ACC commish (doesn't) talk FSU/Big 12

Source: Big 12 Football Blog

Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby refused to address Florida State by name this week when asked about expansion, but made it clear the issue would remain on the Big 12's agenda, like every conference. ACC commissioner John Swofford took a similar approach when asked about the possibility of Florida State leaving for the Big 12. "I don't deal in hypotheticals, I deal with what's tangible. It's what we're doing as a league with the current 12-, soon to be 14-membership league, and we're moving ahead on the basis of that full membership.

TCU sets season ticket record with sellout

Source: Big 12 Football Blog

TCU will have a new league and a new stadium this fall. It will also have a new record for season ticket sales. The Horned Frogs announced Wednesday that they had sold out of an allotted 30,000 season tickets, shattering the school record of 22,500 sold for the 2011 season. The new Amon G. Carter Stadium will seat about 45,000. TCU set the old mark on the heels of a Rose Bowl victory over Wisconsin, but rejoining old Southwest Conference rivals has the Horned Frogs fan base fired up.

The Big 12's spring breakout players

Source: Big 12 Football Blog

We're taking a look at spring breakout players across college football today, and here's who made a big impact across the Big 12. Trey Metoyer, WR, Oklahoma: Metoyer may have had the best spring of anyone in the Big 12. The physical freshman spent last season in prep school, but walked in this spring and essentially earned a starting job. Then three Sooners receivers were suspended indefinitely. Metoyer was already going to play and probably going to start.

Daily Bullets

Source: Pistols Firing by Kyle Porter

Huge one at Allie P. tonight with a matchup of potential first round picks. (okstate.com)

Bruce Feldman says Wes Lunt is the most surprising player of the spring. h/t DeShazo (CBS Sports)

Fowler and Mahan go 5-6 in the latest Devil Ball power rankings. (Devil Ball Golf)

A lot at stake in Ann Arbor today for one of the most legendary athletic programs in college sports. (okstate.com)

Not exactly breaking news, but Colt McCoy is a good dude. (Plain Dealer)

What are the odds Mike Holder could pick this woman out of a police lineup? And how much of her promotion had to do with this? (okstate.com)

Charles Howell tees off at 12:30 today. Mahan-Fowler-BVP taking the week off. (PGA Tour)

So…OSU almost didn’t even make regionals in golf. (Golf World)

Ubben says OSU has the 5th best non-con schedule. (ESPN)

Well that’s an interesting headline. (Times-Union)

Nice, TED is coming to Stillwater. (okstate.edu)

Good recap of last night’s festivities in OKC. (Daily Thunder)

Uni Watch turns six today and those new Arkansas white helmets are naaaaaaaaaaaasty. (Uni Watch)

The Steve Jobs movie will be written by Aaron Sorkin of course. (Grantland)

Interesting look at how much it pays to wait for tickets until right before game time. (CNBC)

How you can help this OKC mom who’s battling cancer. (Epic Parent)

Drew Magary profiles Justin Bieber. I can think of nobody else I’d rather have profile Justin Bieber. Also, the Beebs drops a few f-bombs, and yes, it’s hilarious. (GQ)

Solid cooking blog here from an OSU grad. (Cooking Cowgirl)

Kameel Jackson not transferring from OU

Source: Big 12 Football Blog

Oklahoma freshman receiver Kameel Jackson, who announced last week on Twitter that he was transferring to Texas A&M and then was suspended indefinitely by Sooners head coach Bob Stoops, has apparently had a change of heart about his status at the university. Jackson tweeted early Thursday morning that he has "decided to stay at OU." He also explained the reason he was suspended. "My suspensions came from my failure to meet my class attendance policy," Jackson said on Twitter.

Baseball: OSU pitchers receive Big 12 honor

Source: Tulsa World

Oklahoma State pitchers Blake Barnes and Andrew Heaney were named Academic All-Big 12 performers.

College athletics: OSU names Atkins as Senior Woman Administrator

Source: Tulsa World

Joel Atkins, who serves as Oklahoma State's assistant athletic director for business operations, has added the title of Senior Woman Administrator to her duties.

ORU, OSU, OU baseball teams face final weekend of regular season

Source: Tulsa World

Oklahoma's major college baseball teams are seeking momentum-building series during the final weekend of the regular season.

Oklahoma State Football: Which Former Player Will Have Best Rookie NFL Season?

Source: Bleacher Report NCAAF

After a banner year in 2011, the Oklahoma State Cowboys also had plenty to be proud of after the NFL Draft had been completed. Justin Blackmon, Brandon Weeden and Markelle Martin were the three Cowboys taken in the draft this season.

