Sooners Flash Their Cash To Show Riley More Love

Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley and TCU head coach Gary Patterson

The University of Oklahoma's colors are crimson and white. But the Sooners are using green, as in the color of money, to enhance Lincoln Riley's love of the school.

Riley, head football coach of the Sooners, has had his 2019 salary increased to $6 million, making him one of the top 10 highest-paid coaches in college football. Riley reportedly made $4.8 million last year.

On top of the $6-million salary, Riley will receive an annual $700,000 stay bonus for each year he remains with the Sooners, in addition to $150,000 in annual bumps, through the 2023 season. OU also will pay Riley an extra $1 million if he stays at Oklahoma past April 1, 2021. Plus, Riley can earn up to $750,000 annually in performance bonuses.

According to USA Today's annual coaching salary database for the 2018 season, Riley's salary would match Dan Mullen's with Florida in eighth place. Here is the 2018 top 10 list: 

1) Nick Saban, Alabama, $ 8.3 million
2) Urban Meyer, Ohio State, $7.6 million
3) Jim Harbaugh, Michigan, $7.5 million
4) Jimbo Fisher, Texas A&M, $7.5 million
5) Gus Malzahn, Auburn, $6.7 million
6) Kirby Smart, Georgia, $6.6 million
7) Dabo Swiney, Clemson, $6.5 million
8) Dan Mullen, Florida, $6 million
9) Tom Herman, Texas, $5.5 million
10) Scott Frost, Nebraska, $5 million
10) Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State, $5 million
10) Willie Taggart, Florida State, $5 million
10) Lovie Smith, Illinois, $5 million

Oklahoma also has announced that Riley's new defensive coordinator, Alex Grinch, will make $1.4 million in his first season at Oklahoma. Riley joined Oklahoma from Ohio State, where during the 2018 season he was Ohio State's co-defensive coordinator with Greg Schiano. Prior to Oklahoma, Grich was defensive coordinator at Washington State from 2015 to 2017.

During the 2018 season, Riley fired defensive coordinator Mike Stoops in October. He replaced him with Ruffin McNeill on an interim basis.

 

TCU Football Reveals 2019 Uniforms

TCU Football 2019 Uniform Reveal Video

Access video: here

TCU Pitcher Lodolo Named Baseball America Preseason All-American

The 2019 Baseball America Preseason All-America team has been announced.

TCU starting pitcher Nick Lodolo and Texas Tech third baseman Josh Jung were the only Big 12 players named to the first team.

Baylor catcher Shea Langeliers is the only Big 12 player on the second team.

No Big payers were named to the third team.

Baseball America annually polls major league organizations’ scouting departments to vote on the team and asks that they make their selections based on performance, talent and professional potential. In the past, the Baseball America Preseason All-America team has been a predictor both of the first round of the draft and of team success. For this year's teams, Baseball America received votes from 15 major league teams.

As a starting pitcher, Lodolo, who will be a junior and eligible for the draft, went 7-4 with a 4.32 ERA. Baseball America said, "Listed at 6-foot-6, 185-pounds, Lodolo offers plenty of future projection and while he’s been solid in his two years with TCU (12-5, 4.34), he hasn’t quite taken the jump scouts expected after he headed to college despite being drafted with the 41st overall pick of the 2016 draft. Still, his low-90s fastball comes in at a tough angle Lodolo took a big step forward in strikeout rate last season." Additionally, among pitchers on the All-America team,  Lodolo is rated with the best curveball and the best changeup.

 
Rutschman was a unanimous first-team selection. Baseball America said, "Jung has produced at a high level in both of his seasons in the Big 12 Conference and last season finished top 20 among Division I hitters in a number of categories including average (.392), hits (103), runs (69), RBIs (80) and total bases (168). He has plenty of strength and bat speed to go with an opposite-field approach and a good feel for making adjustments during plate appearances."

 

TCU is Nation's Top Rifle Team

TCU, as the nation's number one-ranked women's rifle team, closed out the regular rifle season with a win at UTEP on Saturday, January 26. The Horned Frogs ended the season with a 6-1 record. Their only loss was to West Virginia on November 10.

The Horned Frogs return to the range next weekend, February 2 and 3, as they take aim at their fourth-straight Patriot Rifle Conference championship. The event, featuring Air Force, Alaska, Nevada, Ohio State and UTEP, will be held in Fairbanks, Alaska. Day 1 will feature the smallbore discipline, followed by air rifle the next day.

The NCAA Qualifier event is scheduled for February 16, in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The NCAA Championships are scheduled for March 8 (smallbore) and 9 (air rifle), in Morgantown, West Virginia.

