Best Case/ Worst Case - Big12 North

Missouri

Sep. 1 - Illinois (@St. Louis)
Sep. 8 - @Mississippi
Sep. 15 - Western Michigan
Sep. 22 - Illinois St.
Oct. 6 - Nebraska
Oct. 13 - @Oklahoma
Oct. 20 - Texas Tech
Oct. 27 - Iowa State
Nov. 3 - @Colorado
Nov. 10 - Texas A&M
Nov. 17 - @Kansas St.
Nov. 24 - Kansas (@Kansas City)

Best Case: Daniel sets the world on fire 10-2 with losses to Nebraska and OU
Worst Case: Classic Pinkel coached team 7-5 with losses to Neb, OU, Tech, A&M, and K-State
TVFF Prediction: 9-3 with losses to Neb, OU, and either A&M or K-State

Nebraska

Sep.1 - Nevada
Sep. 8 - @Wake Forest
Spe. 15 - USC
Sep. 22 - Ball St.
Sep. 29 - Iowa St.
Oct. 6 - @Missouri
Oct. 13 - Oklahoma St.
Oct.20 - Texas A&M
Oct.27 - @Texas
Nov.3 - @Kansas
Nov.10 - K-State
Nov. 23 - @Colorado

Best Case: 10-2 (USC, Texas)
Worst Case: 9-3 (Wake, USC, Texas)
TVFF Prediction: 10-2 (USC, Texas)

Kansas State

Sep.1 - @Auburn
Sep.8 - San Jose St.
Sep.5 - Missouri St.
Sep.29 - @Texas
Oct. 6 - Kansas
Oct.13 - Colorado
Oct.20 - @Oklahoma State
Oct. 27 - Baylor
Nov.3 - @Iowa St.
Nov.10 - @Nebraska
Nov.17 - Missouri
Nov.24 - @Fresno St.

Best Case: 9-3 (Texas, Ok. St., Neb)
Worst Case: 7-5 (Auburn, Texas, OSU, Neb, Missouri)
TVFF Prediction: 7-5 (Above)

Colorado

Sep.1 - Colorado St (@Denver)
Sep.8 - @Arizona St.
Sep 15 - Florida St.
Sep.22 - Miami, OH
Sep.29 - Oklahoma
Oct.6 - Baylor
Oct. 13 - @Kansas St.
Oct. 20 - Kansas
Oct.27 - @Texas Tech
Nov.3 - Missouri
Nov.10 - @Iowa St.
Nov.23 - Nebraska

Best Case: 6-6 (Florida St., OU, K-State, Tech, Missouri, Neb.)
Worst Case: 3-9 (CSU, ASU, FSU, OU, Baylor, K-State, Tech, Missouri, Neb.)
TVFF Prediction: 5-7 (ASU, FSU, OU, K-State, Tech, Missouri, Neb.)

Kansas

Sep.1 - Central Michigan
Sep.8 - SE Louisiana
Sep. 15 - Toledo
Sep.22 - Florida Int'l
Oct.6 - @K-State
Oct. 13 - Baylor
Oct. 20 - @Colorado
Oct. 27 - @Texas A&M
Nov. 3 - Nebraska
Nov. 10 - @Oklahoma St.
Nov.17 - Iowa St.
Nov. 24 - Missouri (@Kansas City)

Best Case: 6-6 (K-State, Colorado, A&M, Neb, OSU, Missouri)
Worst Case: 3-9 (CMU, K-State, Baylor, Colorado, A&M, Neb, OSU, Iowa St., Missouri)
TVFF Prediction: 6-6

Iowa State

Aug.30 - Kent St.
Sep.8 - Northern Iowa
Sep.15 - Iowa
Sep.22 - @Toledo
Sep. 29 - @Nebraska
Oct.6 - @Texas Tech
Oct. 13 - Texas
Oct.20 - Oklahoma
Oct. 27 - @Missouri
Nov.3 - Kansas St.
Nov.10 - Colorado
Nov.17 - @Kansas