While other Cowboys like James Thomas, Jamie Blatnick, Richetti Jones and Josh Cooper were signed to free-agent contracts, it will be the three drafted players with the best opportunities to affect their teams immediately.

More than likely Weeden and Blackmon will both start immediately, while Martin may have to fight his way onto the field. Here's the breakdown of each and a prediction on who will have the best rookie season.

Begin Slideshow

Pokes offer Mansfield OL - OK State [$$] (Rivals)

Source: Yahoo! NCAAF

Tech adds two JUCO commits - OK State [$$] (Rivals)

Source: Yahoo! NCAAF

M. Track. OSU Track and Field Spotlight: Nick Miller

Source: OSU Official Site

As just a true freshman, Nick Miller has become a breakout star for the Oklahoma State track and field team during the indoor and outdoor seasons.

Baseball. Cowboy Duo Named Academic All-Big 12

Source: OSU Official Site

Oklahoma State pitchers Blake Barnes and Andrew Heaney have been named Academic All-Big 12 performers, it was announced by the league office.

Video: Importance of DE depth for Texas

Source: Big 12 Football Blog

Sean Adams from HornsNation takes a look at the state of the Texas Football program. In this video, Sean looks at the depth on at the defensive end position.

Baseball. Cowboys Host Texas A&M To Close Out Regular Season

Source: OSU Official Site

Oklahoma State closes out the regular season this week with a Big 12 Conference showdown against No. 6 Texas A&M at Allie P. Reynolds Stadium. The series begins Thursday, with the opener and Friday's contest set for 6:30 p.m. Saturday's finale is at 1 p.m. OSU is 32-20 overall and tied with Texas and Texas A&M for second place in the Big 12 standings with a 13-8 mark, and the Cowboys could finish anywhere from second to fifth in the league depending on this week's final series.

General News. OSU Tabs Atkins As Senior Woman Administrator

Source: OSU Official Site

Joel Atkins, who serves as Oklahoma State's assistant athletic director for business operations, has added the title of Senior Woman Administrator to her duties. The announcement was made today by OSU Director of Athletics Mike Holder.

The Big 12's returning 100-tackle defenders

Source: Big 12 Football Blog

The Big 12 had eight players notch at least 100 tackles in 2011. Of that group, five return. Here's a look at the Big 12's returning 100-tackle defenders. 1. A.J. Klein, LB, Iowa State: Klein's no joke. He shared Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year honors with Frank Alexander, and is the Big 12's leading returning tackler. Only Kansas' Steven Johnson had more than Klein's 116 tackles in 2011. He's physical and a sure tackler, and ISU's defense has enjoyed the benefits.

Most indispensable player: TCU

Source: Big 12 Football Blog

We're moving on in our series on the Big 12 Blog pegging the single player each team in the Big 12 can't afford to lose. He's also the player that will be most responsible for the team's ultimate success. Next up, the TCU Horned Frogs. Find more indispensable players here. Most indispensable player(s): QB Casey Pachall 2011 stats: 228-of-343 (66.5 percent) for 2,921 yards, 25 TD, 7 INT. 51 yards rushing, 2 TD Why TCU can't afford to lose him: Pachall didn't put up huge stats as a first-year starter and replacement for Andy Dalton, but he was really good and had three backs on his team that each had at least 100 carries.

M. Golf. Cowboys Set For Regional Action

Source: OSU Official Site

Oklahoma State's men's golf team will be in search of an unprecedented 66th-straight NCAA Championship appearance this week when it begins NCAA Regional play on Thursday at the University of Michigan Golf Course in Ann Arbor, Mich. The Cowboys will be the No. 6 seed in the regional and will begin play at 8:20 a.m. (EST) at the par-71, 6,723-yard layout. OSU will be grouped with No. 4 seed Virginia and fifth-seeded Baylor. Teams will be regrouped according to score and position after the first round. The top five teams and top individual not on those teams will advance to the NCAA Championship, which will be held May 29-June 3 at Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, Calif. Live scoring for the regional will be available at golfstat.com.

Report Cards – Part 2

Source: Pistols Firing by Kyle Porter

Photo Attribution: US Presswire

PART 1

It’s also time for some end of the school year report cards for your OSU athletes and coaches. We’ll be doling these out gently and spreading them out over the next week (so we don’t have to look at all the basketball ones at once).

Le’Bryan Nash - Statistically it’ll go down as one of the five best freshman seasons in school history*. He averaged a 13-5-2-1-0 (points-boards-assists-steals-blocks) and shot 39%/73%/24% (FG%/FT%/3P%) but it always felt like there was something missing. Like he had another gear that he never could find.