 

New Pro Football League To Feature Five Horned Frogs

 

The Alliance of American Football (AAF), a new professional football league, is set to begin play on Saturday, February 9, just six days following the National Football League's (NFL) Super Bowl LIII on Sunday, February 3. 

Five Horned Frogs will be playing on AAF teams. They are Aaron Greene, Nick Orr, John Diarse, Cole Hunt and Tayo Fabuluje.

The AAF consists of eight teams: Atlanta Legends, Birmingham Iron, Memphis Express, Orlando Apollos, Arizona Hotshots, Salt Lake Stallions, San Antonio Commanders, and San Diego Fleet.

Green, Diarse, Hunt and Orr are with San Antonio. Fabuluje is with Memphis.

Head coach of the San Antonio is Mike Riley. Riley was the head football coach at the University of Nebraska from 2015 to 2017. Prior to Nebraska, he was the head coach at Oregon State from 2003 to 2014. Riley also has coached professional football, serving as head coach of the San Diego Chargers of the NFL from 1999 to 2001 and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Fotball League (CFL) from 1987 to 1990.

General Manager of the Commanders is former Dallas Cowboys fullback Daryl Johnston.

The Commanders will play their home games in the Alamodome.

Head coach of Memphis is Mike Singletary. After playing at Baylor, Singletary was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the second round of the 1981 NFL Draft. After a standout professional career, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1998. Singletary then pursued a career as a coach, first as a linebackers coach for the NFL's Baltimore Ravens, then as a linebackers coach for the NFL's San Francisco 49ers. In 2008, the 49ers promoted Singletary to the head coaching position after previous head coach Mike Nolan was fired during the season. Singetary remained in that position until he was fired after the 49ers were eliminated from playoff contention with one game remaining in the 2010 season. He then had coaching stints with the NFL's Minnesota Vikings and Los Angeles Rams.

General Manager of the Express is Will Lewis. Lewis is a former professional football player in the NFL and CFL. He also served for 20 years as an executive in the NFL, including tenures with the Seattle Seahawks and Kansas City Chiefs. Most notably, he was the Seahawks' vice president of football operations from 2010 to 2012.

The Express will play their home games at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium.

The inaugural AAF season will be 10 weeks long (40 games). There will be a four-team playoff, followed by a championship game at Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas, during the weekend of April 26–28.

All of the teams are owned and operated by the league. As part of its formation, the AAF announced broadcast deals with CBS Sports. Opening day (consisting of two regionally-televised matches) and the championship game will air on CBS. The CBS Sports Network will air at least one game per week. Local stations are expected to pick up the other games for broadcast. Telecasts will feature no television timeouts and 60 percent fewer commercials.

Teams will have 50 players on each roster.

There will be no kickoffs. Halves, odd overtime periods and after scores will begin on each team's own 25-yard line.. In lieu of an onside kick, a team can keep possession of the ball by attempting a scrimmage play from their own 35-yard line and gaining at least 10 yards.

There will be no extra-point kicks. All teams must attempt two-point conversions after a touchdown.

There will be a 30-second play clock. In the NFL, there is a 40-second play clock.

The AAF was announced on March 20, 2018, by filmmaker Charlie Ebersol. The AAF will be overseen by former NFL general manager Bill Polian, former Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu and executive J.K. McKay.

Three Frogs Make It To Super Bowl LIII

Three former TCU football players will experience Super Bowl LIII as members of the New England Patriots and Los Angeles Rams. 

Marcus Cannon is an offensive tackle with the Patriots. Joseph Noteboom is an offensive tackle with LA and Travin Howard is a Rams linebacker.

Cannon will be making his fifth Super Bowl appearance in his eight seasons with New England. Cannon's five Super Bowl trips are the most in TCU history, breaking the previous mark of four by Kenneth Davis with the Buffalo Bills.

This will be the ninth Super Bowl in the last 11 years that TCU has had at least one player in the game. Eleven different Horned Frogs have been on Super Bowl teams in that stretch.

Former TCU Football Players on Super Bowl Teams:

 

