good is all the revenue Texas would bring, if their counterparts bring little to the table.

Texas is a powerhouse and they always have been. They don’t need the Pac-10 or any other conference’s invitation to continue to hold that title—it’s Texas. However, the other five teams that ride on the coattails of Texas, including Oklahoma, benefit from this partnership more than any other.

Remember, the revenue generated by bowl appearances, BCS wins, and network revenue, is divvied up amongst the conference members—split 16 ways—no matter who is the most responsible for the generation of those funds.

It’s not as if USC, Texas, or Oklahoma will be able to negotiate a 70-30 split—whoever is the best representative for the conference that season, gets the most money. It doesn’t work that way. Teams like Baylor, Washington State, and Texas Tech, stand to make a killing if this expansion model works as planned.

However, if it doesn’t work, then you have a conference that is not unlike that of any other conference at present—all the cream rising to the top.

In my opinion, college football’s popularity has very little do with revenue for the fan. Don’t get me wrong, I understand business models and I know that at the end of the day, you have to be able to compete with the big boys if you want your university to thrive at the national level.

Most university presidents welcome the revenue stream that comes in from football, baseball, tennis, and the like because it gives them the brick and mortar money to continue building their academic programs. I get that, I do.

However, just because you make something bigger and add a pretty bow to it, doesn’t mean that it’s going to be better. Consider the Western Athletic Conference which expanded to 16-teams in 1996.
They had four divisions and were, at one time, considered to be one of the best mid-major conference teams in the land.

It wasn’t long before teams started to see that the arrangement wasn’t as beneficial as first thought. It was hard to cover the expenses of traveling and recruiting on a budget that saw minimal increase from the maximum exposure. It just didn’t make sense.

Of course, the revenue possibilities now are better than they were then but that doesn’t truly make life any better for a team like Washington State, does it?

I don’t know, maybe I a little too old school. I was fine with the way the conferences were aligned already and figured, if anything,  it was time the big boys started kicking the dead weight out—bye, bye Baylor and so long Vanderbilt—in order to add teams that are beginning to make head way in their programs. That, to me, makes the most sense—increase the quality, not the quantity.

Whatever happens in the coming weeks, it’s clear that change is on the horizon. The question remains, for me and some others I am sure, is that change really going to be for the best?

What say you?