Big 12 Media Days // Open Thread for Questions

by Seth C on Jul 23, 2009 10:00 AM CDT in Texas Tech Football

Captain Mike Leach loves press conferences and tough questions.

Big 12 Media Days start next week and was curious what you guys would ask any of the coaches if you were able to attend this media event. Make sure and "recommend" the comments and questions that you like the best and I'll see if I can't email the best questions to some folks who might actually be able to ask them next week and if we're lucky, we'll get an answer.

Feel free to relate this to any Big 12 team, not just Texas Tech.

Tweet Comment 17 comments | 1 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

My question

Do you think the O-line and D-line will hold up this year after losing several quality players?

I think Tech has done a great job of getting solid skill players, but the lines is where you win and lose. I’m interested to see how good Tech will be at re-loading the two lines. If they do a good job, they will have a good chance to do something this year, if not, not.

by Big50 on Jul 23, 2009 11:04 AM CDT reply actions

backs

Alot of people are excited about the troika of Batch, Jeffers, and Crawford, but I think alot of what Shannon Woods did went unheralded. Especially his pass protection and ability to be money on short yardage/goalline runs. Are we going to lose anything there this season?

by Plano Jeff on Jul 23, 2009 12:47 PM CDT via mobile reply actions

and what do the above three men add that maybe Shannon didn’t have.

by Plano Jeff on Jul 23, 2009 12:49 PM CDT via mobile up reply actions

backs response

My take is the team will be helped a great deal by the skill sets of these particular 3 runners. They all 3 seem to be very coachable and focused. So it’s going to a positive effect when they get their reps/touches during the game. Jeffers is the flamer. Batch is the determined to stick it in you face guy and Crawford delivers bit of power. Bouncing off folks or going thru them. Seems to be a help to Potts that he can check to a run with a good deal of confidence. What is special about these guys is he should be able to check to a run with anyone of these guys on the field. Batch is a good pass catcher – no check that a great receiver. As far as Shannon Woods you could not have been more accurate Plano Jeff. What a great blocker or more accurately a gifted blitz pick up guy. He seemed to relish delivering a blow to on coming LBs and D linemen. Batch sort of does this okay. Don’t recall a telling blow he delivered as a blocker. While running the ball yeah every time he seemed to thump someone. No idea if Jeffers can block. And Crawford was adequate when in position. Thing about Woods was he seemed to have the peripheral vision to find the pass rusher that was coming free. And Like a magnet he would nail them. So until I see it the team in action QB protection appears to suffer. They lost their best blocking back at least as far as pass protection was concerned.

by centexraider on Jul 23, 2009 3:52 PM CDT up reply actions

in goal line situations

I don’t think there’s much worry about Batch being able to equal or exceed Woods’ performance, but Leach gave Woods the nod more often than not last year in deference to the dues he’s paid in the program. As for blocking, that’s the strength Woods brought to the table where I’m not immediately sure who’s going to step up. Neither Batch nor Crawford are neophytes in this system, they know what Leach expects out of a tailback. Between Batch’s competitive spirit and Crawford’s desire to come back strong after his injury- not to mention both of them having to look over their shoulders atJeffers coming up as a serious baller- I’d say one of them is going to lock onto blocking as the niche that makes them an indispensable part of the offense… I just don’t know which one it’s going to be yet.

by mojavereject on Jul 23, 2009 5:43 PM CDT up reply actions

Given Potts'

arm strength, do you forsee thowing the deep ball often, stretching the field and putting additional pressure on the defense?

by faunchin on Jul 23, 2009 3:13 PM CDT reply actions

the development of the two TE set last year

and the beginnings of a play-action game is what tickles my pickle the most about the addition of Potts to this offense. His arm plus Britton’s speed equals a very serious deep threat in addition our more typical dink and dunk passing.

by mojavereject on Jul 23, 2009 5:45 PM CDT up reply actions

I'm interested to see what he does

w/ that 2 TE set as well, but James has got to get back into the Captain’s good graces, which I think he will, and Castillo will need to see some reps there as well. Just don’t know if they have the guys to do this on a regular basis. I’m thinking that we see more of the Wildcat / Elf package.