• Lyle Blackwood - Miami (Super Bowl XVII, XIX)
• Josh Boyce - New England (Super Bowl XLIX)
• Larry Brown - Dallas (Super Bowl XXVII, XXVIII, XXX)
• Norm Bulaich - Baltimore (Super Bowl V)
• Marcus Cannon - New England (Super Bowl XLVI, XLIX, LI, LII, LIII)
• Tommy Joe Crutcher - Green Bay (Super Bowl I, II)
• Charles Davis - Pittsburgh (Super Bowl IX)
• Kenneth Davis - Buffalo (Super Bowl XXV, XXVI, XXVII, XXVIII)
• Norm Evans - Miami (Super Bowl VI, VII, VIII)
• Clint Gresham - Seattle (Super Bowl XLVIII, XLIX)
• Sherrill Headrick - Kansas City (Super Bowl I)
• Travin Howard - Los Angeles Rams (Super Bowl LIII)
• Gaylon Hyder - St. Louis (Super Bowl XXXIV)
• Cedric James - New England (Super Bowl XXXIX)
• Colin Jones - Carolina (Super Bowl 50)
• Bob Lilly - Dallas (Super Bowl V, VI)
• James Maness - Chicago (Super Bowl XX)
• Mickey McCarty - Kansas City (Super Bowl IV)
• Guy Morriss - Philadelphia (Super Bowl XV), New England (Super Bowl XX)
• Marshall Newhouse - Green Bay (Super Bowl XLV)
• Joseph Noteboom - Los Angeles Rams (Super Bowl LIII)
• Bobby Pollard - Seattle (Super Bowl XL)
• Jared Retkofsky - Pittsburgh (Super Bowl XLIII)
• Barret Robbins - Oakland (Super Bowl XXXVII)
• Bo Schobel - Indianapolis (Super Bowl XLI)
• Michael Toudouze - Indianapolis (Super Bowl XLI, XLIV)
• Greg Townsend - Los Angeles Raiders (Super Bowl XVIII)
• Ryan Tucker - St. Louis (Super Bowl XXXIV)
• Halapoulivaati Vaitai - Philadelphia (Super Bowl LII)
• Malcolm Williams - New England (Super Bowl XLVI)

Georgia Quarterback Matthew Downing Says He Will Be a Horned Frog

Former walk-on and third-string Georgia quarterback Matthew Downing has announced that he is transferring to TCU. His brother, Michael Downing, is a former TCU safety and current graduate video assistant at TCU.

Browing is 6-foot, 195 lbs. As a freshman this past season, Downing, a native of Alpharetta, Georgia, appeared in four games for the Bulldogs. He completed eight of 10 passes for 88 yards (completed two of three passes for four yards in his collegiate debut vs. Austin Peay; waas 1-for-2 passing vs. Vanderbilt for 12 yards; completed his only pass for 24 yards vs. Middle Tennessee State; completed all four of his attempts vs. UMass for 48 yards, and rushed twice for 11 yards).

In high school, Downing helped lead Alpharetta to 2014 and 2018 regional titles. He threw for 2,569 yards and 24 touchdowns as a senior, completing 58 percent of his passes. He earned First Team All-Region honors his junior year, earned First Team All-County honors his junior and senior years and was named Fulton County Newcomer of the Year his sophomore year. He also was named Region Player of the Year his senior year, named to the Georgia Athletic Coaches Associate First All-State squad, named Georgia All-State Honorable Mention his junior year, and was a four-time Scholar Athlete, graduating with a 4.06 GPA. 

 

Fort Worth City Council Approves Beer Sales at TCU Baseball Games

At its Tuesday, January 15 meeting, the Fort Worth City Council approved a zoning change to allow the sale of alcohol at TCU's on-campus baseball stadium, called Lupton Stadium.

TCU officials made the request to have the restriction of alcohol sales removed. Alcohol will be allowed for on-premise consumption within the stands during games only.

Reportedly, TCU officials reached out to neighbors and neighborhood groups, and no opposition to the sale of alcohol was received.

Three New Members Named to College Football Playoff Selection Committee

Former Texas A&M football coach R.C. Slocum, Arkansas State Athletic Director Terry Mohajr and Ray Odierno, a former chief of staff of the U.S. Army, will join the 13-member College Football Playoff selection committee this spring. Each will serve a three-year term and will replace outgoing committee members Jeff Bower, Herb Deromedi and Bobby Johnson, whose terms expire in February.

Cheez-Its for Alex Delton, Not Jalen Hurts!

Apparently, Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts doesn't like Cheez-Its.

After announcing a week or so ago his intention to transfer from Alabama, Hurts was coveted by many football programs across the country, including, apparently, Gary Patterson's TCU Horned Frogs.

On Wednesday, January 16, Hurts announced he would be enrolling in and playing the 2019 football season at the University of Oklahoma. When Hurts made his decision, OU coach Lincoln Riley, who has had the past two Heisman Trophy-winning quarterbacks running his proficient Oklahoma offense, could be heard loud and clear across the country bellowing, "Boomer Sooner!"

As a consolation prize, Patterson and his co-offensive coordinators, Sonny Cumbie and Curtis Luper, apparently have secured the services of Kansas State quarterback Alex Delton, who has announced he intends to play the 2019 season at TCU as a graduate transfer.