Best Case: 6-6 (Neb., Tech, Texas, OU, Missouri, K-State)
Worst Case: 2-10 (Win against Kent St and Northern Iowa)
TVFF Prediction: 3-9 ( Win against Kent, NIU, Toledo)

Quick Hits

-The Fightin' Skeeters checked in at #7 in the Dallas Morning News' area rankings. QB Kelly Page (committed to Oregon) returns from a knee injury and the defense picked up Lancaster transfer D.J. Marshall (7 sacks last year). Mesquite will play #17 Plano, #9 Plano East, and #11 Carter along with West Texas powerhouses Abilene High and Midland Lee in non-district. Texas Football has the Skeeters winning district 12-5A and my inside sources tell me that Coach Halpin says this senior class is better than the 2001 State Championship team. Sting'em Skeeters!!

-My favorite issue of Sports Illustrated came in the mail last week: the College Football Preview. I haven't read all the way threw it yet, but I did find one error on the can't miss matchups page. "Texas at Texas A&M - Aggies snapped five-game losing streak to Horns last year". It was actually a six-game losing streak but who's counting.

-I played in a Church State Softball tournament this weekend and our team won the Championship. It was fun, but I'm thinking about retiring from softball tournaments. I guess like a lot of things these days, things aren't like they used to be. I basically grew up at the softball complex. My Dad's church team won multiple State Championships and played in national tournaments all across the South. It was great, I knew every Friday night in the Spring we would be at the softball field. All the families came and the kids played wiffle ball from the time we got there until our parents dragged us to the car. This weekend there were only a handful of families at the ballpark. I wasn't playing with our Church team so Courtney and Savannah didn't come (Savannah is still too young to get out in that heat anyway), but even at our Church league games not all the families come. Is softball just not quality entertainment anymore, are families too busy to gather everyone for a night at the park? Back to retirement, I think I might not play anymore because I don't want to spend all day out at the park when I could be home with my family. I like to play and compete, but if I'm not playing on a team with my friends where all of our families can spend the day together, I don't see the point in playing. Basically, my Saturday could have been this: Fantasy Football draft 9-12, go home and hang out maybe get some stuff done around the house, go to Bourne with Aaron and Allison. Instead, I when I left for the draft Savannah and Courtney were still in bed and when I got home from the games they were back in bed. Not to mention I was very sore yesterday and today. Maybe I'll consult Roger Clemens and Brett Farve before I make my final decision.

Big 12 Shake-Up

I have a plan that kills two birds with one stone. The Big 12 should borrow two great ideas from their sister conferences of the SEC and Pac-10. When the SEC split into two divisions they did not want to break up some of the traditional rivalry games, so they paired up teams from the east and west that play year in and year out (Tenn/Bama, Auburn/Georgia, Florida/LSU, ect.) I haven't really seen anything lately, but I remember reading an article a while back about the lack of rivalries in the Big 12. Well, I guess I wouldn't call it a lack of rivalries because the conference does have some great rivals, but the formation of the Big 12 has not created any new rivalries. If fact it has severely decreased the rivalry between Oklahoma and Nebraska in my opinion. So I suggest that these teams play each other every year.

Nebraska-Oklahoma
Colorado-Texas
Kansas State-Texas A&M
Missouri-Texas Tech
Iowa State-Oklahoma State
Kansas-Baylor

This would reestablish the NU/OU series as one of the nations premier games. And with Colorado and Kansas State improving those series would be very interesting.

The idea taken from the Pac-10 is that the new annual series takes the place of a non-conference game, so the Big 12 would play a nine game conference schedule. With the addition of the 12th game the Pac-10 chose to play a nine game conference schedule so that each team would play every other team. This would drastically improve the strength of schedule for most teams. For example, Texas would basically replace Arkansas State with Colorado. Also, with the addition of an extra conference game teams from the north and south would play each other more often possible creating other rivalries. Here is a comparison of the teams from the north that Texas is scheduled to play.

