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Although I follow them closely along with several Big 12 schools because of my location. BUT, I know there are several Texas Longhorn fans on the board and I know that you would want to see this.
July 26, 2006, 1:43AM
A shift in power in the Big 12
With Vince Young's championship heroics in the rearview mirror, Texas is again projected to be looking up to Oklahoma in the South
By TERRANCE HARRIS
Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle
KANSAS CITY, MO. — As a stickler for preparation, Texas coach Mack Brown conceivably knew how he would handle questions this week about a national championship repeat moments after Vince Young's triumphant touchdown during January's Rose Bowl.
Brown would do his best to convince the media this preseason that even with the most electrifying player in college football back for his senior season that each year is different.
That would have been Brown's best-case scenario.
But with Young cashing in on his football brilliance a year early in the NFL, Brown is dealing with the reality that not only is there no expectation of a national title repeat, but the media don't believe the Longhorns will defend their Big 12 South Division title.
The Big 12 media picked Oklahoma to win the competitive division in their preseason poll.
"After Vince left, it changed our position nationally," Brown said during Tuesday's Big 12 media session, "because if he had returned people would have thought we would have had a great chance to repeat and now we're not even picked to win our division."
Instead of fighting the hangover of winning a national championship, the Longhorns find themselves in the position of proving there is success after Young.
"We were much more than one guy," UT safety Michael Griffin said. "Our expectations have not dropped. Our fans expect us to win, and they expect coach Brown to never have a losing record.
"The expectation is to always come out with a winning season and never to lose. There are always high expectations placed on the University of Texas."
But with the Longhorns, who are returning 16 starters from last season's 13-0 squad, trying to decide between two inexperienced quarterbacks in redshirt freshman Colt McCoy and freshman Jevan Snead, the expectations in the South have shifted to Oklahoma.
The Sooners, 8-4 this past season, return Heisman Trophy hopeful Adrian Peterson at running back along with quarterback Rhett Bomar and top receiver Malcolm Kelly. They also bring back eight starters on defense, including All-Big 12 linebacker Rufus Alexander.
Texas offensive tackle Justin Blalock relates the OU hype to the Sooners returning what he calls the Triplets — Bomar, Peterson and Kelly. But he's not buying it.
"I really don't get caught up in things like that," Blalock said. "Last year, we didn't start No. 1, but we finished there. If we finish higher than we start, then that's good for me."
For the past several years, the Horns and Sooners have battled for supremacy in the Big 12 South and most expect little to change this season. Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Oklahoma State and Baylor are projected to vie for third and below.
"But if you look at the Southern Division in the Big 12, there's two national champions (UT and OU) that have come out of that division over the last six years," Brown said. "So we have a very, very difficult league, and everybody is getting better."
The North Division, meanwhile, is fighting to regain the respect it had during the early years of the conference. After some lean seasons, it appears Nebraska could be ready to reclaim its perch at the top.
The Cornhuskers are picked to supplant Colorado as the North heavyweight. Nebraska, which returns 16 starters, is riding a wave of momentum from last season's 8-4 campaign that included a stirring 32-28 victory over Michigan in the Alamo Bowl.
The high expectations stem from quarterback Zac Taylor's development in Bill Callahan's West Coast offense. Callahan, just two years removed from a rare losing season at Nebraska, says winning the North Division is only the beginning for the Cornhuskers.
"Our goal is always to win a national championship as well," said Callahan, 13-10 after his first two years in Lincoln. "As you look at the history of the Big 12 Conference in the last 12 years, I think only three teams have hit the trifecta — winning the division, the conference and the national title.
"So we always sell it to our players from the aspect of capturing the division first, then winning the Big 12 championship and putting ourselves in the position to be in the (national) title game.
"And that's the essence of this conference competition, and that's what we embrace, and that's what we look forward to and that's the expectation of our program."
July 26, 2006, 1:43AM
A shift in power in the Big 12
With Vince Young's championship heroics in the rearview mirror, Texas is again projected to be looking up to Oklahoma in the South
By TERRANCE HARRIS
Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle
KANSAS CITY, MO. — As a stickler for preparation, Texas coach Mack Brown conceivably knew how he would handle questions this week about a national championship repeat moments after Vince Young's triumphant touchdown during January's Rose Bowl.
Brown would do his best to convince the media this preseason that even with the most electrifying player in college football back for his senior season that each year is different.
That would have been Brown's best-case scenario.
But with Young cashing in on his football brilliance a year early in the NFL, Brown is dealing with the reality that not only is there no expectation of a national title repeat, but the media don't believe the Longhorns will defend their Big 12 South Division title.
The Big 12 media picked Oklahoma to win the competitive division in their preseason poll.
"After Vince left, it changed our position nationally," Brown said during Tuesday's Big 12 media session, "because if he had returned people would have thought we would have had a great chance to repeat and now we're not even picked to win our division."
Instead of fighting the hangover of winning a national championship, the Longhorns find themselves in the position of proving there is success after Young.
"We were much more than one guy," UT safety Michael Griffin said. "Our expectations have not dropped. Our fans expect us to win, and they expect coach Brown to never have a losing record.
"The expectation is to always come out with a winning season and never to lose. There are always high expectations placed on the University of Texas."
But with the Longhorns, who are returning 16 starters from last season's 13-0 squad, trying to decide between two inexperienced quarterbacks in redshirt freshman Colt McCoy and freshman Jevan Snead, the expectations in the South have shifted to Oklahoma.
The Sooners, 8-4 this past season, return Heisman Trophy hopeful Adrian Peterson at running back along with quarterback Rhett Bomar and top receiver Malcolm Kelly. They also bring back eight starters on defense, including All-Big 12 linebacker Rufus Alexander.
Texas offensive tackle Justin Blalock relates the OU hype to the Sooners returning what he calls the Triplets — Bomar, Peterson and Kelly. But he's not buying it.
"I really don't get caught up in things like that," Blalock said. "Last year, we didn't start No. 1, but we finished there. If we finish higher than we start, then that's good for me."
For the past several years, the Horns and Sooners have battled for supremacy in the Big 12 South and most expect little to change this season. Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Oklahoma State and Baylor are projected to vie for third and below.
"But if you look at the Southern Division in the Big 12, there's two national champions (UT and OU) that have come out of that division over the last six years," Brown said. "So we have a very, very difficult league, and everybody is getting better."
The North Division, meanwhile, is fighting to regain the respect it had during the early years of the conference. After some lean seasons, it appears Nebraska could be ready to reclaim its perch at the top.
The Cornhuskers are picked to supplant Colorado as the North heavyweight. Nebraska, which returns 16 starters, is riding a wave of momentum from last season's 8-4 campaign that included a stirring 32-28 victory over Michigan in the Alamo Bowl.
The high expectations stem from quarterback Zac Taylor's development in Bill Callahan's West Coast offense. Callahan, just two years removed from a rare losing season at Nebraska, says winning the North Division is only the beginning for the Cornhuskers.
"Our goal is always to win a national championship as well," said Callahan, 13-10 after his first two years in Lincoln. "As you look at the history of the Big 12 Conference in the last 12 years, I think only three teams have hit the trifecta — winning the division, the conference and the national title.
"So we always sell it to our players from the aspect of capturing the division first, then winning the Big 12 championship and putting ourselves in the position to be in the (national) title game.
"And that's the essence of this conference competition, and that's what we embrace, and that's what we look forward to and that's the expectation of our program."