As graduate transfers, Hurts and Delton are eligible to play their senior seasons immediately at OU and TCU. 

In addition to Oklahoma, Hurts visited the University of Maryland and the University of Miami.

Hurts went 26-2 as a starting quarterback for two seasons at Alabama. He won an SEC Offensive Player of the Year award and threw for 4,861 yards, 40 touchdowns. On the ground, he had 1,809 yards and 21 touchdowns.

For the 2018 season, Hurts was replaced by Tua Tagovailoa, who led the Crimson Tide to a victory over Oklahoma and an appearance against Clemson in the national title game. As a backup, Hurts appeared in all but two of Alabama's games this season. He completed 51 of 70 passes for 765 yards, eight touchdowns and two interceptions. He rushed for 167 yards and two touchdowns.

At Oklahoma, Hurts apparently will mentor Spencer Rattler, the No. 1-ranked dual-threat quarterback and 29th-ranked overall prospect in the ESPN 300 Class of 2019 rankings, who signed with Oklahoma in December during the early signing period.

Delton apparently had narrowed his transfer options to the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) and TCU.

In his college career as a passer, Delton has a 56.1 completion percentage (96 for 171). He has thrown for 1,202 yards and five touchdowns. He has carried the football 213 times for 868 yards and 11 touchdowns. He was the 2017 Cactus Bowl's Most Valuable Player, coming off the bench to rush for 158 yards and three touchdowns and lead K-State to a victory over UCLA. The Cactus Bowl was re-named the Cheez-It Bowl this year.

At TCU, Delton will compete for the starting job with Mike Collins, Justin Rogers and incoming freshman Max Duggan. Collins is rehabbing from season-ending injury and Rogers continues to recover from a knee injury and a drop-foot condition.

TCU Baseball Ranked 19th in First 2019 D1 Baseball Ranking

TCU's baseball team is ranked 19th in the first D1 Baseball ranking of the 2019 season.

Four other Big 12 teams are ranked, with three of them being ahead of the Frogs. Texas Tech is ranked third, Baylor 15th and Oklahoma State 18th. Texas is ranked 23rd.

TCU fell to Baylor in the Big 12 championship game last season. That loss ended the Frogs' consecutive College World Series appearance streak at four (the Frogs have made five College World Series appearances: 2010, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017).

Only the SEC, with eight ranked teams, has more programs on the D1 Baseball list. Vanderbilt and LSU are ranked first and second, respectively. Louisville and UCLA are ranked fourth and fifth, respectively.

TCU will face Vanderbilt on opening weekend of the season, in the MLB4 Tournament, at Salt Rivers Stadium, in Scottsdale, Arizona. TCU opens the tournament with a 2pm (Central) game on Friday, February 15, against 25th-ranked Cal State Fullerton. On Saturday, the 16th, the Frogs play Virginia at 6 pm (Central). On Sunday, the 17th, at noon, TCU will play Vanderbilt. All games will be broadcast on KTCU (88.7 FM).

Cal State Fullerton finished 36-25 and ranked 16th last season. Virginia finished 29-25 last season and missed regionals for the first time in 15 seasons. Vanderbilt finished 35-27 and ranked 18th last season.

TCU’s first home game is on Tuesday, February 19th, against Abilene Christian, at 6:30 pm. That game will be followed by a three-game home series against Grand Canyon University, on Friday, February 22 (6:30 pm Central), Saturday, February 23 (2 pm Central) and Sunday, February 24 (1 pm). All games will be broadcast by KTCU.

TCU baseball schedule: here 

Date for 2019 TCU-Kansas State Game Changed; New 2019 Football Schedule

TCU's originally scheduled Thursday, October 17, football game at Kansas State has been moved to Saturday, October 19.

Here is the adjusted TCU 2019 football schedule:

• August 31 (Saturday): versus Arkansas State
• September 14 (Saturday): at Purdue
• September 21 (Saturday): vs SMU
• September 28 (Saturday): vs Kansas
• October 5 (Saturday): at Iowa State
• October 19 (Saturday): at Kansas State
• October 26 (Saturday): vs Texas
• November 2 (Saturday): at Oklahoma State
• November 9 (Saturday): vs Baylor
• November 16 (Saturday): at Texas Tech
• November 23 (Saturday): at Oklahoma
• November 29 (Friday): vs West Virginia 
• December 7: Big 12 Championship Game

Big 12 2019 Football Schedule: here

2018-19 TCU Winter and Spring Sports Interactive Guide

2018-19 TCU Winter and Spring Sports Interactive Guide: here

Three Frogs Invited to NFL Combine

Three TCU Horned Frogs have been invited to the NFL Scouting Combine. They are:

• Defensive end Ben Banogu
• Defensive end L.J. Collier
• Linebacker/defensive end Ty Summers

The Combine is scheduled to be held February 26 - March 4, in Lucas Oil Stadium, in Indianapolis.

