Doug Belk talks leadership, Donovan Smith discusses Manjack and what he expects in his first game, 20 years since the Briles debut, and all the quirks and kinks in the Big 12 schedule.
the daily #30 | Archives
20 Years! Can you believe today is 20 years since Art Briles and Kevin Kolb made their debut at Robertson Stadium? I hadn’t thought about it much, but when reviewing the game book, I saw the amazing 102-yard touchdown drive when UH started at their 24. The Coogs struggled with penalties last season, but those Briles teams were next level.
Tuesday Talkers. Doug Belk and a few players met the media on Tuesday in the Carl Lewis Auditorium. Belk discussed leaders on his defense and Smith got into playing his first game with this group of players.
(Audio was difficult with the new setup in the auditorium; Will try to get better audio next week).
The Wall. Between the time I left campus Monday at lunch and returned Tuesday at lunch, UH had built a wall around the Athletics/Alumni Center.
UHAA is moving their tailgates to the AAC this year and had similar fences for their tailgates before. Most likely the reason this was built.
Schedule Nonsense. Just looking at the overall Big 12 schedule, and there’s some silliness almost everywhere:
The two goofiest names on the composite schedule are the Southern Utah Thunderbirds (BYU) and Baylor the LIU Sharks (Baylor, of course). Eight FCS schools in Texas, plus transitioning SHSU, but Baylor goes all the way to Long Island for a rent-a-win.
UCF plays the Wildcats back-to-back (Villanova, then KSU). And it’s the first time WVU gets Pitt and PSU in the same year since 1992. UH plays seven teams from Texas for the first time since 1995.
In almost all discussions of breaking the Big 12 into pods, Oklahoma State is grouped with Texas Tech, TCU, and Baylor. But…Oklahoma State doesn’t play Texas Tech, TCU, and Baylor this season.
OkSt doesn’t even get Texas. UH is the only Lone Star school they play. Baylor, Tech, TCU, and UH all play each other, though (cough). Instead, Oklahoma State gets the frequent flyer treatment, going to Morgantown and Orlando, and they play BYU at home.
UCF travels to Kansas and then to Kansas State 14 days apart.
Everyone in the league plays at least one of the Kansas schools, but Baylor and Tech miss both Oklahoma schools. Everyone plays at least one of the 2022 Big 12 championship participants (TCU and Kansas State) except Cincinnati.
Texas somehow misses Cincinnati, UCF, and WVU, and they get BYU at home. Don’t wanna make travel too difficult for the Horns on their way out the door.
Cincinnati plays the Eastern Kentucky Colonels while TCU hosts the Nicholls State Colonels, but Cincinnati and TCU won’t play each other to decide the ultimate Colonel killer. Baylor plays the Bobcats (Texas State version), while Iowa State plays the ones from Ohio. Iowa State plays the Panthers (Northern Iowa), and Cincinnati gets the Pitt variety.
Texas and Texas Tech both miss the Oklahoma State Cowboys, but each will play the Cowboys from Wyoming (Tech goes there this Saturday). Kansas opens with the Missouri State Bears, while Oklahoma State has the Central Arkansas Bears, but neither will face the Baylor Bears.
Cincinnati has the Miami Redhawks, and Kansas State will play the Southeast Missouri Redhawks, but ‘Cats and the ‘Cats won’t play each other. OU has the Red Wolves of Arkansas State but misses the Red Raiders and our dear old Red and White.
West Virginia has cat scratch fever and will play the Nittany Lions, the Panthers, the Cougars, the other Cougars, and the Bearcats this year. Both sets of Cougars (BYU and UH) host the Bearkats (SHSU) and the Bearcats (Cincinnati) in 2023, but the Coogs and Cougs won’t claw at each other.
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