Like he was playing as the 25th or 35th best freshman in the country, not the 5th. There’s something there though, and you know we’re all going to be back in late October to see what, if anything, it is.

Mike Gundy - Drew within three wins of the all-time Oklahoma State record by a coach, set in motion the first BCS team in school history, and capped it off with a $1.6M raise. We were a live hair-gelling session on national television away from the first A+ from an OSU coach since Eddie took Tony Allen and Co. to the Final Four in 2004.

Running Backs - It got so overlooked because we were all W2Bing ourselves to death but OSU’s RBs put up the 9th most TDs and posted the 13th best yards per carry mark in the country. Joseph Randle scored more TD than 79 D-1 teams by himself. And he was arguably the 3rd option on offense!

OSU on Twitter - This particular grade has ebbed and flowed as the season went on. There’s only one “must follow” athlete right now (Weeden) and he doesn’t even play there anymore, but there are also a lot of “hmmm, maybe I should be following him” accounts (Fowler, Uihlein, Chelf, Moses, Randle, Zac, Van Pelt, and Tidland) and a pretty good community of tweeters (not to mention media members) surrounding the program.

Gallagher-Iba Crowd - There’s not much left to say that hasn’t already been said. Let’s just close with this. This being what is now the #VelvetTarp…

@pistolsguy The end is nigh…I just left GIA. They are putting in curtains for the upper bowl.

— KT King (@shuttrking) April 6, 2012

*Others include:

James averaged a 13-4-1-1-1 in ’07-’08
IMac had a 11-8-1-2-1 in ’01-’02
Dumas dropped a ridiculous 17-6-2-2-1 (!!) in ’87-’88
Byron Houston put up 13-8-1-1-2 in ’88-’89

…and that’s probably your top five.

Ranking Big 12 nonconference schedules

Source: Big 12 Football Blog

All nonconference schedules are not created equal. Some schedule ambitiously. Others prefer to pay for wins. To each his own. We'll be keeping track either way. Some games were cancelled, others were late fill-ins. Here's how it stands, from most to least difficult. 1. Oklahoma -- at UTEP, Florida A&M, Notre Dame The Sooners can't help that Notre Dame can't get its act together, but the storied program will visit Norman in October. Oklahoma also had to put together a last-minute game to kick off its season, traveling to El Paso to face the Miners, who went 5-7 in 2011.

Lunch links: Big 12 reached out to FSU?

Source: Big 12 Football Blog

It’s a progressive culture. Most of them travel by zip line. One reason Florida State should bolt to the Big 12? For a better schedule, writes Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman. The interest from Florida State is a testament to the Big 12's strength, writes Bobby La Gesse of the Ames Tribune. The Big 12 should make its move in relation to Florida State. Sean Keeler of Fox Sports explains the positives. Florida State's mad at the ACC? The league's downfall is the Seminoles' fault, writes Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel.

Johnson goes from head Hurricane to Hall of Famer

Source: The Oklahoman

NEW YORK (AP) — Jimmy Johnson was asked if he ever considered getting back into college coaching and responded by taking out his phone and scrolling through his pictures.

"There's where I live on the ocean," he said.

Read more on NewsOK.com

Big 12 defenders and the Heisman Trophy

Source: Big 12 Football Blog

Let's get this out of the way right now: None of these guys can win the Heisman. It's a new day, and simply put, we'll never see a defensive player win the Heisman. If Ndamukong Suh couldn't win it (and I would have voted for him if I'd had a Heisman vote that year), then nobody could. It wouldn't stop me from voting for a defender who deserved it, but lots of voters just won't make it possible. Charles Woodson did it in 1997, but we live in a new day full of high-powered, fast-paced offenses and he was a dynamic return man, too.

HornsNation links: Texas king for a day

Source: Big 12 Football Blog

HornsNation has more coverage of the Texas Longhorns: HornsNation roundtable : The HornsNation staff takes turns sitting in Mack Brown's throne to make their call about the Longhorns' quarterback decision. Issues facing Texas : Sean Adams looks at the issues facing Texas and how depth at defensive end is a key factor facing the Longhorns in 2012. Cayleb Jones Q&A: The incoming freshman wide receiver went to high school 10 minutes from the Texas campus but he's still viewing his transition as a very big move.

How does FSU stack up vs. the Big 12?

