Big 12 preview:
See Ricky
runby Albert Lin,
CNN/SI
Posted: Wed Aug 19, 1998
Missouri quarterback Corby Jones is a threat through the air or on the ground for the rejuvinated Tigers.
(Tim DeFrisco) | |
| Projected Order of
Finish
|
| North | South |
| 1. Nebraska | 1. Texas |
| 2. Kansas State | 2. Texas A&M |
| 3. Missouri | 3. Oklahoma State |
| 4. Colorado | 4. Oklahoma |
| 5. Kansas | 5. Texas |
| 6. Iowa State | 6. Baylor Tech |
|
| |
|
|
Offensive Player of the
Year
|
|
Ricky
Williams, RB, Sr.,
Texas
| | Led the nation with 1,878 yards and 25 TDs.
"Little Earl" should win the Heisman and become
the NFL's top
pick. | |
|
Defensive Player of the
Year
|
| Dat
Nguyen, LB, Sr., Texas
A&M
| | Posted 130 tackles last season, including 20 (a record 15
of them solo) in the Cotton Bowl.This undersized hitter has
a motor that runs
nonstop.
| |
|
Newcomer of the
Year
|
| Frank
Murphy, RB, Jr., Kansas
State
| | Ran for 1,370 yards on 210 carries and 26 touchdowns in
1997 at Garden City
(Kan.) Community College. The national juco player of the year
should help open up the passing game for rifle-armed QB
Michael
Bishop.
| |
|
Coach on the Hot
Seat |
| John
Blake, Oklahoma (4-8 in
1997)
| | OU grad was expected to turn things around when hired from
Dallas Cowboys two years ago. No success
yet.
| |
|
Conference
Game-Breaker
|
| Michael
Bishop, QB, Sr., Kansas
State
| | Led the country with 19.5 yards per completion and
reportedly can throw a ball 90 yards. His accuracy (43.2%)
must improve, but he's a good
scrambler.
| |
|
Most Underrated
Player
|
| Ricky
Williams, RB, So., Texas
Tech
| | No, not that one. This one outgained the Heisman contender
131-80 in last season's head-to-head matchup and broke
Byron Hanspard's school freshman record with 894
yards.
| |
|
Best
Name
|
Monte
Cristo, QB, Sr.,
Nebraska
Runner-up:
Caldrinoff
Easter, SS, Sr., Missouri
| |
|
Toughest
Schedule
|
| Texas has to travel to UCLA out of conference and also plays
league bullies Kansas State and Nebraska on the
road. | |
|
Creampuff
Schedule
|
| Kansas
State opens with four straight home games, including Indiana
State, Northern Illinois, Texas and Northeast Louisiana;
gets Nebraska at home as
well. | |
|
Red-Letter
Games |
|
Texas at
UCLA, Sept.
12
| | Early test for
new coach Mack
Brown.
|
|
Texas at
Nebraska, Oct.
31
| | Possible Big 12 championship game
preview.
|
|
Nebraska at Kansas
State, Nov.
14
| | Wildcats have a chance to pull a late upset and keep
Nebraska from the conference championship game in St.
Louis. | |
|
Drop This Name to Make Yourself Sound Smart at the Water
Cooler
|
| Odell
James, QB, So.,
Baylor
| | One of the top prep quarterback prospects in the nation in
1995, the Houston-area native has had to overcome reconstructive knee surgery and a five-game suspension last season for breaking team rules. He finally takes over the Bears offense fulltime this
fall. | |
|
Going
Bowling
|
Locks: Kansas State, Nebraska, Oklahoma State, Texas, Texas
A&M
Maybes: Colorado,
Missouri
No
Way: Baylor, Iowa State, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas
Tech | |
|
Top Three
Storylines
|
| Coaching
Changes
| | How will new mentors at the marquee programs—Frank
Solich at Nebraska and Mack Brown at Texas—fare in
their first
seasons?
| | Whither the Golden
Boy?
| | Colorado coach Rick Neuheisel was 20-4 in his first two
seasons, 5-6 last year. This season he has only nine
returning
starters.
| |
It Coulda Been
Me
| | After losing its top two QBs to injuries in the first month
of the 1994 season, Tennessee threw two true freshmen into
the mix. One, Peyton Manning, became the school's alltime
leading passer and the NFL's top draft pick. The other,
Branndon Stewart,
transferred to Texas A&M and now has a season left to
make an
impression.
| |
|
