Participating Blogs: Bring On The Cats, Clone Chronicles, Crimson And Cream Machine, Corn Nation, Double T Nation, I Am The 12th Man.
What is the biggest Big 12 game this weekend not involving OU and Texas? Why?
Most felt that the Texas Tech at Nebraska game was the right answer here but not wanting to tow the company line Corn Nation went a different route.
I'll bypass the homer pick and choose Oklahoma State and Missouri. I'm curious as to how Missouri's offense looks against decent competition without Noah docking the ark in the end zone. It's easy to dismiss last week's performance on Blaine Gabbert's injury and the rain, but my take is that the wet ball prevented two or three more interceptions of Gabbert last week. Both the OSU/MU and Nebraska/Texas Tech games give us a bead on whether the North Division is catching up with the bottom. It's clear that the bottom of the North is the bottom of the conference, but where do the upper three teams (Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska) fit into the overall conference rankings.
- Sam Bradford has been hurt, Colt McCoy is throwing picks (6 Ints/10 TDs)and Dez Bryant has been suspended by the NCAA. Does the Big 12 have a legit Heisman contender left?
Several bloggers made great arguments to Nebraska defensive lineman King Kong Suh but none was better than this argument from Double T Nation.
SP: Depends what you mean by "legit." If you mean is there a player in the Big 12 who has a shot at actually winning the Heisman, I'd say absolutely. McCoy or Bradford are going to remain in the conversation, along with Tebow, regardless of how well they play, barring some absolute collapse by any of the three. If by legit you mean deserving, meritorious, or some such, then the answer is yes, but that player is Ndamukong Suh. He is scarier than a domo kun wielding a poisonous reptile, see below.
I just peed myself.
His game-by-game statistics are nuts coming from a defensive tackle (or defender, period). Bold quasi-prediction: If it is the case that Texas Tech does not score over 30 poins this game, then it will be due to unSuhprising circumstances.
Then again, I Am The 12th Man came up with a good argument for a Texas Longhorn not named Colt McCoy.
Texas WR Jordan Shipley is a legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate, if only texas would realize McCoy is a lost cause, and push Shipley instead. Shipley is a speedy receiver who also excels as a kick and punt returner. Shipley has 47 receptions for 583 yards and 3 TDs, and has returned two punts for a TD while averaging 18.9 yds per return. Shipley is a gamebreaker, but if you listen to the texas media department, you wouldn't know it. He is better known as Colt McCoy's roommate than he is as the best offensive player on texas' team, which he is. Shipley's recovery from two knee injuries to become the star offensive player on texas' team is a great story that you'd think Heisman voters would love, but the texas SID doesn't seem to think so. Their loss.
- It's pretty much a consensus of opinions that Dan Hawkins is already standing with one foot out the door at Colorado. Who has the better chance of getting off the hot seat this season, him or Bobby Bowden?
Perhaps the Colorado athletic department should apply for a federal bailout since the government is getting into the habit of using tax dollars to payoff the debt occurred by people who make horrendous spending decisions. Apparently Colorado qualifies because they may not be able to buy out Hawkins due to the fact that they are still paying out to Gary Barnett. We all pretty much thought Bowden should be able to write his own ending but that was before the revelation that Florida State's players were only reading on a second grade level. Here's what Double T Nation had to say about it.
Bobby Bowden? Admittedly all I know about Bowden's fan support comes from blogs, where the tone has been vehemently against keeping him around. I've also heard that boosters are turning on him, which bodes ill. But I have to believe that there are enough FSU fans who still pray to a God named Bowden just enough to give him the requisite support needed to stay one more year, presuming he cleans out the rest of the season favorably. Sounded to me like the President or someone at FSU had his back powerfully as well. Regarding Dan Hawkins... what has he done to earn the hearts and minds of Colorado's faithful? Even if he turns this season around, which he won't, I'm not predicting a long future for him as the head coach of the Buffalos.
- We've got one full weekend of conference play under our belts. Who can you say, with confidence, that is out of the North and South division races already?
There's nothing worse than having to admit that your team is already out of the race. One team that most of us considered to be out in the North was Iowa State (Clone Chronicles even agreed) but Corn Nation has a bit of a different take.
Colorado and Kansas State in the North. I'm still waffling on Iowa State; they're just a few extra points away from leading the North. In the South, I think Texas A&M is out. It seems that even the Ags best effort of the season against Okie State wasn't enough last week. Baylor showed some signs they aren't going to be pushovers in Norman last week; I'm not quite ready to write them off just yet.
- Which race is going to be better in the North, the race to win the division or the race to stay out of the cellar?
One of the best answers in the entire roundtable was found at Bring on the Cats.
LOL. Good one, guys. Since I think Nebraska's defensive line is going to pummel Todd Reesing into mincemeat no matter where the game is played, I'd have to say the trash-heap race is more compelling. Of course, I'm biased, since my team already has a leg up in that race due to a fantastic Farmageddon finish.
- OU/Texas - Who ya got?
B.O.T.C. - Texas
CC Machine - OU
Clone Chronicles - Texas
Corn Nation - OU
Double T Nation - Texas
I Am The 12th Man - Texas