Alamo BowlMichigan State Spartans vs. Texas Tech Red Raiders
January 2, 2010, 8pm Central
San Antonio, Texas
Network: ESPN/ESPN Radio
Fourteen Michigan State players suspended. One Texas Tech head coach fired. Two programs in turmoil. The winner will be the one that can pull things together to field a cohesive team.
The challenge to Michigan State is straight forward, but significant. On the other hand, they've had a month to prepare replacements for those lost.
For Texas Tech, however, this is brand new, and there are lots of unknowns. Some players have indicated that things will be better without Mike Leach, and there were certainly signs earlier this season that he had lost the team. They very well could be better without the pirate on the sidelines.
Prior to this morning's hearing to address the injunction Mike Leach filed yesterday, Leach's attorney Ted Liggett received a letter from Texas Tech president Guy Bailey terminating Leach's employment for cause, effective immediately. As a result, the court hearing never occurred (I assume because Leach no longer had standing for the injunction).
Ted Liggett stated that a lawsuit against Texas Tech would be coming soon.
The Austin American Statesman's Cedric Golden and Suzanne Halliburton are reporting on Twitter that Mike Leach, the head coach of the Texas Tech Red Raiders, has been suspended indefinitely. Apparently, this has something to do with an injured player and a complaint by a player (or his parents).
Ruffin McNeill will coach the team at the Alamo Bowl on January 2nd.
Texas Tech Red Raiders head coach Mike Leach has always been unpredictable. He is likely to do the unexpected, whether with his play calling or his interviews. But this year's antics seem to have had a larger impact, and not a positive one.
Have Texas Tech players lost faith in their coach?
Reports are that Texas Tech star wide receiver Michael Crabtree will announce on Tuesday that he plans to declare for the NFL draft. The NFL draft advisory committee, among other sources, lists Crabtree as a probable first round draft pick.
Crabtree, a two-time Biletnikoff Award for the nation's top receiver, had 93 catches and 18 touchdowns in the regular season, averaging 94.6 yards per game.
In yet another example of how screwed up the bowl system is, eighth ranked and one-loss Texas Tech faces twentieth ranked and four-loss Ole Miss in the 2009 Cotton Bowl.
And don't get me started on how immoral, unethical, and illegal it is to have the Cotton Bowl on January 2nd. The Cotton Bowl is, and always should be, a New Years Day game. How this didn't come up during the presidential campaign, I'll never know. Moving it proves that the terrorists have already won.
I generally root for Texas Tech in bowl games, because while strange, they're still Texans. I've actually got a couple of reasons to pull for the Rebels, however. [...]
It was announced today that Texas Longhorns head coach Mack Brown has been named as a finalist for the 2008 Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award. Brown will be on a ballot with eight other finalists, which will be voted on by the Football Writers Association of America membership.
Texas Tech head coach, Mike Leach, is not headed to Washington. Whether this was because he didn't want the job or that U Dub made it clear they weren't going to offer him is unknown.
The rumors are swirling that Texas Tech head coach Mike Leach spent the morning in Seattle. Perhaps he's there to enjoy the sunny December weather, but a more likely explanation is that he's meeting with the University of Washington to discuss their job opening.
I explored the possibility of Leach leaving Texas Tech about a week ago, and my feelings are the same: if Washington offers, Leach is gone. [...]
Texas Tech head coach Mike Leach is a riddle, wrapped in an enigma, with a strong dose of lysergic acid diethylamide. So, predicting his future behavior is generally a lesson in humility. But after last night’s loss to Oklahoma, it’s time to ask, Does Mike Leach stay or does he go?
This year’s team is as good as it’s going to get at Texas Tech for Leach. Graham Harrell is gone after this season and probable first rounder Michael Crabtree …