Prior to the combine, Banogu and Collier, who were first-team All-Big 12 in 2018, will play in the Reese's Senior Bowl, January26, in Mobile, Alabama. The game will kick off at 1:30 pm and be televised on NFL Network.

Banogu was first-team All-Big 12 each of his two seasons at TCU. He topped the Horned Frogs in 2018 with 18 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. He earned Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week honors in a 16-9 win at Baylor. The McKinney, Texas, native took part in two of TCU's three defensive touchdowns on the season, returning a fumble 47 yards for a score in a 17-14 victory over Iowa State and forcing a fumble that Alec Dunham returned for a touchdown in a 42-12 win at SMU.

Banogu started all 27 games for the Horned Frogs the last two seasons. His 17 career sacks rank ninth in TCU history. He was the 2017 Big 12 Defensive Newcomer of the Year and honorable mention for Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year in 2018.

Collier placed second on TCU to Banogu with his career-high 6 sacks and 11.5 tackles for loss this year. He also tied for third on the team with four pass breakups, the most by a defensive lineman.

A Munday, Texas, native, Collier had two tackles for loss, including a sack, as part of four stops in the Frogs' 10-7 overtime win versus Cal in the Cheez-It Bowl.

Summers, of San Antonio, returned from injury for the Cheez-It Bowl. He had three tackles, including his 10th career sack, to give him 318 in his career and sole possession of second place for most stops in Patterson's 18-season head coaching tenure.

The NFL Scouting Combine is a week-long showcase where college football players perform physical and mental tests in front of National Football League coaches, general managers and scouts. Athletes attend by invitation only. Implications of an athlete's performance during the combine can affect their draft status and salary, and ultimately their career.

Final 2018 College Football Season Associated Press Poll

The Associated Press began its college football poll on Oct. 19, 1936. It is the longest-running poll of those that award national titles at the end of the season. The preseason poll was started in 1950. A panel of 60 sports writers and broadcasters from around the country votes on the poll weekly. The AP Top 25 is determined by a simple points system based on how each voter ranks the teams. A team receives 25 points for each first place vote, 24 for second place and so on through to the 25th team, which receives one point. The rankings are set by listing the teams' point totals from highest to lowest.

Access the poll: here 

Here is the Final 2018 College Football Season Associated Press Poll:
 
1) Clemson, 15-0 (61 of 61 votes)
2) Alabama, 14-1
3) Ohio State, 13-1
4) Oklahoma, 12-2
5) Notre Dame, 12-1
6) LSU, 10-3
T-7) Florida, 10-3
T-7) Georgia, 11-3
9) Texas, 10-4
10) Washington State, 11-2
11) Central Florida, 12-1
12) Kentucky, 10-3
13) Washington, 10-4
14) Michigan, 10-3
15) Syracuse, 10-3
16) Texas A&M, 9-4
17) Penn State, 9-4
18) Fresno State, 12-2
19) Army, 11-2
20) West Virginia, 8-4
21) Northwestern, 9-5
22) Utah State, 11-2
23) Boise State, 10-3
24) Cincinnati, 11-2
25) Iowa, 9-4

Others Receiving Votes: Appalachian State 96, Stanford 52, Mississippi State 45, Utah 43, UAB 32, Iowa State 26, Auburn 15, Oregon 11, Missouri 10, Troy 6, Georgia Southern 6, Oklahoma State 3, NC State 2, Wisconsin 2

NFL Cardinals Hire Former Texas Tech Coach Kingsbury

Kliff Kingsbury

Former Texas Tech head football coach Kliff Kingsbury has been hired to be the head coach of the NFL Arizona Cardinals. Kingsbury reportedly will receive a four-year deal with a team option for a fifth year.

Kingsbury, 39, replaces Steve Wilks, who was fired on December 31 after one season (3-13) in Arizona.

Kingsbury was fired by Texas Tech on November 25 after seven seasons, including six as head coach. On December 5, Kingsbury was hired by USC to be its offensive coordinator.

Kingsbury is not new to the NFL. He spent three years in the NFL, from 2003 to '05, with the New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints and New York Jets. He completed one of two career pass attempts for 17 yards, in Week 11 in 2005. Kingsbury then played in the CFL in 2006 and 2007. In 2008, he started his coaching career at the University of Houston.

