Saturday Morning Football Notes

by Seth C on May 5, 2007 6:40 AM CDT in Texas Tech Football

Texas Tech Football:

I'm not going to lie, I still think that the possibility of moving a game to Dallas to play OSU in the Cotton Bowl is worth trying. We can all speculate about what might happen, but there's really only one way to find out. I think it's safe to say that whether this is a good deal largely depends on the money, but I wouldn't think that Myers would have gotten this far without being satisfied with the payout. That being said, I think it's an excellent idea.

Rivals.com, via Yahoo!Sports has a couple of transcripts from interviews with new Detroit Lion, Manny Ramirez, and new Tennessee Titan, Joel Filani.

Son of a gun. SEN's and ESPN's Tim Griffin still thinks that Potts has a legitimate shot at the starting quarterback job, or at the very least has closed the gap. This is from Tim's most recent ESPN article:

A funny thing happened on the way to the May vacations for many coaching staffs. Unexpected quarterback battles developed at a number of schools and likely will stretch until shortly before the season starts.

Only Iowa State, Kansas State, Missouri, Oklahoma State, Texas and Texas A&M have solidified quarterback positions after the conclusion of spring practice. And at Oklahoma State and Kansas State, strong performances by backup quarterbacks during spring practice have cemented those players' chances to receive some playing time once the season begins.

Projected title contenders Nebraska and Oklahoma both have wide-open quarterback battles at the end of spring practice. And Baylor, Colorado, Kansas and Texas Tech also are sorting through multiple options after the end of their spring games.

SNIP

Texas Tech coach Mike Leach was not pleased with some of Harrell's early work in practice and felt that additional competition would help spur his development. As Potts kept developing, Leach declared that the position was "open."

Most observers would be surprised if Harrell isn't the starter when the Red Raiders open the season. But that fact isn't a certainty, which is what Leach wants.

"Early on, it [competition between the quarterbacks] wasn't close enough, because all people improve the most in a competitive situation," Leach said. "By the second week, Taylor had improved enough and gotten in enough of a rhythm that they were very comparable."

In the SEN, Tim then admits that Harrell had the better performance in 2 of 3 scrimmages, but asks if this was enough to give Harrell the edge through the summer.

Tech coach Mike Leach has been careful to mention that he considers the quarterback job open after Taylor Potts pushed Graham Harrell for playing time in practice.

Harrell had the better performances in two of the three scrimmages, including the spring game.

Is that enough to give him a boost for the summer? At least not in Leach's mind, and his is the only opinion that really matters at this point.

I just don't get it. I saw that spring game and although I think that Potts has a chance to be a good to great quarterback at Texas Tech, he's just not there yet. The offense requires quick reads, and Potts just isn't there yet, that's not to say that he won't eventually be there, but he's just not there now. I know what Leach has said, hell, I think I've read almost everything he's said this spring about the quarterbacks, but I think the proof is in the play and Harrell is just a better player right now. That's obvious to a football idiot like myself.

For those of you who can't get enough Big 12 Football quickhits, then check out Tim's Big 12 Notebook.

Also pointed out by DTN reader Red Blooded, SMQ, which you should read every day, it'll help you grow up strong and healthy, as his Absurdly Premature Assessment of SMU. Remember, the Mustangs are a 2007 opponent for Tech. Know thy enemy.

For those of you who aren't following the situation regarding the allegations of players involved in an apartment fight, go check out Black Shoe Diaries. I usually don't like to follow this type of stuff, but BSD does a great job of covering an interesting situation.

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Don't Like It

As a student at Texas Tech I don't like the fact that we will loose a game in conf. in the Big 12. It should not only concern the students who show up to the game, but the Lubbock community as whole. I agree that we need the profits, but if we get a good team to a home and home it will make up for it. I have traveled with the Red Raiders to many games both good and bad and cheered them on no matter what. I see this not only as a copycat move which we will be met with but as a flawed decision by Myers and the coaching staff. Don't get me wrong we need the money, but I don't want to pay the fees to go see us play at the cotton bowl where our record isn't that good. You remember Keyshawn with his outstanding catches to our inability to block a "2 iron shot in the wind" a few years ago. Thinking about the Cotton Bowl and Dallas makes me sick, when we have the talent in NM, Houston, OK, AZ and Cali to beef up our roster. I don't think we need the Dallas kids to make an impact if we play there or not. If the players do not want to come then they won't come. We need to focus on our current prospect and then see where they fall.

by ST04 on May 6, 2007 2:59 AM CDT reply actions

I hope

you just give it a shot. There may be talent in the surrounding states, but there's more talent in the DFW area than New Mexico, Arizona and Oklahoma combined. There's a pretty good chance that the game will be for a two year period and then the teams will take a step back and look at the positives and negatives of having a game in Dallas. Besides, it does give an outstanding opportunity for folks like myself who cannot always get to a game in Lubbock, but will love the opportunity of going to a game in Dallas.

Remember that our two best players are from the DFW area, Harrell and Crabtree.

Go Raiders . . .

by Seth C on May 6, 2007 1:24 PM CDT up reply actions

sorry

but to say you don't need the DFW area in recruiting is laughable. New Mexico, Arizona, Oklahoma, those state combined produce fewer D-
IA recruits than the Metroplex.
You go where the talent is, and there is plenty in Dallas/Fort Worth.

by Beergut on May 6, 2007 3:12 PM CDT up reply actions