AUSTIN, Texas -- Considering what was at stake and what was likely lost that, Texas quarterback Colt McCoy has tried to erase the ending of last year's Texas Tech from his memory.
On the game's final play last November, Tech quarterback Graham Harrell fired the football to star receiver Michael Crabtree in double coverage near the right sideline. It appeared Crabtree's momentum or a push from one of the Texas defenders would take him out of bounds, and game over, Texas prevails. But instead Crabtree spun away and high-stepped the remaining yards into the end zone for a 28-yard touchdown reception to give the Red Raiders a 39-33 upset win over No.1 Texas in Lubbock.
A defining moment in the 2008 college football season had been made. And then shown over and over.
NCAA record-setting quarterback Graham Harrell has seen his career take some unthinkable twists during these last nine months.
Who could blame Harrell if he felt cursed?
The former Texas Tech quarterback went from being a serious Heisman Trophy contender to not even being invited to New York. It was thought he might be Mike Leach's breakthrough quarterback and perhaps go in the first or second round of April's NFL Draft, but he never heard his name called during the two-day draft.
Just maybe the Big 12 football coaches thought they had seen the South Division at its most competitive in 2008 when they voted this spring not to change the league's three-way tie-breaker guidelines.
They might want to re-think that one.
The ultra-competitive Big 12 South could again have as many as three teams in a logjam for first place if the best teams take turns beating up on each other as they did last season. Oklahoma, Texas and Texas Tech all swapped wins and finished tied for first in the South with 7-1 league records at the end of 2008. They Big 12 had to sift through four tie-breaker stipulations before coming up on the fifth that named the Sooners the South champs by virtue of their BCS poll standing. .
There are usually a few surprises over the course of the NFL Draft. Maybe I watch too much college football, but I was stunned during the fourth round Sunday.
That was when the Dallas Cowboys selected Texas A&M quarterback Stephen McGee with the 101st overall pick. I understand that college stats don't mean much when it comes to having NFL-caliber talent, but this seemed quite odd to me.
NEW YORK -- He doesn't want to talk about his foot, really. He's been asked about it so much that he can feel the question coming, and he heads it off with a tsk, a shake of the head and a practiced response.
"I've got a brand-new set of wheels, man," Michael Crabtree said Thursday night. "That's the way I look at it."
The Texas Tech receiver, a likely top-10 pick in this weekend's NFL draft, was making the interview rounds at the premiere party for EA Sports' NCAA Football 10 video game. (He's on the cover of the Xbox 360 version.) He's looking forward to finally finding out which team he's going to, and the stress fracture in his foot is healed, thank you very much, and he's not real keen on talking about it.
What he does like talking about is college football. Which is something he's going to miss.
Mike Leach doesn't have much of a track record when it comes to developing NFL quarterbacks, but then again, that's not his job. Since coming to Texas Tech in 2000, he's taken a football backwater to big-program prominence, amassing a 76-39 record and nine bowl appearances.
Because the NFL season never ends, we present our 2009 Offseason Roadmaps for front offices to navigate through the summer.
John Fox and Marty Hurney headed into 2008 with their jobs on the line after an underwhelming 2007 that featured a whole lot of Mittens and not a lot of excitement in Charlotte. They decided to throw caution to the wind and play for "now" by trading their 2009 first-round pick for a chance to pick up both Jeff Otah and Jonathan Stewart in the first round of the draft.
With a healthy Jake Delhomme, Julius Peppers finally deciding to care, a road-grading offensive line and a rejuvenated Smash and Dash running game that featured DeAngelo Williams and Stewart, the Panthers surprised some people by winning the NFC South and looking like a Super Bowl-caliber squad.
Wednesday is a huge day for countless teenage high school football prodigies. It's the first day they can ink a National Letter of Intent to the college of their choice. For many of these kids, this represents the first big decision they've had to make.
Scores of you will be checking in throughout the day to see what talent your favorite football program is bringing in. We'll be around all day giving you the latest information. Many top prospects haven't made their mind up yet. Some may have a last-second change of heart and throw us all a curveball. Others will surprise no one when they sign on the dotted line. One thing is certain: It will all receive much more hype than it's really worth.
Last year, Matt Forte and Leodis McKelvin opened some eyes with their Senior Bowl performances, and both would go on to have outstanding NFL rookie seasons. Andre Woodson, on the other hand, struggled in the college football showcase game, and the former Kentucky star's draft stock plummeted -- he eventually ended the 2008 season on the Giants practice squad.
While a poor Senior Bowl won't automatically torpedo a prospect's NFL aspirations (Joe Flacco stumbled through the game last year), it's a great way for players to separate themselves in a crowded field.
After the jump: a quick rundown of those who impressed and those who didn't.
Turkey Legs to Go is FanHouse's complete travel guide for all of the 2008-2009 college bowl games. Here, we cover the Cotton Bowl (Dallas, Texas), which pits Ole Miss against Texas Tech.
Overview/Matchup: Texas Tech's 2008 season is defining of the "don't lose late" notion that pervades college football. Because the Red Raiders got blown out by Oklahoma in the second to last week of the season -- their only loss of the year -- Mike Leach's team got squeezed out of the BCS and Graham Harrell didn't even get invited to New York City for the Heisman Trophy presentation. And their final reward? They get to play an Ole Miss whose 8-4 season hinges on a crucial win over Florida. They're a talented bunch, and Houston Nutt has done a good job, but if the Raiders' offense can come to life, this should be another pirate club victory.
Hotels: Built by St. Louis beer baron Adolphus Busch in 1912, The Adolphus is the place to stay for luxury travelers in Dallas. Every inch of the baroque-style property underwent a renovation in 1999 and it's still going toe-to-toe with the more modern downtown alternatives. Don't let the 1978 exterior or cheesy spherical tower fool you, the Hyatt Regency Dallas offers a great location with easy access to West End nightlife, recently renovated guestrooms and reasonable rates. Unfortunately there isn't much in the way of cheap accommodation near the Cotton Bowl, so your best bet is near the highway or the airport. With both of those factors in mind, we recommend the Super 8 Motel on Carpenter Freeway.
AUSTIN, Texas -- Considering what was at stake and what was likely lost that, Texas quarterback Colt McCoy has tried to erase the ending of last year's Texas Tech from his memory.
NCAA record-setting quarterback 
Just maybe the Big 12 football coaches thought they had seen the South Division at its most competitive in 2008 when they voted this spring not to change the league's three-way tie-breaker guidelines.
There are usually a few surprises over the course of the NFL Draft. Maybe I watch too much college football, but I was stunned during the fourth round Sunday.
Because the NFL season never ends, we present our 
Wednesday is a huge day for countless teenage high school football prodigies. It's the first day they can ink a National Letter of Intent to the college of their choice. For many of these kids, this represents the first big decision they've had to make. 
Last year, 
Turkey Legs to Go