Updates on New Kansas State and West Virginia Head Football Coaches

Kansas State's New Football Coach Wins Another National Championship: Kansas State is getting a football coach who has won four national championships. On Saturday, January 5, North Dakota State (NDSU) beat Eastern Washington 38-24, for the team's seventh NCAA championship in eight years and then bid farewell to its coach, Chris Klieman, who is taking over at Kansas State after guiding NDSU to a 69-6 record and four of its national titles and being hired at Kansas State prior to NDSU's final games of the season. Klieman is succeeding Hall of Fame coach Bill Snyder, who retired. When Kansas State athletic director Gene Taylor was athletic director at North Dakota State, he promoted Klieman to head coach at the school in 2013. Klieman reportedly received a six-year deal with Kansas State, paying him $2.3 million per year with a $200,000 annual raise. Kansas State chose Klieman over Troy coach Neal Brown.

West Virginia Hires Troy Coach Neal Brown: West Virginia has hired Troy head football coach Neal Brown as its new football coach. Brown goes to West Virginia after four seasons at Troy in the Sun Belt Conference. Brown went 35-16 with the Trojans, including 31-8 the last three seasons and 20-4 in conference play with a Sun Belt championship in 2017. Brown's teams won nonconference road wins against LSU in 2017 and Nebraska this past season. Brown, who is 38, is a native of Danville, Kentucky.

 

Big 12 Head Football Coaching News

Holgerson Leaves West Virginia for University of Houston: The University of Houston has hired West Virginia head football coach Dana Holgorsen as its new head football coach. Holgorsen replaces Major Applewhite, who was fired after two seasons with the Cougars. Holgerson reportedly signed with Houston a five-year deal worth $20 million and received a budget for paying assistant coaches that would rank third in the Big 12, begin Oklahoma and Texas.

Holgorsen was 61-41 over his eight seasons at West Virginia and had led the program for its entire Big 12 tenure; the Mountaineers joined the conference in 2012. West Virginia, which was Holgerson's first head coaching job, posted a 10-3 record in 2016 that netted a second-place finish in the Big 12.

This will be Holgerson's second stint with the Cougars. He was the offensive coordinator in 2008 and 2009 under Kevin Sumlin. Holgorsen then spent a year at Oklahoma State before becoming the head coach at West Virginia.

Applewhite went 15-10 in his two seasons with the Cougars after Tom Herman led the team to a combined 22-4 record in the two years prior and before he was hired as the head football coach at the University of Texas.

University of Oklahoma Extends Riley's Contract: The University of Oklahoma has extended the contract of head football coach. Lincoln Riley. Details of the extension were not released. 

In his first two years as head coach of the Sooners, Riley compiled a 24-4 record, including a 16-2 mark in the Big 12. 

His teams have won two Big 12 titles (both outright in the era of the Big 12 title game) and made two College Football Playoff appearances. He also has coached two Heisman Trophy-winning quarterbacks.

No. 1 Alabama beat No. 4 Oklahoma 45-34 in a semifinal CFP game in the Orange Bowl on Saturday, December 29. OU fnished the 2018 season 12-2. The Sooners' other loss was to Texas, in the Red River Rivalry game, 48-45, on October 6. On December 1, in the Big 12 championship game OU beat Texas 39-27.

Midnite's 2018 Big 12 Bowl Pick Results

Midnite's Regular Season and Bowl Game Record: 56-25

Midnite's Big 12 Bowl Game Picks: 4-3

• Cheez-It Bowl -- Midnite's Pick: TCU 23, California 19; Result: TCU 10, California 7 (OT)
• Texas Bowl -- Midnite's Pick: Vanderbilt 31, Baylor 23; Result: Baylor 45, Vanderbilt 38
• Camping World Bowl-- Midnite's Pick: Syracuse 30, West Virginia 27; Result: Syracuse 34, West Virginia 18
• Alamo Bowl -- Midnite's Pick: Washington State 38, Iowa State 28; Result: Washington State 28, Iowa State 26
• Orange Bowl -- Playoff Semifinal -- Midnite's Pick: Alabama 49, Oklahoma 39; Result: Alabama 45, Oklahoma 34
• Liberty Bowl -- Midnite's Pick: Missouri 30, Oklahoma State 21; Result: Oklahoma State 38, Missouri 33
• Sugar Bowl -- Midnite's Pick: Georgia 38, Texas 24; Result: Texas 28, Georgia 21

Midnite's Final 2018 Record (through 14 weeks): 52-22


Midnite's Week 14 Big 12 Picks: 1-0

Big 12 Championship Game: 

• Midnite's Pick: Oklahoma 41, Texas 31; Result: Oklahoma 39, Texas 27 
• No Pick: Iowa State vs Drake; Result: Iowa State 27, Drake 24

