I want my Big 12 football season back.
I’m talking about the one we were promised in August when there were three teams in the preseason Top 10, five Heisman Trophy candidates, multiple All-America prospects and predictions of the most heated divisional races ever.
Instead, we got:
• Texas and the 11 Others.
• Both division champions decided before the final week of play.
• A game in which the last-place team in the North Division at the time (Missouri) was favored on the road against the first-place team (Kansas State). And Missouri won.
• Another game in which an unranked South Division team with five losses (Oklahoma) was a double-digit favorite over a nine-win team holding Bowl Championship Series hopes (Oklahoma State). And Oklahoma won by shutout.
• A 3-9 record from a coach (Colorado’s Dan Hawkins) who had proclaimed “10 wins, no excuses.’’
• A seven-game losing streak from a team (Kansas) that was 5-0 and ranked No. 17 in the second week of October.
What a mess! But why?
I’m not one to look for excuses, but you can’t ignore the common denominator — injuries — that sullied a potentially super season.
These weren’t garden-variety bumps and bruises to run-of-the-mill players. Many of the league’s stars, mostly on offense, were hit with major injuries.
Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford, the reigning Heisman winner, played in 1¾ games before a throwing shoulder separation ended his year.
That was more than OU All-America tight end Jermaine Gresham got. A torn ACL in practice before the first game ended the year for Gresham, arguably the best player at that position nationally in a generation.
At Oklahoma State, defending Big 12 rushing champion Kendall Hunter hurt his ankle in the second game and never came close to full speed again. He went from 1,555 yards and 16 touchdowns last season to 288 yards and one TD.
The Cowboys also saw quarterback Zac Robinson, an honors candidate, nagged all season by injuries; lost starting middle linebacker Orie Lemon (knee) in fall practice; and lost All-America wide receiver Dez Bryant to an NCAA suspension.
Baylor’s hopes for ending a 15-year bowl drought vanished when quarterback Robert Griffin, one of the nation’s most electrifying players, went down with a torn ACL in the third game.
Texas Tech played musical chairs at quarterback with injuries to Taylor Potts and Steven Sheffield.
Missouri started 4-0, then saw Nebraska defensive superman Ndamukong Suh whip quarterback Blaine Gabbert to the ground like a rag doll.
It’s no coincidence that while Gabbert played on the high-ankle sprain inflicted by Suh, the Tigers lost four of five games and looked bad doing it.
Kansas quarterback Todd Reesing, as suspected, played much of the Big 12 season injured (groin). His coach, Mark Mangino, left Reesing open for criticism by not acknowledging the injury until two days ago — a brutal injustice.
So were there any good stories from Big 12 football?
The league still has hopes to win a national title and a Heisman Trophy thanks to No. 3 Texas (12-0) and senior quarterback Colt McCoy.
Nebraska’s Suh has a chance to claim more individual honors than any player in America.
The Husker defense, which two years ago was ranked 112th in total defense and 114th in scoring defense, is ranked 11th and third in those categories this season.
Iowa State not only stopped a 10-game losing streak, it upset Nebraska in Lincoln and earned a bowl bid in coach Paul Rhoads’ first season.
Kansas State also drew national attention by challenging for the North Division title in the first year that 70-year-old Bill Snyder returned after a three-year retirement.
But this will be remembered as the Big 12 football season that could have been, instead of the one that was.
Season awards
Observations from one last lap around the league for 2009:
Most celebrated decision of the year:
Big 12 North opponents continue to mockingly salute Colorado for keeping Dan Hawkins around another year.
No trend lines exist to indicate Hawkins, 16-33 in four seasons, will turn this around. Zero.
The same dumb penalties, poor execution, questionable strategies and plain-label quarterback play that Hawkins’ team displayed in losing to Montana State in his first game were apparent in his 49th game, Friday’s loss to Nebraska.
Stupidest quote of the year (and I do mean stupid, not just dumb or ignorant):
Hawkins talking about what he inherited upon arriving at Colorado: “This place was burned to the ground. It was burned to the ground in every way.’’
If Hawkins truly believes that, he is clueless. If he is making excuses for his own poor performance, he should be ashamed.
Strangest statistic of the year:
Texas A&M was 0-6 in TV games and 6-0 in games not telecast.
Second strangest statistic of the year:
Oklahoma State, averaging 400 yards and 33 points a game on offense, being shut out by Oklahoma and forced to punt 14 times.
Most underrated player of the year:
Texas A&M quarterback Jerrod Johnson. Among regular Big 12 starters, who threw the most touchdown passes? Johnson (28). Who threw the fewest interceptions? Johnson (6). Who accounted for the most touchdowns? Johnson (36).
Player most deserving of attention received:
Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. I’ve been going to NU football games since 1975, and he’s the best interior defender I’ve seen in scarlet and cream. Every award he wins is well-deserved.
Players of the week
Offense: Texas quarterback Colt McCoy. The senior from Tuscola, Texas, threw for 304 yards and four touchdowns and rushed for 175 yards and one touchdown in a 49-39 win over Texas A&M.
Defense: Colorado cornerback Cha’pelle Brown and Texas Tech defensive end Brandon Sharpe. Brown, a senior from La Puente, Calif., had 10 solo tackles, including a sack, in a 28-20 loss to Nebraska. Sharpe, a senior from Lyons, Ga., had two sacks to break the school season record of 14 in a 20-13 win over Baylor.
Special teams: Missouri kicker Grant Ressel. The sophomore from Jackson, Mo., kicked four field goals, including the game-winner from 27 yards on the final play, in a 41-39 win over Kansas.
Contact the writer:
444-1024, lee.barfknecht@owh.com
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