Actual Schedule:
2006 - Iowa State, @Nebraska, @Kansas State
2007 - @Iowa State, Nebraska, Kansas State
2008 - @Colorado, Missouri, @Kansas
2009 - Colorado, @Missouri, Kansas
2010 - Same as 2006
2011 - Same as 2007
2012 - Same as 2008
2013 - Same as 2009

If 9th Game is Added:
2006 - Colorado, Iowa State, @Nebraska, @Kansas State
2007 - @Colorado, @Iowa State, Nebraska, Kansas State
2008 - Colorado, Missouri, @Kansas, @Nebraska
2009 - @Colorado, @Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska
2010 - Colorado, Iowa State, @Nebraska, @K-State
2011 - @Colorado, @Iowa State, Nebraska, K-State
2012 - Colorado, Missouri, @Kansas, @K-State
2013 - @Colorado, @Missouri, Kansas, K-State

So by adding the 9th game Texas would play Nebraska 6 times in 8 years as opposed to 4 times under the current schedule. I think that would be great for college football, the Big12, and most importantly the fans.

I came up with two cons to this suggestion. First, this would probably produce more re-matches in the conference championship game. They could get rid of the game but that won't happen because the game makes too much money. And the second problem that this system could cause is it would make it harder for Kansas, Iowa State, and Baylor to become bowl eligible. Those teams need that 4th non-conference game to become bowl bound.

As always, thanks for wasting your time reading this. Give me your suggestions.

Breaking Geography News

Courtney was writing down all the college football games in her calender and she asked about Dec. 1st.

Matt: O yeah that is the Big 12 Championship and we will be there (doing celebratory dance)
Courtney: What? Where is that at?
Matt: San Antonio!!!
Courtney: Are you kidding, that is like 8 hours away.
Matt: laughing
Courtney: What, It is clear past Lubbock!!
Matt: Much More Laughing

Apparently, to get to San Antonio you just need to hop on 20-West bound and you will be there in 8 hours!!

Notice how far the north end zone seats were away from the field.

If You Fail to Plan You Plan to Fail

Every summer once the preseason magazines arrive I like to take a look at the schedules of schools that are with in a days drive. I write down the games I would like to see and then compare that list to the Texas games I plan to attend. This season will be one of my most productive college football watching seasons in a while, full of exciting games.

I'm planning on attending these games:
9/8 - TCU @ Texas - Dad (I was going with Aaron to Miami/OU but the game starts at 11 and I'll have to work that morning)
9/22 - Rice @ Texas - Courtney's Family
10/6 - Texas/OU - Dad, Aaron, (Aaron Ech might fly in)
10/20 - Tennessee @ Alabama - Stephen
10/27 - Nebraska @ Texas - Stephen, My Family?
11/10 - Arkansas @ Tennessee - Matt

Other possible games:
9/3 - Texas Tech @ SMU
10/18 - Utah @ TCU
11-3 - Texas @ Oklahoma State
11-23 - Arkansas @ LSU

It's going to be a great season! What games are you planning to attend?

Major changes at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium

I've been meaning to post about the additions to the Stadium this summer, but I'm just now getting around to it. I've been keeping up with the construction all summer and it has been amazing to see the changes. For those who don't know anything about the project here is the run down. After the A&M game last year the north end zone horseshoe was torn down to build a new north end zone. The new seats will be about 30 yards closer to the field. For this season the crew finished most of the lower bowl of the horseshoe, although a portion of the northwest section will not be ready for the first few games. The entire project should be completed by the beginning of the 2008 season with club seats, suites, and the upper deck added. The facade will match the East side facade that was completed in 1998. In my opinion this is the most important addition to DKR (although the removal of the track before the 1999 season paved the way for this) because it help trap the noise and keep it in the stadium. The old horseshoe was so far away that it was hard to feel apart of the game sitting there. Also, the temporary bleachers in the south end zone will be back again this season. They will hold an additional 6,500 fans this season as opposed to 4,000 last year. I can't wait to get a closer look at the TCU game in a few short weeks and will hardly be able to contain myself at the Arkansas game next season. Check out the webcam.