Midnite's Week 13 Big 12 Picks: 2-3

• Midnite's Pick: TCU 23, Oklahoma State 21; Result: TCU 31, Oklahoma State 24
• Midnite's Pick: West Virginia 48, Oklahoma 45; Result: Oklahoma 59, West Virginia 56
• Midnite's Pick: Texas Tech  32, Baylor 28; Result: Baylor 35, Texas Tech 24
• Midnite's Pick: Kansas 41, Texas 40; Result: Texas 24, Kansas 17
• Midnite's Pick: Iowa State 21, Kansas State 20; Result: Iowa State 42, Kansas State 38

Midnite's Week 12 Big 12 Picks: 2-3

• Midnite's Pick: Baylor 31, TCU 17; Result: TCU 16, Baylor 9
• Midnite's Pick: Texas Tech 41, Kansas State 1; Result: Kansas State21, Texas Tech 6
• Midnite's Pick: West Virginia 44, Oklahoma State 4; Result: Oklahoma State 45, West Virginia 41
• Midnite's Pick: Oklahoma 69, Kansas 10; Result: Oklahoma 55, Kansas 40
• Midnite's Pick: Texas 30, Iowa State 24; Result: Texas 24, Iowa State 10

Midnite's Week 11 Big 12 Picks: 5-0

• Midnite's Pick: West Viginia 48, TCU 14; Result: West Virginia 47, TCU 10
• Midnite's Pick: Texas 38, Texas Tech 35; Result: Texas 41, Texas Tech 34
• Midnite's Pick: Oklahoma 49, Oklahoma State 37; Result: Oklahoma 48, Oklahoma State 47
• Midnite's Pick: Iowa State 33, Baylor 30; Result: Iowa State 28, Baylor 14
• Midnite's Pick: Kansas State 23, Kansas 10; Result: Kansas State 21, Kansas 17

Midnite's record through 10 weeks: 42-16

Midnite's Week 10 Big 12 Picks: 3-2

• Midnite's Pick: TCU 23, Kansas State 17; Result: TCU 14, Kansas State 13
• Midnite's Pick: Oklahoma 52, Texas Tech 40; Result: Oklahoma 51, Texas Tech 46
• Midnite's Pick: Texas 31, West Virginia 30; Result: West Virginia 42, Texas 41
• Midnite's Pick: Iowa State 36, Kansas 21; Result: Iowa State 27, Kansas 3
• Midnite's Pick: Oklahoma State 31, Baylor 27; Result: Baylor 35, Oklahoma State 31

Midnite's record through nine weeks: 39-14

Midnite's Week 9 Big 12 Picks: 3-2

• Midnite's Pick: West Virginia 31, Baylor 21 (Thursday night); Result: West Virginia 58, Baylor 14
• Midnite's Pick: TCU 24, Kansas 2; Result: Kansas 27, TCU 26
• Midnite's Pick: Iowa State 28, Texas Tech 20; Result: Iowa State 40, Texas Tech, 31
• Midnite's Pick: Oklahoma 37, Kansas State 24; Result: Oklahoma 51, Kansas State 14
• Midnite's Pick: Texas 38, Oklahoma State 23; Result: Oklahoma State 38, Texas 35

Midnites Week 8 Big 12 Picks/Results: 2-0

• Midnite's Pick: Oklahoma 31, TCU 17; Result: Oklahoma 52, TCU 27
• Midnite's Pick: Texas Tech 37, Kansas 12; Result: Texas Tech 48, Kansas 16

Midnite's record through seven weeks: 34-12

Midnite's Week 7 Big 12 Picks/Results:1-3

• Midnite's Pick: TCU 28, Texas Tech 27; Result: Texas Tech 17, TCU 14
• Midnite's Pick: Texas 31,  Baylor 23; Result: Texas 23, Baylor 17
• Midite's Pick: Oklahoma State  38,  Kansas State 28; Result: Kansas State 31, Oklahoma State 12
• Midite's Pick: West Virginia  30,  Iowa State 20; Result: Iowa State 30, West Virginia 14

Midnite's Week 6 Big 12 Picks/Results: 2-2

• Midnite's Pick: Oklahoma 30, Texas 23; Result: Texas 48 Oklahoma 45
• Midnite's Pick: West Virginia 49, Kansas 10; Result: West Virginia 38, Kansas 22
• Midnite's Pick: Baylor 23, Kansas State 14; Result: Baylor 37, Kansas State 34
• Midnite's Pick: Oklahoma State 37, Iowa State 19; Result: Iowa State 48, Oklahoma State 42

