Posted on Mon, Oct. 19, 2009 11:07 PM
GOING FOR TWO
Spread the word: Big 12 offense works in NFL
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If Michael Crabtree doesn’t make an impact in his NFL debut this weekend, fault contract holdout rust and not the offense that made him a two-time All-American at Texas Tech.
The spread offense gets beat up around NFL draft time. Offensive linemen spend too much time in pass protection, tight ends don’t block enough, and wide receivers don’t run long, developing routes, the complaints go.
But that didn’t stop NFL teams from taking three Big 12 players from spread systems in the first round last April, including Crabtree, and the two others have made an impact.
The Eagles’ Jeremy Maclin, the former Missouri wide receiver, caught two touchdown passes the previous week. Tight end Brandon Pettigrew starts for the Lions after a big career at Oklahoma State.
From the second round, former Oklahoma offensive tackle Phil Loadholt starts for Brett Favre’s Vikings, and Louis Vasquez is the Chargers’ starting right guard as a third-rounder from Texas Tech.
So much for the gimmicky spread.
Naturally, the staunchest defender of the spread is its modern father, Tech’s Mike Leach. None of Leach’s quarterbacks has made it in the NFL, but others from his offense, like wide receiver Wes Welker, have.
And only Oklahoma defends the spread as well as Leach.
“The spread is all over the place in the NFL,” Leach said. “New England, New Orleans, San Diego, Indianapolis, all of them that are any good with the exception of Pittsburgh run it,” Leach said.
Those who say the spread is gimmicky and doesn’t translate are “very stupid,” Leach said. “It’s not an accurate statement.”
| Team (last week) | Next opponent | Comment |
| 1. Texas (1) | At Missouri | Win out and play for national title |
| 2. Okla. State (5) | at Baylor | Finding new offensive stars |
| 3. Texas Tech (6) | Texas A&M | Most impressive Big 12 victory |
| 4. Oklahoma (3) | at Kansas | Best 3-3 team in the game |
| 5. Kansas (4) | Oklahoma | Redemption chance vs. Oklahoma |
| 6. Nebraska (2) | Iowa State | QB will be game-time decision |
| 7. Missouri (7) | Texas | So much hinges on Gabbert’s ankle |
| 8. Kansas State (12) | Colorado | How do you describe the two weeks? |
| 9. Colorado (11) | at K-State | Had been improving for a few weeks |
| 10. Iowa State (9) | at Nebraska | Defense had to improve, and it did |
| 11. Baylor (10) | Oklahoma State | Victory opportunities dwindling |
| 12. Texas A&M (8) | at Texas Tech | Sound the alarms |
•Texas’ Colt McCoy will lose a thumbnail but not playing time. McCoy injured the thumb on his right (throwing) hand in the second quarter of the victory against Oklahoma. He had one of the worst passing games of his career, 21 of 39 for 127 yards.
•The good news is Sam Bradford’s shoulder was not further damaged by the first-quarter sack against the Longhorns. Although it’s assumed Bradford is done for the season, coach Bob Stoops said he wouldn’t comment on his status until later this week.
•“This pretty much caught us all by surprise.”
| Texas A&M coach Mike Sherman on the Aggies’ 48-point loss to Kansas State.
•“Game-time decision … Nothing has changed.”
| Nebraska coach Bo Pelini on his quarterback situation. Cody Green replaced starter Zac Lee during the 31-10 loss to Texas Tech. Green played better, but is Pelini prepared to hand his team over to a freshman?
Big 12 TV schedule
Saturday
•Iowa State at Nebraska, 11:30 a.m., Fox Sports Net
•Oklahoma State at Baylor, 11:30 a.m., Versus
•Colorado at Kansas State, 11:30 a.m., Fox College Sports
•Oklahoma at Kansas, 2:30 p.m., ABC
•Texas at Missouri, 7 p.m., ABC
Oct. 31
•Nebraska at Baylor, 11:30 a.m., Versus
•Missouri at Colorado, 12:30 p.m. (Central), Fox Sports Net
•Kansas at Texas Tech, 2:30 p.m., ABC
•Kansas State at Oklahoma, 6 p.m., Fox Sports Net
•Texas at Oklahoma State, 7 p.m., ABC or ESPN2
Posted on Mon, Oct. 19, 2009 11:07 PM
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