Go Raiders . . .
Double-T Nation

by Seth C on Jul 23, 2009 8:31 PM CDT up reply actions

How do we win that Big 12 title

I would ask the coach:

How he thought we are progressing in terms of improvements in player quality and what steps are we taking / should we be taking to try and get past Oklahoma and Texas to win the Big 12 South regularly.

What he thinks about gettting rid of that bad loss / loss that should be a win; is it a mental problem or physical problem or possibly something else?

On a more personal (and pessimistic) note, does he think Tech has a glass ceiling and if so, is there any way of breaking through it.

In a league that is more and more spread heavy, does he feel that the Air Raid is starting to be more easily defended as DCs learn how to defend against it, and if so what (without giving away any secrets) changes does he make to keep it fresh and are there any new schemes to keep Tech ahead of the curve.

Also, just on a point of interest what schools does he like / dislike visiting as the away team and why

(I think that’s all for now, I’ll prob think of more)

by UKRaider on Jul 23, 2009 4:07 PM CDT reply actions

Would love to hear Leach's

answer on if he thinks there’s a glass ceiling with the program, although I think we know what his answer would be. It is something that I think about, although Leach has continued to improve the program almost year after year.

Go Raiders . . .
Double-T Nation

by Seth C on Jul 23, 2009 8:28 PM CDT up reply actions

That photo is undoubtedly

the snazziest I have ever seen the Captain dressed. Glad to see he’s putting his increased paycheck to good use.

by mojavereject on Jul 23, 2009 5:34 PM CDT reply actions

I agree. But all he did was put a blazer on over his polo shirt. Maybe he’s wearing really snazzy shoes. :-)

by TechFirst on Jul 23, 2009 5:58 PM CDT up reply actions

I also think

this photo is a couple of years old, which means that you can expect a Hawaiian shirt next week and most likely cargo shorts.

Go Raiders . . .
Double-T Nation

by Seth C on Jul 23, 2009 8:29 PM CDT up reply actions

MY QUESTION

Last year, during the preseason, the Captain said the team chemistry was as good, if not better than any team he has coached. Has he, does he, feel this year that the players are developing towards that kind of good chemistry? It would seem that is a major reason last year’s team managed to pull out several tough wins, especially on the road. The Okie game is an anomaly as far as I am concerned, because the team was so focused all year. The decreased effectiveness of Crabtree the last few games certainly affected the team chemistry, as well. Had Leach and Harrell decided to go with other receivers, using Crabs as a decoy most of the time, they might have been able to sustain the intensity and focus those last few games. It could have made the OK game closer, a larger separation against Baylor, and maybe even a Cotton Bowl win. Who knows, if the OK game had been closer, they may have been the second BCS team from the Big-12, not UT. So, team chemistry, to me, could be a huge component of whether this year’s team is GREAT, or just OK.

TTpilk

by TTpilk645 on Jul 23, 2009 7:41 PM CDT reply actions

There's something to be

said about chemistry, but winning solves quite a bit of that. I’m hopeful and I tend to think that with Leach naming Potts as the starter from day 1 hopefully puts to rest any sort of QB controversy, which should hopefully go a long ways.

Go Raiders . . .
Double-T Nation

by Seth C on Jul 23, 2009 8:34 PM CDT up reply actions

I’d ask Leach>>>How do you make sure you run the ball more than 7 times in a game? Does anyone monitor this at all?

by TT4EVER on Jul 23, 2009 9:51 PM CDT reply actions

The easiest way to convince anyone that oue tailbacks need to be involved in the offense early and often

Is to watch the offense play. Dedfischer is hip to this over at the tortilla retort, pointing out that our win percentage when the tailbacks are active is ridiculously high. Even without a genius offensive coordinator at the helm, it’s easy to take the lesson from last year that when tech can rtdb in addition to passing, it makes things unfair for an opposing defense

by mojavereject on Jul 24, 2009 10:29 AM CDT via mobile up reply actions