Source: Big 12 Football Blog

What's that you hear? The faint whispers of realignment rumormongering? Oh, we all hear them. And when they happen, it's time to compare the prospective team to its possible future home. We always do these for the Big 12, and I definitely always learn a thing or two. I hope you do, too. Here's our history: Nebraska vs. the Big Ten Texas A&M vs. the SEC TCU vs. the Big 12 Missouri vs. the Big Ten Missouri vs. the SEC West Virginia vs.

Daily Bullets

Source: Pistols Firing by Kyle Porter

Jimmy Johnson elected to the college football hall of fame. May-July are the slowest of months. (NewsOK)

You wrestling nerds will enjoy this – Coleman Scott doing big boy things in Azerbaijan. (The PA Power Rankings)

Oklahoma State is still projected to make the NCAA baseball tournament. (Perfect Game)

Even though they lost to DBU last night. (okstate.com)

Three Cowgirls on the All-Big 12 first team? And they couldn’t muster a winning record? (Tulsa World)

Andrea Riley on being a mom. h/t Ryan Cameron (Phoenix Mercury)

The only article you’ll read today comparing Rickie Fowler to Byron Nelson. I promise. (PGA Tour)

Good post on keeping some perspective with the Brandon Weeden Browns storyline. (Waiting For Next Year)

Interesting partnership between Twitter and ESPN. h/t Kevin DeShazo (Adage)

80% of people say they’ve never clicked a Facebook ad. I feel like that’s low. (Atlantic Wire)

So a million bones on a $5 subscription, eh? (TNW)

Wife put some new stuff in her Etsy store this week. (Etsy)

Oh…

The only reason Obama is supporting the gay community is for more votes #DesperateActs

— Jeremiah Tshimanga ™ (@OSU_Linebacker) May 16, 2012

I’m not a big softball guy but this video is well done.

Cool interview Trey Whaley…

Bowlsby: Talk of expansion 'on agenda'

Source: Big 12 Football Blog

New Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby doesn't want to see any future expansion in college athletics, but recent events have given him no choice but to put the issue on the Big 12's agenda, as it is on other conferences'. My opinion," he told USA Today on Tuesday, "is college athletics would be well served by some period of smooth water and not all of the angst and disorganization that goes with moves from one league to another." We've heard that from the Big 12.

OU offense flat as TCU takes win

Source: Tulsa World

Oklahoma didn't get a hit until the eighth inning and managed just three singles overall as it fell to TCU 1-0 on Tuesday night in Norman.

Wrestling: OSU's Scott wins title

Source: Tulsa World

Former Oklahoma State NCAA champion Coleman Scott is a World Cup champion after going 5-0 this weekend competing for Team USA at the FILA World Cup of Freestyle Wrestling in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Softball: Three Cowgirls make All-Big 12 list

Source: Tulsa World

Three Oklahoma State players have been named All-Big 12 second team - senior shortstop Chelsea Garcia, junior outfielder Tamara Brown and freshman outfielder Shelby Davis.

Jimmy Johnson elected to College Football Hall of Fame

Source: Tulsa World

Jimmy Johnson, who guided Oklahoma State to one of the most successful stretches in school history and went on to win a national championship at Miami and two Super Bowls with the Dallas Cowboys, was among ...

Baseball. Cowboys Lose At Dallas Baptist

Source: OSU Official Site

Oklahoma State dropped its final non-conference game of the regular season Tuesday night as the 22nd-ranked Cowboys fell to Dallas Baptist, 7-4, at Patriot Field.

Wrestling. Scott Wins Freestyle World Cup Championship

Source: OSU Official Site

Former Oklahoma State NCAA wrestling champion Coleman Scott added the title of World Cup Individual Champion to his career resume after going 5-0 this past weekend competing for Team USA at the FILA World Cup of Freestyle Wrestling in Baku, Azerbaijan. Scott's undefeated run was a key factor in Team USA winning the bronze medal at the event.

Chat: FSU/Big 12, Snyder, top coaches

Source: Big 12 Football Blog

Thanks for coming to this week's chat. Here's the full transcript. Got more to say? Here's where you can reach me. Justin (Stillwater, OK): Any Big 12 coaches on the hot seat heading into next season? What about any assistant coaches who are due a head coaching gig? David Ubben: No, not really. Texas Tech's Tommy Tuberville is the closest thing, but Tech should be better, and he's not legitimately on the hot seat yet. As for assistants, both of Texas' coordinators could have some opportunities at season's end.

Softball. Cowgirls Earn All-Big 12 Accolades

Source: OSU Official Site

Senior shortstop Chelsea Garcia, junior outfielder Tamara Brown and freshman outfielder Shelby Davis have all been named All-Big 12 Second Team, it was announced today by the league office.