Midnite's Week 5 Big 12 Picks/Results: 5-0

• Midnite's Pick: TCU 27, Iowa State 13; Result: TCU 17, Iowa State 14
• Midite's Pick: Oklahoma State 47, Kansas 18; Result: Oklahoma State 48, Kansas 28
• Midnite's Pick: West Virginia 39, Texas Tech 27; Result: West Virginia 42, Texas Tech 34
• Midnite's Pick: Oklahoma 32, Baylor 17; Result: Oklahoma 66, Baylor 33
• Midnite's Pick: Texas 28, Kansas State 10; Result: Texas 19, Kansas State 14

Midnite's Week 4 Big 12 Picks/Results: 4-2

• Midnite's Pick: TCU 37, Texas 31; Result: Texas 31, TCU 16
• Midnite's Pick: Iowa State 37, Akron 21; Result: Iowa State 26 Akron 13
• Midnite's Pick: West Virginia 38, Kansas State 17; Result: West Virginia 35 Kansas State 6
• Midnite's Pick: Baylor 40, Kansas 20; Result: Baylor 26, Kansa s7
• Midnite's Pick: Oklahoma 42, Army 20; Result: Oklahoma 28, Army 21 (OT)
• Midnite's Pick: Oklahoma State 59, Texas Tech 44; Result: Texas Tech 41 Oklahoma State 17

Midnite's Week 3 Picks/Results: 6-2

• Midnite's Pick: TCU 21, Ohio State 19; Result: Ohio State 40, TCU 28
• Midnite's Pick: Oklahoma 44, Iowa State 10; Result: Oklahoma 39, Iowa State 27
• Midnite's Pick: Kansas 20, Rutgers 17; Result: Kansas 55, Rutgers 14
• Midite's Pick: Oklahoma State 38, Boise State 35; Result: Oklahoma State 44, Boise State 21
• Midnite's Pick: Duke 30, Baylor 24; Result: Duke 40, Baylor 27
• Midnite's Pick: West Virginia 34, NC State 27; Result: weather cancellation (null)
• Midnite's Pick: Texas Tech 45, Houston 42; Result: Texas Tech 63, Houston 49
• Midnite's Pick: Kansas State 30, UTSA 11; Result: Kansas State 41, UTSA 17
• Midnite's Pick: USC 21, Texas 13; Result: Texas 37, USC 14

Midnite's Week 2 Picks/Results: 8-2

• Midnite's Pick; TCU 51, SMU 13; Result: TCU 42, SMU 12   
• Midnite's Pick: Mississippi State 34, Kansas State 18: Result: Mississippi State 31, Kansas State 10 
• Midnite's Pick: Oklahoma 49, UCLA 17; Result: Oklahoma 49, UCLA 21:
• Midnite's Pick: Central Michigan 28, Kansas 24; Result: Kansas 31, Central Michigan 7
• Midnite's Pick: Texas Tech 48, Lamar  21: Result: Texas Tech 77, Lamar 0
• Midnite's Pick: Iowa State 28, Iowa 27; Result: Iowa 13, Iowa State 3
• Midnite's Pick: West Virginia  69, Youngstown State 3; Result:: West Virginia 52, Youngstown State 17
• Midnite's Pick: Baylor 30, UTSA 10; Result: Baylor 37, UTSA 20 
• Midnite's Pick: Oklahoma State 58, South Alabama 7; Result: Oklahoma State 55, South Alabama 13
• Midnite's Pick: Texas 30, Tulsa 20; Result: Texas 28, Tulsa 21

Midnite's Week 1 Picks/Results: 8-1

• Midnite's Pick: TCU  44, Southern 10; Result: TCU 55, Southern 7
• Midnite's Pick: Oklahoma State 37, Missouri State 10; Result: Oklahoma State 58, Missouri State 17
• Midnite's Pick: Oklahoma 41, Florida Atlantic 24; Result: Oklahoma 63, Florida Atlantic 14
• Midnite's Pick: Ole Miss 30, Texas Tech 27; Result: Ole Miss 47, Texas Tech 27
• Midnite's Pick: Texas 33, Maryland 17; Result: Maryland 34, Texas 29
• Midnite's Pick: West Virginia 31, Tennessee 17; Result: West Virginia 40, Tennessee 14
• Midnite's Pick: Baylor 30, Abilene Christian 7; Result: Baylor 55, Abilene Christian 27
• Midnite's Pick: Iowa State 27,  South Dakota State 21; Result: weather cancellation (null)
• Midnite's Pick: Nicholls 21, Kansas 20; Result:  Nicholls 26, Kansas 23
• Midnite's Pick: Kansas State 34, South Dakota 13; Result: Kansas State 27, South Dakota 24

2018 Big 12 Football Standings: here   

2018 Big 12 Football Schedules and Results: here