Johnson goes from head Hurricane to Hall of Famer (The Associated Press)

Source: Yahoo! NCAAF

NEW YORK (AP) Jimmy Johnson was asked if he ever considered getting back into college coaching and responded by taking out his phone and scrolling through his pictures.

KSU's Mark Simoneau enters CFB HOF

Source: Big 12 Football Blog

Kansas State linebacker Mark Simoneau has only been out of the NFL a couple years. Now, he's headed into the National Football Foundation's College Football Hall of Fame. Simoneau was one of 14 players and three coaches who will be inducted into the hall after an announcement on Tuesday. Simoneau earned consensus first-team All-America status in 1999, and was a four-year starter and three-time captain under Bill Snyder in Manhattan. He won the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year award as a senior in 2009, too.

Football. Another Cowboy Voted Into Hall Of Fame

Source: OSU Official Site

Former Oklahoma State head football coach Jimmy Johnson has been voted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

Chat today at 3 p.m. ET

Source: Big 12 Football Blog

We're back chatting in our usual slot this week, so come have fun with us. We'll get started at 3 p.m. ET. Here's the link. We'll start at 3 p.m. sharp, but I'll get to your questions if you send them in early and keep them coming once we start. See you all there.

Weis' two key lessons from South Bend

Source: Big 12 Football Blog

Charlie Weis' struggles during his five-year tenure at Notre Dame are well-documented. Entering his first season at Kansas with a few familiar faces, Weis is looking to learn from those mistakes and bring a winning edge to a program coming off a two-win campaign in 2011. The two biggest lessons he learned with the Irish? College kids ain't easy, and building a cohesive coaching staff is essential. From the Hutchinson News' Lucas Fahrer: "I learned early on at Notre Dame that an 18-year-old kid is not like a 23-year-old young man," Weis said Thursday during a sit-down before his speaking engagement at Prairie Dunes Country Club.

Most indispensable player: Texas

Source: Big 12 Football Blog

We're moving on in our series on the Big 12 Blog pegging the single player each team in the Big 12 can't afford to lose. He's also the player that will be most responsible for the team's ultimate success. Next up, the Texas Longhorns. Find more indispensable players here. Most indispensable player(s): DEs Alex Okafor and Jackson Jeffcoat. 2011 stats: Jeffcoat: 63 tackles, 17 TFL, eight sacks, three PBUs. Okafor: 52 tackles, 12.5 TFL, six sacks, three PBUs, two forced fumbles.

Former OSU coach Jimmy Johnson elected to College Football Hall of Fame

Source: The Oklahoman

FROM STAFF REPORTS

Former Oklahoma State football coach Jimmy Johnson was elected in to the College Football Hall of Fame on Tuesday.

Johnson coached the Cowboys for five years from 1979 to 1983 and went 30-25-2, while in Stillwater.

Read more on NewsOK.com

Entering the Hall: Gabe Rivera

Source: Big 12 Football Blog

Texas Tech legend Gabe Rivera earned the nickname "Señor Sack" throughout his four-year career in Lubbock from 1979-82. Now, he can add "College Football Hall of Famer" to his résumé. Rivera was one of 14 players and three coaches to be inducted into the National Football Foundation's College Football Hall of Fame at an announcement on Tuesday. Rivera was a consensus All-American in 1982, and his 105 tackles that season still stands as a record among Red Raiders defensive linemen.

Lunch links: Florida State/Big 12 fallout

Source: Big 12 Football Blog

I don't like the sound of that. A lot of amenities disappear when an H turns into an M. Florida State to the Big 12? Uh, not so fast. Or at least, not yet, says Texas AD DeLoss Dodds. Kirk Bohls of the Austin American-Statesman explains. Colleague Ivan Maisel weighs in on what each side should do in the Florida State-Big 12 debate. Mack Brown would like to see the Big 12 remain at 10 teams, reports Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

Jimmy Johnson elected to College Football Hall of Fame

Source: Tulsa World

Jimmy Johnson, who guided Oklahoma State to one of its most successful stretches in school history and went on to win a national championship at Miami and two Super Bowls with the Dallas Cowboys, was among ...

HornsNation links: Finding the right fits

Source: Big 12 Football Blog

HornsNation has more coverage of the Texas Longhorns: Carter Strickland writes : Usually by this time of year, Texas has a full deck of elite recruits. By changing gears and taking their time, the Longhorns are finding better fits. Kendall Sanders Q&A: The 2012 signee starred as a DB in high school but is ready to make the transition to WR with the Horns. Paul Boyette Q&A: The incoming freshman talks about being overlooked in the class and becoming the next great Texas DT.